anascomissions.org

According to Operation World , in Thailand there are more people enslaved by the sex industry than there are Christians, a frighteningly sobering reality. Go To Nations  (GTN) is attacking both these issues head on. Each week our missionaries, my wife included, minister to the girls who work at the bars. Right now they are building relationships with them. They have also started helping them learn English so as to give them increased job opportunties. Last month twenty eight Bible school students were graduated from GTN's Calvary Bible School. The Calvary Bible School (CBS) class of 2014 consists of current and future church leaders.   During the CBS school year the students accomplished the following: Number of people ministered in Thailand and Laos, 3,126 Decisons for Christ, 540 Number of people baptized in the Holy Spirit, 231 Water baptisms, 143 Number of people healed, 81 Number of new church  plants, 7 The...

"When I realized that men were made in God's image, I could no longer kill them and eat them."  These are the words of a tribal leader who is now a pastoring a church among his native people. Last week Go To Nations held a pastor's conference in Davao, Philippines ministering specifically to pastors and church leaders of tribal groups in Mindanao. Over 400 church leaders from 20 tribes (pictured below) were in attendance. One of the most moving parts of the conference was when several groups sang the great hymn "How Great Thou Art" in their tribal dialect. Native peoples who once practiced cannibalism are now singing praises to God, starting churches, and reaching the unreached. The team who came to minister to these church leaders was made up of pastors and missionaries from the United States, the Philippines and Latvia. This team also included GTN president Jerry Williamson and Asia-Pacific regional director Craig Kuehn (pictured below in tribal ge...

There are times when you are the one being fed, and there are times when you are the one doing the feeding. Our current batch of interns are all from Christ for the Nations Institute , a Bible school in Dallas, Texas. For several years they studied, their hearts and minds being filled with the Word of God, and the impartation of wisdom and learning from their instructors. This week the interns got to experience what life is like on the other side of the podium. We took a trip to Davao, Philippines to teach in the Calvary Bible Institute run by veteran Go To Nations missionaries, Ken and Cris Sandberg. For each of the interns it was their first time to teach in a Bible school. While being excited for this ministry opportunity, each of them also had what I call a healthy intimidation about this task. Teaching in a Bible school is no small matter. There are some things that are simply better when you get to see them with your own eyes. Seeing these Bible school students rise to the level ...

Every two years Calvary International along with Global Advance holds a pastor's conference in Davao, Philippines for pastors and church leaders from the tribal peoples of Mindanao. You may recall I was a part of the Calvary team in 2007 . This year we held yet another incredible conference for pastors and church leaders. Calvary missionaries Ken and Cris Sandberg have an ongoing Bible school specifically for the peoples of the tribes of Mindanao. This year there were over 500 tribal, church leaders in attendance. As with the conference in 2007, the Calvary team was made up of pastors and church leaders from the United States as well as the Calvary International President Jerry Williamson. It was an incredible time of equipping, encouraging, and ministering to these church leaders. After the conference Jerry Williamson and the pastor team traveled to Iloilo to visit our ministry at the Sonshine Center and in Iloilo.

Today I completed my first day of teaching here in Cambodia. We have about eighty students. They are all very eager and excited. They ask many questions, and just want to know more and more. What am I doing here? How did I get to be here? In the midst of my teaching time today, I glanced up from my Powerbook and was about to move on to my next point--I looked up and saw the students looking at me, waiting for the next point, and I could not help but wonder “how did I get to this place?” It is very humbling for me to be doing this. I am by no means an expert or a theologian. I do not have a Master’s in Divinity. There are so many more who are more qualified that I am. So what am I doing here? While, yes there are many more who are more qualified than I--better theologians or more experienced teachers--they are not here, and I am. So I can only ask that God would use me and speak through me. He is the final and best expert on this subject (after all this is a Bible school). So in all m...

Tomorrow morning I leave for Cambodia and "Nevada." Please keep me and my family in your prayers. I return to home on the 27th of this month. I will be teaching in a Bible school in Cambodia for three days, and then also with the Underground Church in "Nevada." While Cambodia is a free and open country, "Nevada" is not. Please pray for my protection, and also keep my family in prayer while I am gone.

Still in Nevada, will leave for the Philippines tomorrow. Get on your kn33s, especially for Leader M and the students here. There has been a crackdown, graduation was canceled. As far as I know, all are well and safe, but do keep us and especially the Nevadans in your thoughts. I will write no more until I get back to the Philippines. The devil's mad and I'm glad.

. . . like I never even left. Enjoying free wireless and great tea at the cafe run by "friends" here in Nevada. All is well. Fortunately the flight was not like the last one--no roller coaster, no ralphing. Please continue to callous your knees for my Nevada visit.

. . . and yes, I had me a Blizzard. Sitting here waiting for my flight to Nevada, enjoying the wireless Internet at the airport.

Today is graduation for Calvary Bible Institute (CBI), Cambodia. Almost seventy current and future church leaders were graduated. CBI graduates, history makers, world changers. New Life Church in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia

Yes, I can openly declare that I am in Cambodia since I am not in a restricted access country. The Kingdom of Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy, with a reigning King and a Prime Minister. The churches here are open and free to worship as they please. I am in the capitol of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. I am here to film and assist with the Calvary Bible Institute graduation. I am working with veteran Calvary International missionaries Bruce and Emma Behnken. There will be about 80 graduates. I don't like roller coasters. I never really did enjoy these vomit inducing rides, and now that I have gotten older, I stay away from them. Unfortunately my flight from "Nevada" to here was quite the coaster. It is rainy season in this part of the world. It was a pretty rough ride. Plus my plane was actually not much more than a puddle jumper, it even had propellors instead of jet engines. Fortunately the flight was only 50 minutes long. I managed to hold my lunch while on th...

The airport here in Nevada has wireless Internet, I am in transit to another country--just passing through. I will return to Nevada on Friday. All is well here, but the weather is very stormy. I am told this is the monsoon season here. I know many of you are thinking for me and for this trip, thank you so much, always the difference maker. a little bit later . . . My typing was interrupted when an airport transfer agent called my name. We had to go down to the baggage claim area and find my one piece of checked luggage, it is now tagged for my final destination, and all is well. I am now sitting in the departure lounge waiting for my last flight of the day, leaving in about an hour. I miss my wife and kids.

The best coffee I have tasted. Seen on the streets. Rush hour traffic.

Still here in Nevada or NV (do you get my drift?), enjoying coffee and cool breezes at my favorite coffee shop here in the tourist district. Some guy just asked me if I was from Nevada. That is the plus for me, I blend. While I am a bit more overweight than your typical resident of Nevada, I do blend in pretty well, so my coming here, going to special places to hold conferences, etc. is easier for me since I look like I am from Nevada (or NV, get it?). Had yet another incredible day teaching. All is going well, no serious problems like the last time I was in Nevada. But I want to stay vigilant and alert, and most of all I ask you to please keep thinking those thoughts. Some people here have had some severe hardships. I had coffee with an older student. He used to work for the former government, the one before the current government in Nevada. Since he was associated with the old way of government, when the current regime took over, they put him in prison for twelve years. Af...

I still can't believe I am doing this. Here in this country, working with these believers, I still marvel that this is my job. Had an incredible first day of teaching. Saw some familiar faces, and met thirty-five new students. Taught for about five hours. Of course, the day was broken by the traditional lunch and the after lunch nap. Food here is so very healthy, and very good. Not like any other Asian food I have eaten, spicy, not spicy hot, just spicy as in full of different flavors. I usually eat the vegetarian option because it is usually the tastiest. I am still so humbled by these believers. I cannot imaging the cost they must pay just to follow Christ. It is an honor to be among them, and I am humbled that I could even teach them anything, when they are such an example to me. I get to do this for three more days, and I am so glad. Of course, I can't wait to see my family again. I have access to wireless Internet at a coffee shop near my hotel, so at least I can...

Back in (unnamed country), so good to be back. I had dinner with a good friend this night. He took me to a traditional (unnamed country) restaurant. We had noodle soup and spring rolls, all very good. You may recall that this young student and I met through a chance encounter at a coffee shop. We maintained a friendship via email, and on my second trip here I felt that I should ask him to join the "family." He is totally on fire for the Boss. He has also led his grandmother and sister to the "family" as well. He told me at dinner that he is so happy to be a follower of You Know Who. He says he is very happy and has purpose. He reads the w0rd everyday, and also is regularly "thinking" for his family and friends, also everyday. He is a changed person. I am so encouraged to see him and hear him and his test1m0ny. He has always called me br0th3r, and that is especially true since we have the same f@th3r. While I am enjoying being back here in (unname...

Today was my last day of teaching here in (unnamed country) with the Underground Church. I was so blessed to spend a week here teaching, once again it has changed my life. I was very blessed, humbled, and inspired by the believers here. One of the pastors told me that things are getting better and more open here. The government is realizing that the church is not going away, and it is only growing, and it has become a force to be reckoned with. Also this country is wanting to be a part of the World Train Organization, and in order to do that, it must be more open and tolerant of religious expression. This is an answer to prayer. The Christians here firmly believe that one day this country will be free and open, and the church will no longer have to be underground. Lord speed the day. Aslan is on the move.

I have confirmed there are almost 3,000,000 scooters in this city, and that is no exaggeration. I have taken pictures and shot video, but even these cannot properly convey the sheer numbers of scooters here. They are everywhere, parked in every open spot on the sidewalk, and also parked inside buildings and places to eat. Words, pictures, and video footage cannot properly describe what nearly 3,000,000 scooters motoring around looks like. I am benefiting from the fact that this is not my first trip here. Last time in November, it was very hard and I was worn out every night after teaching. This time things are not as difficult. I am sure part of it is the fact that I am not sick with a cold. On my last trip, I would wake up sick, wishing I could just stay in bed and rest, but I knew there was no substitute teacher. I was it, and the students were expecting me everyday. I also believe the joy of the Lord has given me great strength. It is a great joy to see these students again...

Nap time again, I may join in the sleeping later. It is so good to be back here again, it feels like I never left. After just a one hour flight to Manila and then a two hour flight from Manila to here, I find myself back in this country I cannot name. Day two in-country is the first day teaching, and I am so blessed to be teaching the same group of students I was with the last time I was here. It is nice to be remembered, and to see my brothers and friends again. I am still so challenged by their example and their faith. Persecution makes the faith of a church very pure. That is very obvious from these Christians. Their hunger for knowledge is humbling and inspiring. Walking around the markets, or sitting on the back of a scooter on the way to the safe house feels comfortably familiar, like I have returned to a place I know and love so much. Even more than this very unique city and country, the true pleasure is in reuniting with my brothers and sisters here, and with the strong...