Call to Discipleship — K.P. Yohannan

Okay. As many of you know, we announced it last weekend. We are blessed this morning to have the team from Gospel for Asia here to share with us the vision and the ministry that the Lord has placed on their hearts and we are very blessed to have KP Yohannan from Gospel for Asia to share with us this morning.

So please welcome brother KP.

I didn't want to hug him. He might crush my bones. I saw him yesterday evening, I got scared. Then I found out he's a very gentle person. I like to attend this church too. It's a blessing to be here. Thank you.

This is a second service. That kind of tells me not to be so nervous. That means we'll preach all day long. Not really. I have a flight to catch also. John and I, one of our senior leaders, we came from Dallas, Texas.

Some people believe God lives there because of the Southern Baptist churches. That's where we have our U .S. headquarters of our mission. Some 100 plus families actually serve the Lord. We are kind of a community serving the Lord on behalf of some two billion people that wait to hear the gospel.

And we have some 15 ,000 missionaries serving the Lord in this. You know what? This thing turned upside down. Wow. How did that happen? It's a disobedient mic. I think some demons are attacking. You know what?

That's me speaking in tongues. Oh. How is that? Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So, did you hear anything I said so far? Yeah, I feel very comfortable here because we are part of the fellowship here in many ways.

I met Pastor Chuck Smith some 28 years ago. And no words can describe the impact of that man's life on all of us. And we have today over 12 ,000 congregations in these nations. And about 15 churches are planted every single day where people never had a chance to hear the gospel before.

And your prayers and our being a family moving forward in these last days, it will mean a lot. And someday you will understand it when you see the Lord face to face. And so, we have a lot of young people here.

The School of Discipleship and a Life Worth Living

We do have a very special program in Canada and also here in the United States called School of Discipleship. It is geared for young people who finish their high school. They come and spend a year with us.

You know, you learn godliness, life of prayer, and all these things, not by reading books, although they help, but by being a people. And so, they spend a year with us. Part of the time they go overseas and their lives are turned around so incredibly.

When they go back to the universities, their homes, and their churches, it's a whole wonderful journey. So if you parents are desperate to get rid of your kids who are nuisance, and young people, you are looking for a way to figure out what life is all about.

Something worth living for, something worth dying for. And the rest of your life, you will be grateful for taking that one year and come and be with us for this program. So, we have a minute-long explanation about that, so please, let's look at that.

God is always calling us deeper, but it's our choice on whether we want to go deeper in our walk with him.

My expectation was that it was going to be really hard, and it was really hard, and it's still pretty hard, but I realized that all we really have to do is let him work in us and through us.

You know, the focus isn't so much academic as it is just discipleship.

I can remember one class we were sitting, and one of our teachers was teaching, and he looked around at us, and he looked me right in the eyes and he said, You are spending time with the Lord, aren't you?

And it really convicted me, because I was going through a dry time, and God used that to encourage me to go and spend more time with him.

I love working at the office, because my boss is great, he really cares about where I am with the Lord and where I stand, and not just the work I do, but the state my heart is in while I do the work.

It's been very impacting for me to be able to see older brothers and sisters in the Lord and to learn from their example.

When I got here, I realized that it really is a family, you know, and it's really a tight-knit group of people that want to grow together. I mean, I get to hang out with other people's kids, and hold babies, and hang out with single people and married people.

It's a really great mix. The biggest difference between serving at Gospel for Asia and serving in the secular world, I think of two things. One, there's just an incredible love, and there's kind of a grace culture.

And the second thing is just the incredible focus on reaching the lost. Everything we do must accomplish the goal of reaching the most unreached.

Through the process, I've learned more about missions, and God has given me a passion and excitement for missions. Every day that I'm here, I get to impact so many people for the Kingdom, who don't have hope before and have never heard the Gospel.

Like, my life means that much. Whoa! It just makes me think, why would I want to be anywhere else when I can impact so many people right here?

So, we do have brochures and lots of information about it on the table there, and then you can go to GFA .org and get all the information. I think it will be quite significant. This morning, I mean, what an amazing thing to have all these children sing and lead in worship.

And I was fascinated by the people, actually, that guided them. It's like a movie. They're so enthusiastic about it. But when you think about this, what an incredible privilege we have, our children, our grandchildren, to be in a culture, in a community, in a church, where they are given the opportunity to know God, to be cared for, compared to some realities in our world.

The Hunger and Vulnerability of Children in South Asia

Listen to this. In South Asia, like in India and Bangladesh and Bhutan and Sri Lanka, these nations there, 90 million children go hungry every day. It is not they're hungry for ice cream or lunch or dinner.

They are desperate. Can you imagine your child or your grandchildren crying all night and weeping, saying that, Mommy, I'm dying. I can't sleep. Give me something to eat. Because they didn't have meals for two or three days.

And the mother says, my child, I have nothing but drink this and give, in a mud cup, some dirty water. Or think about the picture that appeared in the National Geographic one time of a mother looking at two children.

She's skin and bones. And she has no clothes she's wearing on the upper part of her body. And she's holding these two kids, looking at them. And the article explains, she's trying to make a decision, which child she's going to let die.

Because she has nothing left in her body to feed both children. Now, please listen to me. Our Christianity, whether you know this or not, we are extremely self-centered. So drunk with our Bibles, our knowledge, our children, our health, our well-being.

We can't even imagine that our life ought not to be about us. But about Him who died on the cross, who still weeps over the creation people that He created with His own hands. And He says, don't you care.

If you're looking for a Bible verse, I tell you, in 1 John 2, verse 6, it says, If anyone claims that he's a follower of Christ, must live today as Jesus would live. That can't be a fancy spiritual statement.

You and I, part of this kind of teaching and fellowship, blessed more than anyone else on planet Earth. Yet, you realize how little our heart breaks and aches for people that do not know our Lord and are perishing.

And now, it is not a crime and a bad thing that you and I are given the privilege to have our children and take care of them. But think about this, 135 million children between the age of 7 and 18 have never been to school in that part of the world.

And we fight over what homeschool curriculum we should have, which school district we will send our children to, where we move to so we can have. Nothing wrong with having that desire for our children.

We care for our children the same way I'm talking about, you care for. But when, how it will come to the place in my life where my heart begins to break, not out of pity or some kind of guilt trip, rather, I am becoming like Christ.

Becoming Like Christ Through Compassion

I remember one time from Bombay, I was waiting to catch my Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, Germany. And I picked up this newspaper called Indian Express. On the front page was a picture, a black and white picture, of a little boy, maybe 4 or 5 year old boy, kind of semi-naked, laying on the sidewalk of a busy Bombay street.

And laying beside him is a dog, a female dog. And you look at the picture, it's so vivid. The boy is drinking milk from that dog. And the caption reads, this dog is his mother. The three column article explained about over 100 ,000 children that lives on the streets not knowing who their parents are.

And the beggar children, how they die without any hope. How many of you have seen the movie Slumdog Millionaire? Would you raise your hand? Wow, amazing. All of you raised your hand, you will go to heaven.

And the rest of you, you better get that movie and watch that. By the way, 3 or 4 years ago the movie came out here in America and it was the movie of the year for all the awards. And so somebody told me about it and I watched that movie and emotionally I couldn't handle it.

Because I lived in Bombay for a year. It is a story about the children from the slums, the largest slum dwellers of the world, it is in Bombay. Over 5 million people live in those slums. If you ever go there, try to go to one of those slums, you have to literally pinch your nose to walk in, lest you throw up.

Dark, mucky sewage runs open through those slums. And kids are playing in them. And the monsoon season comes, you can't even imagine the crisis. You know, just 4 bamboo sticks sticking up and plastic over it and husband, wife and kids all living there.

And the ground is soaking wet. That is a slum. And if you saw the movie, actually you understand what slums look like. And the sad thing about the crisis, when you think about the reality of this, the movie talks about this pimp, this evil man going around, picking up these kids from the streets, promising them food and clothes.

They are so happy and excited. But then you see the scene, they are taken to a building far away. And right there these kids are playing and happy and everything, but the scene changes. He lines up these kids and makes them sing and do things to see how he can turn them into beggars on the streets to collect money.

The next scene, a little boy, I mean the little boy looks so handsome, so kind-looking little fellow. He should be about 5 -6 year old boy maybe. And he's taken out to a room and he takes this man, chloroform and put into a cloth and knocks the boy out.

And now he lays on the bench like he's dead. And he takes boiling oil and he opens the lid of the little boy and pours it and blinds him. The next scene, he's standing on the streets years later begging.

And when I saw that, I said, all these kids on the streets, how many of them are destroyed like this? But when I see that movie and I see the little boy drinking milk from a stray dog, here is a professional, trained minister, a Christian leader who writes books and talks to people all over the world.

And the question Jesus asked me is the same question I'm asking you. What if, the Lord said, this little boy happened to be your son Danny or your daughter Sarah? What if this little boy in the movie happened to be your son?

You know, just like right now you're going through in your emotion. I saw some people, when I explained the story, shaking their head and crunching, just can't handle it. And think about me, going through the same emotions.

And I didn't want to entertain that emotion. But the question I must ask myself, am I, like Christ, who is my Lord, who can take this tabernacle, this body of mine, my emotions, my life, and walk again on earth, incarnate through this earthen vessel, to weep, to suffer, to cry, and touch and heal, or am I going to be someone like typical American Christianity that says, Jesus, bless me, heal me, take me to heaven, bless my children, bless my husband, that is the Christianity that I am part of.

And I say this to you, my brothers and sisters, not to condemn you, put you on a guilt trip, I have no agenda to get nothing out of you, really not. But this is what I plead with you for, that is, let's not close our eyes to the reality of the world.

And if we can look away from your little world, my little world, oh, we can change the world. And by the way, there's a passage in scripture that's quite adamant about it. Gospel of Matthew chapter 18, where Jesus says in verse 5, if you welcome these little children in my name, you are welcoming me.

You want Jesus to go home with you? And think about it! He says, the way to do that, do this. Then, warning, verse 10. See, he says, that you do not look down on one of these little ones. Don't ignore them.

Don't walk away. Don't say, I don't want to handle it. Don't say, yeah, there's a lot of problem, I got my problem. Don't do that. The reason, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

I just don't understand a lot of stuff that I read. It's a mystery to me. Can you just imagine that little boy in that movie? That little boy on the street? And 62 million children known as child laborers.

From the poorest of the poorest, untouchables and dull communities. Can you imagine, they all have angels watching over them? Look at the little girl sitting here. I don't know how old she is, blonde hair, looks like a Swedish or something like that.

But I can assure you, there must be 2 -3 angels all around her. And by the way, even if you are not a child, there are some angels around you. They are assigned to watch over us. But then it says, while they are watching over, simultaneously they are beholding the face of the Father in heaven.

I don't understand how to explain all that. But then, how did the angel respond and felt, and the Father felt and feels, when 15 ,000 young girls between 9 and older kidnapped, sold into sex slavery from Nepal every year?

Bridge of Hope Centers Rescue Children

I don't want to think about it, but I like to think about this. In the slum where the movie was shot, we established what you call bridge of hope centers. Rescuing children and giving them education, food and clothes, and taking care of them.

And in one of those slums, a young lady, her husband, an alcoholic, abandoned her. With two young girls, beautiful looking girls, about 9 and 7, something like that. And she didn't know what to do to take care of them anymore.

Can't send them to school, can't feed them, and she decided the only thing left for her to do is to go to the red light district and sell her body and make money. It was that particular week, that time, two of our missionaries went to the slum.

Going from slum dollar to slum dollar, talking about saying that we are going to start a bridge of hope center. We will take your children and care for them and teach them. And those two girls are rescued.

And the mother was led to the Lord Jesus Christ. And through our missionary's help, she found a job. And I want to think those angels must have been dancing all over the slum dollars and the streets and saying, Father, just can't imagine what happened!

We rescued, we caught it! Their lives are spared. Because someone was obedient. Someone was willing to go and live in those slums. Someone carrying the Bible was willing to say, I will pay the price to care, just as Jesus did when he came to rescue us.

Oh, I'm so blessed to see these children. People ask me, so Brother KP, now you are a grandfather, I have three grandchildren, how do you feel about it? I don't know. They are expecting me to jump up and down and scream.

Honestly, I don't. Then you say, what's wrong with you? Well, you know, the problem I have, I'm brainwashed with this awareness of millions of children. Precious to the Father, just like my grandchildren are precious to him.

But nobody cares, they are lost. And my emotions are all torn into pieces. I often think about it and cry over it. And I say this to you, my brothers and sisters, we have this amazing opportunity to now touch the lives of nearly 300 million people by touching the lives of these children.

And as I mentioned, we were able to rescue huge numbers of children, some 60 ,000 so far. But my dream, maybe at least half a million children. That is not even a drop in the bucket. And that's the reason I'm here to share with you, to pray and let's get engaged and do something right now because it means so much for the Kingdom of the Lord.

A Vision of the Harvest Field and the Bridge of Hope

You know, this whole thing with our mission, kind of at a turning point some years ago when I had a strange dream. I was looking at a field, the harvest field. Millions of acres, golden in color. Wheat field just ready for harvest.

Somehow this was the time we were dreaming about touching the lives of the 280 some million untouchables and Dalits who are crying out to come out of slavery of caste system in India and the subcontinent.

And we were agonizing over all that. And we never thought about the kids. That is not part of our mission theology at that time. And in the dream, I recognize this actually is the millions of people coming into the Kingdom and the Lord has given me the privilege to march into the harvest field and collect all these people and take them to heaven.

And I began to run toward the field with such excitement but all of a sudden, I couldn't go any further. There was a river right in front of me blocking me so wide, so deep I stood there simply began to weep saying, what am I going to do?

You see, you should understand, I come from a family where my people are rice farmers in southern part of India. Harvest time comes, our people are like the chicken with the head cut off. You ever heard that?

That means you do nothing except take care of the harvest. Why? Two weeks, the monsoon will come and the entire harvest will be destroyed. And so this mindset I have always but then what am I going to do?

I can't get across the river. And right then, a humongous bridge appeared from this side of the river to the other side. And this bridge began to be filled with kids thousands of little kids, all kinds and shapes.

And I walk out of my room dream and sat on my bed sweating I said, this is a strange dream. And that's when the Lord spoke to my heart Harvest is plenty. These are my people. Go after the children. Love them, care for them, embrace them and they will come to know me.

In northeast of India, we have seen this happen as an incredible miracle. And I just wanted to look at a couple of minutes of these pictures that talks about how this bridge of hope centers are impacting communities and changing our world.

And I said, would you do a couple of things for me? Would you please pray saying, Lord, speak to my heart about what you are saying and thinking. And secondly, ask the Lord that He will give you His understanding, wisdom to think about your life and your involvement here, there and everywhere for the rest of your lives.

Let's look at it.

The Bridge of Hope Program's Message of Dignity and Hope

She is 8 years old. Her home is a hut made of rags. Going to school is an impossible dream. She is a Dalit. Viewed as sub-human by the Hindu caste system, her people are commonly assaulted, raped, murdered.

Deep in their hearts, they hunger for love and reassurance, to be told for once that their lives are worth something. Gospel for Asia has long wanted to tell these people that Jesus loves them and offers them hope.

But how? Now, God has provided a way to reach them, through their children. This bridge of hope, by sponsoring a child today. For $28 a month, you can give a child an education, clothing, food and medical care.

And most of all, you give your child the message of Christ's love and hope for the future. To sponsor your Bridge of Hope child today, simply fill out this card and bring it to the GFA table. You'll receive a picture and information about the child you'll be helping.

Christian Compassion and Hope for America

You know, people like me that spent our entire life dealing with many nations and traveled so many nations. In the very recent times, my thinking about America and the future, unlike maybe the way I used to say things some time ago, I'm an extreme, wild optimist as I look at the future of this country and say, what on earth are you talking about?

There's no nation on earth with people and the body of Christ that cares more for the need and the suffering and the lost and confused people in many of these nations and all over the world like the people in this country.

And you are part of a wonderful nation. And one of the reasons I now believe the Lord will extend His mercy on us and His grace be given, one of the key factors is that our continuous caring and loving and praying and being involved with the world so much in need.

You know why? For God so loved the world He is looking for us to be His in our time. And that is the reason why I think like that. I don't eliminate changes the fact that I must fast and pray for our country and stand in the gap but we also must act and continue to be obedient to be Christ-like when you think about things like this that's going on.

Stories of Healing, Conversion, and Community Transformation

Time will not permit me to tell you day after I can tell a story without end. One little boy like you saw in that picture in northeast India, we started 50 Bridge of Hope centers for communities that never had school nor hope.

And one little boy, Naboon, first grader as he came to the school he learned about Jesus healing the sick and loving people. His parents totally never touched the gospel, living in a remote community in a little mud house.

And he goes home and tells his father Father, Jesus can heal mother. His mother was sick and dying there on a mat without any help and the father thought we had a medical doctor named Jesus at our school.

Literally, he comes and says My son told me about your doctor Jesus. Would you please have him come and help my wife? And two missionaries went and explained the gospel and read God's word and prayed over the woman.

Believe it or not, amazing, Jesus does it. He heals a woman. And the whole family comes to Christ and you can imagine the shock in the remote community what happens there all of a sudden because they're all waiting for her to die and the funeral service takes place.

But first church was planted in the community in the history of that people through that little Naboon. I wish to tell you Oh, this happens once. No, no, no. This is a common story right now in terms of what God is doing.

Investing One's Life in Eternal Kingdom Work

So, how do we respond to that? Well, obviously, keep doing what you're doing. Praying. Keep feeling the pain that you're feeling. Don't stop it. I've got a wonderful wife who cares for the Lord and I'm glad for my children now grew up and married and grandchildren they're serving the Lord on the mission field and caring for the Lord.

And often I'm gone from the home about nine, ten times a year I have to leave the country to other nations and a few years ago phone rang beside my bed. My wife in the United States and I'm in India and I pick up the telephone the first words I hear, He died.

I mean, somebody wake you up at two in the morning and the first thing you hear, He died? I said, who? And my wife said, John, and then told his last name. What happened? Her voice was breaking up, kind of emotional explained the massive heart attack and he just passed away.

And I couldn't talk anymore. I hung up the telephone and sat there deeply hurt. You see, seven, eight years prior to that I was sitting in my office in Dallas when I got this telephone call from this man from Houston and he introduced himself and he said I just finished reading a book, Revolution World Missions and I can't stop crying, my heart is broken.

And he said, he was 60 some years old at that time and he said I never understood the reality of the world I am a follower of Christ and believe in Jesus I am born again and serve Him but I never understood there is a world like this.

And he said, can you tell me how I may invest my life, the rest of my life to change the world and reach these millions of people for Christ. The long story cut short over the few years of our relationship with him, he invested more than $6 million with us.

We became very close friends. He traveled to the mission field with us to see what was going on. The slum dwellers, the children and the missionaries. So, later I told my staff can you please find out for me there is some $6, $7 million he spent with us what happened with that money?

How was it invested? What came out of that? You know what we learned? We had documentation over a million people had come to Christ through the efforts of this man supporting missionaries and children and various ministries.

And I wonder, now he is with Jesus saying to himself, man what a bummer I should have bought one more house invested that money in that place, this place. I don't think so. If anything he is saying to himself, thank God for the privilege the Lord gave me to touch the lives of millions and someday when we all stand around the throne with the multiplied millions that no man can number, the dear friend of mine who is now Jesus will run to millions.

For he lived and acted based on what the Lord gave him without loving his own life and holding on to it. May I encourage you to think about it and honestly really this is true I hate to ask people so now give me your money and do this and that but honestly I don't care.

Embracing the Cross and Dying to Self

I've been in this 40 years serving my Lord and 30 to some years ago when Jesus gripped my heart living in Dallas in seminary and pastoring a church I realized life is so brief and walked away from all this stuff that I was dreaming about American life.

And I maintained two jackets, a couple of ties which I hate just a few trousers and a crock and I travel all over the world with it even to Germany and Scandinavian countries even when it's snow and ice it works.

You know the reason I'm saying that to you take your driver's license, look at it add 100 years to that whatever happens to all the stuff we are worrying about live for our Lord with inconvenience and pain embrace the cross be committed to the church, to the leaders to the children and walk away from all kind of plans you already made for this and that and walk on a narrow road and die to self and part of that I plead with you if you will do this we got no less than 8 or 9 thousand children right now that we need someone to pray for and help them to find hope and if the Lord touches your heart would you please fill out this card and pick up a few children you know we have some people who support 50 children, 100 children, they have more money than I have but my wife and I according to our children and grandchildren we picked up children to support them so if you got 15 grandchildren, take 15 children and if you plan to get married and have 2 dozen kids don't wait to get married, you can have them today and all you need to do is fill out the card and bring it and we actually give you the children, the real children they write you a couple of times a year and we had people support lots of kids and go to the field and meet these kids also and the amazing thing, all of them come to know the Lord and the communities are being transformed and every penny you send it goes to the field to help these children, just $20 a month but again don't do it out of guilt or force but it's an awesome privilege and I thank you for listening and thank you for your love and your concern and it's a wonderful journey we are on and we'll make it together and carry the whole world with us.

The Lord bless you, thank you good morning.

With 3 minutes to spare if the message brother KP shared has touched your heart you may want to consider some of the materials we have at the book table in the back, I say this all the time but it's one thing to have somebody come through and challenge your heart kind of one time.

And it's another thing to take some materials home with you that the Lord can use to remind you because if you're like me, I forget, I leak so really the desire that we have these materials is for that purpose just that the Lord could use it to encourage you just to continue strong, following after him and so there's a few books of materials we have.

Resources for Continuing in Discipleship

The first book is no longer a slum dog this is the book brother KP wrote, it's been about 8 months ago it's about the bridge of hope children's ministry. It tells the story of some of the statistics he shared with you but more than anything it's filled with stories of hope about how the Lord is changing these children, changing communities changing families and just using this thing in such a powerful profound way, we've seen about 150 ,000 copies go out already in just the first 8 months the Lord's really using it, it's a very very powerful book it's free for you today, so there's a book table outside you can pick it up there for free and I mentioned last service if it doesn't impact you, call me, I'll give your money back.

Sorry, this is cheesy next picture please, the second book is the road to reality coming home to Jesus from the unreal world brothers and sisters are just to the message, this is not the real world the real world's eternity and if you want to live your life here in such a way as to maximize your impact in eternity by living a simpler, more scale back lifestyle get a copy of this book, many many practical suggestions we like to help people get started we're very practical, we like to help people get started simplifying right away, and so the suggested donation in this book is I think like $8 ,000 you can pay that if you want, just kidding $8 suggested donation, rest of the material is the same thing next one please, this is destined to soar, it's kind of a devotional in style, 37 little mini sermonettes, very very challenging discipleship oriented materials, they'll encourage you in your walk with Christ, they'll encourage you again to look away and see a world out there that we so easily forget about.

It's a very very encouraging book, and then finally one video a touch of love, it's another message, very different from today about the children's ministry, Bridge of Hope but I guarantee you it'll challenge your life all these things, we're not here to make money, so if you have the money come get the books and materials, if you don't have any money, you're still welcome to come get the books and materials, you can send your money later when your ship comes in or whatever happens, somebody wants to get some extra, it all goes to the Lord's work, we just want to put the materials in your hands and again as far as the card, this card is in your bulletin if you'd like to link your life with children today all you need to do is fill out the card, bring it back to the table for each child you decide to support, the next slide will give you a packet of information it looks like this next slide has a picture of your child has their testimony, information about their family and you can take this little child home and let them become a part of your family and just you can pray for them and you can know that their life will be impacted as a result of your gift and so please come back to the book table if you have any questions we'd love to talk to you and just want to say thank you so much again, Pastor, thanks so much for allowing us to be here it's an incredible privilege to walk with you in this journey.

God bless you. Would you all please stand.

Prayer for Gospel for Asia and the Ministry of Reconciliation

As our worship team comes up, we'll pray and sing one more song together, I believe they mentioned it but I want to restate this one of the things that is truly an amazing thing about this ministry is every penny that you pay towards that child gets to that child gets out to the mission field.

None of it goes to administrative costs. Everyone who works for Gospel for Asia in the ministry is required to raise their own support. So 100 of the money that's given to those children gets to the mission field, so an amazing, amazing thing.

So let's pray, after we're done praying our prayer team will be up under the screens if you need prayer for any reason, please come forward. We'd love the opportunity to pray with you. But let's pray together now.

Father, thank you for just how incredible you are. We thank you for how you are moving around the world, so often we can get so focused in on what you're doing here and we certainly are grateful for that.

Lord, your grace and your mercy that you pour out on us here. But Lord, you are moving in powerful ways around the world and mass numbers are coming to know you as Lord and Savior. And Lord, for that we are so grateful in the fact that we have an opportunity to be a part of that ministry.

So Lord, we ask that you bless Brother KP and all of those with Gospel for Asia, bless their ministry continue to give them vision and guidance and direction for your work there. Lord, we thank you for the opportunity that we have the challenge that's been placed before us today.

Lord, we ask that you would speak to our hearts personally as to how you would have us come alongside whether that's praying, whether it involves financially. Lord, you guide us, you direct us, you show us your way.