Long Term Missions

Guns, Knives, and a Motorcycle Gang!

Jan 4, 2024 | Austronesia, Stories

Charlie and Sarah met with Ali, who has shown great hunger for reading stories from the Bible about Jesus. Charlie and Sarah wanted to establish him in the pattern of reading the Word, obeying the word, and then telling others in his circle of influence. He had already voiced that he now believes Jesus can save us from sin. But he was more resistant to the fact that Jesus is actually God.

When they arrived to meet with Ali, he asked to go to a quieter location. So, they found a nice quiet shelter on the side of the road, which was empty when they arrived. It didn’t stay that way, though, as they were joined by two foreign tourists, a couple from another island wanting to buy land, and a motorcycle gang. Next, an older couple arrived with a basket of food, sat down with them, and started setting up lunch for a large group. Then a group of six angry-looking farmers arrived, carrying guns and knives. The farmers had come to help the older couple find their cows, which had been stolen the night before. But they had to eat lunch first.

While they were eating, Charlie and Sarah prayed with them in the name of Isa al Masih (Jesus) for them to find their lost cows. They read the story of the one lost sheep, though by this time several parallel conversations were happening at once. Then, all but Charlie, Sarah and Ali left on their quests.

Following that sequence of interruptions, Charlie and Sarah finally got to lead Ali in a discovery Bible study about the life of Jesus. He was very engaged and asked several very deep questions, which encouraged them.

God showed Charlie and Sarah that He can work even in the midst of chaos. In fact, God thrives in these types of situations. They still don’t know Ali’s motivations or what he truly is looking for. In any case, God loves him and knows his heart.

Join us in prayer for Charlie and Sarah’s continued communication with Ali, and for Jesus’ breakthrough in Ali’s life.

*pseudonyms

READ OTHER STORIES FROM CHARLIE AND SARAH BELOW

QUEENS, KILLER BEES AND MULTIPLICATION
“As we took our discouragement to the Father,” Sarah shared, “God reminded us of a seemingly unrelated experience a few
years ago …. with bees. read more …

JESUS HEALS AS IS WRITTEN IN THE QUR’AN
“This was the same lady, Ibu Muli, in whose home we now sat. She told us that immediately after the prayer, her back had been healed, and read more …

I TOLD HIM I WAS QUITTING
*Charlie worked in the IT industry. He specialized in indirect sales and marketing; he educated and supported hundreds of salesmen. He also led efforts to simplify read more …

Insiders & Outsiders

Dec 13, 2023 | Stories

Lately, *Chad and *Tia have had great discussions with their local teammates about some key paradigms in disciple-making movements that are not usually seen in traditional mission work.

As outside catalysts serving in Indonesia, Chad and Tia know that every believer has a vital role to play in bringing the gospel to unreached peoples. Their part is different from that of near-culture believers (those whose culture is similar to but slightly removed from that of a neighboring people group), and both of those roles are different from the part a cultural insider will play.

“While talking with our teammates about this concept, we saw the lights come on for one of them,” Chad says. “She shared how when her mom, who is from West Java, witnessed to another West Javanese person, there was so much more natural understanding than when she herself had shared with the same woman. Though she had seen the principle in action, she couldn’t explain it. As we talked, she immediately recognized that the principle was true and important to remember.

“We shared with our team how near-culture servants are vital for bringing the gospel to an unreached group of people, but usually someone from inside that culture can most effectively and quickly share the Good News and communicate biblical principles. With fewer cultural and linguistic hurdles, insiders can multiply disciples more quickly — in a culturally relevant way — and the Kingdom can grow at optimum speed.”

*pseudonyms

MAKING INROADS
Chad has been enjoying getting to know “D” through their mutual work for the last several months. read more …

WHAT CAN I DO …
… we’ve constantly been willing to reevaluate and assess what we are doing, we have seen read more …

WHAT WILL THE TEAM DO NOW?
The men told *Chad and *Tia, their partners and Beyond mission catalysts, the exciting news. “Praise God!” read more …

When 3+2=27+300

Dec 6, 2023 | South Asia, Stories

Three years ago, the caste leaders of a village attacked a visiting disciple of Jesus named Roman. They wanted Roman to stop telling “their” people about Jesus. They beat him up, destroyed his motorcycle, and threatened to do worse if he didn’t leave immediately. Roman was terrified. He fled the village and spent the next few days hiding in the jungle. Disciples of Jesus from other villages brought him food and other essentials. After a few days, Roman stopped hiding. He first went home, then, amazingly, he returned to the village he’d fled.

The caste leaders were unhappy. “We beat you. Now, you’re back!?”

“You must hear me,” Roman said. “I have good words for you.”

Intent on stopping Roman for good, the village leaders “reported” him to local Hindu radicals. They came and threatened Roman. He responded by boldly proclaiming the Good News about Jesus. Eventually, the group left, but later, two returned to speak with Roman privately. Roman asked two other movement leaders to join him in the village. Once all were together, the Hindu men exclaimed, “What kind of strength do you have to endure these things [beatings and threats]!?!” The five men talked for days and visited a local house church.

As soon as the two Hindu men returned to their own community, they started a Discovery Bible Study. Four months later, 27 people in their village, most of whom had also been radical Hindus, were baptized as disciples of Jesus. Of the 27, three pairs of workers emerged who have influenced 300 villages for Jesus so far. Recently, 60 people from those villages gathered to learn how they also can make more followers within the disciple-making movement and see new churches birthed in other unreached villages.

Being a disciple of Jesus does not erase suffering or eliminate trouble. However, when struggles come, we, like Roman, can listen to the Spirit and obediently go where He leads. We serve a God who performs wonders – Sauls become Pauls, Simons turn into Peters, and Sons of Thunder change to loving servants!

WHEN TRADITION CLASHES
When a Christian woman visited another state in India last year, she met some believers from read more …

MORE BAPTISMS …
“We’ve shared much with you about the persecution faced by the churches in India. Our last report was especially read more …

LEARN ABOUT OUR WORK
IN SOUTH ASIA

“I Am Ready!”

Nov 30, 2023 | Turkic World

“I have some great news to tell you,” Job shared with Frank over the phone. “I’m ready to follow Jesus!”

Thrilled to hear this good news, Frank invited Job and his wife Sarah over for dinner later that evening to celebrate and hear the rest of the story. Since then Job has invited his friend, Chris, to also discover God. Chris said,”Yes,” he is interested in reading the Bible and learning about Jesus. Now the two men are looking for a third person to join them in a new discovery Bible study!

Behind the scenes, over the past year, Job heard the good news, met followers of Jesus for the first time, and began reading the Bible. He was interested, but he wasn’t ready to make a commitment to obey and follow Jesus.

Then, during the Sacrifice Holiday (Eid Al Adha) this past June, when you and hundreds of other people were praying for the Muslim world, Job made a decision to follow Jesus.

When God’s people pray for the lost, He responds.

*pseudonym

READ OTHER STORIES AND MORE …

WHY HAD JESUS APPEARED TO HER?
She often prays this prayer for Muslims in general and for her friends in particular, so this notion was not out of the ordinary for her read more …

I’M BAPTIZED!
Knowing that it’s generally better to baptize someone together with their closest community, the women pondered whether to wait for Havva’s husband to read more …

OUR WORK AMONG TURKIC PEOPLES
The Turkic peoples are part of old and proud civilizations that have spanned continents and learn more …

Thanking God for New Disciple Makers: Jesus, Paul, and Us

Nov 17, 2023 | Stories

Have you ever realized that all the new disciples Jesus, Paul and their teams made were the first disciples where none had ever been? What did they do? Over and over, we find Jesus and Paul thanking God for these new disciples and leaders!

In Luke 10:21, Jesus “overflowed with joy” that the 72 had received God’s revelation and fulfilled their mission.

Every one of Paul’s letters went to the first disciples and churches in unreached peoples. He and his team constantly thanked God for them, such as in 2 Thessalonians 1:3: We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. Some among other such verses include Romans 1:8-9; 1 Corinthians 1:4-6; Ephesians 1:15-16; Philippians 1:3-6; 4:4-6; Colossians 1:3, 2:6-7; 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 1:2; 5:16-18; and Philemon 1:1-4.

Would you join the Beyond team in giving thanks for some of the following first disciples and leaders among Unreached People Groups?

This Thanksgiving our hearts are full with gratitude for the way God has moved among our teams around the world. Below are just a few highlights:

North Korean Expo: This meeting saw partners from 17 countries! Many new church networks, and organizations declared they will join in the call to reach the North Koreans in our lifetime. One of the highlights was seeing the Japanese delegation repent to the Korean church! In the end they were singing songs to each other. The Koreans even came and held the hands of the Japanese believers!

North India: Our movement in North India now has churches in 16 states! Some of the newest works are in the two South Indian states of Goa and Karnataka. We praise God that this movement now has 27,000 House Churches and 150, 000 reported baptisms. These new disciples are not converts that passively experience Christianity, these new disciples will go on to make new disciples.

Tazig Team: This team has visited three Tazig valleys, they’ve distributed New Testaments, showed the Jesus Film, and shared the Good News of God’s Kingdom. They recently published a Bible in the Tazig language and for the first time, people in this region of the world were able to read the Word of God in their own language.

A New App for Scripture Access for South Asia: This new app gives users access to scripture in several South Asian languages. They have easy to follow lesson sets, Bible portions, and some even have the whole Bible.

For all of these new disciples and disciple-makers, Lord, we give THANKS and we overflow with JOY!!