I spent four days at Immigration last week getting a new retirement visa for my new passport. It seemed that each day they wanted some new document that was not needed last year. When your passport gets within six months of expiration, no country will not allow you to enter. I was stranded here for almost a month waiting for my new passport. My old passport had extra pages added but was almost full anyway (74 pages total). It had one stamp when I arrived in Thailand almost two and a half years ago. 

 God has been good to open doors of opportunity for me to minister to many people multiple times in 11 different countries in SE Asia. Only five souls have been added to the Kingdom from my preaching during that time but my assignment has been to train leaders so they can do the work of the ministry and reach those I will never meet till we all get to Heaven.

I have been writing leadership training booklets that will be translated into five languages, Thai, Lao, Myanmar, Khmer (Cambodia), Vietnamese and Mandarin. I feel that booklets are better than a full book. They are small enough to keep in your Bible and carry with you. They will also be cheap enough for leaders to give away or photocopy. The first one is being translated into Vietnamese this month.

The tradition in these countries is for foreigners to give their books away because the people are too poor to buy them. The problem with giving them away is twofold. First, most people feel the value of something is proportional to what you pay for it. Generally, if it is free, it is not worth much. Second, we need to teach faith for people to trust God to supply for what they need for themselves and their ministry. Missionaries have erred in this arena in two extremes. Rich western pastors come over here and tell the people they are too poor to pay for something they need or want so we rich missionaries will give it to you. We are teaching them by our example that the truth of the Word of God does not work for them and they must depend on us. Being in poverty is not a sin but it does make you feel inferior. I do not teach the “name it and claim it” doctrine but rather a Bible based faith that our God shall supply for our needs regardless of our nationality. We are cheating the brethren if we are not teaching and stretching them to believe the whole truth of the Bible. I plan to sell these booklets for less than they cost to print if necessary or give them away to individuals for a firm commitment to pray for me personally every day for a month. (Read about the gleanings from the fields in the OT. It cost the poor to go get it and thresh it just like they would if they had grown it themselves.) The goal is not to make money from these booklets but to teach them that God’s word is true and works for everyone who will believe. All proceeds will be used to print the next edition of the booklets. As missionaries, we must reevaluate our methods if we want to build a strong, faith based church in Asia. Remember, the last seven words of a dying church are, “We never did it that way before.”

I plan to go to Nigeria for the month of August to work with the Student Volunteer Movement II. I will speak at their annual convention in Lagos and travel throughout the southern provinces to do training for various groups. Going to Africa will fulfill the Word of God to me from 40 years ago. I hope to have some of my leadership booklets in English to present to leaders where I teach. I will give them permission to reprint in English and/or translate into regional languages for distribution in Africa. The same principle applies there so the booklets will be made available for sale.

Thanks for praying for me and helping financially so that I can be your representative to train those who will reach those who have not yet heard the Good News of Jesus.

God bless you,  Jim

Please pray for the following:
1. Provision for the ministry, personal living expenses, travel and cost for translating and printing of the Leadership booklets.
2. Good health and safety.
3. Closer walk with the Lord and the ability to hear His voice and respond quickly.
4. Ability to write the remaining leadership booklets in a way that is understandable for Asians.
5. Ability to mentor the various leaders I meet and correspond with regularly here in Chiang Mai and SE Asia.
6. That God would go before me and prepare the way for the Nigeria trip.