Today, we were allowed to visit several groups of orphans. I love children, so this was a highlight of my trip. At one location, we were told that we were the first “westerners” the children had ever seen. Some smiled, some bashfully hid their faces, and some shrieked in sheer terror, like children afraid to sit in Santa’s lap. I’m 6’6”, so I immediately got on my knees to look less intimidating.

We were also told that the government officials in this restricted country were suspicious of anyone who was interested in orphans. They are afraid that because the orphans are “hopeless,” outsiders might try to recruit them for suicidal missions against the government.

The irony was obvious. We had come indeed to reach the hopeless, not to exploit them, but to give them hope through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We gave each child a package of necessities (soap, toothpaste) as well as one of our blankets of hope. These blankets not only meet a physical need, but a spiritual one as well. Each blanket incorporates the 5 colors found in our Good News Wristband that give a clear and simple gospel presentation. These blankets and supplies were provided by the generous support of our donors who are committed to reaching the world with the gospel of grace.

Today, I am overwhelmed by the vast number of motorcycles I see. In the last 5 minutes, I bet I’ve seen over 5000 of them. There must be 300 motorcycles for every car on the street. At one intersection, we were surrounded by over 200 plus motorcycles within a 50 yard radius of our van.

Ladies were riding motorcycles in high heels and dresses. Men rode in suits and ties. Entire families were riding on one motorcycle with dad in the front, mom in the back, and 2 children in between them. Not one person was wearing leather, but everyone wore a helmet.

Under every helmet in this sea of motorcycles is a person; a person deeply loved by the Lord Jesus; a person needing to hear of His love and grace. God knows everyone of these people, but how many of them know Him?

I am reminded of Jesus’ reaction in Matthew 9:36-38: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were helpless like a sheep without a shepherd.” That is why I am here in Southeast Asia: to team with our indigenous partners to connect people to the Great Shepherd and let them know of His great love for them.

I recently returned from Southeast Asia, training and equipping native missionaries for personal evangelism. The posts that follow detail some of my thoughts and experiences along the way:

A scene out of the book of Acts…

I feel like I had been transported to Ephesus, one of the major cities Paul visited as described in Acts 19. On the city square, there are several small temples full of man-made idols. People are lying prostrate before them, praying intently for blessings and the forgiveness of their sins. Merchants are all around, selling opportunities for people to have sins forgiven. Several of them had giant cages full of birds. To have your sins forgiven, you needed to buy a bird and then set it free along the river. The birds did not travel very far and gathered to roost on the edge of the temple roof and surrounding buildings. After a while, the merchants would lure the birds back with food and trap them for resale. It appeared to be a very profitable enterprise for the merchants. Many people stood in line waiting to buy their bird.

What a heartbreaking scene - people trusting in birds and man-made statues to relieve them of their guilt and connect them with a higher being and/or purpose. So futile. So hopeless.

(On the main square in a major city)

I am thankful to have the opportunity to partner with native missionaries in this country and around the world, equipping them to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. There is nothing to buy, Jesus paid it all. There is nothing to do but trust in Him and His finished work on the cross. Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to share the light of your grace, even in one of the darkest regions of the world.

One of most efficient ways to communicate the gospel in other countries is to encourage and equip indigenous believers to share the message. EvanTell offers clear and simple tools and training to these indigenous believers throughout the world who already know the language and culture of their regions.

One of the ways we do this is through our You Can Tell It! seminar. Through our network of certified YCTI! instructors, EvanTell equips believers around the world to reach the lost in their own countries and beyond. Because of their clarity and simplicity, our materials for outreach and training have proven effective throughout the world in a variety of languages and settings.

In a recent trip to Cambodia, one of our certified instructors brought back this testimony from a local minister who attended the training:

“After finishing the “You Can Tell It!” seminar on personal evangelism, I shared Christ with three non-believers the very same day. When I asked them if they wanted to trust Christ, all three said yes. With this best result, I became more bold and continued to share Christ with another man and his daughter and two sisters. All of them trusted Christ as their Savior. So with this simple material and the Lord’s power, I will continue sharing Christ to those who are lost in my village after I return. Praise God, Amen.”