ASHOK'S STORY
Teaching Hindi, English, and Truth
by a PIONEER in South Asia

Ashok came to my door one day hot, tired and dusty. I remember the day well because God did something amazing that afternoon. It should have been an ordinary interaction; he was delivering fresh bottled water as he did to numerous houses in town. At that time, he spent his days at the arduous task of pedaling a bicycle cart loaded with heavy jugs of water. So, in my busy schedule I could have missed it. I could have been distracted and quickly ushered him in to drop off the water and been done with it. After all, I deal with many similar interactions all the time. I think back now and thank God that I didn't miss this divine appointment, for I could have.

I did doubt things very much after I invited him to come back the next week to work on some Hindi with me. I hadn't asked the right questions, I thought to myself. I don't really know anything about him. Can he read or write Hindi? Did I make a mistake? What was I thinking?

It was about two weeks until it worked out for us to meet, and the whole time I was filled with doubts. When he came, he was dressed very much like I was dressed: long khaki pants and a button-up shirt. One would have never guessed that he lived on a salary of about $50 dollars per month. Yet, it wasn't the clothing that impressed me or erased the doubts I was having. From the moment we sat down I knew that God had brought him there for His purposes. I was surprised to find that not only did Ashok speak a little English, but that he could also read and write Hindi!

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Pray: An Uzbek's Second Birthday
Give: Equip Asian Missionaries to Serve Cross-Culturally
Learn: Caring for the Whole Person

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AN UZBEK'S SECOND BIRTHDAY
by a PIONEER in Central Asia

The oldest daughter of the Uzbek family we have come to know entrusted her life to Jesus yesterday after hearing a gospel presentation from my wife. She is a 15-year-old girl who has been learning from my wife how to bake chocolate cake and apple pie. She has also been hearing the Uzbek praise songs, and knows a few by heart. She understood much of what she was reading from the Bible, and decided to commit her life to the Lord yesterday. It was her second birthday! Praise the Lord!

>>Pray that her commitment to Christ would be genuine, and that we will see the fruit of conversion in her life. Pray also for an opportunity for me to meet with her father privately to talk about what's happened to his daughter, and to share the gospel more concretely with him.

EQUIP ASIAN MISSIONARIES TO SERVE CROSS-CULTURALLY

In an effort to effectively mobilize Asian missionaries into unreached cultures, PIONEERS East Asia teams, in partnership with local churches and believers, have created a missionary training program. This initiative provides three months of mission training and is led by teachers who have cross-cultural gifts and experiences. With a strong focus on spiritual life and disciplines, a practical learning style is emphasized. Eleven missionary candidates are currently attending this Asian Candidate Orientation Program. Would you consider assisting this current group of future missionaries? $52,600 is needed for their course.

>>Give now.

CARING FOR THE WHOLE PERSON
by a PIONEER in South Asia

It is an incredible privilege to get to know these 10 women who are a part of the income generation program. Each Wednesday they come to our local church and work for six or so hours. Our desire is for them to own and run this business of making cards and jewelry on their own by the end of 2010. Through this program the monthly income of these women's families has increased by 20 percent. It breathes life and gives hope, developing in these women a sense of dignity and worth. And yet it is only a start. By journeying with these women we have found out that Rose's family pays half of their monthly income back to the money lender, that Jewell suffers from mood-swings, that Pearl has started reading the Word, that Rita's sister died through child-birth and that Betsy spoils her son because she lost her daughter several years ago. And so, into these lives, we bring the message and light of Jesus Christ, the only one who can bring complete transformation. From the slums to a mansion in heaven—that is our prayer.

>>To shop for handmade crafts created by these women—and others around the world—visit HeartCraft.