two weeks in southeast asia

Greetings, beloved brethren. Grace, mercy, and peace be upon you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: God manifest in the flesh (I Timothy 3:15) and He who will judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17: 31).

Ricky Springer and I have safely returned to Nepal after two weeks of fruitful labor in Southeast Asia; and now, we await the arrival of my family in a few short days. Please be in prayer for traveling mercies as we trust they will find seats on Sunday’s flight to Delhi and then be able to secure a flight bound for Kathmandu a day or so after arrival in India. It will be very difficult for Jamie to travel alone with three small children, so please make intercession with intent. Thank God there will be someone in Delhi to put them up and assist them with securing the onward trip to Nepal.

In a couple of weeks, a small team from Beacon Hill Baptist Church in Owasso, Oklahoma will be coming to Kathmandu to assist our ministry for a month. Please pray for this time as we are planning some intensive outreach, mass literature distribution, a couple of village runs outside the Kathmandu Valley, and some evangelism trainings for Nepali believers. Eight of us will be bunking in our small apartment during this time, so pray for grace as we shall undoubtedly gain a special appreciation for the sense of community experienced by the early New Testament Church (cf. Acts 2:42-47). Pray also that the Lord makes financial provision for the anticipated work.

So, due to tourist visa regulations, Ricky and I left Nepal for a couple of weeks, debarking in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where we hoped to target the surprisingly sizable Nepali migrant-worker population that can be found there. We carried 1,000 Nepali Gospel tracts and 500 Project Jagerna Scripture portions with us, in addition to more than a thousand Chinese Gospel tracts and some English materials. By God’s grace, these made it into a relatively closed Muslim country without incident and were distributed in the name of the Lord.

Malaysia and Indonesia are closed Muslim countries where problems can arise for believers that seek to preach the Gospel to Muslims. To protect the security of local believers and foreign workers with whom we labored, I will not mention names or other customary details. Nevertheless, know that the Word of God went forth boldly, and, as is FPGM’s practice, we pushed the envelope in terms of public proclamation. By God’s grace, we were not bothered or apprehended by police, and at all border crossings, the Gospel materials made it across without incident. In fact, on one occasion, we were taking a bus from Singapore back into Malaysia. Late at night, we made the border crossing and were a little concerned about the Malay tracts in our backpacks. In customs, the officer on duty was actually fiddling with a Rubix Cube and didn’t even look up when our bags passed though the x-ray machine. Upon our initial early morning arrival in Kuala Lumpur with all the Nepali, English, and Chinese materials, there seemed to be no one around in customs. We just walked through. Such incidents were certainly a blessing from the Lord who acted to protect His Word. Thanks for your prayers.

So, in Kuala Lumpur, Ricky and I had the great privilege of engaging in many activities for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ: fellowship with persecuted believers whose church had recently been raided by the government; evangelism training for Nepali believers in three separate fellowships on the outskirts of the city; seed sowing in the National Mosque; distribution of Gospel tracts in Malay, English, Nepali, Bengali, Chinese, and the Myanmar language; and, believe it or not, open-air preaching at bus stops, in the heart of Chinatown, and on the commuter trains in what is supposed to be a closed country where such activities can get you arrested or deported. We also openly shared Christ with students from Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran, China, and Malaysia outside UCSI University on the south side of KL. The freedom we enjoyed actually forces me to wonder about the realities portrayed by many overtly paranoid missionaries in such contexts. While there, one missionary refused an invitation of fellowship with us as he believed it would compromise his security. He was adamant that we were being “watched” by the government and made reference to a church that had been recently raided. Ironically, we fellowshipped with some leaders from that church, and it was them that actually encouraged us to go sow seeds at the National Mosque and to preach on Petaling Street in Chinatown.

As I write on these things, a specific incident comes to mind. I had just finished preaching in Nepali to a group of Nepali-speakers on the streets in Kuala Lumpur. A young girl heard me, took a tract, and then ran down to find her Malaysian friends. These later approached and thanked us for having the guts to preach in a place where so many are afraid to do so. The Malaysian husband and wife had only been saved for a year and were so excited to see us preaching. I gave them some Malay tracts, we stood there in the streets and prayed for one another, and from that encounter, the fear I had been wrestling with all day seemed to fade. Immediately, Ricky and I headed over to a bus stop and lifted our voices, knowing that local brethren were praying for us. Going forward, how could we not be bold?

Friends, I really don’t believe paranoia has any place in the life of a believer, much less a missionary on a foreign field. “For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (II Timothy 1:7). A spirit of power is not ashamed to proclaim the truth in relationships or to the masses; moreover true love bids a warning doom to children that play in the freeway. Finally, a sound mind does not cower before manmade laws that contradict the Great Commission of our Lord and Saviour or capitulate to false religions that damn untold millions to hell. A biblical response to persecution should mirror that of the Roman believers as a result of Paul’s imprisonment: “And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear” (Philippians 1:14). Like Paul, we should see persecution as an opportunity as opposed to an obstacle: “But I would that ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places” (Philippians 1:12-13). Friends, to labor in a context of persecution or government attempts to silence the Gospel really is a privilege, and believers therein should be good stewards of said privilege as opposed to paranoid delusionists: “For unto you is it given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29). Honestly, I grow weary of so-called laborers, particularly in Muslim contexts, who are beset with fear and try to make the Gospel more palatable for Islam by refraining from references to Christ as the “Son of God,” who are constantly “building relationships” with Muslims that never actually lead to the proclamation of the truth, who observe Islamic witchcraft out of “respect,” and who sometimes act as enemies of those that would preach the truth boldly. Trust me, I have encountered many such ilk over the years who seem to boast in a 007 secret agent status; and usually, these hate me or rebuff any efforts I make toward fellowship. How discouraging this is, but God always preserves a faithful remnant; and in response to every encounter as described above, it seems the Lord has orchestrated fellowship and mutual encouragement with local brethren or faithful missionaries who don’t labor under such bondage, and in some cases, truly know what it is to hazard their lives for the Gospel. Thank God for His faithful Remnant.

As for us and the context in which we labor in Nepal, there seems to be an incredible open door, at least for the moment. This could change at any time, but our job remains the same. Some of you, out of genuine concern, have sought to inform us about some “new government laws” that restrict “proselytizing” here in Nepal. Undoubtedly, such information came from Voice of the Martyrs, a notable ministry that wrote of this several months ago. Please understand that their reporting was an exaggerated picture of the situation well beyond reality (something they have been accused of before by people on the ground). We have preached in many open-air venues, oftentimes with police around, and never has an attempt been made to silence us. Besides, having a law in Nepal and actually enforcing it are two completely different things (something VOM forgot to mention). We continue to preach boldly here in Nepal and make mass distribution of Gospel materials and Scripture portions. We will continue this effort with or without an “anti-proselytizing” law, as encouraged and recommended by faithful national believers with whom we labor. Still, we covet your prayers for wisdom in every outing and protection from the enemies of the cross. There has been at least one call to have us banned from this country by a local who observed us preaching and posted some stuff on the internet, but as expected, nothing has come of it.

Well, back to Malaysia: In Kuala Lumpur, the had the great honor of proclaiming Jesus Christ to a number of Nepalis, shopkeepers and migrant workers who come to Malaysia for better paying jobs so as to send money back to their families. Many of those with whom we engaged were from parts of extreme eastern and western Nepal, so we trust the seeds sown will somehow make their way back to these places. As mentioned, we also conducted some evangelism training sessions at three Nepali fellowships in different locales on the outskirts of the city. The first was a real challenge as I had no translator. I almost called it off, but the Lord was faithful to help me exegete and exhort from the five different appearances of the Great Commission in the New Testament in Nepali (i.e. Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21-22; Acts 1:8). My prayer was that, like at Pentecost, the believers would hear and understand the message supernaturally in their own language, despite my communication difficulties. After the morning session, I thought to cancel the evening session due to my lack of language skills, but the brethren begged us to return and were so grateful for the teaching. By day’s end, I had done two things I had never attempted before: I had exegeted Scripture in Nepali and I had translated for Ricky as he shared his testimony in English. To God alone be the glory for all this. So, by the next two trainings, I insisted upon teaching in Nepali and only used a translator if needed to communicate a particular thought. All went well, and three local bodies, I trust, were edified. To each of these, we provided Project Jagerna materials for evangelistic outreach. And, after one of the trainings, we actually took the brethren out into the streets and shared Christ in a couple of Nepali bars. I couldn’t believe that one tavern owner actually let me address his clientele as they sat eating and drinking. For the first time, I did my little Gospel presentation rope trick in the Nepali language. Glory to God. In summation, all of the Nepali Gospel tracts and Project Jagerna Scripture portions that we carried into Malaysia went into the hands of Nepalis, whether to the lost on the streets or to Nepali believers for their own evangelistic outreach. In this, I rejoice. After all, the stated goal of Project Jagerna is to preserve the pure Word of God for the Nepali people all over the world through translation, publication, and DISTRIBUTION.

Also in Malaysia, as mentioned, Ricky and I were able to preach in the open-air in several venues. Interestingly, the only real hostility we faced came from American tourists. One hippie kept walking by and cussing us out as his two female companions expressed vocal disbelief as to why we would be “disrespecting” a Muslim country by preaching Jesus. As I looked at the attire of these two females, I found myself asking: Why would you two disrespect a Muslim country by dressing like prostitutes? Another man circled me as a preached, continuously shaking his head. Later, as I witnessed to a small group of Bangladeshi Muslims, he walked by and shoved me out of the way. I responded, “Sir, don’t assault me just because you hate God, your Maker.” He stormed off into the night--Typical Americans. One evening, as I was trying to conjure up courage to open my mouth, a Malaysian man saw me thumbing through my Bible. He motioned me to approach and then asked, “So, are you going to preach to us or not?” Ricky had preached at the same place a couple of nights earlier, so I guess they were expecting it. From this honest question, the Lord gave boldness.

On the commuter trains, I would preach through a rope trick or simply read Scripture from places such as John 3, I John 5, etc. Ricky was also bold to preach Jesus, the Son of God in these crowded quarters where many women sat wearing burkhas. Several times, Muslims approached and requested tracts after the preaching. They took them on the trains and at bus stops. The Lord was good to give increase to His Word.

Ricky and I also had the great privilege of bussing down to Singapore and taking a ferry over to the port of Batam in Indonesia, a country with the world’s largest population of Muslims. In Indonesia, we enjoyed some wonderful fellowship with a local believer who once was a staunch follower of Islam. Basing out of a hotel, Ricky and I made a late night jaunt into the backstreets and distributed numerous Gospel tracts. We sowed seeds around a mosque, preached at a bus stop, and labored until our stack of tracts was dispersed. The next morning, we ferried back to the mainland. On the ferry, Ricky distributed tracts, and we geared up for a long day on the streets of Singapore.

In Singapore, the population is mostly of Chinese origin and there is much more freedom for the Gospel. Still, one has to be careful as Singapore has many crazy laws against normal activities. Moreover, the government is like a huge big brother that tries to maintain “peace” in a place sandwiched between two Muslim nations. Nevertheless, we had no issues as we distributed many Gospel tracts in Chinatown and outside a busy subway station. At a couple of bus stops, we preached Christ; and we met with a Nepali believer, supplying him with Project Jagerna materials for outreach amongst Nepali-speaking migrant workers. On one occasion, Ricky and I stumbled upon a huge open plaza near a Chinese temple. It was crowded with people playing chess or just sitting around conversing. As we prepared to preach, my eye caught a glimpse of a sign. It read, “Religious Activity is not allowed in this square. Offender could be fined up to $5000.” We decided to go somewhere else, probably a wise move.

At the end of a very long and hot day that began in Indonesia and culminated late along Singapore’s Golden Mile, I quickly gave myself a Mexican shower in a less than clean bathroom, and Ricky and I boarded an air-conditioned night bus bound for Kuala Lumpur. We arrived in the heart of the city around 4:00am and literally spent the night on the streets because the commuter train was closed. It was an interesting experience, and a bit fun. Unable to sleep under the awning of a closed train station door, I was actually able to catch up in my journal, an unexpected blessing.

Concerning Islam, we encountered it in Malaysia and Indonesia first-hand, as I have done in many other places around the world. Once again, I was reminded just how wicked, hypocritical, self-righteous, and blasphemous this religion truly is; it is a front-line enemy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and many are deceived by its wiles. An example to illustrate this was seen every evening in Malaysia as Muslims prepared to break fast at sundown during Ramadan. Restaurants were crowded, and plates of piping hot food sat on tables untouched as nervous Muslims tapped their feet and stared at their watches, waiting for “official sundown.” Once the hand struck, people starting shoveling food in their mouths as if there was no tomorrow. As Ricky and I observed in amazement, I was reminded of the children of Israel in the desert as they lustfully and gluttonously shoveled quail God had provided into their mouths (Numbers 11). The sad part of what we observed is that people actually think God is impressed with this. Of course, the feasting continued through the night as oftentimes restaurants were packed into the wee hours of the morning. Once, when we arrived in Kuala Lumpur at 4:00am on the bus from Singapore, I was astonished to see a McDonald’s filled with people eating. They say those that observe Ramadan actually gain weight during the month as they gluttonously eat far more than a normal day’s intake between the hours of sundown and sunup. I truly believe it. And of course, all the self-righteous propaganda about Ramadan displayed everywhere in Malaysia was enough to make one sick. Immediately, Isaiah 29:13 comes to mind: “Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.” Manmade religion, it’s all the same.

Ricky and I did visit the National Mosque and attempt to engage some of the “tour guides” and propagandists with the Gospel on two separate occasions. The lies about Islam and the Bible that were fed to us were utterly astounding. One “tour guide” even tried to allure us by discussing all the sexual freedom that Islam offers as long as one unmarried stops short of “penetration.” Of course, these ravings are in direct contradiction to the Quran but seemed a viable means to attract Western converts. Sheer profundity! We were also told that Christians and Jews are close relatives of Muslims and that Islam has no ill-will toward such. When I pointed out Surah 9:30 that plainly speaks of Christians and Muslims as cursed, the propagandist had no answer. Of course, they always try to slither out of the Quran’s ridiculous statements by saying, “Well the Quran may say that, but that is not what it means.” Hmmm, I believe I have heard this before: “Well, I know the Bible says that, but the original Greek really means something else . . .” (Christian colleges and seminaries) OR “Well, I know God said not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but He actually meant that if you eat it, you will become like God” (the serpent in the Garden of Eden). There is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9), and Satan’s strategy is an old one that has proven effective.

Here is a sample of some of the “logic” used by Muslim leaders in the Kuala Lumpur mosque to try and convince us to convert to Islam:

- "People have memorized the entire Quran, and this proves it came from God. There's no way a man could memorize an entire book unless God was with him" (P.S. I memorized five entire New Testament books myself, and Anton Levae had his entire Satanic bible memorized, the logic here is beyond me).

- "The Bible is full of contradictions. One of the biggest ones is when Lot had sex with his daughters. Lot was a prophet, and prophets don't do evil things. The presence of this story in the Bible proves it has been corrupted" (Uhhh, I don’t get it).

- "Proof that the Quran is the Word of God stems from the fact that Mohammed was uneducated and illiterate." It's interesting that the Mormons use the same line of reasoning to argue the divine origin of the Book of Mormon from the pen of Joseph Smith.

- "The Quran forbids sex outside of marriage, but as long as there is no penetration, everything else is ok between a boy and a girl" (The man Ricky was speaking with actually said this as a means to lure him toward Islam. Many Muslims think all Americans are sex-crazed perverts and see nothing wrong with enticing such lusts to draw in converts. In reality, the Quran forbids intimate contact of any kind between male and female outside of marriage).

- "The Ingil [i.e. the Four Gospels] is the Word of God, but Jesus was not the Son of God" (Both of these statements cannot be true though the man who spoke them was convinced otherwise).

- "Why do we have sons? We have sons because we want someone to teach, to joke with, to play games with, to work for us, and other things. God does not need a son to do any of these things, so God does not have a Son." I don't think "foolish" is a strong enough word to describe this logic. Of course, "logic" is not a good word either, because this insanity is everything but logic.

- "Even the Bible points to Mohammed. Moses spoke of another prophet that would come in Deuteronomy, and Jesus spoke of a Comforter that would come after him. Both of these prophecies refer to Mohammed." WHHHAAAHHHH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HE, HE, HE . . . . All I can do is laugh.

- "Islam is the perfected form of Christianity. After all, our women wear head coverings because Mary wore a head covering as you can see in all the paintings of her." At this point, I was really starting to wonder if this Islamic apologist was on drugs or if his Ramadan fast was causing his nervous system to shut down.

- "God is all powerful, and He can do anything; He just can't have a Son.” Hmmm, makes sense, NOT.

- "The Bible says that the world is flat, but the Quran is more scientifically correct because it says the earth is shaped like an egg." I don't know where this guy gets his information from. The Bible actually says in the Hebrew in Isaiah that the earth is a sphere; and I have never seen anything scientific that has referred to the shape of the earth as eggish.

This is just a sample, my friends, of the reasoning behind the Islamic juggernaut and the superstitions that hold many in bondage at the hands of their imams. How can we do anything short of proclaiming to these people Jesus Christ, the Son of God and freedom from the bondage of manmade religion? Christ died for the Muslim masses. How can we ignore them? How can we as ambassadors of Christ conceal Him before them out of fear or “respect”?

One of the Muslim leaders with whom we conversed at the National Mosque said a very profound thing that Christians would do well to remember. Speaking to me in response to my identification as a "man of the Book" (i.e. Quran's nomenclature for Christians), he noted: "Those that believe the Bible and those that believe the Quran do not worship the same God. Your God is not the same as my God." Did you read that, my friends, not the same God? Will someone please tell George W. Bush and half the pastors of emergent churches.

To the above statement, I replied, "Friend, you are correct. Your god and your book cannot answer the question concerning how my sins can be paid for. My God and my Book give a very clear answer to this question--the God-man, Jesus Christ. That is why I cannot follow the Quran. I had a real question in my life. The Quran does not answer the question, your leaders can never answer the question. But, the Bible provides the answer, and the Bible has fulfilled prophecy to prove its authenticity." To this he responded, "The Bible is full of contradictions." I said, "Show me one." He retorted, "Well, I am not a student of the Scriptures." I kept on him about this. Finally, the best he could come up with was the story of Lot having sex with his daughters (referenced above). He then said that Mohammed never sinned and that none of us are born in sin. In the end, Ricky and I proclaimed Christ and the Gospel as it is in truth. This leader mentioned that Christians and Muslims are close, near relatives in God's family. I then showed him Surah 9:30 where it says Christians and Jews are cursed. "What about this," I asked, "Am I your enemy, am I the enemy of God because I believe upon the Son of God?" He could not, he would not answer the question. It's a dark web of lies, dear brethren: no logic, a lot of nonsensical reasoning, much bondage. But, the light of the Gospel was proclaimed in that place. Pray it takes root.

Please pray for T, a “door greeter” who approached me as Ricky initially engaged one of the men referenced above. T, like the others, could not answer the question about how the price for our sin could be paid. But, he listened as I shared with him Scriptures concerning the nature and work of Jesus Christ. This man, unlike the others, seemed very open and showed signs of doubt concerning the Quran. At one point, he stopped me and said: "You are a very wise man, and you know about the Quran than I do." I emphasized that I was only a servant, a wicked man who had found the answer to the question he could not answer, a man who had been changed by Jesus Christ. He thanked me with sincerity. Please pray for T. Later, the man who Ricky spoke with the first week came on the scene and was surprised to see that we had returned according to our word. His reasoning was so flawed, he is so blinded. Still, Ricky spoke the truth in love. They didn't kick us out; they didn't threaten us; they didn't get angry; they heard the truth. Soon thereafter, the leaders answered their call to prayer and entered their sanctuary. We prayed for these men aloud right there in that place, left a Gospel of John on their table, and then proceeded to walk around the outer court, praying aloud for those inside and reading Scriptures aloud (i.e. Hebrews 1; John 1; I John 5, etc.) Please pray that the seeds sown in Kuala Lumpur’s National Mosque sprout unto conviction and everlasting life.

Let me pause to say something about average Muslim people, as opposed to Islam’s deceptive leaders. Many show a level of kindness and hospitality that should make many so-called “Christians” feel ashamed at their lack thereof. I’ve met some amazingly hospitable Muslims who have shown me nothing but kindness and congeniality. I weep for these, knowing that they are perishing in manmade religion; and thoughts of such should compel us to be bold with the truth toward people of all duplicitous faiths. After all, it is the wicked that flee when no man pursues, but “the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).

One more thing, our time in Malaysia further confirmed a truth that I have been pondering of late. People claim that Christianity and Islam share a major truth in common - the worship of one God. I would argue, however, that Islam has more in common with atheism than with the truth of the Bible. For the atheist, man is his god. In a sense, the same can be said for Islam, for the god of Islam is really not Allah at all, it’s Mohammed. Everything is about Mohammed: Mohammed said this; Mohammed said that; Mohammed, peace be upon him, etc. Very little thought is really ever given to Allah himself aside from what is used to promote the “prophet.” The Muslim says, “Mohammed, peace be upon him.” I say, “Mohammed, may justice be done upon him.”

On that note, please pray for the people of Malaysia and for the faithful laborers who labor among them, those with whom we had the great privilege of enjoying some edifying fellowship. I cannot mention names for security reasons; just know that the Lord is at work in that place, and that Ricky and I consider it an honor to have sown seeds that others will undoubtedly water. And praise God; He gives the increase (I Corinthians 3:7).

So, we are back in Nepal with 9 months of labor ahead of us. Please continue to lift us, Full Proof Gospel Ministries, Bishnu Shrestha (our Nepali national partner), and Project Jagerna up before the throne of the Most High. Here are a few specific prayer requests:

- Safety and traveling mercies for Jamie and the children

- Bishnu’s wife is having blood pressure complications at the 4-month point of her pregnancy. The baby is due in February.

- The time with the team from Beacon Hill Baptist Church

- Pray that the Lord will send more teams over in the next 9 months to assist us with the distribution of Gospel materials. We chose an apartment here in Jhamsikhel so that we could house teams.

- Soon, we will begin carrying a cross around the entire perimeter of Kathmandu and right through the heart of the city, praying and preaching as we go. Pray that this proves an effective and bold means to reach many with the Gospel.

- In the next couple of weeks, we hope to see our first batch of the Project Jagerna Gospels of Mark come off the printing presses. Pray for these as they go forth into the hands God has prepared to receive them freely.

- Financial provision for FPGM: hyperinflation in Nepal makes our time here far more expensive than anticipated.

In response to several requests for information, I reluctantly offer these words: If the Lord should lay it upon your heart to financially support Ricky, Bishnu’s family, Project Jagerna printing, or the work in general, first pray with fervor to insure that said desire is from the Lord.  Checks can be made out to Full Proof Gospel Ministries and mailed to the post office box noted in the right sidebar.  Remember that all contributions are tax-deductible, and you will receive a deductible-giving receipt at the end of the calendar year.  Contributions can also be made online via Paypal.  Just be sure to note if any contribution is for Ricky, Bishnu, the printing, etc.  I will make sure it gets to the appropriate place.  Thanks for your consideration in this matter.  Full Proof Gospel Ministries commits to use all support to aid the public proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the printing and mass distribution of the Word of God, and/or for the training of believers in the needful work of Great Commission evangelism; not for creature comforts, manmade strategies, or complex platforms that become an end in and of themselves. Alas, I have rambled long enough. Thanks for your faithful support and prayers. Know that the Word of God has gone forth with boldness and will continue to do so. We count it no small blessing that you all hold the ropes through your prayers and support. I trust the video link posted below will be an encouragement as you see the Gospel proclaimed with boldness in a closed Muslim country.

To God be the Glory. In Jesus Christ alone have we power to accomplish anything for His Kingdom.

Grace, Mercy, and Peace be upon you,

Jesse Boyd