Stories | Beyond

Word, Water and New Life

Apr 21, 2026 | Austronesia, Stories

Amisha* gathered five women in a quiet corner of the village, opening Scripture together and guiding them through the stories of the prophets. For many of them, this was their first meaningful encounter with the Word of God—a gentle, accessible way to explore truth in a context familiar to them. Each time they met, the women didn’t just listen; they reflected, discussed, and then carried those stories back to their homes, sharing with family and friends and responding to whatever God stirred in their hearts.

Then something remarkable began to happen.

Three of the women experienced vivid visions of Isa al Masih—Jesus the Messiah. One saw Him urging her to forgive her husband, a call that softened long-held hurt. Another felt deeply encouraged as He affirmed that she was walking in His truth. The third described a simple yet overwhelming moment: she was embraced by Jesus, held in a peace she had never known before.

These encounters changed everything.

One by one, all five women chose to follow Isa. Their faith was not just intellectual—it was personal, alive, and growing. In a nearby rice paddy, standing in the waters of an irrigation canal, Amisha baptized them—an outward sign of the inward transformation already taking place.

Amisha herself is not a professional minister, but a layperson—someone who has been trained in Disciple Making Movements and is deeply committed to hearing and obeying Jesus. Now, alongside these five new believers, she is walking the same path: learning, growing, and stepping into the call to become a disciple-maker who helps others do the same.

Each of these women is the first in her family to follow Christ. Their journeys are just beginning, and they carry both hope and challenge. As they share the Word with their husbands and invite them into spiritual leadership, the process can be complex and sometimes difficult—but it is also where transformation begins for entire households.

*pseudonyms

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“Can You Deliver People of Evil Spirits?”

Apr 15, 2026 | Stories

As two disciples of Jesus traveled to a town they had felt led to visit, their motorcycle broke down. They were stranded.

Adesh* stopped to help. The disciples learned that Adesh was the head of the village they wanted to visit. He offered to take them to his home and call for a mechanic. They readily accepted his hospitality.

“What do you do?” Adesh asked.

“We serve God and share His Word with people,” they said.

“Can you deliver people of evil spirits?” Adesh asked. His grandson had been oppressed by a demon for a long time.

When the disciples met Adesh’s family and prayed for his grandson, the boy was healed! Adesh hugged them and declared a feast to celebrate.

During the feast, Adesh went and told the whole village what had happened. “Come and see these two so they can pray for your troubles, too. You will be well!”

When the night was over, the disciples had prayed for 70 people. Adesh said, “Now that I know about Jesus, what is my next responsibility? I know other villages with similar problems. I can take you to visit them all.”

For two months, the three traveled together. Eight villages received the Message! If you are a BEYOND donor, you have been a part of this amazing growth! Thank you!

*pseudonym

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Fear Less, Love More

Apr 8, 2026 | Austronesia, Stories

On the last morning of her stay at a quaint hotel, Sharon* noticed a simple but profound message: “Fear Less, Love More.” One of the staff members had written these words with a glittery marker on a leaf, leaving a lasting impression on her heart.

“Fear Less, Love More.”

Over the next few weeks, Sharon couldn’t shake those words from her mind. She found herself returning to them in prayer, seeking to understand their deeper meaning. It’s incredible how God can use even a small, seemingly random gesture to speak directly to our hearts.

As Sharon reflected, she spent time exploring various Scriptures on God’s love—reminders that served as anchors and guides for her soul. These verses grounded her, helping to align her heart with God’s truth.

During one of her prayer sessions, the Lord brought to mind a scene from the movie The Professor and the Madman. The film poignantly explores the human longing to give and receive love, culminating in a character who doubts his worthiness of being loved. The phrase, “If love, then what?” echoed in Sharon’s thoughts—a challenge to embrace the transformative power of love. How much greater is the love of our Heavenly Father, whose affection for us is unwavering and unconditional? God is love.

To “be” in the heart of the Father is to dwell in the constancy of His unchanging love. This love is not just something we receive but something we live out, a seamless blend of being and doing that shapes our every action. These reflections became Sharon’s sure anchors, course correctors in her own heart.

As she pondered these truths, Sharon had an encounter with a French woman named Ella*. While waiting to check in for their international flights, Sharon shared her faith with Ella over a cup of coffee. For an hour, they engaged in a God-ordained conversation. Ella, who had spent the last three months in Indonesia searching for her purpose, was eager to understand what a relationship with Jesus looks like.

Sharon spoke of God’s love, explaining that if His love is the only love truly worthy, then everything changes. Though Ella wasn’t ready to accept Christ as her Savior at that moment, Sharon encouraged her to take the next steps to discover God’s incredible love. Ella returned to Paris with much to think about, while Sharon continued her journey, serving among unreached people groups in Indonesia.

To trust God for the launch of movements to Christ is a natural outflow of a disciple’s heart. While movements are not the ultimate goal, they are a strategic means by which God receives glory as large numbers of people make disciples who hear, love, and obey Jesus. This is the true calling for each of our hearts.

Fear God more, fear people less. Love Jesus more, and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to love. What a joy; what a privilege.

*pseudonyms

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Arrested For Choosing Jesus

Apr 1, 2026 | South Asia, Stories

Sharan* and his family became followers of Jesus less than two years ago. Before Jesus, they worshiped idols and brought offerings to the temple, even though they were not allowed to enter it and sit with the higher caste peoples or the priest. As Nai caste (haircutter caste), they are considered a polluting people. Being Hindu was hard, but they didn’t know another way.

One Friday, as Sharan and his wife walked to the market, they heard singing. Curious, they entered the home to observe the group. They listened to a Bible story and a Discovery Bible study discussion. Sharan was deeply impacted by the prayers. They prayed for the sick and things happening in the village. Everyone was praying. Sharan wondered what kind of god allowed everyone to pray.

After attending the meetings for several weeks, Sharan and his wife said, “We, too, can invite people to our house to listen to stories and pray to this amazing God.” The neighbors who came were impressed that everyone was invited. Everyone could have chai and eat together, sing and pray together. There were no caste barriers among themselves or between themselves and God.

Sharan and his family became followers of Jesus. They never went back to the temple. “There is nothing good for me back in Hinduism,” Sharan said. And he found that as he prayed about everything, life improved. “What an amazing God!” he thought.

But when high-caste villagers noticed that Sharan didn’t go to the temple anymore, they were unwilling to tolerate his new life. They persuaded officials to keep him from his harvest and arrest him.

During Sharan’s imprisonment, God’s people provided for his family. Sharan’s father was impressed, “We are not alone. These people help us. This is not just talk.” Sharan’s family continued hosting prayer meetings and sharing about Jesus. No one walked away from Jesus.

Six weeks later, Sharan was freed from jail. Village leaders were sure he would deny Jesus to return to his old job, but Sharan had another idea. He decided to try disciple-making full-time for three months.If God would provide work for his wife and father during that time, Sharan would continue. If not, he’d go back to his old job.

Sharan gave himself to disciple-making, faithfully telling people about Jesus and passing along the trainings his mentor shared with him. In this way, he discipled 19 families. After three months, 11 families were baptized. A few months later, the remaining eight were baptized.

At the end of three months, Sharan had discipled 19 lost families to Jesus. Within the next few months, all 19 families obeyed the Lord in baptism. And God provided work for his wife and father. Through the network of churches that has now reached seven spiritual generations and the business, God is providing all their needs. Sharan’s life is a testimony to all of what God can do.

God is building His church in the places we least expect it. Praise the Lord!

*pseudonym

Obedience Unleashed: Multiplication God’s Way

Mar 25, 2026 | South Asia, Stories

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus shares this parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment. “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins.” — Luke 5:36–38 (NLT)

One of our teams reflected on this passage and what it means for seeing a true movement of God. They realized that if they want to witness entire regions transformed by the good news of Jesus, they must be willing to think differently about disciple-making. That means letting go of traditions or structures—old wineskins—that hinder people from coming to Christ.

It means anchoring their ministry fully in God’s Word and embracing new ways—new wineskins—that align with wholehearted obedience to Jesus. They’ve seen this paradigm shift bear incredible fruit among their teammates in South Asia. As these workers release tradition and focus on the authority of Scripture, God is doing amazing things.

Earlier this year, the team received a message from Nuh*, a faithful disciple-maker. Nuh joyfully announced the baptism of an entire family who had believed and repented. Six people were baptized that day—by Nuh himself.

During the next morning’s coaching call, the team celebrated this Kingdom breakthrough. But they also gently challenged Nuh with a question: “According to the Great Commission, who is called to baptize?”

Nuh answered, “All disciples who follow Jesus.”

They responded, “Exactly—so why is it that only pastors baptize in your context?”

Nuh admitted that it’s simply the way it’s always been done in his culture. The team encouraged him to compare this tradition with the authority Jesus gave to all His disciples. If Jesus commanded all of us to go, make disciples, baptize, and teach obedience, why limit baptism to only pastors?

They spent three hours together reading Scripture, wrestling with the tension between cultural norms and God’s Word. In the end, Nuh was convinced. But he had another question: “If I don’t baptize everyone myself, how do I pass on the authority to others?”

The team replied, “If we want to make true disciples, we must model and assist others in walking in obedience to Jesus. What do you think you should do?”

Together, they formed a simple and powerful plan: Nuh would gather the new believers, teach them what Scripture says about baptism, then model it by baptizing the first person. That person would then baptize the next, and so on—each one stepping into their God-given authority to obey and make disciples.

On the next call, Nuh shared how freeing this experience had been. No longer feeling the pressure to do everything himself, he had empowered others to obey Jesus fully. The new disciples—who had both been baptized and baptized others—felt strengthened and confident in their faith.

And the fruit? These new believers have already gone into neighboring villages and begun forming new groups among the lost.

*pseudonym