Prayer | Beyond

Shaking Earth, Unshaken Gospel

May 14, 2026 | East Asia, Stories

The ground beneath Japan shook, trembled and gave way in some parts. Buildings crumbled. Roads split apart. Fires raged.

For many, the scenes felt hauntingly familiar, echoes of the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami came flooding back. Once again, death and destruction stood in plain view.

On that New Year’s day in 2024, across the world, believers cried out: “God, please have mercy on Japan.”

How many are facing eternity without knowing the Savior? How many are searching for hope in the chaos? How long until they hear the good news, truly hear it and believe? When will hearts turn and find real LIFE in Him?

But before the earth shook on that first day of the year … something beautiful happened.

As the sun quietly rose on New Year’s morning, on a small beach in Malaysia, a different story was unfolding. Four Japanese men and women stepped into calm waters and publicly declared their faith in Jesus through baptism.

While destruction would soon grip their homeland, LIFE was already breaking through.

These were the first baptisms of Japanese believers our team has witnessed in Malaysia. A quiet moment, unseen by the world—but celebrated in heaven.

These new disciples will not walk an easy road. Opposition, rejection, and even condemnation may await them, especially if they return to Japan. Yet they have chosen their allegiance. They stand with the One who rescues us from sin and conquers death.

And this is just the beginning.

Join us in praying that they would have bold faith . . . that their witness would multiply . . . and that many more in Japan would find the NEW LIFE in Christ.

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When God’s Word Comes Alive

May 1, 2026 | Austronesia, Stories

Soon after arriving from the U.S., Bret* joined his local team to host five translation teams and a group of experienced coaches. They gathered for one purpose—to rediscover why they translate Scripture.

Over the course of several days, they wrestled with big questions: What happens when God’s Word truly takes root in a community? How can translation become more than a project—how can it become a movement of discipleship?

Each team began to see a new vision unfold, in which Scripture isn’t simply produced but is lived out—transforming hearts, multiplying disciples, and lighting the way for lost people. What stood out most wasn’t the methods or the strategies, but the spirit in the room. Teams encouraged one another across cultural, linguistic, and experiential divides. Mutual respect, humility, and genuine affection filled the venue.

One of Bret’s colleagues reflected, “This week, I had the privilege of sitting among ordinary yet extraordinary people—disciples of Jesus who are quietly shaping the future of God’s Word among the unreached.”

Others also had profound responses to the workshop:

Anik* — Quiet Strength
Anik comes from one of the world’s regions most resistant to the gospel. Outwardly, she looks like any devout Muslim woman. Inwardly, she is a courageous follower of Isa (Jesus). Soft-spoken and reserved, Anik carries a quiet strength that commands respect. During the workshop, she listened closely, processing each idea with care. At one point she raised her hand, smiled, and said gently, “Wait… stop… slow down.”

Her words carried wisdom. Translation, she reminded the group, isn’t about speed—it’s about reflection. Deep thought takes time, and true understanding grows slowly.

Her insight echoed through the room. To walk alongside local believers, we as outsiders must make space for their pace. The translation belongs to them. Our role is not to push—but to encourage, pray, and cheer them on as they carry God’s Word forward.

Andi* — A Burden for His People
Andi, from the island of Madura in Indonesia, is a believer, a husband, and a father. His eyes light up when he speaks of his wife and little daughter.

Throughout the workshop, his furrowed brow showed deep concentration. “This is tiring,” he admitted with a laugh, “but it’s worth it—for my people.”

Every word of Scripture he translated seemed to reach deeper into his heart. When he read aloud in his own language, his voice trembled and his eyes filled with tears. The Word of God had come alive—fresh and powerful—in the language of his people.

For Andi, this wasn’t merely a translation project. It was worship. It was mission. It was love in action.

Luke* — Humility in Leadership
Luke was one of the American facilitators. Raised in a family of Bible translators and deeply trained in missiology, Luke could easily have taken center stage. But he didn’t.

He led with gentleness—asking questions, waiting for responses, and listening more than speaking. He modeled Christlike humility, serving rather than instructing, empowering rather than directing. His presence reminded everyone that the best leaders are learners first, and that true partnership is rooted in mutual respect.

The Fruit — A Family in the Gospel
As the workshop drew to a close, participants shared what they were taking home. Their reflections were simple but heartfelt, “We learned so much from each other, we’re family now.”

What began as a workshop became something more—a spiritual family forming around God’s Word. Not a top-down effort, but a Spirit-led partnership. Not a project owned by outsiders, but a movement birthed from within.

Together, they caught a glimpse of what sustainable, multiplying ministry looks like: humble hearts, shared vision, and the living Word taking root in the languages and lives of those who will carry it forward.

*pseudonym

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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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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