S opheak Seng works for the Lord as a shepherd of a flock of over thirty women and children, along with a few men who are infected with the HIV virus. She admitted

that there have been times she longingly thinks back to when she cared for sheep and cows in the countryside. “That work was much easier!” she exclaimed. These people come to the Cambodian Sda Center (ASAP refuge for those with AIDS) with not only their diseases, but mental and emotional pain as well. Can you imagine how you would feel if you were cursed at, spit at, thrown out of your home, abandoned and left on the side of the road to die? The medicine they take for AIDS has negative side effects and because of the close quarters and low immune systems, they often catch each other’s sicknesses. Sopheak shared, “I have been chased with a knife and my life threatened at times because of residents who do not want to abide by the rules of the Sda Center. I pray and speak calmly to them and God has helped me through every difficult situation. The forgiveness I show them changes their hearts because they see God’s mercy.”

The residents come as broken, cracked pots, but the Master Potter patiently works to mold and shape each one into new, beautiful creations. No longer are they considered outcasts and rejects. They become useful vessels in the hands of God. Take, for example, Mr. Kem. Read his testimony:

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I heard the good news of salvation from my friend, Seng Put, when I was in the hospital. He shared with me from the Bible about how God created the whole world and that He is the only one true God. He told me that God has a law called the Ten Commandments that shows a person how to live so that they will be happy and healthy. He even puts His Holy Spirit inside the hearts of those who believe and the Spirit helps them obey the law and changes them from the inside out. His words gave me hope. My life looked nothing like the good life he described to me. I drank, smoked, gambled, and could not hold down a job. My wife died three years ago, which caused me to be angry and discouraged. I was failing at the job of raising my eleven-year-old daughter, Saree, by myself.

“The potter takes the clay in his hands and molds and fashions it according to his own

will. He kneads it and works it. He tears it apart and then presses it together…Thus it

becomes a vessel fit for use. So the great Master Worker desires to mold and fashion

us. And as the clay is in the hands of the potter, so are we to be in His hands. We are

not to try to do the work of the potter. Our part is to yield ourselves to the molding of

the Master Worker” (Testimonies, vol. 8, page 187).

Yielded to the Master PotterBY JULIA O’CAREY

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“Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” (Jeremiah 18:5)

“We are all the work of your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8b)

“Submit yourself therefore to God.” (James 4:7)

“So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.” (Jeremiah 18:3, 4)

DID YOU KNOW?It costs $30,000 per year to

run the Sda Center (a refuge for those with AIDS). You can administer love to “The Least”

by giving $45 per month for the care of one resident.

“MUST READ” VERSES

My friend found Saree and me living on the street after I got out of the hospital. Seng Put continued sharing Jesus with me, until one day I decided to accept Jesus into my heart! I came to church and met Mrs. Sopheak. I knew that she would be a positive influence on my daughter Saree. All the people at the Sda Center accepted us with love and kindness. I put my name on a long waiting list to come stay at the Sda Center. I did this in faith that God would change my bad habits in order to make it possible to stay, for Mrs. Sopheak made it clear that no one who stays at the center can drink, smoke, fight, hit their children or wives, swear, steal, or do all the other bad things I was used to doing.

I will never forget that happy day when my daughter and I were accepted into the Sda Center! I knew God was making changes in me and I praise Him. The first morning everyone woke up at 5:30 and came to pray and study the Bible and Sabbath School lesson together. Then again in the evening everyone gathered to study and pray. It felt good to be part of a family. God kept speaking to me and reassuring me of His love and His ability to make me a new person.

Each Friday the residents go out with Mrs. Sopheak to visit people in the community, old and new church members, and others who they cross paths with. At first, I was afraid to go because I had experienced rejection in the past from people because of my disease. My new family encouraged me and told me it was different here. Indeed it was! When we went to visit people, they were happy for the invitation to come to church. The next day, to my amazement, the church was filled up with over eighty people. I knew this place was very different from anywhere else in Cambodia because the people who did not have AIDS associated with those who have AIDS and other diseases. This also showed me the love of God.

• • • • • •

Please pray that God will continue to mold and shape each resident of the Sda Center into Christ’s lovely character. Pray that God will bring healing and restoration to each resident’s mind, body, and soul. Pray that, God willing, ASAP can develop small-enterprise projects for those who feel well enough to work in order for this center to become self-sustaining in the future. Pray for the future of the Sda Center and that if it is God’s will, it will be moved into the country where the people can garden. We thank each donor who lovingly provides the support for God’s precious children in Cambodia.

“But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand (Isaiah 64:8).

I took my two granddaughters with me to visit my friend’s art studio. We watched in amazement as she showed us, step by step, the process of making a cup. She took a lump of cool, lifeless clay, placed it on a spinning wheel and carefully guided the clay into the shape she desired. When she achieved the desired shape, she gently put it into the kiln to cure. After allowing it cool, she painted it. The finished product was beautiful!

God is the potter and we are His clay. He is molding us by exposing us to just enough pressure of the right kinds that we may be made into a flawless vessel to give honor to Him. When I interviewed ASAP-sponsored national missionaries this year in Southeast Asia, I was inspired by the changes I saw in them. God is molding them to be men and women who have characters like Him. Their love for God and deep passion for lost souls was evident. In this issue of the newsletter you will read stories of national missionaries who are just like you and me. They daily learn the lessons of surrender that make it possible for the Master Potter to create them into useful vessels for Him.

May our prayer be: “Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way. Thou art the Potter; I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will, While I am waiting, yielded and still” (Church Hymnal, p.567).

Thoughts From:JUDY AITKENASAP DIRECTOR

PHOTO CAPTIONS (COVER): Seng Put (on left) sharing the gospel with Mr. Kem (L-R): Mr. Kem with his daughter Saree. Seng Sopheak with a Sda resident. Morning devotions at the Sda Center.

Your Gifts at Work

Thanks to the generosity of ARME Bible Camp attendees and other donors, ASAP has been able to get more Bibles in the hands of new believers this last year than ever before! The two ladies pictured studying the Bible live in a remote village in Myanmar (Burma). How grateful they are for their own copy of the Word of God!

ASAP online prayer partners pleaded with God for a more efficient way of getting Bibles to the believers in Laos for ASAP had to ask individuals visiting the country to take Bibles in one small box at a time. Recently, God answered that prayer and put the Lao Adventist Field in touch with the Lao Evangelical Church who was able to get permission from the government to bring in a large shipment of Bibles. They are willing to sell ASAP 3,000 Bibles, just what the current need is in this country.

Giving Opportunities..........................Seized!

1. Funds to make evangelism meetings possible $10,000 2. Funds for the greatest needs $103,732.40 (which is a blessing for it enables us to allocate funds exactly where the most pressing need is at the time) 3. Travel funds for 43 church planters $7,000 to spread the gospel in Laos 4. Support for ASAP national missionaries $131,643.38 (Reflects giving over one quarter)

www.asapministries.org Visit us to see 10 Dynamic Giving Opportunities!

It is not natural for people to give their hard-earned money to those they have never met on the other side of the world, but we see that the Master Potter has molded and shaped many individuals into vessels of generosity for the sake of the growth of His kingdom. Praise God! Here are a few miraculous ways that you yielded to God’s financial plan for His sake.

NOTES from the field:

USAPastor Jimmy Shwe (pictured on right) was ordained by the Carolina SDA Conference on July 21 at his home church in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. This is good news as we seek to continue and expand the ministry to the newly arriving Karen Adventists from Burma and Thailand scattered all across this division. He is the first Karen Adventist pastor in North America to be ordained. He is working half time for the Carolina Conference, and half time for Adventist Refugee and Immigrant Ministries. He received support from ASAP until ARIM was able to financially support him. He travels across the division to form and encourage Karen worship groups, perform weddings and baptisms, conduct

training for lay pastors, and many other duties. We extend our congratulations to Pastor Shwe on this step forward in his ministry.CAROL REYNOLDS, ASAP BOARD MEMBER

VIETNAMMr. Nguyen (name changed for his safety) listened to fourteen DVD sermons and was so impressed with what he heard, he passed them on to religious leaders he knew in the seminary. He recently wrote, “About 25 years ago I remember reading a book written in 1929 by an American Baptist missionary who founded the first Sunday church seminary in Vietnam. This missionary wrote, ‘We are preaching the good news to the Vietnamese people. Seventy years from now, one person will preach the everlasting gospel powerfully to the Vietnamese people. He will bring the true message.’ Now I see the fulfillment in the preaching of Pr. Isah Young. Hallelujah!” JUDY AITKEN, ASAP FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR

POSITION ASAP Lay-PastorLOCATION LaosPERSONAL PASSION Studying the Bible and praying 7am & 7pm, 7 days a weekPRAYER REQUESTS For the Buddhists to accept Bible truth, for the Government in Laos, for a church to be built, for my church members, and for me to learn English.

GIVING GOD MY ALLI recently survived two near-death experiences. I believe God was able to save my life because I was listening to Him. Each day I give God my whole heart and do not trust in my foolish heart. I take being a Christian very seriously because I found all the answers to my questions from the Bible.

NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE #1Right before coming to training, I was moving wooden fence poles with a big trailer hooked to a tractor. When going down a hill, I lost control due to the heavy weight. I tried to steer left but it went right. I jumped off next to a big tree and the corner of the tractor barely grazed my lower back and careened into a pile of wood. If the tractor had moved just a little bit, it would have run over me.

NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE #2When I boarded a double-decker all-night bus to make my way to the training, there was only one bed left. I tried it out but it was not comfortable, so I decided to move down to a seat. After driving 2-3 kilometers, I heard a loud bang. Someone on a motorcycle had shot at the bus and the bullet went right through the pillow I would have had my head on. It says in Psalm 4:8, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (NASB) Praise the Lord for His constant protection!

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D o you have a deep burden for souls? I am quite amazed by the prayers of some of the greatest soul winners in history.

George Whitefield, the great evangelist and friend of John Wesley, prayed, “O Lord, give me souls or take my soul.” It’s been said that his face shone like the face of Moses when he sobbed that prayer. John Hyde was another great man of God with a heavy burden for souls. His famous prayer was, “Oh God, give me souls or I die!” Hyde was best known for his bold, passionate, and heartfelt prayers to God for converts in India.

Such prayers remind me of the disciples’ experience. We are told in Acts of the Apostles “The disciples felt their spiritual need and cried to the Lord for the holy unction that was to fit them for the work of soul saving. They did not ask for a blessing for themselves merely. They were weighted with the burden of the salvation of souls. They realized that the gospel was to be carried to the world, and they claimed the power that Christ had promised.” If you find your heart is hardened and empty when it comes to having a burden for souls, be encouraged. You merely need to yield to the Master Potter. He will smooth out your rough edges and give you a soft, pliable heart that weeps over the salvation of others. May we pray that the disciples’ experience would be our experience!

Intercede for AsiaBY MARTIN KIM

P.S. We Love Hearing from YouPI want to thank you for the newsletter. I really am inspired by the self-sacrificing lay pastors and wish to sponsor one on a monthly basis. God bless your work. I am praying for your ministry. BILLIE FROM OK

Meet Noy

Would you like to sponsor a worker or student too? Contact ASAP today for details!Call 1-866-365-3541or email us at: office@asapministries.org

How Can I Help?

IN MEMORY OF:PEAR AND RUTH KELLER, MY PARENTS, AND ROGER KELLER, MY BROTHER by Herbert and Phyllis Wrate • DR. RAUL F. NODAL by Dennis and Pamela Barthle • SHADOW, OUR BELOVED DOG OF 16 YEARS by Wayne and Sherri Labins • DR. RANDOLPH SUN by Nicole Sun • E. JENICKE by Sandy Monette

IN HONOR OF:THOMAS AMADOR by Donald and Ellen M. Amador • PAUL AND ANNA BOWERS by Judith Beeson • ASAP NATIONAL MISSIONARIES by Wayne and Sherri Labins • DELORIS HORNUNG by Robert and Debra Mastera • DR. AND MRS. ROBERT MANLEY AND MR. AND MRS. MALAKU by Saw Elmer and Naw Molly Myaing • EMMY ISSA by Justin M. Torossian

IN THANKFULNESS OF:GOD, FOR ANSWERED PRAYER by Larry and Donna Henderson

In Loving Memory and Honor

I am from the Central Highlands of Vietnam. I had a passion to reach the youth. I set out to organize the youth to meet regularly at the

house-church in one village. I found that some youth smoked, had long hair, and were not very religious. Every time I went to this village, I felt shunned. When they said rude things that made me feel bad, I knew that the devil was working in their hearts. Many youth fought in this village and caused problems. I prayed to God and gave Him every problem. I asked God to change their hearts and He answered my prayer.

God led me to play some songs that drew them close to His heart. God brought them to repentance and changed their hearts and lives. Now they worship regularly and have good fellowship with each other. I thank God that He has the power to change youths’ hearts and give them new lives in Jesus Christ. They used to live like secular pagans but now they believe and are kind. This happened in just a six-month period!I also have another youth group 124 miles from my home that I am helping. I only go there once a month because it is so far. In that group, there are many girls and they are attracted to non-Christian guys. I pray that I can have a good program that will attract them to Christ.

Please pray that God will show me how to reach more youth for Christ. Pray that all the youth in the Highlands will come to God. Pray that I can form a team with a singing band to evangelize for God. Pray that we will be able to purchase some instruments to use in ministry and that the music programs will be successful for God. I see how lives change when we pray. Thank you for joining me.

*Name has been changed, and photo blurred for the safety of God’s worker.

AlwaysSayingAPrayerBY ANH VAN LE*

KIDS WITH A MISSION!LANCE ERICKSON

LET US KNOW!Have you, your Sabbath school class, or VBS raised funds for ASAP? We would love to hear about it. Please email us the details (office@asapministries.org) and pictures. If we publish your write-up, we will send you a special “thank you” gift from Southeast Asia.

Hi! I’m Lance and I’m eight. I had a bake sale to raise money for the ASAP Feed and Read program. I helped bake

everything and made lemonade. I raised $66.36! I did it because I wanted a part in our family garage sale and wanted to help kids in Asia. I also really liked

ASAP’s program on 3ABN. I felt happy that I could help kids in Asia.

www.asapministries.orgVisit us for more inspiration from Kids with a Mission!

Adventist Southeast Asia Projects is fueled by mission-minded, faith-filled individuals whom God impresses. Be assured that 100% of your gift will go directly to the projects you specify. However, in the blessed event that the project you chose is fully funded, ASAP will use your gift for a similar project or where most needed to help spread the gospel and ease the suffering in Southeast Asia. Because ASAP is a §501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donations are tax-deductible.

ASI MEMBER ASAP has been a member of ASI (Adventist-layman’s Services and Industries) since 1996 and is grateful to be an ASI grant recipient.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR/DIRECTOR Judy AitkenEDITOR/ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Julia O’Carey COPY EDITORS Linda Bauer, Wayne Labins DESIGN/LAYOUT Sarah Lee www.ambientlightstudios.com

ASAP BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair: Bruce Bauer, Judy Aitken, Peter Van Bemmelen, Christopher Carmen, Steven Chang, Chan Sun and Esther Hwang, Denzil McNeilus, Mary Ann McNeilus, Byron and Carol Reynolds and Trudi Starlin.

TOLL FREE 1-866-365-3541PHONE 269-471-3026FAX 269-471-3034EMAIL office@asapministries.orgWEB www.asapministries.org

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version® copyright ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ASAP serves people from the countries of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar.

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Thank you for praying for the 2012 Myanmar Mission Trip. It was a very spiritual, powerful, and memorable experience for all our participants and for those we served. One of our participants summed it up best when she exclaimed, “This mission trip experience is better than a vacation!”

One of the highlights of the trip was participating in Project Pebble where our team brought back to the United States 240 Karen Bibles and more than 20 copies of the Great Controversy in the Burmese language. Many of our participants made sacrifices by leaving personal belongings behind in Myanmar so they could bring more Bibles.

During the mission trip we were all inspired as we read each morning from the book Project Pearl by Brother David and Paul Hattaway (a must-read), which is the story of how a million Bibles were smuggled into China back in June of 1981.

www.asapministries.orgIf you want to be inspired to do great things for the Lord, read Project Pearl AND visit the ASAP website to read the testimonies from our mission team.

Myanmar Mission Trip and Project Pebble … A Great Success!

PARTICIPANTS (L-R): Horst Mueller, James Kim, Coral Parrish, Sunny Kang, Cindy Kim, Steve Chang, Vanessa Taylor, Cyndi Looc, Martin Kim and Gem Castor.