That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations.

Psalm 67:2

What is that noise in the distance? Can you hear the voices calling your name? The sounds of children, the voices of His children calling out to you. They need to hear God's word and what He has done for us.

Guatemala has a population of over 17 million people, with half of them being under the age of 19. Millions of these children and their families are unreached and need to hear God's word. How can we gain the opportunity to reach these millions of people? There are endless opportunities to take part in God's plan for Guatemala. SEAPC's mission is to establish and connect a global community of prayer that brings the hope and love of Jesus Christ into the world through parenting, healthcare, education, and micro-economic development.

As a young child, my parents did not attend church, and we were taken to Sunday school by one of my aunts. With all of the excitement in our voices when we came home each Sunday and the fact that we would talk excessively about everything we learned, my parents started to attend church. It is amazing what a parent will do because of the love that they have for their child. A parent will do anything to receive medical care for their child. Participating in a medical mission trip as part of our healthcare platform creates the perfect opportunity to reach millions of people, caring for both their spiritual and physical needs.

On a recent medical mission trip, we encountered unreached people every day as we walked out the door to travel to the medical clinics. Before heading out to the clinics, the team would gather each morning to partake in breakfast together and also to be fed by a daily devotional asking for God to open our ears so that we could hear the voices of His children and their needs. As the team arrived at the medical clinics, the line of parents holding their sick children was overwhelming. The waiting area overflowed, and the group of people waiting to be seen seemed neverending. As the team registered and triaged the children and their families, they were not only able to provide medical care, but they also prayed over each parent and child that walked through the door. We witnessed to and prayed over each family during the transition between each checkpoint, including registration, triage, examination, and medication dispensing.

Every person that was seen in the clinic that day was prayed for. With many touchpoints throughout their visit to the medical clinic, the medical team was able to multiply their efforts abundantly.

So, you ask how you can make a difference in Guatemala? 

Pray. Pray for our friends serving there and giving their lives to making His name known in Guatemala.

Give. Support efforts at the Center of Hope to minister to at-risk youth.

Go. Be the hands and feet of Jesus on a mission team. You do not need to be a medical provider to participate on a medical mission trip. In fact, prayer partners are the most important people on the team. The medical care brings the people in—the prayers are what brings people to God.

We never know the impact our words will have on others! This truth has been very much evident in the life of LuAnne Basney, for whom things have gone full circle relationally.

LuAnne has served in missions in South Africa, Haiti, South Central India, Indonesia, and Singapore. Years ago, LuAnne spoke in a little church in Minnesota. Little did LuAnne know at the time, but that day was a major game-changer in the life of a 10-year-old girl named Paula. As LuAnne spoke, an enthralled Paula hung on every word.

By the end of the service, Paula became determined that when she grew up, she, too, wanted to be a missionary. At the age of thirteen, she went on a short-term mission trip to Mexico. When Paula was eighteen, she joined a team teaching English at a Bible school in China. A few years later, she married, and she and her family are now in full-time missions together. John Paul and Paula Sprecher work on staff with SEAPC. As opportunities arise, they travel and serve on the mission field.

Recently LuAnne and Paula’s pasts dovetailed with the present when they reconnected through a Facebook post. After she happened to see LuAnne’s post, Paula was astounded to realize that this was the same person who had a profound effect on the direction of her life. She responded to LuAnne and told her what an inspiration she was (and is) to her. Paula invited LuAnne to join an SEAPC short-term mission trip to Myanmar.  

For the last several years, LuAnne has stepped out of the full-time missionary role. Currently, she works as a medical transcriptionist for a clinic. Going back to the mission field on this Myanmar trip energized LuAnne. In Myanmar, she ministered in a children’s home and taught in a local school. Although dealing with jetlag and a different time zone proved to be a challenge, the blessing of once again ministering cross-culturally to the children far outweighed any inconveniences.

LuAnne found her interaction with Paula, the team leader, to be a very gratifying switch in relational roles. Though LuAnne was the influencer initially, now she was the one being influenced as she submitted to leadership under Paula. “It was a huge blessing to reconnect with Paula. It really ministers to my heart to see what God has done unbeknownst to me. It is good to see the ‘grown-up’ Paula in a missions leadership role. We never know what God will do!”

Paula sums her friendship with LuAnne well as she says, “It was cool to be serving on foreign soil together with the very person who inspired me to do what I am doing with my life!”

God, in His great wisdom and perfect timing, has indeed orchestrated a meaningful full circle event between his beloved daughters!

Timing… our God stands outside of the bounds of time, but His gaze sees every single moment of our lives. It also watches the journey nations take through history. How powerful is it that in prayer, we can enter into God's visionary ability? Both His hindsight and His foresight are available as we are in prayer in His Spirit.

The nation of Laos is not often seen on the global radar. But let me tell you that God keeps some extraordinary things hidden until the time He chooses. As we share the last blog of our February prayer focus on Thailand/Laos, we want you to be aware of the stirring of the Holy Spirit within a people. The Laotian people are and will be going throughout Southeast Asia, Asia, and the planet in greater ways than we ever imagined!

SEAPC has supported missionaries, both local and international, in Laos for decades. Some have even given the ultimate sacrifice—their lives—for the sake of the gospel in Laos. The fruit of these years is being revealed powerfully!

I am a humble witness of the timing of the Lord coming into fullness in Laos.

Last October, I led an SEAPC team into Vientiane, Laos, and saw the legacy forming from the seeds and time of God's Word being poured into a people. I met dynamic, called, mighty, and purposed young leaders—both men and women—already overseeing educational platforms that are changing a country. Proverbs says the "Eyes are the window of the soul."

The fire of purity and conviction in the eyes of these young leaders completely captured me. I could see a generation so grateful for what has come before, and ready to take every day as a gift. A gift to create a better future for Laos with the "timing" they've been given.

Education, leadership development, and the opportunity for them to step out are vital to Laos at this time. A grateful generation is taking hold of their moment. Your support of SEAPC through this monthly prayer focus and missions fuels this reality!

Please join us this week in prayer for these young leaders in Laos. Let's surround them along with their hopes and dreams from God. Let's pray for them to emerge boldly, in love, and without fear!

Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.  

1 Samuel 12:24

The scent of Asia permeates the cool air outside the Kathmandu airport. We are back, embraced by the familiar sights, sounds, and even a few faces who greet us with colorful scarves. It’s good to return. For six of us, who have had multiple mission trips to Nepal, it’s almost like coming home.

For the seventh member of the team, nothing is recognizable. Janice, Nurse Practitioner, is on her first Christian medical mission. Her blond hair is tousled after multiple hours of travel. The purple suitcase at her side is enormous. And her stomach is growling, either from airline food or hunger.

As our friend Man Dai drapes a scarf around her neck, tears spring to her eyes. “This is amazing,” she whispers. And we haven’t even left the airport.

On her first walk through the tourist market in Kathmandu, she passes butcher shops with hunks of water buffalo for sale, including tongues. They are bloody displays out in the open as people dressed in bright clothing jostle to get food for their next meal. There are few refrigerators; food shopping is on a meal-to-meal basis. Jan is fascinated, taking pictures and exclaiming over each new sight.

As we prayer walk through the Hindu temple complex of Pashupati, bodies are being burned, bones are being pushed into the Bagmati River, which flows into the Ganges, and painted holy men glower at us. A sense of evil is palpable.

It is Janice’s first prayer walk. “My chest feels heavy. It’s like I can’t breathe.”

She experiences the evil as I do. It’s real. We walk side-by-side and pray our way through it. Later we face the idol Kali, Hindu goddess of death, and go to other similar sites. We talk about the armor of God and the sadness of lost souls. Janice is disturbed and wants to reach out to everyone. Her heart isn’t merely soft; it’s mush.

The following day is more travel, several hours over twisting mountain roads to the small town of Damauli. The hotel that has been booked for the team has no hot water, and the linens are of questionable cleanliness. Janice doesn’t complain. Not once. She is a trooper, already a member of the team, her sights set on the One we are here to serve, not on creature comforts.

The first day of the clinic is, as usual, bedlam. Patients push in the doors, surrounding practitioners until the noise level makes it hard to hear heartbeats with a stethoscope. Janice keeps seeing patients while the crowd is brought under some kind of control. She stops a time or two to clarify with other practitioners but is otherwise independent. Seventy-four patients are seen and receive prayer. Over dinner, we discuss the day. Janice is astounded at how much is being accomplished. And at the important role of prayer that eclipses medicine. Her excitement is palpable.

Then comes the second clinic. We travel to an impoverished, very rural village. A grandmother weaves a basket with a toddler at her feet playing with the reeds. Chickens scatter as we walk. Little ones squat in the dirt without the benefit of diapers. This day is more organized. Patients are seen, meds are prescribed, prayer is given.

A woman with multiple miscarriages comes to me. I take care of her gastric problems and order medicine. But I am led to pray for her. It will slow down the clinic, but God insists that it’s important. I lay hands on her abdomen and begin to pray for her womb, her sadness, her faith.

Her moans turn to wails. She falls back in her chair, motionless. Soon she is retching violently before collapsing on the floor, flailing, kicking, and screaming. Janice finishes a patient and joins me, praying out loud. Others surround us, praying in tongues as the woman shrieks in Nepali. A translator tells us that she is repeating, “Why are you taking me out of this place? I don’t want to come.”

After many minutes the woman shudders. “Halleluiah.” She sits up, has a sip of water, and rests in my arms for many more minutes.

Janice’s eyes are wide, her hair disheveled. “What was that?”

We talk about a demon leaving the woman. Out loud, it sounds strange. The reality is undeniable. Janice does not doubt what she just witnessed. And it happens nine more times during this day; one woman has three demons cast out.

Debriefing includes the indisputable fact that we have planned this trip well. But God has guided our steps according to His perfect will. The entire team embraces the day’s experiences. Our faith is strengthened.

In all, we complete five medical outreaches and preach in three different churches. Four hundred eighteen people receive care and prayer. Some of those have joint injections to relieve pain. One young woman has a growth removed from her cheek by Janice in the midst of our pop-up clinic setting of a bench, local anesthetic, and a scalpel.

We have many, many hours on the journey home to discuss what has transpired. Janice identifies highlights. They are interesting. Relationship. Laughter. Heartbreak. Medicine. Miracles. Faith. She is hooked, ready to sign on for the next medical mission depending on work schedule and family needs. It’s a no-brainer, really. She has now been called to serve. Her DNA has become His.

God knew what the people of Nepal needed. He sent us to provide it. But He also knew what the team needed, what Janice needed to learn in her first experience. And He provided that as well.

We each heard God’s voice. We felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. We grew in faith. We bonded in relationship with one another and with our Nepali friends. And we are inspired to return, to pray, and to believe.

Next time Janice will no longer be a newbie. In her regular work with the homeless, she will apply what she learned halfway around the world to the least and the lost in her hometown. She credits the Holy Spirit with helping her to become the person she has always wanted to be.

Praise God for His wisdom. His guidance. And His love for every soul in the world. Including the souls of the SEAPC medical team. 

Now in its 22nd year, SEAPC Laos continues its great goal of changing lives through prayer. Today we'd like to introduce you to a friend and affiliate of SEAPC Laos, Sparq Asia.

As our team journeyed toLaos back in November, I clearly remember thinking, flying into Shanghai forour layover, “we just traveled by air 10,000 miles over the Pacific Ocean andthis was a huge milestone.” The sun was setting, there was a ring of red cloudssurrounding our airplane, feeling the greatness of God's presence gave me anoverwhelming sense of peace. It felt so surreal and wondrous, only God couldhave created such a beautiful sight. It represented over 30 years of believingand anticipating the promise that, one day, I would return to my home country. Itfelt like God had carried me through every storm. God is in the midst of us,always with us, and never leaves our side.

As we traveled to Laos, oneof the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, we saw many needs during our visit.While working with a local village chief, serving and loving on the locals andprayer walking over the land, a significant moment of spiritual breakthroughoccurred. The Village Chief accepted Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. Aswe partner other ministries and with local leaders in remote villages, ourvision for our ministry (Sparq Asia) is to create platforms for education,microeconomics, and sustainable housing.

We, as believers, are calledto reach the dark corners of the earth with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and weare committed to fulfilling this Great Commission. As children of God, we areto love our neighbor as we love ourselves. And because we “have” here in theUSA, we press towards eradicating poverty abroad in Asia, particularly in Laos,through education and other platforms. We believe we were made by God and forGod and because we understand that God is Love, we operate our daily livestowards extending that same Love towards those in Laos, who don't have any ideaof who He is! There are countless promises in the Bible that God has guaranteedto take care of all of our needs, therefore, we don't worry about the “how it'sgoing to happen”, but we focus our time and efforts towards “making sure IThappens.”

What is “it”? “It” is asmall word that encompasses a huge amount of task oriented work. We here atSparq Asia will use our resources to see to it that Laos embraces andunderstand that although they are a small sized country, they play a huge partof the “IT-factor” that makes God’s smile reach a million miles wide from Eastto West. We here at Sparq Asia are not just hearers of the word, but we findthe most satisfaction in being doers ofthe Word of God!

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

John 3:16

Some refer to February as Love Month. Tomorrow we in the United States will celebrate Valentine’s Day. Fifty-eight million pounds of chocolate will be purchased. Roses—224 million of them—will be gifted. Romance is in the air. But is this yearly display truly love in its purest form? Or are we missing something?

There is only one source for the definitive answer: Scripture. And in those pages, there is incontrovertible proof that love equals sacrifice. Not great news for romance writers like me, but the best news ever in real life.

Consider the entire 53^rd chapter of Isaiah, which talks about the Suffering Servant. Verse ten states: Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When you make His soul an offering for sin… and on it goes. In the original language, the word ‘pleased’ carries a sense of satisfaction, pleasure, and delight. So…the Father is delighted to see the Son tortured? That’s love?

Of course not. God never delights in pain. Except that in His economy, our redemption outweighs the suffering. Which makes suffering the highest form of love. This translates to our personal lives as well:

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay his life down for his friends.

John 15:13

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?

Matthew 5:46 

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church. He gave His life for her…

Ephesians 5:25

How does this translate to the world of missions? Because many see mission travel as a glamorous pursuit. “I’m jetting off to Dubai,” “I got this fab purse in Thamel,” “We went off-road for two hours through a river and into the Himalayas” is the stuff of adventure. And it is. How is that sacrifice? Where’s the love?

When God calls us to any endeavor, it is an adventure. It is exhilarating. And it is a sacrifice. Mission travel to exotic locations is expensive. Rule of thumb around SEAPC is airfare + $100 per day. Destinations in Asia can come in at $1,500 flights with $1,000 for in-country expenses. That doesn’t leave much for personal goodies like purses or scarves. It is a financial sacrifice.

Two weeks off work either uses vacation time or is without pay. For the retired traveler, it still is time taken out of busy schedules. Add in kennel fees, missed family occasions, and household needs. It is a family sacrifice.

Accommodations are rudimentary, food is unfamiliar, travel is grueling, basic functions may involve squatting rather than sitting—these are personal sacrifices.

Why even go? Where’s the glam, the fun, the love?

There is never a more clear vision of love than turning to somebody and offering healing, sharing your lunch, or praying for restoration and watching God perform a miracle. The action of love becomes the feeling of love. Not for our glory, but for His.

Our culture perceives ‘sacrifice’ and ‘suffering’ as events to flee. Jesus knew them as deeds to embrace. He showed us by his life what it means to love well. And we are left with plenty of scriptural references to learn this skill for ourselves.

Take a few minutes. Close your eyes. Think about a time when you felt most deeply loved. Chances are good that it involved sacrifice on the part of the person who loved you. Maybe it was candy, purchased by a child from their piggy bank. Flowers that replaced a month of Starbucks’ purchases. Or someone dying to themselves so that you could live a better life.

When we learn to love in the same way that the Lord loves us, our active personal sacrifice for others will blossom, whether at home or in the mission field. And it will create in us a feeling that’s very like, well, love!

“God, I pray in your name if I’mthe one that you choose for your glory, please help me to pass the interview.”

This was the prayer of a youngCambodian man named Veha Morng, moments before his interview for a scholarshipwith SEAPC eight years ago. Pastor Mark Geppert and SEAPC had partnered with aparticular high school in Rongkor village, a blip on the map in the province ofBanteay Meanchey, Cambodia. SEAPC was offering ten fully paid universityscholarships to Rongkor high school graduates. Veha, one of those selected ten,is now 26 years old, married to his beautiful wife Saury who was also one ofthe scholarship recipients, and is now fully leading the team in the BanteayMeanchey Arise initiative that is rocking the nation.

At the time that prayer crossedhis lips, Veha had already been given the opportunity to learn about Jesus, butwas not yet fully committed. That sincere prayer in a moment of need and panichas set the course for his life. Veha left his small village to attenduniversity in the capital city Phnom Penh, teeming with over 2 million people. Hefully committed to being a follower of Jesus and spent the next four yearsstudying computer science, web design and English, graduating with honors atthe top of his class. Veha was elected by his teammates to be the house leader,or the equivalent of a resident assistant, to help bring order and support todaily life. This small leadership role carried over after graduation and theirreturn to Banteay Meanchey, where the team had committed to work with SEAPC forthe following four years. Veha began to act as liaison, helper, andadministrator as the team and the ministry grew.

By February of 2019, Veha wasfully set in position as the leader of Banteay Meanchey Arise. He is not onlydriven and talented, but a deep thinker, a responsible steward, and a man ofprayer. I asked him how he feels he has changed in the past year. “Most of thelessons I’ve learned are from my mistakes,” he laughs. This is nearly animpossible lesson to learn in Asian culture, where “saving face” is highlyvalued and mistakes are regarded as embarrassments and weaknesses. The growingpains in this first year of full leadership have been very real, sometimessending Veha spiraling into frustration and despair. But Veha has learnedprayer is the root of everything.

“When we worship, we are liftedabove the earthly perspective, and all our focus is on the one in heaven on thethrone,” he teaches the team during our weekly Friday prayer meetings. He leadsthe team in prayer, worship, and intercession for the province, and the sweetpresence of God is palpable in the room as the team members raise their handsin worship. The initiative of Banteay Meanchey Arise should be impossible byall worldly standards. Taking ten young people from their village and raisingthem up to be leaders across nine districts and a population of 700,000scattered across agriculture lands and rice fields should be considered crazy.But, it’s not.

Currently Banteay Meanchey Ariseconsists of the Water Drop program, which is teaching English and biblicalprinciples to 300 students and teachers across 8 rural locations. It alsoincludes fulfilling the dream of a technical center in each of the ninedistricts. Five buildings have already been built and number six will open thiscoming March. Computer classes are in full swing for students and teachers inPreah Netr Preah district, and nursing and manufacturing classes begin thisweek. Music classes are being established in different locations, and theproduction of lemongrass oil is within reach this year as the needed materialscome in.

Our team has grown from 10 to22. Some work as English teachers, others work as translators or officehelpers. All participate in English and discipleship classes, and are beingtrained as Christ-centered leaders for the nation.

“What’s next?” I ask Veha. Hetaps his pen against his notebook. “Find ways to be self-sustainable,” heresponds. He has dreams of using media and YouTube channels to generate revenueto keep the ministry going, as well as the lemongrass manufacturing. “To haveour first tech center completely up and running, and open the next one by theend of the year,” he adds. “And for you, personally?” I ask. He grins. “I wantto go back to school,” he responds. Veha is hoping to enroll in a master’sprogram on the weekends to earn his MBA while still leading the BanteayMeanchey team. It is his dream to continue his education and eventually openhis own private school back in his hometown. “I want to see Banteay MeancheyArise,” he tells me, and I believe him.

Please keep Veha in yourprayers, as well as the rest of the team and the initiatives taking place herein Cambodia. The impossible is happening every day, and we are thankful forVeha’s heart and passion at the forefront of it all. Together, we will see thevision from over 20 years ago come to pass: that “out of the killing fields andmine fields a generation will arise that is Christ-centered, bible-based,holy-spirit filled, and academically excellent who are witnesses to theresurrection power of Jesus Christ in the village, the province, the nation,and all of ASEAN.”

My family and I have traveled in and out ofThailand for the last 17 years. Thailand is a land full of smiles, and it ishome to some of the most hospitable people you will ever meet. They willwelcome you into their home, feed you until you can eat no more, and enjoy yourfellowship.

Our family was recently praying for Thailandwhen our son Peter saw a wind that blew over Southeast Asia.  He saw thiswind bringing change—change that goes beyond culture and traditions. Thischange brought truth and freedom that only comes from Jesus.

As we have lived and traveled in and out ofthis amazing nation, we have seen a generation waiting for this change.Children are hungry for something real and are in need of His justice. Childrenin Thailand are used in ways we will not mention here, and there are so many whosee no value to their lives. But there is a God who will answer their prayers,a God Who they can feel and hear, whose words bring life and purpose. Jesusis what they are searching for. He is the One Who can satisfy thishunger. 

We've seen just a taste of these winds Fatheris breathing upon these precious lives. Once a family, mom and two boys, cameto us hurting because they had just lost their father to a motorcycleaccident. Tears ran down their faces, not sure what their future wouldhold. We prayed with them and Father’s love fell upon them and they receivedit. They felt a glimpse of hope where there was none. The kids knew they wouldnot grow up fatherless, but realized Father God would take very good care ofthem.

Let us not grow weary of doing good. You neverknow how your prayer could change someone's life. There are people there rightnow investing into these hearts. Please pray more will come into Thailand thatwill impart Father's heart, love, truth, and purpose. They are hungry andsearching. Jesus is there!

For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…

Jeremiah 29:11

The Himalaya Mountain chain is a thing of beauty, towering above six nations with peaks, valleys, and cloud-draped splendor. From afar, it is a portrait of God’s majesty, worthy of paintings, poems, and photographs. This is certainly true in Nepal. As with many things the up-close view—although still amazing—holds hardship and heartache for those who live on the slopes. Poverty is the unifying factor across the region.

Small, isolated churches fight to survive and bring the gospel message to a culture that has not grown up with Scripture. Young pastors and their wives struggle to make the Savior real to those who are more concerned with what they will feed their children and where they will sleep at night.

One of those churches came to the attention of SEAPC through a Nepali friend who visited them. The people had no way to make a living. The harsh mountain weather and rocky land did not invite a great deal of farming. Isolation led to hopelessness. Donations of money would be a short-term fix. They needed more.

Help came by way of four-legged, bleating, male and female goats purchased for the village through donations in order to help sustain the church. A relative of the pastor’s, Aita Kumar Tamang, built a simple enclosure and fencing; he became a goat farmer. His herd went from thirty to one hundred goats in only two years. As the goats thrived, the church began to flourish as well.

Once the herd became established, Aita sold twenty goats to other families. This gave them the ability to improve their lifestyle. With the proceeds, he bought enough chickens to set up two chicken farms in the village. And he planted seasonal vegetables, not just to eat, but also to send a portion to market. In this area, where there are no services, shops, or supplies to be had, Aita set up a small grocery store in his home. Villagers can now stop in to buy oil and other necessities. And to enjoy community.

Across the ridge in an even more remote area, a devastating earthquake hit a village. Before they could regroup, flooding caused landslides that washed away every home, all possessions, and the small church. The people went into the nearby cornfield, living without shelter, food, or clothing.

Through donations, supplies were provided: rice, pots and pans, clothing. In addition, the church and homes were rebuilt. Life went back to normal. But for these Chepang people, considered to be “an isolated tribe who lives in the midst of the big jungle,” it remained subsistence level at best. Social outcasts, they had no hope of prosperity. To survive, men left their families to make money in the city; great hardship came to the women and children. The local church faltered, as absent leaders sought work.

Donations were raised to set up two bee farms for neighboring Chepang villages, as a way to provide sustainable economic advancement. The SEAPC medical team visited in the fall of 2019. Before leaving the city, bees and supplies were purchased. Arrangements were made to transport them into the mountains.

The team went off-road, over rocky unpaved paths, through a river, and to the top of a mountain. They trekked straight down a steep, craggy hill and ended at the rebuilt church. People walked for many kilometers to access care. Poverty, hopelessness, and resignation registered on each face. Most were young women and children or the elderly; they were the only ones left at home.

Soon after the team left, SEAPC friends in Nepal transported the bees by night in open trucks to the villages. Santa Praja and Dil Kumar Praja received teaching on how to manage the bee farms. By the end of 2019, the men were already able to stay with and support their families, support their ministries, and be involved in church work. Families are reunited, happy and thankful to God and to those who donated to improve their lives.

Provision of physical help illustrated God’s plan and purpose for people who live in the center of His splendor, but who have experienced generations of poverty and need. Because this help came from SEAPC and its partners through the local village churches, God is being given the glory. His perfect plan for His people to prosper is being realized. And in return, they are experiencing hope and the promise of a future.

Goats and bees. Love and commitment. Hands and feet. Today, on a misty mountain in central Nepal, the promise of Scripture is being fulfilled.

Over the next month, we have the collective opportunity to visit—in prayer—the nations of Thailand and Laos. I say, without any hesitation, that these nations are at the center of my story. As I write this today, I can feel the humidity in the air, smell the food on the side of the streets, and, most of all, see the faces and smiles of a people who genuinely carry a gift of kindness and compassion wherever they go. 

You see, Thailand and Laos were not only a place that my family and I would visit on missions, but it was home for my immediate family for three years of our lives. It was the place that we learned to lean in and trust God with all our hearts. It was the people that captured our hopes as a couple in our early twenties. It was the birthplace of our call to Asia, a call that brought us to SEAPC seven years ago. 

Never have I been more encouraged to write and pray for these nations as I am today. How do we launch into this February prayer focus? We must start and finish with the presence of God. What does He have to say right here, right now about these precious people? In prayer, the Lord has shared a theme for each nation, a word of prayer direction that we can use to hit the mark for this season of Thailand and Laos. In the 12 tribes of Israel, there was one tribe, Issachar, who knew the time and seasons, and what we must do. As Friends of God, and people in prayer, may we also enter such a place in the Holy Spirit. 

For Thailand, this is a "Time of Transitioning" for the nation.

Thailand has entered a season in its history with new leadership in government and monarchy. This is the moment to pray in authority for voices of righteousness to fill the voids left by past leadership. It is the time to pray for Thai believers to unify their voices, bring clarity of message, and enter their authority in Christ. The time is ripe, and hearts are soft to pray precisely for nothing less than the First Great Awakening in the nation of Thailand! 

For Laos, this is the time of "Taking Hold of the Moment." 

For a long time, this nation has quietly sat in the shadows of those nations around it. But no more! With my own eyes, I have seen a resolve in the generations that are in Laos today. A resolve that needs our prayers to stand with it. And as we do, we will watch the people of Laos—filled with a Godly kindness that the world needs today—boldly step up and share their stories! The testimony of Jesus will come forth from Laos, and the world will hear it. It is time to pray with and for them.  

We pray that these prayer targets will be fuel to your fire this month. God has so much to share with us as we pray. Here we GO, in the Holy Spirit, to make His-Story unfold through prayer! Thank you for joining us this February!