Reaching new unreached people groups in 2014

We are only in March, but what an incredible year it has been already.

During our mission trip to the countries of Myanmar and Philippines in late January and February, we saw more than 1,500 people make decisions for Jesus. Many were Buddhists and Muslims.

It was amazing watching God move in such powerful ways. These people are being followed up on and discipleship is taking place. Praise God!

Now we need to build churches. In some areas we can build churches for as little as $900. In other areas, it costs around $2,000. Please pray about how you can help us build churches to reach more unreached people groups with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and make disciples in the Philippines and Myanmar.

While we have always reached the poorest of the poor with the Gospel over the past 14 years, God showed us another unreached people group while in China during mid January, late February, and early March.

After I stepped down from my job at the Dothan Eagle last year, another job opportunity came up. Martha and I prayed about it, because we wanted to make sure it wasn't a distraction. It was an opportunity to work for the SoZo Group, the company that's connecting Chinese industries with U.S. communities in hopes of creating jobs in the U.S. and industry expansion for the Chinese companies, and visa versa. The job is communications director. We felt led to check out SoZo.

Raymond Cheng, the CEO and president, and I really hit it off from the first time we met. Since Asia is a major area where God is working through LIA, we wanted to see if God wanted us to work in China. So, we prayed that He would open doors, and He did on our first trip there. Incredible doors.

Through the SoZo Group, we met many extremely wealthy industry owners and government officials. And, we were able to minister to some of them. When Ray introduces me, he tells people I'm SoZo's communications director and that I'm also a pastor and that Martha and I have a ministry in Dothan and other parts of the world. They were very interested and we talked to them about Jesus.

There was one person in particular whom we prayed for, and afterward she told us that was the first time anyone had ever prayed for her. She’s in her 50s. We also shared John 3:16 with her and another person that night. Those were wonderful seeds of the Gospel planted.

Near the end of our trip in China, God spoke into my spirit. While preaching in the Philippines and Myanmar I always used John 3:16 in the sermons and talked about "whosoever" to explain that Jesus died for everyone. God reminded me of that while in Hong Kong before coming back to Dothan. He said, ever so gently, that "whosoever" also meant those industry owners and government officials He has opened doors for us to meet.  He said they need Him, too.

We have always focused on the homeless and poor, and we always will. Jesus did, and He tells us to do the same. But, Jesus loves everyone, and He has opened huge doors for us to reach more unreached people groups.

Nobody has ever told these people about Jesus. One reason it's where they live. Buddhism is the dominant religion. That's all they know. And secondly, it’s because of who they are. They are the rich and powerful, so people don't approach them and can't approach them. They have to protect themselves from people who want to kidnap them for money.

But now, God has made it so we can tell them about His glorious Son. From the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich, Jesus died for everyone.

Then, God gave us another amazing opportunity to further validate our decision for me to join SoZo. There is a group in China called the Earthpulse Foundation. They are not a Christian organization, but that makes it all the more exciting to me. They do a lot of great work with orphans and the extremely poor in Inner Mongolia and other parts of Northeast and Central China. They provide education, conserve the people's heritage and help with social issues.

We had dinner with the founder of that foundation, and he wants to bring five students (orphans and others from very poor families) to the U.S., more specially, to Dothan, Ala., for six weeks this summer. I immediately spoke up and said Love In Action would find five homes for the teenagers.

We'll find five safe, loving homes for these children, so they can experience the love of Jesus. He also wants these teenagers to give back to the community through social work. I told him they could work with Love In Action and help us in our outreaches.

This is amazing. God is bringing unreached people groups to us right here in Dothan. Praise God!

So, you see, God is not only providing us with a salary through SoZo, but He is providing more opportunities to reach unreached people groups in China. My prayer is to preach a crusade there. I don't know how God will pull that off, but He's God, so I know He will in His perfect timing.

And, while all of this was going on in Asia, our local ministry continued to thrive. People were being saved at our outreaches at the bus station, and homeless being helped. One family even moved into their own home, and we were able to help.

We will soon be able to provide showers for the homeless at the Love In Action Ministry Center thanks to First Baptist Church in Dothan. They are doing a wonderful job installing the shower, and we can’t thank them enough.

It’s amazing watching our awesome God touch lives all around the world, and we give Him all of the praise, honor and glory.