As I pondered the verse on the back cover, Isaiah 43:19, I realized my wife, Jieling, and I transitioned from doing the “right thing” to doing “God’s thing” throughout our journey with SEAPC. Although doing the right thing is not wrong, doing God’s thing is richer and more exciting because we are participating in His vision. Shortly before our journey with SEAPC, Jieling and I were married in 2004.We felt God directing us toward some sort of mission. Our Pastor suggested we go to Cambodia on a mission trip. The week before the trip, I really didn’t know what we were to do there. However, since the pastor was so supportive of us, I decided to do the right thing and we went.While there, God touched both of us. We felt the burden for children. I went on another mission trip with my church and felt that burden confirmed. A couple of years later I received a call from Ken Martin, the CFO of SEAPC. Later there was a follow up call from Mark Geppert and a connection was made. I was a member of a private foundation and we began funding some children’s home building projects with SEAPC. When I visited several children’s homes in Cambodia I was impressed with the care the children received. More impressive was the difference in the attitudes and vision of the children compared to those I met in my earlier mission trips.As a CPA, I quickly realized how much SEAPC accomplishes with the funds they receive. When Mark visited and asked us to join the board, it was easy to do the right thing. We became board members, and I became the next CFO. Then I really learned what SEAPC was all about. Between the board meetings, Friends Around the Table, and visiting our leaders in the field, I found SEAPC is really about prayer. Prayer, prayer, and more prayer. I realized that SEAPC and its leaders were about doing God’s thing and prayer was the direct path to finding it. How else could SEAPC accomplish so much? From high quality children’s homes in four countries, to congenital heart disease work for children in Tibet, to an autism program in China, to church plants across the globe, to schools in Cambodia, these are accomplished by SEAPC through prayer and only because they were God’s thing. There is no other explanation.What is the difference between the right thing and God’s thing? Read the back cover of this magazine. If you are only doing the right thing, you will not be aware of what God is doing. You will not see the road in the wilderness or the rivers in the desert. By doing God’s thing, you will see them, both in your life and those around you.Are you hungry to do God’s thing rather than the right thing? Do you wonder how to know which you are doing? Here is what worked for us last year. Jieling and I were invited to attend SEAPC’s Friends Around the Table in Malaysia. Initially we decided not to go because of work commitments. After the deadline, we did not feel peace. It was as if God was nudging us, so we decided to attend after all. Prior to going, we both re-read The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. We usually read a chapter a day and would share with one another what we felt, what we thought God was communicating, and more importantly, would pray about it together. Our hearts were opened and our assumptions were challenged. For me personally, it became clear that I was all about doing the right thing.When we arrived at Friends Around the Table, our hearts were open and ready to receive. We came open to whatever God had in mind. Surrounded by so many men and women who were all about doing “God’s thing,” it supported our effort to seek his direction. They prayed with and for us. Throughout the week, He came, He guided, and He shared.Today, Jieling and I are about doing God’s thing. He is revealing what he is doing. He is showing us the roads in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. As you read further in this issue, do you see your part in all of this as God’s thing for you?If you want to do God’s thing, pray and open your heart to receive. Could it be with SEAPC? Could God’s thing for you be providing financial support, or going on a short-term or long-term mission, or lending your professional skills or your gift as a prayer warrior? Whatever it is, find God’s thing. The right thing is okay, but God’s thing is what we all should be seeking.~ Don Quinn

The flames were higher than the roof of the Toyota pick-up. Wind-driven and fed by the fuel spilling from overturned gasoline trucks, these terrible torches scorched everything in their path. The ribbon of asphalt over which we sped reflected the red-orange danger on either side. Minutes passed like hours and when we finally passed over a ridge, out of the wind and fire, we took refuge under a large tree and got out to see the damage.The paint had not blistered. The rubber cover of the truck bed had neither bubbled nor burned and all the contents were intact. In fact, none of us even smelled like smoke. Looking back down the valley we could see miles of swirling flames climbing into the night sky. Isaiah 43:1-2 became a reality in my life that Mexico evening. The flames did not kindle upon us. We passed through untouched.“Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west; I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth—Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” Isaiah 43:5-7These particular verses have been prayer verses for us at SEAPC for decades. We speak to the North, South, East, and West to give up the souls of men. Through the application of this verse, we have realized that God is Central and, through us, limitless in both His desire and power to reach every person around us with His message. He has even given us the ability to gain wealth in order that His covenant can be established in all nations. He will establish His glory among the nations. The resting place of the Glory of God is the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. As we are the fulfillment of the typology of the ark (see page 73 of Attack Lambs) the Glory of God dwells in us, between the angels given for our protection.As we move about in the earth, cognizant of our declared relationship with Jesus, we bring this glory to bear on people, places, and things. All things temporal are at the mercy of the Glory as it flows out from us. Paul prays that our eyes might be opened to realize the riches of the glory of His inheritance that is in the Saints. Yes, we have all sinned and come short of the glory to be revealed in us; but, when released, this glory become the force for change in the earth. Why do the nations come? They are drawn to the glory. Why do paths open in the wilderness and streams in the desert? By the force of His glory. How is this glory manifest, released, effective in our present age? The obedience of the believer releases the Glory of God in the earth.Why is it that no weapon formed against us shall prosper and no sickness can dwell in our bodies? The power of the glorious presence of God in our lives. You see, it is all about the glory. Christ in us, the hope of Glory, is the power of God to release righteousness upon us, through us to our neighbors and the nations. We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the Glory may be His and not ours. Jesus has made the way for the Glory to descend upon us, abide in us, and flow out from us. Therefore, in every place, rivers spring forth from the dry and parched desert floor of the heart without Christ.This “new thing” of creating roads in the wilderness and streams in the desert is prophesied in Isaiah 43:19 and taught by Jesus in John 7:38 ushers a revolutionary concept of the believer. When the reality of Jesus becomes more “real” to us, we stop obsessing on what we receive from Him and start releasing His glory to the benefit of others. Jesus said, “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16So many Christians today write about what they have done. People stand in ridiculous pictures with giant check replicas of a financial gift they have given. Human pride takes root in the heart of those who do good works to glorify themselves. How do we do a good work that results in the “Glory” being given to our Heavenly Father? By declaring to ourselves and all who will listen that we are nothing, and He is everything. We are not deceived, it is the prayer, the release of Glory that causes lives to be changed. Jesus said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You… I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work You have given me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” John 17:1, 4-5How I long to join Jesus in being able to say, “I have done what You have given me to do.” But, we are not there yet. We need to complete the children’s homes in Cambodia and the prayer centers in Mexico. Autism still needs to be addressed in China and breakthrough awaits in India. Myanmar and Guatemala and Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia as well as Indonesia cry out for the Glory. The United States needs a river of Glory to flow as never before. How will this be done? As we pray and call upon the Lord, He will surely hear and send His glory. He will do a new thing so great it will outshine all the former things.

The Balfour Declaration of November 2, 1917 is another stepping stone in the fulfillment of prophecy that we know very little about.

“His Majesty’s government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.” — The Balfour Declaration

As we all know God holds the world in His hands. Nothing catches Him off guard and every issue in the human race is completely under His control. What happens in the nations is actually the unfolding of His eternal plans to redeem mankind. As it pertains to Israel, God’s chosen people (nation), one cannot help but acknowledge that His hand is on this nation and He continues to fulfill the promises He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob:“Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” — Ezekiel 11:17 (ESV)It is so exciting to see how God’s promises continue to be fulfilled in our days: the greater the blessing the greater the joy. Furthermore, the greater the scope of the blessing, the greater the awe in our hearts.Little did we know the new path God would open for us when we moved to Pittsburgh three years ago. We only had a very slight idea. After serving for over 20 years to see the Gospel going to Muslim lands, the Lord graciously opened another door for us, the door of the nation of Israel. Since 2014 we have been able to travel to this country eight times, and as soon as our first visit ended we had our first group of volunteers ready to go into action. Since that day, close to 30 volunteers have been in Israel serving in different cities for different terms, and a couple of them have repeated the experience.Prayer walking and intercession have been key to see people come to Christ. One thing we have experienced is that many, more than we can imagine, are ready to hear the Good News and believe in Jesus as their Savior and promised Messiah.Our three-week visit to Israel this month will be devoted to prayer and the ministry of the Word. First, we will be leading another prayer team for one week. The second week will serve to continue visiting cities where we know we need to start something and then, this is very exciting; we will be holding a very special retreat. We have come to the end of the first two years of serving in Israel, and God has led us to call a group of 12 pastors and their wives to sit down at the feet of the Master for three days. This group of 12 pastors is only one sample of the many churches and ministries with which God has allowed us to connect during these two years, and this will be the very first retreat we put together to bless these precious men and women of God.Several of these pastors were born in Israel. Several others returned to Israel just like Ezekiel describes it. They and their families came back to the land of their ancestors. They speak at least three languages as they have returned from all over the world. In our retreat we will have pastors that speak Russian, Hebrew, Spanish, and Arabic.Please help us to pray:That those attending the retreat would come with receptive heartFor God’s Word, anointing, and presence to be manifest in our gatheringFor great fellowship among the participants, as several of them don’t know each other yetFor the team that will be ministeringFor sponsors and provision to be able to bless this group of pastors.We want to invite you to join us in 2017 on a prayer-walking trip in Israel. Please email us at amilcarcabrera@yahoo.com for more information.~ Amilcar and Rudi Cabrera

“These things have I spoken unto you that in me you might have peace. In this world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.” These words Jesus spoke, recorded in John 16:33, have been the anchor for my soul as over these 43 years of ministry I have seen nations fall, riots roar, and martyrs made.The things that had been spoken are called the Upper Room Discourses and are recorded in John chapters 13 through 17. In them are the great promises of a place to be, a Comforter to guide, love among the believers, unhindered prayer access and answers, fullness of joy, complete provision, and finally peace. These promises have all come to play in the adventure we share in Cambodia.I entered Cambodia on foot in 1994. A church in Singapore had planned a short-term trip to coincide with a peace march being held by the Living Buddha. The idea was to pray in the key towns of Poipet and Siem Riep and at Angkor Wat, that great wonder of the world and set for Tomb Raider. At the last minute, the pastor from Singapore could not go so they asked if I would lead and be responsible for the team. They paid my ticket and lodging so for me it was the Lord’s direction and provision.The country was at war. The Khmer Rouge was trying to eliminate the national government, and the place was an active battle ground. A French man in the Living Buddha’s group was kidnapped and killed. The road we traveled was pocked with fresh mortar holes and lined with land mines so it had become a death trap for those who were selected to be targets. We rode in the back of a pick-up truck taxi, covering ourselves with a heavy plastic when we traversed ultrasensitive areas. All the way I encouraged the team that we were, according to the Upper Room, abiding in the vine and perfectly safe.We arrived in the dusty battleground town of Siem Riep. Showing all the scars of war, it was not the refuge we had thought; but after finding a cheap hotel, we set up a prayer routine and began walking the town. Prayer teams are wonderful, especially those who allow the Spirit of Truth to lead them into all truth. Equipped with the Word of God and the illumination of the Spirit, we started to praise Jesus in the midst of a very active spiritual place.Making our way to the highest dome of the Hindu Temple, Angkor Wat, we became very active in worship and binding prayer. It is amazing what can happen when you focus on the throne of Jesus and proclaim His goodness among the nations. Declaring Him was first the task of the Prophets, and then the Angels, and then John the Baptist, and now the Church. What peace and joy flow through and from the team as we set our hearts on Jesus.A teenager offered to guide us and became very interested in our activity. I noticed many monks in the place. Actually, more monks than I had ever seen in one place. Asking him what was going on, he told me the Living Buddha was there giving audiences and orders of monks had come from all over South East Asia to receive his words and blessing. Indeed, the spacious grounds of the ancient temple were filled with clusters of the saffron robed followers. A blessing from the current manifestation was worth the arduous journey.I asked the boy to go and tell the Buddha that I wanted to meet him. He was reluctant as I was not the typical offering-giving New Ager who would feel comfortable with “His Presence.” But, with some encouragement he went only to return with an assistant to the Buddha who allowed that in fact “His Presence” would receive me. Briefed on proper protocol and flanked by Singaporean Chinese, I sat before the Living Buddha. A very thin fellow with a cracked glasses lens, he epitomized Buddhist poverty.“What are you doing here?” I asked, taking note of his peaceful demeanor.“We are having a peace march,” he answered in perfect, clear, American English.“Where do you come from?” I asked enjoying the chess game as we discerned each other’s strength.“I come from Everywhere,” he replied with a wry smile, eyes sparkling at the improbability of any response from me. As he spoke he offered me a glass of iced jasmine tea. “The blood of Jesus,” he said as he pushed it forward to me.“Wait a minute,” I thought. “Only the Pope does that.”“When were you last with the Pope?” I asked enjoying the tea.“Just last month we had a meeting of the World Peace Council which we attended together,” he replied producing a picture of the group. Indeed, there he was cracked glasses and all.“What passport do you use?” The question came from the Holy Spirit for sure.“I am a U.S. Citizen. The UN rescued me from here and took me to New York and arranged for U.S. citizenship.”I kept a straight face thinking about how far that cracked lens and robe had gotten him, and wondered if the IRS has counted the value of all the gold in all the temples that give him offerings. With that I felt it was time to go. The line had been quite long and we had cut and people were becoming impatient.Holding out my hand I asked if I could pray for him. He agreed, but positioned himself so that his head was higher than mine and those watching would think I was receiving his blessing. As I took the hand of the Living Buddha, my mouth turned to cotton, my heart felt like it was being squeezed, and searing pain went through my head.“Jesus, I ask you to bless this man. That he may know you...” With my head clearing, breath returned, heart strong, I continued “…and that he may know that You alone give perfect peace.”Leaning forward and in a whisper, he said, “Jesus is the Prince of Peace.” The Asian men who were with me kept their composure until we cleared the exit door, at which point they leapt, danced, and shouted with joy. Amazed at their actions I waited until they were again calm and asked what that was about.“You do not understand because you are not Asian. He just confessed Jesus which no monk will ever do; He is the ‘Strongman’ that had to be bound. Jesus is going to break through in this place.” Don Wong and Eric Feng danced their way to the car, praised their way to the hotel, laughed their way to the airport, and proclaimed the victory.The story spread and the church leaders of Cambodia asked me to come and share with them. Faith was ignited, the war ended, the peace was established, and now SEAPC is giving the children’s picture Bible, My Precious Book, to 15,000 fourth graders in the very province through which we traveled on that “peace march” trip. We are reaching out to 126,000 students in 488 schools with the promises Jesus gave us in the Upper Room.Have a Merry Christmas indeed.

In this year we have witnessed more grounds being dedicated to righteous establishments than any other year I can recall. Joy-filled SEAPC supported grand openings for orphanages, churches, schools, clinics, daycares and autism centers, worship venues, coffee shops, and restaurants around the world have filled the weeks of 2016. This year, even in our own house, we launched the SEAPC Global Exchange center.So as I write this, it feels fitting to be sitting in the mission house of a new church campus in Chino, Calif., on the eve of its dedication ceremony. Though new to Chino, this church is by no means new nor is our friendship. What an honor it is to be a part of Bread of Life Christian Church, led by Pastor Cathy and Pastor Fonda Chang, and a privilege to have the opportunity to stand with them as they dedicate God’s land, which they have purchased back to Him, for his purpose.These lands we’ve committed to, though different in look and feel, share a common purpose in this season. The orientation of their use has now been assigned proper position for good. With Christ, they will yield measurable return in this season. Both through the people who work them and the produce developed, health will come to the nations.For Pastor Cathy and the Bread of Life Christian Church, people are the product, and the land they have purchased to produce good people came by no small price. Years of intercession and material and spiritual investment have brought them a place of inheritance. Step by step they have stood on God’s word and have followed the Holy Spirit’s leading.So much so that they even decided that the best time to give $165,000 to build a children’s home through SEAPC in Cambodia for New Hope was during their new church building program. Who does that? Together through their sacrificial and time-sensitive giving, New Hope ministry in Cambodia was able to provide thirty-two orphaned or abandoned children with a new home. The land in Pailin province sits above the gorgeous countryside valley and was purchased with the prayer that it would soon yield beautiful children of God.Just as in Chino, this purchase prevents the land from being used for anything that does not give righteousness to the people.God has given each of us the skills, ability, and power to gain wealth with our lives and to turn that wealth into permanent places for good. “Fine Establishments” filled with hope, peace, and promise for the future.In the coming year we will need these skills and frankly your help to establish more centers like this home in Pailin. We have been asked to support 232 children in a village-based government orphanage in Laos, build another two facilities for the orphaned kids we serve in Cambodia, provide seven more technical training centers for the BC Arise program which is breaking the poverty cycle for 126,000 kids in 488 rural Cambodian schools, and to build the first Elite Academy for Autism in Beijing.These are “Fine Establishments” in my eyes, worth every penny we can give in God’s eyes, and certainly will extend your dedicated desires for righteousness to those desperate for reclaimed land and a purpose-orientated place to grow.Please help us build in 2017 and thank you to all who have joined us to build and push back the darkness in this amazing year.

The Love of God set me free, and His love never fails. Since I became Christian, I have learned many things about Christ, but especially the true love that He has for me. I always believed that no one could love me unless they got something from me first. When I became a Christian, I found the ultimate Love that is Jesus, knowing that He could love me, a sinner. He died for me on the cross, His love is unconditional, and because of His love I gave up everything in my life to live for Him. The more I have experienced His love, the more I couldn’t just keep it for myself, and the more I felt compassion burning for my own nation.Luke 1:76 says, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways.” God called every one of us to be a prophet of the Highest; I believe God is callingme, too, to bring His light to my own nation; to those who sit in darkness, to bring them into the way of peace. I want to see my nation rest in the light and have peace. Many people need help! I always ask the Lord how I can help them, how to bring them into the eternal life. In my heart, I always want to see everyone experience the love that I have tasted. One day the Lord spoke to me, and said “one day it will come to pass and yet in 2017 He is going to do something mightily through the body of Christ. He will pour out His spirit among His people! It will be a year of God’s grace, goodness, and favor!”Frankly, when I heard that, I couldn’t wait to see! And not only me, but many people that have been praying for us too. I can see the movement. I can see that God is preparing His people for an outpouring of His Spirit, from how He equipped His pastors, leaders, and servants to how He brings everything together for the sake of His kingdom. As for myself, He led me to fast and pray for my own nation for 40 days. I’m a food lover and yet I needed to give up what I love and chase His mighty power plan for my own nation!In Jeremiah 29:11 it says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” I believe that what God promised to us through His scriptures will come to pass very soon. During my fasting I prayed every day that He would prepare me more for His work, to get ready and mold this vessel so that it could be used in the way that the Master wants! God is ready to do something great; I just need to get ready, too, before He starts to move! I know that the people of Laos are in God’s heart too. I feel the Lord is going to ignite the fire in Laos to spread out to other nations. He looks down from the heavens to find who is going to carry this fire across the whole world; this is the time for a generation like mine to carry out His pure fire.I am so excited to see what God is going to do in Laos. Please watch with us and always keep us in your prayers.~ Macky

Wiki’s description of jet lag: “Jet lag, medically referred to as desynchronosis and rarely as circadian dysrhythmia, is a physiological condition which results from alterations to the body’s circadian rhythms resulting from rapid long distance trans-meridian (east–west or west–east) travel on high-speed aircraft.”Yikes!I jet lag a lot. In fact, this year it has seemed like I’ve somehow maintained a strange, daily form of jet lag. If you are a consistent “jet lagger” like me than you can relate to the unusual symptoms: waking up in the middle of the night craving food and coffee and the strange desire to write or talk or work, falling asleep in the middle of mid-afternoon conversations, or trying to remember where you are after a short nap on a bus or train or cab or plane. It truly is a terrible modern day missions affliction. (Somewhere in Heaven, Hudson Taylor is laughing hysterically)Jet lag is a beast. Just this month, my boys and Jess made the transcontinental trek with me to Malaysia to join in worship with dear global friends at the SEAPC Friends Around the Table conference. It was wild to witness the boys navigating jet lag together. Just imagine the six-year-old snoring through church and the three-year-old waking you up in the night for spaghetti and meatballs. What a trip!In the trippy moments of one jet-lag driven early morning or maybe midnight mingle, an incredible conversation took place; one that I will never forget and one that I believe God ordained just for me to give thanks for God’s faithfulness. Our six-year-old Josh woke me and asked me to tell him a story. He crawled into bed next to me and — a bit dazed — I shared with him the story of the two spies who believed and the ten others who did not. I told him about the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey, and the giants who threatened their future, and how the two spies lived in faith, held true to promise, and understood inheritance. When I was finished, he said, “Are you talking about Joshua and Caleb.” “Yes!” I proudly cheered, “You got it, bud.”“You, Josh, are named after that man. Joshua is your middle name. It was the name that God gave me for you. Your first name is Avery after your grandfather — Mark Avery Geppert.” I shared.“Yes, I know that, Dad.”I went on, “Well did you know that your cousin Jack Myers who is the same age as you is really named John Caleb Myers, and that Jack is a nickname after his grandfather?”“Really, no I didn’t know that!”“And that John was grandpa’s dad’s name. So you and Jack are both named after men in our family who lived their lives to provide an inheritance for their grandkids. You are also both named after the two spies who believed God for the Promised Land and who were strong and courageous in battle. God chose these two men to fulfill his promise to His people.” Josh jumped up from bed, “That is awesome, Dad! The Bible is the most awesome book ever.”In that jet-lag-driven moment, with half of my mind thinking on the hundreds of present friends from more than 35 nations who’d come to Malaysia to hear God’s direct Word for the next season in their lives, and the other half of my thoughts bouncing alongside of Joshua in the revelation of God’s heritage and inheritances, I became thankful. Thanksgiving is the response we give in acknowledging the heritage that we have freely received and in the appreciation of the inheritance we cannot earn. This is why we call the big prayer before the meal, “grace.”Our family’s Joshua and Caleb will face the same decisions as Joshua and Caleb did in the Bible. Of course, they won’t be living in tents in the wilderness and facing man-eating giants, but they will have to make a choice with their lives to embrace who God has called them to be and, through faith, obtain all that He has promised them or otherwise defer that inheritance to the next generation. How thankful I am for the opportunity to teach them God’s Word.This year as you have given to SEAPC, you have put the promises of heritage and inheritance into the hands of new believers in Tibet, Nepal, India, China, Cambodia, Laos, Mexico, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cuba, Guatemala, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Oman, UAE, Afghanistan, North Korea, Japan, Myanmar, Mongolia, Tasmania, Canada, the U.K., and the United States through the South East Asia Prayer Center. I envision six-year-olds all over the world learning from their parents about the promises of God for their lives. This is the most meaningful gift you can give to anyone and it is the one I am most grateful for.Thank you for trusting and choosing this ministry to share the Word of God with the nations this year.

“Nepal in the fall!”These words rang out of Brother Mark Geppert’s mouth every summer in the ’80s. I remember hearing these words for the first time in 1983, but I was too young to go. You had to be 18 years old to go to Nepal and distribute Christian literature and trek through the mountains of Nepal. So during the summer of 1984, I turned 18 years old and started training for trekking with a purpose in Nepal. I remember walking after school with a backpack from Cheswick Christian Academy to our home miles away in Tarentum. I prayed for Nepal and the mission trip all the way home, and I haven’t stopped praying for Nepal since.Today, I am in Nepal in the fall. I am still working with Charles Mendies, the man who challenged us years ago to come with him to win Nepal for the Lord. God is doing great things here in Nepal and the church is growing very quickly. In the spring of 1995, I remember prayer walking the road from Kathmandu to Mendies Haven children’s home and asking the Lord for breakthrough in Nepal. As of writing this, Charles just told me that there are 23 home fellowship churches along that road today. What a miracle!Today, I am ministering with a good Christian brother named Shuman. He is a leader in the churches in the Damauli area in the center of the country of Nepal. He asked me to teach young believers this week and it is so important, because this week falls within the festival of Dashain. This is the first time these new believers aren’t worshipping the Hindu goddess Durga or Hindu god Rama during this weeklong festival. He asked me to encourage these believers because Hindus all over the world celebrate Dashain. This festival occurs in September or October every year, and it is celebrated for fifteen days. In celebrating Dashain, Nepalis worship the goddess Durga, who is regarded as the Goddess of Power. The elder members in the family put tika and jamara and bestow blessings to the younger members on the tenth day to mark this occasion. It is a festival of union in the family, of great joy and extreme delight. People put on new clothes and eat delicious food, and the festival is celebrated and enjoyed by rich and poor alike. It is believed that this festival is celebrated to mark the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura, and of Rama over Ravana, the demon King of Lanka. This festival, therefore, symbolizes the victory of good over evil and truth over falsehood. That is why it is so important for these new believers to know the truth of the Bible and that they have victory over the lies of Hinduism.Please pray for these believers to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and understand the power in the name of Jesus.

“It is attitude, not aptitude, which determines altitude.” The white print leapt off the navy blue t-shirt.“Wow,” I thought. “Now there is someone who gets it.” Then the thought struck me, “Does a person confined to a wheelchair have a chance in a race against an Olympic champion?”I thought of my brother-in-law, Chuck. Although there had to be times of great pain and frustration as year after year passed without remedy, every time I saw him he was launching a new project or telling me about how he had visited a friend and brought some joy to a person worse off than him.Indeed, he was a greater man than the Olympian who got high and made a mess of several lives or tested positive and brought shame on his nation. Chuck soared above us all from the seat of a chair.“In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” This verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 just cut right across my charismatic desire to control my life through my confession of scripture.The election is over and half the people and one candidate are having a difficult time giving thanks. It is at least a relief to no longer have two infantile adults dragging every fault they can across our minds. That’s a relief. And I also thank God for democracy and the peaceful transfer of government, because so many nations do not enjoy such freedom.If we can give thanks to God, focus on Him, and rejoice that He is not on the throne by election, then we can get on with the task of loving our neighbors with the same love we profess to have for their Creator.I am very thankful for my wife and kids. Both boys are now presidents of Christian foundations. I thank God for those who believed with us that if we served God we would be blessed. And, I thank God for you. Standing with us in prayer and praise has resulted in one of the greatest growth years of the ministry. Through good times and bad times you have been there and we do thank you.Especially in this season of thanks, I join Ferd the Bird in saying, “Thank God I am not a turkey.” To repeat an oft used phrase, “If you want to soar with the eagles, you cannot walk with the turkeys.”God bless you and yours this Thanksgiving season.

Yang is 13 years old, and she had heart surgery in 2011. She recovered very well after the surgery, and now she is almost as tall as we are. This family is very grateful for what SEAPC did for her. Her grandpa said that when she was having the heart surgery, their relatives and neighbors didn’t help them, but SEAPC paid for everything without any condition. They will appreciate this great love forever. We have been good friends for a few years since the heart surgery. They have been hearing the good news, watching Christian movies, and reading Christian books. Recently, one Tibetan brother went to visit them with us. He explained the difference between Christianity and Buddhism very clearly. Her grandpa and her father understood it completely, and they accepted the Lord as their savior. We thank God for this family. God is the Lord of the harvest! When we obey him for every little thing, he will make sure that our labor is not in vain.~ Daniel and Gail