Journeys into the Tazig region of the Tibetan Himalayas are purposeful. The ultimate goal of every trip is simple: discipleship. The Tazig team disciples people to Christ. This means that non-believers are in a discipleship process even before they choose to follow Christ. This process has many facets. The team evangelizes as they share Christ with people who have never heard of him. They follow up with those who are not yet believers but are being drawn (discipled) to Christ, and they disciple current believers and leaders. 

As they meet with people, the team looks for opportunities to share a testimony or a story from Scripture. One unique opportunity arose with their teammate *Pema’s younger brother. On their previous trip, Pema told his whole family that he was a believer. He shared his testimony and why he chose to follow Christ. While they weren’t enthusiastic about him becoming a follower of Jesus, they did not reject him. The whole team was excited for the opportunities Pema would have to share with his family. 

When they arrived in Pema’s village, the team was well-received by his family, especially by Pema’s brother Rinchen and his wife. They took care of them, fed them, and had them practically swimming in tea! For two days, Pema shared more of the gospel message with his brother and sister-in-law. 

*Rinchen and his family’s discipleship is just beginning. Just before Christmas, Rinchen traveled to spend time with Pema. He heard the Christmas story several times and began a discovery Bible study with his brother. Unfortunately, Rinchen’s trip was cut short, and they were not able to get through the whole set of Scriptures. Please pray that the truth planted in Rinchen’s heart will take root, that opportunity for further discipleship will not be long in coming, and that Pema’s whole family would be saved and become the first family from their valley to follow Christ together.

*pseudonyms used

Hannah* is in lockdown in the Muslim nation in which she lives. Just like us, COVID-19 has her cooped up for much of the week. From the first day of the nation’s lockdown, however, Hannah has felt the Spirit leading her to intentionally engage with the shopkeepers and restaurant people she encounters when she goes out.

“I specifically ask how they are doing,” Hannah reports. “I ask if they are feeling fearful or stressed, then I pray for them or bless them right away. So far, every single shopkeeper and restaurant worker I’ve talked with has expressed a lot of fear and stress. For some, it’s fear for their livelihood as their businesses suffer while rent and expenses haven’t gone down. For most, it’s the fear of getting sick. In a time when we are supposed to stay home and away from others, they are the ones interacting with the greatest number of people every day. They are afraid of bringing the virus home to their families. 

 “I look them in the eyes, and I pray for them. ‘Father God, protect this woman who is serving her community every single day in this scary time and protect her family. Please keep them healthy and give her the strength to serve her community.’ Sometimes I pray a verse over them; Psalms 34:6 and 46:1 cover a wide range of fears. Other times I bless them: ‘Father God, bless this man and his whole family with your peace. Provide them with everything they need and give them your joy instead of fear.’

 “After I pray for them or bless them, they seem relieved. Someone sees them, sees their anxiety and fear, sees that they are risking not only their own health but also their family’s health in order to serve the community. They are so thankful to have someone pray for them. My prayer is that the Lord will turn their relief and gratitude into a desire to know Him.”

 *pseudonyms used

God gave Kevin, Beyond’s East Asia strategy coordinator, a desire to see disciples from movements cross-pollinate into other people groups where there are no believers. For a long time, he saw no movement toward this dream.

Then God brought *Kevin into a coaching relationship with *Richard, a movement catalyst living in another region. As they worked together, Kevin saw striking similarities between the people Richard worked among and an unreached group in his own region. Since Richard and his wife had trained several believers in the principles of disciple-making movements (DMM), he suggested that an exploratory trip be made. Some people Richard worked among could make the journey to explore possibilities for future disciple-making among the similar tribe in Kevin’s region.

Richard soon learned that three young women had often dreamed about going across the border to witness to their fellow tribespeople. They began raising money for the trip and making preparations to go. Thanks to the generosity of their house fellowships, they soon headed out.

After some grueling travel, the ladies stopped for a bowl of noodles before beginning their search for their people. As they ate, the restaurant owner asked why they had come. They explained that they were looking for a tribe to whom they might be related. “Speak to me in your language” she said. The women started talking in their tribal tongue and were elated to find that the owner spoke the same language!

This divine meeting led them to a village with people similar to their own. The villagers gave the young ladies a warm welcome. They were invited into many homes. Though they found some differences in their languages and cultures, they were able to communicate with little difficulty.

The ladies found that no one in the village had ever heard about Jesus or even God! Their language didn’t even have words to describe things like prayer. The visit opened many relationships, however, and they hope to be able to have deeper spiritual conversations in future visits.

These intrepid young ladies laid the initial groundwork for future short and long-term teams to bring life and light to a spiritually dark people. As Kevin summed up the task: “Our job is to catalyze movements to see all people groups reached with the gospel. It’s too big for us to do alone. We need to train and send more workers from the global body of Christ, sending them out in strategic mission, throughout the world.”

Pray that more disciples of Jesus would be able to make the trip into this and other similar villages. Pray also that trusting friendships would form, and that the Word would transform these people into children of God who eagerly spread his glory into other dark places.

*pseudonyms used