On July 9, 2021, dozens of armed police officers burst into the meeting room where our Within Reach Global missionaries conducted an underground leadership training.

Over 20 believers gathered to learn strategies for reaching their communities with the gospel and ushering God’s kingdom into the earthly setting. In a hostile environment, where China’s anti-Christian government seeks to halt the spread of the gospel, only those truly committed to Christ and his commands would attend a meeting like this.

The police confiscated everyone’s computers, tablets, and phones. Within Reach Global’s indigenous Chinese missionaries scrambled to delete incriminating information as the officers made their way to them.

Brother Lee and his pregnant wife, Liu Zhenmei, and their two young boys, ages 4 and 8, were apprehended by the police. The stressful situation caused Liu Zhenmei, who is in her second month of pregnancy, to vomit incessantly. The police took her to a nearby hotel room, where they guarded her and the children. They separated her husband, Brother Lee, and four other disciples. They took them to the police station for questioning and interrogation.

We sent out an urgent prayer request, and the global body of Christ began beseeching God for the Chinese Christians’ safety.

Twenty-four hours passed, and Brother Lee was released. Police officers escorted him to his wife and children, but the reunion was short-lived. The authorities merely wanted him to retrieve his wife’s phone and additional incriminating information. Brother Lee whispered to his wife to delete the contents from her devices. He was taken back to the police station for two more days, where the police questioned him relentlessly about his Christian activities and outreach.

Meanwhile, we had not heard an update about the whereabouts of the four other jailed Chinese Christians.

After years of ministry to unreached peoples and communities, our indigenous missionaries are committed to Christ’s mission to make disciples of all nations. They believe wholeheartedly in Jesus’ inevitable triumph at the end of the age. They know his kingdom will have the final victory. Jail time and persecution cannot halt their passion for extending the good news of the kingdom.

Chapter one of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs begins: “The history of the church may almost be said to be a history of the trials and sufferings of its members, as experienced at the hands of wicked men.” However, Foxe’s tone quickly changes from tragic to triumphant. He portrays Jesus’ followers as men and women endowed with a Spirit-initiated passion for proclaiming Jesus Christ as King:

“The history of his resurrection gave a new direction to all their hearts, and, after the mission of the Holy Spirit, imparted new confidence to their minds. The powers with which they were endued emboldened them to proclaim his name, to the confusion of the Jewish rulers and the astonishment of Gentile proselytes.”

Our missionaries share experiences similar to historically persecuted Christians, and their faith strengthened because of adversity.

The day after Brother Lee, Liu Zhenmei, and their two boys were released from police custody, they traveled 4 hours from the city to a village they had been reaching. For months, they had been preparing to host a three-day youth camp for an unreached ethnic tribe.

The recent opposition would not deter them from taking the gospel to places it had never been before!

Many hearts opened to God’s grace and glory and experienced healing and freedom from past hurts. 58 young people attended the underground camp where they learned about the gospel, Jesus’ teachings, and principles of Christian living. Brother Lee and Liu Zhenmei taught them how to love their family and friends and grow in their relationships with one another and God. They challenged the young people to share the love they had received by expressing their love to their parents verbally and directly. It was a subversive message in a culture where kids grew up never hearing their parents say the words “I love you.”

On the fourth day, after the training camp ended, they invited the children’s parents to join them for a night of evangelism. 200 people attended the meeting, which lasted from 10:pm to midnight, ensuring safety from probing police. The indigenous missionary couple did not need another hindrance to their evangelistic outreach!

The kids wrote notes and letters to their parents, expressing their love and thankfulness to them. It was an incredibly touching moment. The gospel was preached, and tears of gratitude fell from everyone’s eyes. Entire families witnessed God’s love for the very first time.

The following day, Brother Lee and his wife and kids drove to a different village where they had planted a church for another evangelistic night beginning at 11:pm. Over 100 people showed up, and many heard the gospel and received Jesus as Lord!

Belief in Jesus breaks you free from worldly ambitions, alters your outlook, changes your aspirations, and sets you apart from the world in a way they find difficult to comprehend. The privilege of knowing your identity in Christ and the destiny to which he calls you form deep-seated faith in the face of difficulty. Even with the looming threat of doom and disaster, his kingship makes you a conqueror, and his victory ensures your triumph.

Undeterred by difficulty and danger, our compassion-filled, Spirit-led indigenous missionaries recognize this truth and make it their ambition to extend God’s kingdom to people and places where the name of Jesus is unknown. Despite persecution and physical limitations, they are committed to the cause of Christ.

I pray their example of radical devotion inspires you to join God on mission to the world, too.

Want to give to Within Reach Global missionaries? Visit our Donate Page or use the form below.

Photo by tommao wang on Unsplash

The post Jailed Chinese Missionaries Preach Boldly After Their Interrogation appeared first on Within Reach Global.

However, have you ever considered coming to this exotic country to share the Gospel with unreached peoples? Have you ever wondered if maybe God is calling you to move to Thailand?

Here are 7 reasons why you should purchase a plane ticket and make the adventurous move to the amazing Southeast Asian country of Thailand.

1. THAILAND IS BEAUTIFUL

The first thing everyone notices upon arriving in Thailand is the country’s incredible beauty. Flowers pour over parks, islands, gardens, trees, and can be spotted growing and blooming year-round. Waterfalls cascade down luscious mountains, crashing over ginormous rocks in the forests and jungles, and rush along the rivers into cool ponds. Elaborate, architectural temples stand on nearly every street. Night markets are filled with lights, handicrafts, and vibrant colors. Thailand is a beautiful country! There are elephant tours to take through the jungle, mountains to hike, rivers to raft, sunsets to watch, and islands to discover. If you love exploring God’s beautiful creation, listen for Thailand calling your name!

7 Reasons to Come to Thailand on Missions: 1. Thailand is beautiful! If you love exploring God’s creation, listen for Thailand calling your name!
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2. THE THAI PEOPLE ARE KIND

Thai people are some of the kindest and most hospitable people in the world. Being rude, loud, and visibly angry is a no-no in this culture. They greet people with a smile and a bow with their palms pressed together called the “wai.” They open doors for people and are quick to offer a helping hand. Honor and respect are deeply rooted in their culture, and they openly give honor where it is due—sometimes even when it is not deserved. The Thai language is soft and gentle and makes anyone who learns it sound the same! If you enjoy cross-cultural interactions with people, the Thai welcome you with arms wide open and broad smiles!

7 Reasons to Come to Thailand on Missions: 2. The Thai people are kind, welcoming you with open arms and broad smiles.
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3. THAI FOOD IS DELICIOUS

Whether it be a plate of mango sticky rice, spicy Thai curry, fried noodles, or fried chicken with Thai herbs, your tastebuds will rejoice when landing in Thailand! There is a perfect combination of spicy, sour, sweet, and salty in nearly every dish. The products they use are generally fresh and organic, not processed like those typically found in Western countries. Cities offer plentiful vegan and gluten-free restaurants as well as incredible international cuisine. If you love to eat pizza, you’ll find an Italian or American pizzeria just around the corner! Ocean and island resorts offer freshly cooked seafood at good prices. Fruit is literally falling off the trees everywhere in Thailand and there are some fruits only found in Thailand! The options for dining are vast and tasty in the country. There is no need to have the food phobia that some foreign countries (like China) can give to its international visitors. In fact, you may find that Thai food is better than anything you have ever eaten!

7 Reasons to Come to Thailand on Missions: 3. People often find that their tastebuds rejoice when landing in Thailand.
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4. THAILAND IS ONLY 0.75% REACHED

According to the eSTAR Foundation, the percentage of Christians in Thailand is only 0.75%. Just check out this article from Christianity Today. 0.75%  is a tragic number, meaning most Thai people spend their entire lives and their eternities separated from God. 95% of Thailand is Buddhist and filled with an abundance of temples, idols, and spirit houses. Monks walk the streets in the mornings collecting alms from people trying to earn merit. Most Thai have never had a chance to hear the Gospel or to choose Jesus. Maybe God is calling you to Thailand for such a time is this to sow Gospel seeds into the hearts of these lovely people. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are so few. There are grandmas, orphans, students, businessmen, monks, and people from all walks of life here who are looking for a friend to show them what real Hope is. Maybe YOU are that friend.

7 Reasons to Come to Thailand on Missions: 4. Most Thai have never had the chance to hear the Gospel or to choose Jesus.
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Thai people are looking for a friend to show them real Hope. Maybe YOU are that friend.
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5. THAI PEOPLE NEED RESCUE AND HOPE

Thailand is a hub for human trafficking, has an abundance of orphans, is filled with AIDS-ridden, homeless drug addicts, refugees, and a terribly high suicide rate. If you feel called to social justice causes and Christian missions, Thailand is the place to come! There are villages in need of good medical treatment, orphans needing arms and hearts to love them, women needing rescue from human trafficking, and homeless people needing someone to show them they have value and purpose. Universities are also filled with students who are under immense pressure—so much pressure, in fact, that the stress often leads to suicide. They need someone to show them hope and help them find their purpose in life. There are millions of disadvantaged people needing someone to teach them a trade and hire them for work. Refugees flood into Thailand, displaced and needing a new beginning. Maybe God is calling you to Thailand to help heal the sick, care for the dying, bind up the brokenhearted, see captives set free, bring hope to the hopeless, love the unloveable, and meet practical needs. In the midst of doing this, He will work miracles, the Gospel will be taught, and many people will enter His eternal kingdom. Are you willing to be His vessel of rescue and hope?

7 Reasons to Come to Thailand on Missions: 4. Thai people need rescue and hope. Are you willing to be God’s vessel of rescue and hope to those living at-risk?
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6. THAI CHRISTIANS NEED BIBLICAL TRAINING

Maybe you are reading this blog thinking, “I am not really an evangelist. I am more of a Bible teacher.” Well, that’s perfect! The nearly 1% of Christians in Thailand desperately need good Bible training and discipleship. They need people to come and live amongst them and train them in Biblical literacy, prayer, the work of the Holy Spirit, and methods and techniques in leadership, evangelism, and discipleship. A major dilemma in Thailand is that the Bible is translated using the Thai Royal Language, which is harder for a Thai to read than for English speakers to read the King James Version. They need trustworthy and solid Bible teachers to train them, give them resources,  and encourage them to be spiritual leaders in Thailand. It is a lot easier for a Thai to reach other Thai than for a Westerner to reach Thai. Maybe God is calling YOU here to help raise up Christian Thais to reach their own nation for Christ.

7 Reasons to Come to Thailand on Missions: 4. Thai Christians need Biblical training. Maybe God is calling you to Thailand to train up Thais to reach their own nation for Christ.
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7. THAILAND IS AN EASY ACCESS POINT TO OTHER NATIONS

Thailand is strategically located right in the middle of South Asia and is within a 4-hour flight to China, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Burma. All of these countries are also filled with Gospel-deprived people. Thailand is a place of religious freedom offering an excellent base for many missions organizations and ministries that not only can reach out to Thailand but also the surrounding nations. Another wonderful fact about Thailand is that it is often a tourist destination for people from these nations to come, which gives the opportunity to reach them without even having to leave the country. Maybe you feel God has called you to China or to Burma, but you cannot live there right now. Come to Thailand and reach the Burmese refugees or Chinese exchange students, and then fly in and out of those countries on short but strategic mission trips. The options of reaching the 10/40 Window and unreached peoples in and around Thailand are limitless. All you have to do is obey God’s call and buy the plane ticket.

After reading these 7 reasons why you should move to Thailand for missions, you may be wondering how to get involved. Within Reach Global has many opportunities for you to get connected. You can take part in our mission trip opportunities or move here as a staff member. We pray that after reading this blog, God will speak to your heart about getting involved missionally in this amazing country!

The post 7 Reasons to Come to Thailand On Missions appeared first on Within Reach Global.

In October, we will celebrate ten years of God’s faithfulness through the ministry of Within Reach Global.

We have shared the Gospel with thousands of unreached peoples, seen hundreds of salvations and baptisms, discipled new believers, planted over 25 churches, and established eight outreach centers.

All this, God accomplished through weak and unassuming vessels—the founders and missionaries serving in foreign fields.

But when we look out at the ripe fields encompassing the homes of unreached and unengaged people groups, our hearts burn for more to come to salvation.

Why has the global Church so overlooked nearly three billion people, unwilling to share God’s grace and glory with those on the fringes of our evangelistic efforts?

The answers are, of course, nebulous. But we confidently contest that the unfinished task is merely a matter of priorities.

Did you know…

• Christians gave $677 billion (96.8% of total Christian giving) to pastoral ministries (mostly in Christian nations);

• $20.3 billion (2.9%) went to “home missions” in the same Christian nations;

• $2.1 billion (.3%) went to the unevangelized non-Christian world (this is different than “unreached”);

• An estimated $450 million was designated toward unreached peoples.

What do these statistics mean in real time? The $450 million given to missions among unreached peoples—only 1% of total Christian giving—went to ministry among unreached people groups. That is only .001% of the $42 trillion income of Christians. Better stated:

For every $100,000 that Christians make, they give $1 to the unreached.

(To see more statistics regarding the missions and the unreached, Check out The Traveling Team here.)

These staggering numbers are overwhelming. Our heart in sharing this reality with you is to inform you that the Church’s misplaced priorities are evident in these statistics. If we genuinely desire to see the return of Christ, we will turn our eyes toward the ripe harvest fields of the earth, publicize the name of Jesus, and play our part in finishing the Great Commission task.

What does that mean for us at Within Reach Global?

We need more harvest hands! We need more missions giving directed toward those waiting for a witness of the Gospel. We need prayer warriors to stand in the gap and implore the Spirit of God to open eyes to the Gospel.

Jacob and Betsy Smith, along with their four children just arrived in Thailand after many years of ministry in South Africa. They served at Impact Africa, helping grow the amazing ministry taking place on the African Continent. Less than a year ago, they felt the Holy Spirit rekindling their zeal for the unreached world. These long-time American friends have now joined us as our new operations directors.

We believe that God’s timing is perfect, and expect to see many new breakthroughs and open doors as we dream together.

Jacob will be helping us create a better structure to host the move of God in and through the ministry of Within Reach Global. We believe we must get better before we get bigger. This new structure will enhance short-term teams, empower long-term missionaries, and open new doors to serve among the unreached people groups we are targeting at Within Reach Global.

Please pray that God will continue to bless our relationship with unity and vision. At the end of the day, we desire to honor God and reach unreached people groups. We want to see many more names written in the Lamb’s book of life! Join us in prayer and giving on this matter.

The post Within Reach Global Has a New Operations Director appeared first on Within Reach Global.

We want to be dream-makers and vision-instigators!

Within goal in mind, we host bi-annual missionary conventions for our local missionaries. We gather everyone together from all our outreach centers, worship together, pray for one another, speak into their lives, and launch them into the ministries God has called them to. 

Our recent missionary convention was a powerful time of learning and growing together. We reviewed our vision and mission:

Vision: Our vision is to honor God by reaching unreached people groups in the 10/40 Window with the Christian gospel.

Mission: We accomplish our vision by trailblazing to places where there is no presence of the gospel, discipling, training and partnering with local believers, establishing outreach centers, planting churches, and releasing church plants to reach their own people groups.

We heard testimonies of God’s greatness and spent time in His presence. We taught about the Father heart of God, of our identity as sons and daughters, the armor of God, renewing your mind (based on the book, Switch On Your Brain), and Holy Spirit refilling and refreshing. Everyone had a wonderful time and felt refreshed for the next season of ministry.

Our local missionaries are our heroes. We believe that God will use indigenous missionaries and ministers to bring revival in Southeast Asia. Please pray with us.

To support one of our outreach centers, click here. 

To support one of our local missionaries, click here. 

The post Vision at Our Local Missionary Convention appeared first on Within Reach Global.

As we entered the Kemu village, Lorna saw an old woman sitting by the corner of a stilted house. An elderly man welcomed our visiting American team to join them in his home. We sat on short stools, fanning ourselves because of the humid heat; our hosts offered us bananas and mangoes.

Our local missionaries introduced us to the host family. For a number of years, they have been traveling to kemp villages, sharing the Gospel message with everyone in the village. This unreached tribe heard the story of Jesus for the very first time through the testimonies of our local missionaries. They spend time teaching them the word of God, eating meals with them, working the fields with them, and regularly pray for the sick. Their missionary examples opened the eyes of the locals; they now believe that Jesus’ name has a the power to heal.

As we sat on the outdoor porch of the stilted home, Lorna’s attention fell upon a middle-aged Kemu woman sitting in the corner. She would not join the conversation and did not join us even when our hosts called her to his side. Lorna wondered why. She decided to pull up a short stool and sit beside the woman. She found out that the woman was the host’s older sister. She was only there to visit that day—a perfectly providential moment in time!

Lorna began sharing the Gospel message with her. But she was unresponsive. For nearly two hours, Lorna continued chatting with the woman about everything under the sun. Through the simple conversation, Lorna found out the reason she didn’t want to get up: she could not walk well! Just a few minutes on her feet brought unbearable pain in her knees. She had remained in this physical state for well over a year. She was unable to work in the fields. She could do nothing but sit or lie down. The boredom and pain on her face was evident.

During the drawn out conversation, Lorna learned that was an animist. She feared the spirit world, ever seeking to appease the gods through gifts, incantations, and sacrifices. But of all the gods she knew, she had never heard of Jesus before. Lorna proceeded to tell her the difference between her god and Jesus Christ, challenging her to seek the Truth. Lorna paused and asked the woman if she could pray that Jesus would heal her. She resisted. She explained that she was poor and had no money to pay our team for the prayers.

We came to understand that a number of cults frequented the village, collecting money from those who needed prayer for healing. After much convincing, telling her that our prayers were free and that the name of Jesus truly heals, the woman allowed us to lay hands on her and ask God for healing. Our local missionaries and visiting short-term team gathered round her and joined in prayer.

Immediately after our prayer, the Kemu woman stood to her feet! Lorna asked her to walk from one side of the porch to the other. She did! She gazed back at Lorna, smiled, then let out a joyous laugh. She said “I have no pain!” It was that simple! Jesus showed Himself as the Healer and Savior of the Kemu woman. She told Lorna: “now I believe that Jesus is a true God!”

When signs and wonders come, eyes are opened and hearts are softened! We must be willing vessels, obedient to every opportunity that God presents to us! The harvest is ripe. Will we willfully obey the commands of Christ and be light and salt to those around us?

The post The Free Gift of Healing for a Kemu Tribal Woman appeared first on Within Reach Global.

After years of missional labor, the hearts of a few locals opened to spiritual things; but without any form of Christian background, the Truth of the Gospel remained challenging to comprehend.

The Lahu people are animistic. Fearful of the spirit world, they worship animate objects, seeking to appease the wrath of the “hungry ghosts” who torment their families.

Because of their fear of the spirit world, they gravitate toward every kind of “god” out there, hoping that one might protect them. This causes difficulty for our local missionaries. When explaining Gospel truth, they readily “accept Jesus,” but merely as one more of their many gods. The cultural hurdles the must be overcome are superfluous and extreme.

In July, we traveled to 26 Tribes with a visiting American team. We joined Within Reach Global local missionaries on a day trip to the Lahu village.

A remarkable breakthrough occurred! Eyes opened. Hearts warmed to Jesus. Salvation arrived.

A young woman in her mid-thirties told us that her daughter had never stood or walked since birth. Doctors could not find a solution. She did not have the money to pursue other medical avenues. This pressure caused her husband to leave her after months of physically beating her. She was at her wit’s end. Seated on small, wooden stools, we gathered around her as the smoke of the fire pit billowed around the room, creating an inky atmosphere that perfectly portrayed her mental, emotional, and spiritual state. She began to cry. We hugged her and told her of a Father’s love—an unconditional affection she had never noticed before.

Suddenly, it seemed as if the shackles on her heart cracked in two and fell to the bamboo floor in her stilted home.

Her eyes closed and heart wide open, she asked Jesus to save her, to be the Lord of her life!

Her friend also gave her life to the Lord. The advent of salvation permeated the Lahu home, replacing sadness with joy, hurt with healing, powerlessness with potential. After reiterating the Gospel in detail, we baptized her and her friend, singing and praising God for the incredible breakthrough among an unreached people group.

As we write, our local missionaries continue to follow up on her, disciple her, and walk with her in her newfound Christian faith.

The Gospel is only good news if it gets there in time, they say.

God arranged a providential sequence of events that led to the salvation of a family in the forgotten hills of Southwest China, and we rejoice that her name was penned in the Lamb’s book of life.

To support the ongoing ministry efforts of our local missionaries at 26 Tribes outreach center, please give here. Pray that the Holy Spirit continues to soften hearts and open doors.

The post Salvation in an Unreached Lahu Village After Six Years of Outreach appeared first on Within Reach Global.

It’s a day that stirs our souls with passion for God’s glory and for those who have never heard of Him before.

Sunday, May 20 is recognized as the International Day for the Unreached. 

We want to invite you to join the 90-minute LIVE broadcast that will begin at 5:00PM PST / 8:00PM EST

To watch LIVE, click here.

Believe it or not, 5 billion people on earth have no relationship with Jesus, including 2 billion who have never heard the gospel.

Check out the incredible facts about the unreached on Within Reach Global’s 10/40 Window page here.

Today is the International Day for the Unreached! Watch LIVE and join us in prayer here!
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They’ve never heard. Not once. And they have no access to the good news.

Of the nearly 12,000 people groups on earth, 7,000 are less than 2% evangelical (i.e., unreached people groups). Even more troubling is the fact that approximately 3,200 of these groups (i.e., unengaged-unreached people groups) have no believers working among them with a church planting strategy. Learn more here.

This reality burns in our hearts at Within Reach Global. We exist to honor God and reach the unreached. Do you care about those who have never heard of Jesus before? You might want to read this riveting article.

The above statistics are common knowledge in some evangelical circles and among the missionary community. However, it troubles us that so many Christians have little understanding about the reality of brokenness among unreached people groups.

Sunday, may 20, 2018, marks the International Day for the Unreached.

What difference will it make on Monday?

This is a question you and I need to answer. If we say we care about the things of God, it follows that we share His emotion and passion for those without a hope of hearing His good news. 

The Apostle Paul wrote,

“I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (Rom 15:20-21, ESV).

Go with us to the unreached and unengaged. Learn more about Within Reach Global’s outreach centers and local missionaries.

Let’s join together to publicize the name of Jesus in regions largely left out of our evangelical priorities. 

The post International Day for the Unreached appeared first on Within Reach Global.

We believe God wants to encounter each woman in the 10/40 window with His unconditional love.
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This blog will give insight into 7 ways to pray for the women of the 10/40 window. We pray that you won’t only read this blog, but afterward, get off social media and onto your knees and cry out to God for these precious souls. Ask Him how He may want you to be involved. 

Today, ask God how He may want you to be involved in reaching the women of the nations.
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7 Ways To Pray For The Women of the 10/40 Window

1. They will be Seen As Valuable

Most countries in the 10/40 window believe that women have less value than men and that it is a “curse” to be born a woman. In some countries that means her father will have to pay a nice dowry (money, property, jewels) to a man to marry her one day. In other countries, it means she must never be allowed to study, but must always tend to the fields, food, and children. In some countries that means she may be one of many wives and discarded of without cause or justice. Yet in other countries, it is “blessed” to be born a woman, because that means the family can always have a source of income—prostitution. 

Most countries in the 10/40 window believe that women have less value than men.
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I have seen and heard “unthinkable” stories of how women are treated here.

I have fed a woman in India who had no nose, no eyes and burn scars all the way down her body due to a “bride burning” (the husband was not satisfied with the dowry and burned her). Statistically, this happens to 1 woman every hour in India. 

I have seen widows on the dirty streets with their children because they now have nowhere to go and no one to take care of them. Their parents had already done their “duties” for these women, and why would the in-laws keep them around? 

A university student in China once told me that her grandparents would walk her next to the river, hoping that an “accident” may happen so that her parents could try to have a son (the one-child policy was in place when she was born). She said it was normal for “accidents” to happen to girls from her village. 

I have talked to women in prostitution (most were forced into it), who are just seen as pleasure objects to men. The men do whatever they want to them. Many of these women are also forced to have abortions.

Why treat women like this? Most societies in the 10/40 window are without the Gospel, and these cultures have never been taught the value of women. For example, I had a pastor come to me after a women’s ministry training one day, and he said, “I now realize that my wife is not just the mother of my children, but that she is also my wife. She can also help me do ministry so that I am not alone. God did not want men to be alone.” The truth had never been taught to him like that before!

It seems simple, but many places just need to be taught the basic truths about the value of life, and the purposes God has for women. Please pray that old, set-in-culture-mindset ideas and traditions that have been inhumane towards women will be stopped, and the truth that all life–women included–is valuable and should be treated that way. 

Pray that old, set-in-culture-mindset ideas that have been inhumane towards women will be stopped.
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2. They will be Rescued and Protected

Human trafficking is an immense evil in the world today. Due to sin, poverty, lack of education and awareness, greed, natural disasters, and lack of value in societies, millions of women from the 10/40 window are trafficked for sex around the world. They could be given away by their parents to a “fake” monk or “lying” businessman in hopes their child will have a good education and better life. Some parents may even sell their daughters in order to get enough money for the rest of the family to survive! Some women are tricked by fake boyfriends that cause them to fall in love with them. Some are kidnapped. Some take “fake” jobs. Some are orphans who age-out of the orphanage and have nobody to care for them. 

There are endless heart-breaking stories. Each story has a face behind it. Each face is a life. Each life is someone God created and loves. 

Please pray today for the millions of women trapped in human trafficking to be rescued. Also pray that communities will desire and make methods/laws in how to protect their women. 

Please pray today for the millions of women trapped in human trafficking to be rescued.
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3. They will have Resources to Provide for Their Children, That Keep Them Near Their Children

In many countries, families caught in poverty do not have much opportunity to live together year-round. The mother and father have to take jobs in cities or other communities in order to provide for their family. They are called “migrant workers”. The children are left with other relatives or close friends in the villages. It is extremely hard for the children to have a distant relationship with their parents. Oftentimes, their dads find other mistresses and soon only the mother is the one to care for them.

Please pray for the mothers to find jobs and good income near their children, and that these women will stay strong if they are left as the sole income-makers. 

4. They Will Have Healthy Childbirths

Many women in the 10/40 window live extremely remote, without access to health care. Therefore, if there are complications in childbirth, often both the mother and the baby will die. In some countries, the healthcare is so bad, that it would not help to be near a hospital anyways.  

Please pray for the women to have healthy pregnancies and deliveries. Also, pray that transportation and good healthcare will continue to increase in availability. 

5. They will be Loved by Their Husbands

Domestic abuse is ever-present in the 10/40 window. Husbands get drunk and beat, sometimes murdering their wives. Usually, there is no justice for her. I have even seen the splattered body of a dear Chinese woman after she was murdered. 

Many times screams penetrate the night-time air, floating into my window. 

Most women I have talked to in the 10/40 window EXPECT their husbands to cheat on them. 

Most men have never been given the teaching or example on how to love their wives. Most have never even been taught women have value too. 

Please pray that the men will learn how to love their wives. Please pray for the women to open up their hearts to forgiveness and healing in their marriages. 

6. They will have a Chance to Hear the Gospel

Most women in the 10/40 window have never had a chance to hear the Gospel. They have no idea that Jesus loves them unconditionally and wants a deep relationship with them. Therefore, they go through a life filled with shame and trials, all alone. As a church, most of us don’t see their lives as valuable enough to go share the Good News of Hope with them. If they’re wearing a hijab, many in the church are even afraid of them and turn the other direction. Yet, they are each created by God for eternal relationship with Him. He wants to redeem them and love them forever. 

God wants to redeem the women of the nations and love them forever.
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Please pray that the women of the nations will have a chance to hear the Gospel before they die. Maybe He will even use YOU to take the Hope to them!

7. They will Become Courageous Disciple-Makers

After hearing the Gospel and being discipled, please pray for the women of the 10/40 window to be brave in following Christ. Many of them are highly persecuted by their families, communities, and husbands. Some are even martyred for their faith.

Many Christian women in the 10/40 window are highly persecuted, and sometimes martyred.
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Women have the opportunity to teach their children about the love of Jesus and raise them to be godly examples, who will become the leaders of the communities one day. Please pray for wisdom and patience as they raise their children within societies that have not had the light of the Gospel. 

Please also pray for them to be courageous in sharing the Good News with those around them, and teaching them how to know Jesus. Pray that these daughters of God will be bright lights for His kingdom in these very dark places. 

Pray that these daughters of God will be bright lights for His kingdom in these very dark places.
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The post 7 Ways to Pray for the Women of the 10/40 Window appeared first on Within Reach Global.

He has been working with us at Within Reach Global for over 13 years, planting churches in hard-to-reach regions. Zhang Rong and his family serve at The Edge outreach center, rescuing abandoned children whose parents have been jailed for drug abuse. They also hold weekly Sunday school classes and Bible studies and are shining the light of Jesus to families who know nothing of God’s love.

This week, Zhang Rong sent us an update about their ministry in Myanmar. This is what he says:

What an honor it is to share our story with our brothers and sisters around the world!

We have four children, two of our own, one who we have legally adopted after rescuing her from a child trafficking gang (read the story here), and another who we have recently taken into our home. This is the story of the latter, Ye Mei, a 14-year-old girl whose parents abandoned her after they were jailed for drug abuse.

Ye Mei is actually the first daughter that we adopted in Myanmar. The eastern part of Myanmar is the epicenter of narcotic production and abuse, a dangerous place to live under the ongoing Burma Conflict. Because this issue runs so rampant in our region, Ye Mei’s parents quickly became two of the many victims of this abusive lifestyle.

See The Edge outreach center in a danger zone of the Burma Conflict, child rescue, drug rehabilitation.
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In fact, her parents lost their land and their home when it was seized by narco traffickers. Homeless and dejected they began sleeping on the streets, rummaging through garbage with hope to find discarded bottles that they could recycle for a few coins.

Their drug addiction grew so severe that they began stealing from nearby homes, plundering the place like pirates. Ye Mei’s father and mother were seized by the police and jailed for their crimes. The little girl now had no one to fend for her life.

Ye Mei had nothing to eat. Her clothing was worn and tattered and she near froze every year because of the extreme cold.

When we learned about Ye Mei’s family situation, our hearts were touched and saddened. How could we simply stand idly by while such horrific abuse was happening right outside our doorstep?

If you have children, you understand the feeling that panged our hearts. We desire that our own children are fed and clothed, that they are able to go to school, grow up with hopes and dreams, and experience the love of a family.

We rescued this precious little girl, took her into our home, and she began to experience not only the tender care of a loving family but the deep love of her Heavenly Father as well.

We are so thrilled that Ye Mei just gave her life to Jesus Christ, accepting Him as her personal Savior! We baptized her and are witnessing her grow in her love for God and people.

14-year-old Burmese girl rescued, baptized, growing in her faith in Jesus!
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Every day she listens to worship and teaching on the Gospel mp3 player that we use to share the Jesus with our community.

I recently asked her what she wants to be when she grows up. Her answer brought such joy to our hearts.

“I want to be a teacher, or maybe a doctor so that I can help a lot of people know God.”

Abandoned Burmese child rescued, now wants to be a teacher/doctor to tell people about God!
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We are homeschooling her now, and will soon begin the Good New Series and School of Workers, our discipleship curriculum. She is excited about that! She has the heart to learn and grow as a child of God.

Ye Mei has become a blessing to many people around her. They have seen the transformation of a young life. She is a little lamp in a dark region of Myanmar, shining the love of Jesus to those who have never heard of Him before.

She is one of many more children to come as we continue to cast the light of the Gospel to the community we serve.

Do you want to bless Ye Mei? You can sponsor Zhang Rong and his family’s ministry in Myanmar here.

We also encourage you to sow into The Edge outreach center where they continue to rescue abandoned children in drug-infected areas of Southeast Asia.

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The world we live in is not a fair place. Not everyone gets the nice home, the picket fence, the freedoms and health care and the equal opportunities.

And not everyone gets Jesus.

Sadly, not everyone gets Jesus. #missions #unreached
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It might have been politically incorrect to pass out candy to the first row while neglecting the entire congregation, but it was the perfect portrayal of the great imbalance of global missions.

So here’s what happened.

I had just flown around the world, from Thailand to America, and after over 30 hours, I finally arrived in Spokane, Washington. I was exhausted yet impassioned, on a mission to challenge and inspire the Western Church to remember the plight of the unreached world. It was my birthday, July 27, 2017, and after the worship session at Victory Faith Fellowship, I was given a sliver of time to compact 20 years of missions experience into 5 minutes.

I told a story of Bright Eyes, our Within Reach Global local missionary, ministering to 1,000+ orphans and underprivileged children among 74 villages. But I don’t think anyone remembered the story. It was hard to pay attention in such a strange and chaotic environment.

You see, before the Thursday night service began, I gave 2 ushers a stealthy mission. I handed them 3 bags of candy that I had purchased at the Dollar Store, explaining that they should only pass out the goodies to the first row. They should not, under any circumstances, share with anyone else in the congregation.

I stood on the stage and announced that I had a gift for “everyone” at church that night. I watched the smiles form on the 200 faces in attendance. “Ushers, can you please pass out the gifts?” I requested. I continued my story about Bright Eyes, about orphans and church planting and unreached people groups. Simultaneously, like clockwork, the ushers passed out the candy, but only to the first row.

I paused midway between my missionary narrative. “Has everyone received a gift yet?” I asked. Hands raised all over the auditorium—except for the first row! “Ushers, please, can you pass out the gifts I brought?” I requested again. And just as planned, the first row received even more candy while everyone else was overlooked.

Again, the service was interrupted as I asked if everyone had received a gift. Ecstatic hands waved, eyebrows scrunched, and confusion fell over dozens of faces. Again, the ushers loaded up the front row with more goodies while good-hearted people in all succeeding rows were explicitly ignored.

I only give the first row candy just like the #Church only gives the reached world #Jesus.
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I continued telling stories from Southeast Asia—about The Cliff outreach center and orphans and unreached villages. And 5 times, the candy was given to the first row of church folk while the rest of the congregation was forgotten.

The pastor grew frustrated. A murmur of hushed whispers and awkward giggles traveled around the church. Finally, I stopped mid-sentence.

“Why should anyone hear the Gospel twice before everyone has heard it once?” I quoted Oswald J. Smith.

“This imbalance is outrageous and intolerable! Why is it that we have so overlooked millions and millions of people, willfully allowing them to live and die without Christ? Why do we keep selfishly stuffing ourselves, hoarding the Gospel message from those who have never heard it before?”

There was a hush across the room. The truth of the reality of the great imbalance of global missions was made known. The light clicked on. It was a visual interpretation of the plight of unreached people groups throughout the 10/40 Window.

Why do we keep stuffing ourselves, hoarding the Gospel from those who have never heard?
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I stepped off the stage and the service continued, and I prayed that my presentation did not fall on deaf ears.

But the question remains: Church, are we listening to the heart of God for all nations? Are we doing all we can to see Revelation 7:9 come to pass—every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne of God?

For how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard of Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?

Lord, send out more workers into the ripe harvest fields of the world!

The post I only give the first row candy just like the Church only gives the reached world Jesus appeared first on Within Reach Global.