Full Proof Gospel Ministries 2007 Travel Blog

Southwest & Midwest

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 08:51:26 -0500

Greetings, beloved brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the ONLY WAY to eternal life (and I am not ashamed to say this)! I trust that you all are preparing for a wonderful time of rest, family fellowship, and good cheer this Christmas season. Most importantly, however, let’s remember why there was a Christmas in the first place: “Wherefore as by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). Mankind is guilty of breaking God’s law written on our conscience (Romans 2:14-15), and His righteous nature demands that even one transgression is worthy of damnation (James 2:10). There is none righteous; there is no such thing as a good person (Romans 3:10-11; Isaiah 64:6; Ecclesiastes 7:20); religion and good works cannot save us (Amos 5:21-23; Romans 3:20; Ephesians 2:8-9). God’s righteous law renders us HELPLESS without a Saviour (Romans 3:19), but only HOPELESS if there is no Saviour. Glory to God in the Highest, for “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).

If you don’t have a personal relationship with God through the Jesus Christ of the Bible; if you are caught up following a God or a Jesus that you or churchianity have created to serve ulterior lusts and pleasures; or if you are trusting in your religion, your own righteousness, or “I’m trying my best” to get to heaven: Please flee to Jesus Christ of the Bible this Christmas season. He is your ONLY HOPE for salvation UNTO a relationship with God (Romans 5:1-2) and salvation FROM the wrath of Almighty God (Romans 5:9).

If Jesus Christ has saved you, all praise to the Most High! This Christmas season, I encourage you, out of simple gratitude for His unspeakable gift (II Corinthians 9:15), to be a bold witness of His Gospel message to the lost that are all around us. No, I am not talking about a fear-laden, twinkle-toes “lifestyle” witness that is more about having friends than being a friend. I am exhorting unto a bold, public, and intentional witness like what is undeniably modeled in the Book of Acts by the earliest Christians who carried out the Great Commission of our Lord and Saviour faithfully and immensely. Instead of waiting around endlessly for Jesus to come up in conversational exchange, make Him and His salvation the topic of conversation. Resolve like the Apostle Paul, “I believed, and therefore have I spoken” (II Corinthians 4:13). Then, back up your words with actions that bring glory to God and point others to Him (Matthew 5:16).

Believers reading this, I beseech you by the Lord Jesus Christ to make your life a bold witness for the Gospel this coming year: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? AND HOW SHALL THEY HEAR WITHOUT A PREACHER” (Romans 10:13-14)? Your lifestyle is not your evangelism, but bold evangelism should be your lifestyle. After all, that’s why we here at Full Proof Gospel Ministries do what we do (II Corinthians 5:11)--making the Gospel of Jesus Christ an unavoidable issue for as many people as possible all over the world. Thanks for your prayers and support that the Lord uses to enable us to do so.
Oh, there is so much to write; I am forced into summary mode (Is that really possible?). First, I have attached 2 files to this email. One is a newspaper article from the Corsica Globe in Corsica, South Dakota. This is a church column, and the article was written by a local Lutheran pastor. Force yourself to read until the end. This, my friends, is an example of the widespread apostasy that has infested churchianity in our society, even engulfing small town America. Friends, as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must be on guard against the last days apostasy, false teaching, and false teachers that the New Testament so ardently warns us about (see II Timothy 3-4; I Peter, II Peter, Jude, Galatians 1, Matthew 24; I John, etc.). We must arm ourselves with the knowledge of the Scriptures and take heed, lest we be deceived into following a false gospel (see Galatians 1:6-9). As Paul exhorted young Timothy after warning him about apostate teachers, I humbly exhort you, fellow Bible-believers: “Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:14-17). That, my friends, is how we protect ourselves from false teaching and false gospels.

The attached article, by Pastor Mike Jacobson of Hope Lutheran Church, is utter apostasy, and the sad thing is that his gospel is the same New Age, idolatrous gospel that is being preached in a lot of pulpits around America, and many Christians are too naive and ignorant of the Scriptures to see it. The other day, I was watching a clip of this hip, young “church planter” on YouTube who claimed that Christians need to quit waiting and watching for the future and concerning themselves with the Coming of Christ. “Yes, God is going to do something with the world one day. I don’t know what, and it really doesn’t matter to me. I want a God that is for the here and now, not the future., blah, blah, blah . . .” As I listened to this nonsense, a flood of Scriptures came to my mind, particularly II Peter 3:3-13. This shifty-eyed little punk was one of the very scoffers that this passage warned about. Forget about the Coming of Christ??? My Bible says that true Christians “according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth” (II Peter 3:13), that those who look for His appearing will receive a crown of righteousness (II Timothy 4:8), and that we should comfort one another with the promise of the Lord’s Coming (I Thessalonians 4:18). And, my Jesus, the Jesus Christ of the Bible, said in Luke 21:36: “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Earlier, in Luke 12:37,40, Jesus said: “Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching . . . Be ye therefore ready also.” My friends, take the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the future judgment of Almighty God out of the equation, then the Lord Himself was a liar, the Bible cannot be trusted, and the Gospel message is no gospel at all. This guy was a false teacher, and the god he is looking for is the one mentioned in Ephesians 2:2. As sure as Jesus Christ was born in a manger in Bethlehem, He will come again to judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31). Without His righteousness which is by faith, there is no hope to stand in the judgment. Telling someone otherwise is not biblical love (Romans 12:9), and such is not rooted in Christlike compassion (Matthew 9:36).

Wow, I have seen many more examples. What about this document that a bunch of “evangelicals” recently signed with a bunch of Muslims, affirming that the Jehovah God of the Bible and Allah of the Koran are the same God. Listen, how can the True God and Allah of the Koran be the same? Allah hates Israel and calls for its destruction. Jehovah made a covenant with Abraham and said “I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee all families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). He also calls Israel the apple of his eye (Deuteronomy 32:10; Zechariah 2:8). Allah says “Kill the infidels!” The Word of Jehovah teaches us to preach the truth and leave the results up to the Lord (Mark 16:15-16). I can just hear someone bringing up the Crusades even now. Hold on: While terrorists are genuine Muslims who follow the teachings of Mohammed and the Koran, the Crusaders were not genuine Christians who followed the Bible. These followed Rome, not Christ and His Word. The popes had their own political agendas (like they do today) and sought to conquer the world by force. Crusaders may have waved the cross, but they denied Christ by killing His brethren, the Jews, where ever they went. I don’t know about you, but this is not my spiritual heritage.

I could go on and on with example after example of apostasy, many of which come from sources that would shock you and involve pompous little boys trying to be men of God (spiritually speaking, that is). However, the more important message is this: We need to be on guard (I John 4:1), search the Scriptures like the Bereans (Acts 17:11-12), “awake out of sleep” (Romans 13:11), and HOLD FAST (II Timothy 1:13). Hopefully, reading the attached article will shake you up a bit and give you a fresh zeal to be a biblical witness. I know it did for me. Plus, I promised my friends in South Dakota that I would give Pastor Jacobson a little publicity. Try not to lose your lunch (The file is in *.pdf format, so you may need an Adobe Reader to be able to peruse it; this can be downloaded free from www.adobe.com).

I have also attached a file containing a few pictures from a recent Project Jagerna distribution in Nepal (hopefully, these will bless you as they did me). My national partner, Bishnu Shrestha, has been busy at work, taking the Gospel to the streets, distributing the Scriptures we have printed, and enabling other local believers to join the bold effort. Recently, he wrote (Remember, English is his second language):

“Thank you for your prayer. We are doing well and I would like to update you with our last Saturday's open air preaching and street evangelism. As I shared you already, we around 25 people went to a most sensitive place in Kathmandu where you've to ask for permission to do any formal program but we didn't take and also we went there with guitars and His words. I took 2000 of Gospel of John in Nepali, 1500 of The Life of Jesus, 700 of God Made Jesus to be Sin and about 300 of What's the World Coming to? Altogether 4500 tracts. As we reach there, in front of Basantapur palace, in the middle of the Hindu temples, we prayed and I personally prayed that God made the authority's eyes open to the Gospel but close to do the evil things. That's what happened there. The police office was nearby and I also gave out some tracts to the policemen as they were in their jeep moving slowly. Also after singing some Christmas and gospel songs we distributed the tracts. You can see the pictures of this event below. Also as we were singing there came two Jews ladies and they told me that they were not Christians. Then I shared Gospel to them in English. We also preach in small groups as personal evangelism and distributed the tracts to the people in vehicles also. Praise the Lord! And I would like to request you to pray for the fruitfulness of the tracts as the pagan people read God's word for the first time in their lives. Please check out the pictures attached herewith.”

I rejoice to announce: Since April of 2007, we have printed 50,000 copies of the Gospel of John (45,000 in Nepali; 5,000 in English). Since, thanks to the faithful work of Bishnu and other bold Nepalis who could teach us alot about biblical evangelism, 18,950 copies have been distributed on the streets (in Nepal, India, Bhutan, and even a few in the United States), and 25,500 have been supplied to other workers and national pastors for distribution in the villages. I recently heard about a distribution of these Johns in a village that was a six-day walk from the road. Supposedly, a demon-possessed man that had troubled the village for a long time got his hands on one of the Gospel of Johns and was delivered unto salvation. Praise be unto the Lord! Thanks for all your prayers and support with regard to Project Jagerna.

I am excited to go into Nepal in January with $7500.00 earmarked for Bible printing. Pray for me as I will be traveling alone to Kathmandu via Delhi in late January. Bishnu and I will be working around-the-clock diligently to complete the translation work on the Book of Romans before I leave to meet the volunteer team in Bangladesh on February 9. Hopefully, we can get the printing of the John/Romans edition started before I board for Dhaka. Then, when I return to Kathmandu on February 16, we will have our distribution work cut out for us. Another volunteer team from a local house church is coming to Nepal in late February to help us with distribution, and I will also enjoy company and partnership with Dylan & Cheri Harris over a period of weeks in February and March. I will share more details as the time approaches.

Our family really needs your prayers. The baby should be coming any time, and I am already dreading having to leave Jamie, Bethany, and the newborn for a couple of months. This will be very difficult; pray for us. If things open up, or unavoidable opportunities arise in South Asia, I will need to bring them over to Kathmandu with me in the Spring. Pray that the Lord will give us wisdom in these matters, particularly, that I will know when and where to exit the situation for the time being and allow my national partners to carry on the work in a context that better suits their background and giftings. I take comfort in knowing that so many of you DO faithfully pray for us.

As for the Bangladesh team, I sent off for my visa, as did Jon Lane and another young man from Iowa. Pray that we get these needed approvals. From February 9-16, I will be laboring with a team of four (Jon from South Dakota; Tony from Iowa; and Dylan & Cheri from Oregon) and in partnership with local workers to do mass distributions in Dhaka. Jamie and I did this last year at the same time, and we are excited to return again. A terrible typhoon that recently ravaged Bangladesh has created a unique context in which to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray for us and those we will be partnering with as the time of our labor draws near. I wanted to take a larger team into Dhaka, but we do have a solid core, and perhaps the Lord was shaping us for His glory as He did Gideon’s army in Judges 7. He knoweth best, and His ways are past finding out (Romans 11:13).

Much has happened to the glory of God this Fall, and FPGM has been busy. Thanks for all your prayers and support. Our recent evangelism training in Corsica, South Dakota went extremely well. It was good to have one of my best friends, Paul Langford, travel with me, and as always, the fellowship and partnership with the Lanes was special. Jon pastors a small church plant in Corsica called “The Lighthouse.” Pray for these believers as they seek to disciple one another and be bold witnesses in a very spiritually dark part of America. South Dakota is not the Bible belt, but still, the town of Platte, for example, has eight churches with only a population of 1,500 people! Many of the churches in such places are spiritually dead and/or downright apostate. In fact, what you see in the article I attached to this email is closer to the norm than to the exception. As is the case in the “Bible Belt,” there are many religious people, but few born-again Christians. Notwithstanding, the Lord has a faithful remnant (The Lighthouse Church being a case and point), and we are so honored to know such as these and many of you.

While in the Midwest, in addition to the weekend-long evangelism training, we had the privilege of taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the streets of Omaha, Nebraska; Pierre, South Dakota; and Sioux City, Iowa. We also went door-to-door on an Indian reservation in Fort Thompson, South Dakota, and many people were receptive. A lot of Gospel tracts went out. Keep in mind, it was very cold out there, and much of this work was done in temperatures well below freezing and/or falling snow. It was a blast. One evening, we also had the privilege of visiting a Hutterite colony outside nearby Academy, South Dakota. The Hutterites are of German stock and are similar to the Amish in many ways. They live a communal lifestyle like the one mentioned in Acts 2:44-45, albeit enjoying many more modern conveniences than the Amish. The Hutterites are a humble, hardworking folk that are typically very religious. Some undoubtedly, are born-again, but many are trusting their religion and their ways to be good enough to get them into heaven. The colony outside Academy welcomed Jon, Paul, and I into their midst one evening, and we shared a big communal meal with them. The men sat on one side of the room; the women sat on the other; and all the food was home-grown and fresh. While there, we were able to fellowship extensively in the homes of “The Preacher” (the colony’s headman) and a young man named Tim. The Lord gave us boldness and opportunity to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ (i.e. salvation by grace through faith plus nothing). Please pray for Tim. It was very obvious that he is not born again. In the preacher’s home, I sensed that we were in the presence of fellow-believers, so the fellowship and mutual encouragement were sweet. The whole experience was a real blessing. Pray that spiritual fruit will be born of it.

The evangelism trainings at Baptist Chapel in Owasso, Oklahoma and First Baptist in Des Moines, New Mexico also went very well back in November. It was nice to be out on the open road again and drive back and forth across the country. The majesty and variety of America’s scenery is unmatched in the world, a testimony to the glory of the Creator. In Owasso, the training went for five sessions, and the people responded very well. It was a real joy to take a group of believers down into Tulsa on a couple of occasions. One instance, we encountered a Veteran’s Day parade, and many Gospel tracts went out. I recall fruitful conversations with a military man from Australia and two young men who had never heard the biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ. I used the law of God to help them see their guilt and then explained what God did for them through the person and work of the Lord Jesus. They were humbled and took Gospels of John. Please pray for these. On another outing, we targeted a Hispanic section of town, and I was able to practice my Spanish a bit. It was interesting trying to compartmentalize Spanish and Nepali, and more than once, I accidentally threw a Nepali word in there and received a strange facial expression in response. Down in the public square of Tulsa, we made Jesus the topic of conversation with not a few folks, and there was intentional outreach around the local vicinity of the church in Owasso. More than anything, I rejoiced to see genuine believers being intentional with their faith as bold witnesses. Later, I heard that a young lady from Baptist Chapel, in response to the trainings, gave her heart to Christ and was born again. To God be the glory! Pray for this one as she seeks to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and be a bold witness in these dark times. Thanks to all you faithful folks form Baptist Chapel who may be reading this. You all made me feel so welcome, and the hospitality was encouraging beyond measure. I praise God for His provision through you all and for the funds given to print Bibles. I am excited to use these to get more of the Word out in South Asia.

From Oklahoma, I drove up to Wichita, Kansas and hit the streets on a cold night in yet another significant American city. Pray that fruit will be born. There, I also picked my dad up at the airport so that he could travel the remainder of the road trip with me. We went on to Capulin, New Mexico where I was able to fellowship with old friends and partners in our ministry. At First Baptist in Des Moines, the Lord gave me the opportunity to do a single evangelism training session. This, too, was a blessing. I always love going back to Capulin and fellowshipping with our friends there. When I recall my first cross-country bicycle ride and how many events and inconveniences served to put us in that out-of-the-way dot on a map, I marvel at the sovereign hand of Almighty God. I am humbled. While in New Mexico, the Lord also allowed me to give testimony in a series of interviews that were broadcasted on KLMX Radio the next week. This radio station can be picked up as far away as Idaho, and the interviews were an opening to speak Truth over miles of airwaves. Thanks to Pastor Bryan Kimsey of First Baptist for putting this together. In these interviews, I was asked some hard questions that required straight-to-the-point answers. I was not ashamed to say that Jesus Christ is the ONLY WAY to heaven and that the fairy tales of churchianity are a false gospel. Please pray that I and Full Proof Gospel Ministries will hold fast to the exclusivity and truth of the Word of God without compromise as we continue to labor. I have seen so many beat around the bush in television or radio interviews when it comes to the nature of Jesus’ Gospel or the authority of the Holy Bible. It scares me that I, too, could succumb to such compromise and bring reproach on the name of the Lord. Therefore, I covet the same prayers from you that the Apostle Paul coveted from the Ephesian believers: “that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel . . . [that] I may speak boldly as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:19-20).

The brief stint in Capulin also allowed me to do a little horseback riding across the pinioned mesas and climb 13,161 ft. Wheeler Peak. It was an absolutely gorgeous day at 13,000 ft., and the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rockies was incredible. I recall iced-over Horseshoe Lake, magnificent sunset hues, steep trails across alpine tundra, a lone bighorn sheep, crusty snow on the north-facing slopes, and still grassy meadows. I put a Gospel of John and some tracts in the summit register. May the Lord use it. I am now up to 39 State High Points (I also bagged Magazine Mountain in Arkansas, Mt. Sunflower in Kansas, and Tom Sauk Mountain in Missouri) on this road trip. Perhaps such a quest is of little importance, but it sure is fun, and being out in Creation always serves as an occasion to enjoy fellowship with the Creator without distraction.

Thanks to all you wonderful folks from First Baptist in Des Moines. My dad and I felt very welcome and were again encouraged to be amongst faithful members of the Remnant Body of Jesus Christ. There is a lot wrong with society and churchianity in America. False teaching and false teachers are everywhere. But, God has reserved unto Himself a remnant, “all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal” (I Kings 19:18). It’s for all of you out there who are the Remnant that I press on.

I could go on and on about the adventures on this particular road trip, but time will not allow. Just know that your prayers for safety and fruit were answered. The Lord is good. Undoubtedly, there are other things from the home front that I could write about, but I have probably forgotten more than I can remember. Oh, the finite mind can be a troubling thing. Just know that we continue to labor for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ.

I am sorry that it has taken me so long to get this update out to you all. In addition to a busy schedule, I finally made the much-needed switch from working with Windows PCs to the stability and reliability of the Macintosh (no offense, PC users). I was sick and tired of my laptop hanging up and/or crashing, and I could not risk having this happen over in Nepal during the translation work. It has been difficult and frustrating learning a completely different operating system, and I pray that none of you slipped through the cracks as I had to rebuild my email lists. Notwithstanding, I trust it will all work itself out. Sometimes, I think life would be a lot simpler without computers, the internet, ipods, cell phones, etc.

Pray for us with the baby coming soonq and as we prepare for my departure to South Asia in late January. Pray that the Lord will make provision for such a journey. Maybe the next email update will be a birth announcement.

Again, be a bold witness for the LORD this Christmas season! Like Paul, may it be the terror of the Lord that motivates us to persuade men (II Corinthians 5:11).

“Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” (II Timothy 2:7).

Merry Christmas,
Jesse, Jamie, Bethany, and ??? Boyd

FPGM HOMEPAGE

Lapland, Oktoberfest, etc.

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 08:47:30 -0400

Greetings, friends and partners, in the mercy of God, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one (I John 5:7, KJV).

I apologize that it has taken me so long to pen another update. The detailed recap that I wanted to provide days ago on our adventures up in Lapland in Northern Europe must now be reduced to a general overview (Is it really possible for ME to give a general overview without details?). Also, there is much else to share.

As you know, we safely returned from Finland and Northern Europe about three weeks ago after a fruitful month of ministry, and things have not slowed since. Please pray for me in the coming weeks as I will be traveling to Oklahoma and New Mexico for some evangelism trainings and first-hand testimony about the work of Full Proof Gospel Ministries at a couple of churches. Pray that this two-week journey will result in believers boldly sharing their faith and the Lord providing the added financial support we need to meet the translation and printing needs for Project Jagerna and for FPGM’s ongoing work in South Asia, the United States, and around the world. I am slated to leave North Carolina on November 8th and hope to return in time for Thanksgiving. There will be many miles of driving, so please keep our ministry in your prayers.

Then, there is the fast approaching return to South Asia in January of 2007. It really is crunch time for putting together the volunteer teams to take into Bangladesh and Western Nepal. With regard to the former, the need is greatest. Thus far, Jon Lane and myself are the Bangladesh Team. The funds have been provided for the printing of Scriptures for mass distribution in Dhaka, and my contacts are ready for us to come in from February 2-9. Ideally, I need another 3-4 people who are willing to aid in this endeavor. There will be a lot of materials to distribute, and this will be very difficult for Jon and myself to do on our own. Please pray that the Lord provides the volunteer personnel. If you are interested in being a part of this valuable and needful work, please contact me YESTERDAY (if you know what I mean)! Roundtrip tickets from the East Coast to Dhaka run around $1500, and a Bangladesh Visa costs $100 (This needs to be applied for with the Bangladesh Embassy in the United States ahead of time). Also, if you don’t have a United States passport, this would need to be applied for in the next couple of weeks. Please pray about stepping out of your comfort zone to help get Scripture into the hands of countless masses who are perishing without Jesus Christ on the far side of the globe. If interested, get in touch with me by telephone ASAP (828-292-0045).

Since October 12, Dylan and Cheri Harris (our old Diego-to-Fuego friends from Oregon), along with their six-month-old son (Ritter), have been staying with us. We have been involved in some local outreach and the detailed planning of certain ministry efforts in India and Nepal for next year. Dylan and I have also taken the opportunity to summit 29 Appalachian Peaks, thereby doing a bit of physical training for Project Jagerna Outreach that we hope to undertake in the Himalaya of Nepal sometime in March of 2008. Pray for us as we seek wisdom and understanding regarding our partnership in the upcoming work. FPGM has partnered with the Harris’ on numerous occasions in the past, and all such alliances have resulted in mutual encouragement and exhortation as well as fruitful Gospel proclamation. The Harris’ will be returning to Oregon on Monday (10/29). Please pray for traveling mercies, and hopefully, the next time we meet will be in Kathmandu in just a few months.

Thanks for praying about the Oktoberfest Festival here in Hickory, NC that I mentioned in a recent email. FPGM teamed up with Kent Blaylock (a long-time friend and fellow street evangelist) to work a booth for his home church. We had hoped to do a lot of distribution and open-air preaching from the actual booth, but the festival coordinator stuck us in the worst possible place: far from consistent traffic and facing the outside wall of a building in the shadows. We are convinced this was done on purpose, but such did not prevent the Word from going out. The Lord still sent people, and our poor location ultimately spurred us to go out into the festival to do distribution and preaching. By the close of the weekend, more than 7,000 Gospel tracts had been distributed, and for many from this local area, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is now an unavoidable issue. On Saturday night, in particular, things got crazy and loud. A concert was going on, and alcohol was being served down in a roped-off area. We decided to go down into this “Beer Garden” and do some open-air preaching. Surprisingly, a police officer affirmed that we had the liberty to preach open-air according to our First Amendment rights. We were grateful, and the preaching went on for more than an hour. On one occasion, I remember being mocked by a couple of guys. Dylan approached and proceeded to have a half-hour conversation with one of these. In the end, he was humbled and took a Gospel tract. Later, a woman approached to say that though it appeared otherwise, there were people listening, including herself. Praise the Lord! We continued to lift up our voices like trumpets, resting in the knowledge of I Corinthians 1:21.

There were so many young people out there on Friday and Saturday nights who had no clue about the biblical Gospel and had never heard it explained. Some listened with intent, others mocked with disrespect. The Word still went out. I recall images of two teenage mothers under obvious conviction; praying with numerous people, including a weeping mother who was burdened for her drug-addict son; Kent getting the attention of small groups of people with sketchboard talks in front of our booth; and carrying around a handmade sign that read “Do you want deliverance from your sinful pagan lives?” One man came near and thanked us for the convicting question while another teenage boy lifted up his sleeve to reveal a pentagram tattooed on his right shoulder. He said, “I like my sinful pagan life and don’t want deliverance from it.” Sad, but true. Still, the Word went out.

At one point on Sunday afternoon, Dylan and I strategically started handing out Gospel tracts in front of a gay and lesbian rights booth. This allowed us to then share with the homosexual man who was working the booth. Unbelievably, he was a deacon at a local Episcopalian Church, and he wore a button that read, “Would Jesus Christ discriminate?” I saw the button and responded, “Actually, Jesus Christ did discriminate. When he claimed to be the only way to eternal life in John 14:6, he, in essence, discriminated against all sin, religion, and man’s self-righteousness.” Dylan followed up by talking about sin, the law of God written on our conscience, and our need for a Saviour. In the end, this guy took a tract and promised to read it. Please pray for his salvation.

An amazing thing happened Saturday night when I heard some guys calling my name. As it turned out, it was three teenagers who remembered us open-air preaching and handing out tracts in downtown Hickory well over a year ago. We used to stand outside this apostate “emergent-church” and witness to the kids hanging out there. The pastor of the “24-7 Connections Emergent Church” hated us and claimed that we were turning people away from the Gospel with our ministry strategy. He used to open the doors of his church and let teenagers loiter there on Friday nights. He did his best to cater to the world and make his church look like the world. The Gospel was never preached while underage kids were allowed to drink, smoke, and practically fornicate inside this joke of a church. These were never told about sin, repentance, or their need for a salvation. Instead, the approach was to make these feel good about themselves with a “Sin is no big deal and God accepts you just as you are” false gospel. Not too long ago, this apostate church got into financial trouble, and the doors were closed (an answer to prayer). The false prophet who led the church moved back to California. We, on the other hand, used to be blunt with these kids and tell them that they needed to repent (i.e. real love according to Romans 12:9). We appealed to their conscience with the Ten Commandments and showed them their guilt. We explained what God did for us in spite of our sin and proclaimed without shame that Jesus Christ is the ONLY WAY to heaven. Oftentimes, we would get cussed out and mocked. Others would listen and allow us to pray for them, and lots of Gospel tracts went out. I say all of this because those three guys who called out to me at Oktoberfest remembered me by name. They approached with smiles, jubilantly shook our hands, and wanted to know where we had been. I explained that I had been out of the country, and they talked about all the times we came down there to try and share with them. I asked about that so-called pastor who used to open his doors to those kids. These guys couldn’t even remember his name. They forgot the dude who catered to their sin and shunned away from preaching the Gospel, but they remembered us, the ones who preached open-air against sin and pleaded with them to repent and believe on Jesus Christ. These knew that we really cared about them and even said as much. I guess this proved who was really turning away people from the Gospel with a faulty “ministry strategy.” This encounter was a special encouragement, and again, we urged them to flee to Jesus. Please pray especially for Judah and Jamaar. May the Lord save them.

I could go on and on with more stories and tidbits from the Oktoberfest weekend. Suffice it to say that your prayers were answered. The Word had free course, and many heard. Glory to God; glory to the Living God! My dad and my brother joined us in the work as did a handful of other local believers. It was uplifting to partner with brothers and sisters in Christ as we sought to reach our Jerusalem (see Acts 1:8). How are you reaching your own community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Being a nice person and smiling a lot is simply not enough (II Corinthians 4:13).

Well, I suppose I should refocus and finish recapping our recent work in Finland and Northern Europe. When I last left off, I was sharing about the Saami people and the situation with access to the Scriptures in their language. I also talked about how Mikko and I headed for Lapland (the district of Finland that lies above the Arctic Circle) with one of our goals being to distribute the few Saami Bibles that we were able to purchase. To avoid redundancy, I will not repeat all of this. Basically, we spent about a week driving all over Lapland as well as parts of Sweden and Norway, proclaiming the Gospel as the Lord gave opportunity. Things began when we left the evangelism training in Tampere and made the long drive up toward Kilpisjarvi, a tiny settlement in the far corner of Finland’s northwestern arm. Enroute, we paused for the night outside Oulu in the home of a young Finnish family that knew a friend of Mikko’s. Ironically, the wife had a close colleague who suddenly died several days before. Thus, death was at the forefront of her mind. Unable to correctly ascertain where these folks were spiritually, we shared testimony of the Lord’s work in our lives and left some Gospel materials. I trust seeds were planted. From Oulu, we crossed the Arctic Circle and made our way up the Torniojoki River as it meandered along the border with Sweden.

In Alaska, one can cross the Arctic Circle in the middle of nowhere on the gravel Dalton Highway many miles from a real settlement. In Finland, the place where we crossed was along a nice paved highway, and a souvenir shop marked the spot. Such a contrast is one of many between Northern Europe’s Arctic region and that of Alaska/Canada. Warmer ocean currents make for ice-free ports at Petasmo and Murmansk in Russia and all along the Norwegian Coast. Thus, the harshness that we associate with Alaska and Northern Canada doesn’t blast the same latitudes in Europe. Don’t get me wrong; it gets cold up there, but things aren’t quite as harsh as that brought on in our hemisphere by gypsy tailwinds, Canadian cold fronts, and storms off the Bering Sea. Unlike Alaska above the Arctic Circle, with its barren tundra and small groves of stunted spruce, Finland boasts vast forests and abundant fall colors well above our hemisphere’s latitudinal tree line. In the northwestern arm and up along the rocky northern coast of Norway, however, the trees do peter out, giving way to tundra, barren fells, and thickets of naked birch. All was amazingly and sometimes eerily beautiful. All praise to the Creator God!

Enroute to Kilpisjarvi, we drove a bit in Sweden, admiring the red barns and fiery hues of autumn. The roads were better in Finland, so we crossed back at the next bridge and continued north. In one town, we stopped for lunch and witnessed to a lady who claimed to be a pagan. ‘Twas interesting. At Garasauvon, we crossed back into Sweden and saturated an old Lutheran Church in Karesuando with convicting Gospel tracts. The pastor undoubtedly will one day find a nice surprise in his big pulpit Bible. Perhaps one of those tracts will turn someone away from dead religion and toward a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The Lord knoweth. An old man walked in on us, and I know we looked very suspicious, especially since the sound of his footsteps had me racing down the pulpit steps, almost tripping over my clumsy feet. He had come to lock up the church and only spoke Swedish. We couldn’t understand him, so we simply left and walked back to Finland.

Later, the sparseness of settlements and the lack of people became a source of discouragement. It wasn’t enough to put out tracts everywhere we stopped; we wanted to actually talk to more people. We prayed for opportunities and determined to stop and share with the next person we saw. Soon, we noticed a man working outside his house. We parked the car on the side of the road and went to ask him if he knew where we could find Saami people. Suspicious, he asked why. We explained that we wanted to distribute some Saami Bibles and tell them about the One who gives us life. Curious, he inquired more, and as it turned out, he was Saami. We offered him a Saami New Testament, but he wanted an entire Bible. We obliged his request, and his eyes lit up to see a complete Bible in his native language. Being Lutheran, this man had been thinking about all the religious hypocrisy in the state church and was actually considering a move over to Catholicism, erroneously thinking that its religion would be more pure and less hypocritical. This man was very religious but clearly unsaved. He knew virtually nothing about the true Biblical Gospel. It was strange to him that we did not represent a specific church or denomination or try to recruit him. Mikko simply explained that we were born-again Christians seeking to give out the Bible and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. The Saami man was astounded that the Bible was free, and the simplicity of our message (i.e. freedom from the bondage of religion, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ—Acts 20:21) evoked his curiosity. This encounter was no accident. That man was truly one of the six divine appointments we prayed about before leaving Helsinki regarding the distribution of those Saami Bibles.

A few kilometers down the road, we pulled over to share with a Finnish man who was “rubber-tramping” (i.e. car camping) on the side of the road. As it turned out, he was a Lutheran Christian who had been a missionary in Africa for several years. His wife of 30 years had just left him, and in his grief, he was wandering aimlessly around Lapland. I believe our coming was an encouragement to this brother, and I trust the Lord used it.

We camped outside Kilpisjarvi that night on the asphalt of an isolated turn-out. It was clear and cold when we went to bed, but we woke up the next morning in a thick blanket of fog and a freezing puddle of water. The rain pelted for hours. Don’t ever put up a tent on asphalt, especially if there is a chance of rain. The water just pooled under us with no soil in which to be absorbed. As a bit of an outdoorsman, this was a stupid mistake about which I should have known better. Truly, ‘twas no fun packing up a wet tent and changing clothes in the cold rain of a cold dawn. Nothing was really open in Kilpisjarvi, so we attempted to warm up by slogging up the massive Saana Fell (1,029 meters). We wanted to climb Halti (1,328 meters), the highest point in Finland, but the one-way approach involved more than 30km of walking over barren tundra. Thus, Saana was a nice Plan B. Saana Fell is a massive piece of rock that towers above Kilpisjarvi and the surrounding tundra. The summit trail was a true slogfest, especially in the foggy whiteout and the cold Arctic temperatures. At times, one could not see three feet in front of his face, and the winds were gusting enough to knock a man down. Finally, we reached the summit and placed the Gospel in the metal box-shaped summit register. The whole climb—the whiteout, the false summits, the confusing trail, the wrongly placed cairns, and the uphill slog—all combined to paint a strange picture of the Christian life, a life characterized by struggle with sin (the whiteout), thinking you have attained the goal when you have not (the false summits), and difficulty discerning the Lord’s direction (the confusing trail), the deception and temptations of this world (the wrongly placed rock cairns). Like the uphill slogfest, however, the believer must press on in the power of God one step at a time, trusting Jesus Christ and praying for discernment from the Holy Spirit. The trail is arduous and difficult, but in the end, just as Mikko and I finally reached the summit, the ever-present hand of God inevitably brings the believer to his glorification, an unending life in His wondrous Kingdom. “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” (II Corinthians 9:15). And, you wonder why I like mountain climbing so much??? The Lord was good to allow me to bag a peak above the Arctic Circle in Finland. All Praise to the Maker of the Mountains!

On our way back down Saana, the fog began to diminish, and we beheld some of the strangest natural iridescence as the outlines of lakes and coves far below started to appear. The lighting was weird and glorious all the same—further cause for praising the Creator God. Back in Kilpisjarvi, we hitched a ride on a boat over to a small Swedish village (it was more like a small collection of run-down houses). After climbing Saana, this trail was a pleasant hike across relatively flat Arctic tundra to a wooden plankway that led to a concrete marker out in the midst of a peaceful lake. At this remote hundred-plus-year-old marker, the borders of three countries (Finland, Norway, Sweden) came together. To the west were big snowcapped peaks in Norway; Finnish fells rose abruptly to the east; and naked birch covered the ground. Then, the sun came out. Ah, the warmth was invigorating. ‘Twas a special place to journal, pray, and ponder the remainder of our trip. After a while, we fittingly left some Gospel tracts at the marker in case, by some strange circumstances, some soul would stumble upon them. As we hiked back to the boat, we ran into two Norwegian backpackers. They had hired the boat taxi upon which we had hitched a ride. These spoke good English, and the Lord allowed me to give testimony of the Gospel. I gave them a couple of our Project Jagerna Gospels of John in English, and they were very grateful—perhaps another divine appointment. Mikko tried to share with the boat captain, but he was angry at us for telling the Norwegians how much he had charged us for the roundtrip taxi. They had simply asked us, and we had no reason to not tell them. This man had charged the Norwegians 130 Euros, but he only charged us 16 Euros. The Norwegians were angry and wanted some money back. To us, the boat captain barked, “You keep your booklets.” He got caught ripping someone off and then wanted to blame us for it. Isn’t that typical human depravity at work? Oh well, the two backpackers got 50 Euros back, and this, I believe, set up a better situation in which I could give these those Gospels of John, especially since we had stayed behind to help make sure the situation was resolved.

Later that evening, we drove into Norway. The contrast in scenery was astounding. From the treeless fells, the road dropped into a Yosemite-like valley covered in thick forest. Coniferous green splotched with fiery orange, yellow, and red deciduous patches was incredibly beautiful. Then, there were the snow-capped peaks to the southwest and the huge Lyngen Fjord. Skibotn was a quaint harbor town that looked like something out of a puzzle. We left out a few Gospel tracts down along the fishing docks, admired the geography, thought about swimming in the fjord (although it wasn’t technically considered the Arctic Ocean), and then drove back to Kilpisjarvi. Crossing into Norway was weird. There was no border station, only a sign that read “Norge.” That night, we went to the sauna, ate reindeer pizza for dinner, and slept in a quaint hostel.

From Kilpisjarvi, our route returned a bit southeast and then cut up into Norway and over to Finland’s northeastern arm. Barren tundra quickly turned to rolling hills covered with pine. Soon, things began to look a bit like southeastern Oregon, just more stunted trees. This took us through prime Saami country, and we were able to give out a few more of those Bibles. I think of a Saami government official in a Saami museum in Entonekio, Finland. Mikko shared with her for quite a while. Then, there was an elderly lady walking down the street in her traditional Saami garb. She was happy to receive the Scriptures in her native tongue. In Karasjok, Norway, we walked around the Saami Parliament Building, wishing we had enough Saami Bibles to present to each member of that governing body. Not this time, but perhaps one day in the future. Instead, we strolled around the place leaving out English Gospel tracts. Later, in Karasjok, we witnessed to a bunch of teenagers hanging out downtown. They spoke good English but mostly mocked. The disrespect for the things of God was bad enough that I cannot repeat some of what was said. In the midst of this, however, one girl initially rejected with hostility but listened as I appealed to her conscience. In the end, she admitted truth in the Gospel and took a John, promising to read it. Shortly afterward, in the midst of a bunch of mocking punks, one boy held on to his tract while the others tore theirs up or threw them at us as we walked away. Lord, have mercy on these. We also witnessed to a local shopkeeper and a roadworker. After Karasjok, the ride along the Finnish side of the Teno River was unique in its own way. Then came Utsjoki, Finland’s northernmost town. Supposedly, this is the only municipality in Finland where the majority of the population is Saami. That night, we didn’t find any Saami but were able to witness to some young Finns from Helsinki in an empty parking lot outside a supermarket. Later, we crashed in a one-room cabin for the night. I couldn’t sleep, so under a cloudy Arctic sky, I walked from Utsjoki over the river into Norway. I left out a few Gospel tracts along the way, practiced some of my martial arts kata in an empty parking lot, and found it thrilling to cross an international border on foot with no government technicalities or official procedures.

The next day, nothing much happened in Utsjoki. Everything was closed, and our attempts to give a Saami Bible to the local Saami radio station failed. Thus, we again headed north to Nuorgum, the northernmost settlement (as opposed to town) in Finland, and the absolute top of the European Union (Norway is not part of the EU). We left out a few Gospel tracts here and there, crossing back into Norway. The scenery soon changed from stunted forests and snake-like rivers to rocky barrens with patches of naked shrub. ‘Twas eerily beautiful, a harsh and rugged land. Eventually, the Varganer Fjord and the Arctic Ocean came into view. We found a choice cove beside a rocky headland that looked out on the vastness of the open water. Having swum in the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Indian Oceans, it was obligatory that I take a swim, completing the world’s list. To say the water was cold is a true understatement. Cold and crystal clear! My skin tingled like it was being pricked with hundreds of needles for hours thereafter. In a weird way, it was refreshing. I understand why a lot of Finns like to go from the sauna to a quick dive in a lake during the dead of winter.

So, I got to climb a peak above the Arctic Circle and go for a swim in the Arctic Ocean. It was time to turn south, and in doing do, we saw lots of reindeer, picturesque wooded lakes, and an old Russian Orthodox Church. We stopped at the latter and left out some Gospel tracts. In Inari, we shared the Gospel with a group of about ten teenage boys who were skateboarding in an abandoned parking lot. Surprisingly, it was a captive audience, and most of these took Finnish Gospels of John.

In Ivalo, we found ourselves quickly leaving Saami country with three Bibles remaining. Doubt was creeping in about opportunities to give these out. Interestingly, we passed by a Pentecostal Church where people were gathered for a prayer service. Twice, we drove by this place; and finally we got up the courage to go inside so as to inquire about where to give these Bibles. Mikko and I stood waiting in the vestibule for quite some time, feeling really stupid. We noticed a Saami woman sitting in the congregation wearing her traditional Saami garb. We continued to wait, and to make a long story short, she was so happy to receive a Bible in her own language. She took another for her friend and then promised to deliver the last one to the Saami Radio Station in Utsjoki (the same place where we had earlier failed), encouraging them to read it over the air. She definitely was in a better position to approach such a situation than we would have been earlier. Again, a sovereign God knew best.

In our presence, this Saami believer shed tears for her people, for their lack of knowledge about the Lord, and for their lack of access to the Holy Scriptures. She talked about how many of her people, though traditionally Lutheran, are lost, returning to their shamanistic roots in droves because of the religious hypocrisy of the state church. Outside of herself, she did not know of any real Saami believers. She expressed sadness, wondering why nobody was reaching out to the Saami. At this point, it is worth saying that the Norwegian Bible Society denied permission for us to cheaply print the Saami Bible in America for free distribution. These also refused to sale us the copyright, claiming that the Saami are a reached people (laughable based upon our first-hand encounters and this woman’s testimony about her own people) and that free distribution of the Bible is a bad idea. The General Secretary of the Norwegian Bible Society wrote these words to me: “We see no reason for any free distribution program among the Saami people. Most Saami speaking families probably already have the Bible as they traditionally are very religious.” Does this ridiculous statement even need my commentary? No need for free distribution of the Bible? Why, because you and your Bible Society will not profit from this? The Saami probably have a Bible because they are “traditionally very religious”? Traditionally religious, that is the PROBLEM!!!! These denials, however, are no real barrier. In my research I found out that the 1988 complete Saami Bible that we were distributing was actually only a reprint of a text that was translated by missionaries in 1895. The reprint may be copyright, but the text is public domain. Pray for us as we seek God’s direction on printing this Bible for free distribution amongst the Saami. As for the Norwegian Bible Society and its parent organization—the money-grubbing, dead orthodox, liberal, business-minded United Bible Societies—SHAME ON YOU! Your Laodicean lukewarmness makes me want to puke! I can only imagine how this turns the Lord Jesus Christ’s stomach (see Revelation 3:14-22). Please pray for Rauni Mannermaa, that she would be a bright beacon of light amongst her people. Pray also for the Saami people, that God would send laborers among them and that they would turn from their pagan witchcraft and dead religion to Jesus Christ. Again, pray for Full Proof Gospel Ministries as we seek direction in these matters.

Oh, God was good. He gave us clear and deliberate opportunities to distribute each of those Saami Bibles in needful situations as we travelled across Lapland. While in that Pentecostal Church, we kept hoping that one of the Christians would open up their home for us to sleep that night. Even after inquiring about where we could camp, the invitation never came. This was a bit discouraging, but at that point we did not know what the Lord had in store. Several kilometers south of Ivalo, we pulled off the highway to camp beside a river just on the edge of the forest. It was freezing cold, and our efforts to start a fire with wet wood turned up empty. There would be no roasting reindeer sausages over a warm fire that night as we had anticipated, only cold sandwiches. For once the night sky was clear. Mikko bedded down while I toyed with photographing the moon. As I tinkered, a flash of light caught my eye. I looked up, and suddenly, beams of green light shot straight up and began to twirl and wave across the sky in a curtain-like fashion. The light was dancing. I woke Mikko, and for the next half-hour, we beheld a most spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis. Had we slept in a warm bed that night, we would have missed this incredible blessing. I went to Lapland and saw the Northern Lights in their full majesty. The God of the Universe answered my prayers. All praise to the Most High, my Lord and my Saviour. The next morning, the tent was covered in frost, and we were shivering a bit. An hour later, as we sipped on hot coffee at a roadside café, the overwhelming realization was that all had been worthwhile.

Our Lapland adventure concluded as we drove south, preached open-air on the streets of Rovaniemi (Lapland’s capital), and shared with loitering teenagers on a Friday night in Sotkamo. Those reindeer sausages did not go to waste. We enjoyed them beside a wooded lake that evening with a blazing fire and an incredible sunset. Reflecting back, the Gospel again went out in abundance. To God be the glory!

It was good to be with our families again in Helsinki after a week on the road and 2,000+ miles of driving. Our few remaining days in Northern Europe were spent on the streets of Helsinki and Leppavaara. One day, Bethany helped Jamie and me hand out a bunch of tracts near the Helsinki train station. The mind of a child was an amazing thing to watch. There was no respect of persons with her, and she could not understand why people did not want to know about Jesus. I remember talking to two Gothic teenagers; a young man with the word “Satan” and an anarchy symbol stitched across the back of his jacket; a Nepali man (weird?); a couple of Jehovah’s Witnesses; and numerous others. Pray that the Word of the Lord will not return void. In Leppavaara, the hit the university campus one more time and distributed Gospel tracts down near the train station.

My last significant encounter in Finland was with a young Muslim from Somalia. He was a fiery fanatic and tried to convert us to Islam. He spouted off all this junk about Allah and the Koran that isn’t even true (according to the words of the Koran itself), and he had a so-called “answer” for everything. Finally, I said: “Friend, can I be completely honest with you? Seriously, please don’t get angry. I just want to ask if I can be completely honest.” He replied that this was no problem. I then said, “I want to share with you what I truly believe. I believe that Mohammed was a liar and that you have been deceived by a false religion based upon a false book. I am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I believe that He is the Son of God and the only way to heaven. Now, I must ask you a question. Knowing what I believe, where do you say I will go when I die?” Amazingly, this man, who was such a loud-mouthed advocate of Islam, did not even have the guts to say that I was an infidel bound for hell (as the Koran so clearly teaches). He claimed that he could not say where I was going despite the fact that my public confessions had condemned me according to the Koran. He then admitted that he could never really know where he was going. At once, his religion proved useless, and his answers proved that he really did not believe the words of the Koran. He was floundering in a sea of “hope-so religion.” I explained how the Bible was a know-so salvation and how religion could not clean up what cannot be cleaned (i.e. our heart problem). We need a Saviour, and that Saviour was God manifest in the flesh (I Timothy 3:15), the Lord Jesus Christ. He did not want to hear this, but he did take a Gospel tract. Please pray for this young man’s salvation.

Wow! I guess I did give you a detailed recap as opposed to a general overview. I really meant to keep this short. I guess I let things again get out of hand. Please forgive me. It was a bit sad to leave our friends and the work in Finland. Please pray for the Sivonen Family as they continue to labor for the Lord on such a difficult mission field. Perhaps the Lord will give us opportunity to return and partner again with these faithful servants one day.

Well, I better sign off. This is probably my longest email update ever. I apologize. Please keep Full Proof Gospel Ministries in your prayers over the coming weeks. And, stay tuned for more adventures for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ.

Grace, mercy, and peace,

Jesse, Jamie, Bethany, and ??? Boyd

FPGM HOMEPAGE

Set My Compass North

Tue, 2 Oct 2007 08:43:14 -0400

Greetings from Finlandia in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, before whom every tribe, nation, tongue, and language will one day bow (Philippians 2:10-11; Isaiah 45:23). These are going to find out that He is the way no matter which way they choose. I just pray they find out through His love (Romans 5:8) and not His wrath (II Thessalonians 1:7-9).

Our time in Northern Europe is swiftly coming to a conclusion. Pray for us as we will be traveling back to the States on Thursday, October 4. I believe another missionary journey has been a true success for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ. Thanks for all your prayers during this time. Much thanks also to those of you who contributed to Full Proof Gospel Ministries financially so that these efforts could become a reality. There is so much to recap; I don’t even know where to begin. I will probably spread the story out over a couple of updates. Please remember: The purpose of these lengthy updates is not to boast or bring glory to ourselves. Like the Apostle Paul, we boast in our sufferings (II Corinthians 11:30) and glory in the cross (Galatians 6:14). Rather, I trust these stories inspire you to pray for the people mentioned therein and to embrace a boldness for proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ in your own lives. If you are reading these updates and have not been born again in Christ, I trust these accounts will clearly affirm what the Bible reveals: You have no hope but in repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). JUDGMENT IS COMING. TRUST CHRIST.

Where I last left off, Mikko and I were preparing to travel to Jyvaskykla for a weekend of evangelism training at a Baptist Youth Camp. From there, our path led to Karelia, a somewhat isolated corner of Northern Russia. All of this was a triumph, I believe, in the labor of the Word. In Finland (which is a little bigger than the state of California), there are only about 15 Baptist churches nationwide. Unlike America, attending a Baptist church in Finland is culturally inappropriate and to be baptized as a believer according to Holy Scripture in this dead-orthodox society is frowned upon (The State Lutheran Church in Finland teaches that infant baptism is the path to salvation as opposed to the biblical teaching that believer’s baptism is an initial step of obedience and public declaration of one’s newfound faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—see I Peter 3:21; Acts 8:36-37). Thus, the Baptist churches in this country are mostly made up of genuine believers who have a real love for the Lord and a desire to practice His Word despite societal anathemas. This particular youth camp involved about sixty young people, and such represented youth groups from all over Finland. Actually, sixty was a bigger number than expected, so we were blessed. I was shocked by how well-mannered and behaved these folks were compared to the typical American youth group. There seemed to be a reserved respect for the Word and a desire to apply the teachings. Truly, it was a pleasure to teach in such an environment. Some of this, of course, was the typical Finnish reserve and timidity that permeates this culture. I, quite introverted by nature (believe it or not), felt right at home. It was nice to be quiet and introverted without someone worrying that something was wrong or that I was depressed. In the spirit of Proverbs 10:19, we big-mouthed Americans could learn a lot from the Finns.

Anyway, Mikko and I spent the weekend teaching about the Christian’s responsibility in the work of evangelism. I focused on how to use God’s Law (i.e. the Ten Commandments) which is written on the conscience of every man (Romans 2:14-15). Appealing to the conscience with the Law transcends all man-made barriers of religion, fairy-tale “science”, and vain babblings. And, as Galatians 3:24 makes plain, it points to Jesus Christ. Using the Law plows the ground of the heart so that the Good News makes good sense: It shows us our sin and our need for a Saviour. Planting the seed of the Gospel naturally follows. So, we exhorted these young people that they need to share their faith verbally (You cannot separate believing from speaking—II Corinthians 4:13) and taught them how to do it. When we asked them to take some time and practice amongst themselves, most actively participated. This was encouraging. Later on Saturday afternoon, nine young people joined us as we went down to the streets of Jyvaskyla. I ran the half-marathon race in the Finlandia Marathon and again carried the Christian flag that read “Jesus Christ is God. The Bible is Absolute Truth.” While I ran, Mikko and these youth handed out sliced oranges to the runners and Gospel tracts to bystanders, utilizing opportunities to put into the practice the things they had been taught. It was so encouraging to watch young believers catch a fire for public evangelism. As for me, the race was pure misery. It was really cold, and it rained almost the entire time. At one point, ‘twas a real downpour. Notwithstanding, the Lord was with me and strengthened me. Many saw the flag as the route wound around the lake, beside a major highway, and through the streets and waterfront of downtown. At the 18km mark, I was glad to see that I had shaved about four minutes off my time from the previous week’s 18km race in Leppavaara. Also, I achieved (with the Lord’s help, of course) my goal of finishing in under two hours, crossing the line at 1:54:47. All praise to the Lord; His Word truly went out this day. Thanks for your prayers. As for me, I am taking a break from long-distance running for at least a short spell.

It was somewhat bittersweet to see this weekend of training come to a close, but since, I have received word that some of these youth have really made an effort to share their faith in their communities, from giving out tracts to having conversations with lost family members. Glory to God.

From our lakeside cabin outside Jyvaskyla, Mikko and I quickly turned our attention toward Russia and the distribution of Karelian Scriptures in isolated villages of the northern taiga (i.e. thick forests). The Karelian people are a dying breed that have a long history of being oppressed. Stalin relocated many of them and repopulated their lands with Russians. Most of their villages are quite isolated, and the culture is quickly slipping into obscurity. As we traipsed through Karelian settlements, I was reminded of the typical South Dakota Indian Reservation. The similarities were astounding, not the least of which were the dilapidation and the alcoholism. There was a hopelessness that prevailed, and it saddened me. Christ died for these, yet they remain unreached. Lord, have mercy. Many Karelians are caught up in the dead orthodoxy and false teachings of the Russian Orthodox Church. Like Roman Catholicism, this state church has a history of persecuting Bible-believing Christians. I have heard that in some locales, this institution even teamed up with the Soviets in hunting down underground believers.

As for the Karelian language, there are several dialects. Regarding the specific peoples we were targeting, only the Gospel of John and the Book of Acts are available.

For security reasons, I cannot go into my characteristic detail recapping our work or the people we labored with. Suffice it to say that many Karelian Scriptures were distributed in at least five isolated villages. We were accompanied by one of the Bible translators from Finland and an unsaved Russian guide who is a professor in Karelian language and culture at a university in Petrozavodsk. Paradoxically, the latter considered herself a Russian Orthodox agnostic, and for her, our outreach was mostly about promoting the use of Karelian language and culture. As is always the case when escorted by non-believers in an effort to spread the Gospel in politically sensitive areas, there was a risk of getting in trouble with the government and/or jeopardizing the ability to continue printing the Karelian Scripture portions in Russia. In this matter, we had no choice. Looking back, there is absolutely no way Mikko, myself, and our translator friend could have found these villages without a guide. At times, we were so far out in the middle of nowhere that a flat tire or a mechanical breakdown could have been a real problem. I think we drove well over a thousand miles on this particular journey, and trust me, Russian roads are no fun (wear, tear, and big potholes are the rule and not the exception). I guess it really hit me as I was driving and saw a highway sign that pinpointed us 713 kilometers north of St. Petersburg. From a communication perspective, having a guide was also necessary. You simply don’t travel off the beaten path in Russia if you don’t speak Russian. People do not know English or Finnish. Our guide was invaluable; she spoke Russian, Karelian, and Finnish. At times, we had three languages going on at once and a lot of second-hand translation. It actually took some work to fellowship around the dinner table, especially when we stayed overnight in the home of a Russian believer in Ledmozero. But ah, fellowship in Jesus Christ strangely transcends even linguistic barriers. Please pray for this young lady who guided us. By the end of our journey, she had heard the Gospel clearly on many occasions and had asked some inquisitive questions. There was a real sadness in her face as we parted ways in Kostomuksa, leaving her in that hard land. It was almost as if her facial expression subtly acknowledged the genuine peace we had in our personal relationships with Jesus Christ and yearned for this herself. Please pray for her salvation.

Aside from partnering with our Bible translator friend in the distribution of Karelian Scriptures, Mikko and I also utilized the opportunity to target Russians with several thousand Russian Gospel tracts that I had brought in from America. We did a little street evangelism in Petrozavodsk and Kostomuksa, and we also were able to supply some local believers and churches with tracts to distribute in their own communities. In one Pentecostal church, the pastor’s wife welled up with tears when we gave her a small supply. Another Lutheran pastor accepted a stack to sow in his community. His was an interesting story. Years ago, he was a high-ranking officer in the Soviet Army. He worked on the border near Crimea and was in charge of preventing the Bible and Christian literature from coming into the Soviet Union. Later, the Lord saved him, and he now pastors a small Lutheran church in the far north. Ironically, this man who once hated the Scriptures and confiscated them from believers was now accepting them from our hands for the work of evangelism. How unsearchable are the ways of the Lord!

In the Karelian villages, we left a stack Scriptures in the vestibules of several old Russian Orthodox churches. Pray that these copies of God’s Word will not return void. One wooden edifice was like a log cabin with the typical onion dome and Orthodox cross as a crown. It was originally built back in the 1700’s—a picturesque site on the edge of a forested lake. Once, we spent some time in the home of an 88-year-old Karelian woman who had been alive back in the early 1940’s and remembered when the Soviets burnt down her home in the war with Finland. Tears came to Maari’s eyes as she recalled this and the recent death of one of her daughters. The hopelessness was heavy. As we left, she was reading the Gospel of John in her language. Please pray for Maari’s salvation. Hanging out in this village home reminded me of many such visits I have enjoyed sowing the Word in Ladakhi, Nepali, and Tibetan villages. Village life is pretty much the same all over the world. Different domiciles, different climates, different peoples . . . but one hard way of life. “Vanity of vanity, saith the preacher; all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 12:8). In another place, we gave Karelian Scriptures to a Russian district councilwoman who was in charge of publicizing Karelian culture. Thinking the Bibles were an excellent means for promoting the language, she agreed to distribute them at the annual Karelian festivals held in the area—a shrewd way to get the Bible into the hands of the people (he, he, he . . .)

In 1991, I went to the Soviet Union as part of a government ambassador program for high-school students. At the time, I did not care about the things of the Lord and even got into some trouble on this particular trip. In a way, it was redemptive to return to Russia sixteen years later with a far different purpose—spreading the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. A lot looked the same to me as it did back in the Soviet days. The soldiers were not much different, just no hammer and sickle on their uniforms. Petrozavodsk and Kostomuksa were typical industrial Soviet-style cities with an air of real melancholy. Has Russia really changed? Many Russians would say no. The Soviet power structure is alive and well: different names, different offices, a different flag, but, for all practical purposes, the government remains a dictatorship and a spirit of oppression prevails, especially in the villages. Sure, Russian people now have the “freedom” to do this and to do that, to go here and to go there. Hey, maybe even in places like Moscow and St. Petersburg, the populace can even utilize these freedoms. But, in places like Karelia, years of oppression have created an INABILITY that can never really be remedied. The media may tell one story, but a lot of Russian people say that Vladimir Putin is not a democratically-elected president; he is a dictator. Nikita Khrushchev once said, “When Stalin says dance, a wise man dances.” Many would say that the same applied to Putin. The terror of the Russian Bear did not die with the fall of the Soviet Union, nor did the KGB. Wait a minute, I find myself soap-boxing again . . . please forgive me. At least it is easier to get Bibles into Russia these days.

I wish I could share more about our work in Karelia. Much happened to the glory of God, I believe, and we covered many miles. Driving the potholed ribbon-like roads wasn’t all that bad when the sun peaked through the typically overcast skies. A cold wind was the norm, but the forest was ablaze with fall colors and the deep green of evergreens. There were crystal-clear lakes around every bend and plenty of roadside berries to pick and enjoy. Late one afternoon, as I stood in the middle of a dirt road that seemingly led to nowhere, it struck me fierce again: I had been given the privilege of proclaiming the Gospel in another forgotten corner of the globe. Thanks for all the prayers behind this work.

As our team crossed the border back into Finland, the instantaneous change was surreal. The roads were again smooth asphalt, the dilapidation vanished, and the sun even seemed to shine a little brighter. I don’t know what it is with my passport and international borders. In India, the immigration officer thought my passport was a counterfeit. Coming into Russia, they had to get the supervisor to come out and look at the passport under a fluorescent light of some sort. Leaving Russia was no exception. The Russian border guard accused me of not having the proper stamp when it was right there staring at her on the visa. She made a phone call and eventually let us pass. On the Finland side, it again looked like there was a problem. I later discovered through translation that the immigration officer had simply never seen an American passport at that crossing (I felt special). He just wanted to look at it for a few minutes. My goodness.

Enroute back to Helsinki, we overnighted in Sotkamo and visited with some of Mikko’s relatives. His great-uncle was a successful businessman in his time but is now racked with Alzheimer’s and cancer. He does not know the Lord and is barely lucid. Just last week, he went into the hospital. Mikko’s aunt (Aeva) was a sweet elderly lady who enjoyed practicing English with me. She, too, doesn’t know the Lord but seems to be searching in this difficult time. The Lord gave us opportunity to share testimony with her, and I trust our coming in some way pointed her to Christ. Please pray for the salvation of these. In Mikko’s uncle’s case, the Lord does have the power to pierce the seeming mental hopelessness of Alzheimer’s and convict the heart unto salvation. May it be so.

Back in the Helsinki area, we were able to again go up to the university campus in Leppavaara and witness to a variety of international students. I think of those that were encountered: Bangladeshis, Tanzanians, Nigerians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Ethiopians, and even a few Nepalis. One Bangladeshi talked with me for awhile as I showed him the hopelessness and despondency of Mohammed’s claims. He took an English Gospel of John and promised to read it. The Nepali Gospels of John I had sent from America finally arrived. I was able to give one to Bidur (the young Nepali I talked about meeting in my last update) and another one of his friends. He also took some extra copies and promised to give them to his Nepali friends. I also ran into Bishnu, a Nepali of Maoist convictions. I explained that politics cannot fix the heart; that’s why governments are corrupt and can never bring real peace. He argued that the monarchy and democracy in Nepal have not worked. Therefore, the country should at least try Communism. I kept steering the conversation to the problem of man’s heart, and in the end, he was surprised that I could give him Scripture in his language. Pray for his salvation. The remaining Jagerna Johns and some Nepali tracts were passed on to a Nepali believer (Krishna) who sometimes attends the Espoo International Christian Fellowship there in Leppavaara. He agreed to pass them on to his Nepali colleagues. Please pray that the Word does not return void. After all, Project Jagerna (see HYPERLINK "http://www.fpgm.org" www.fpgm.org) is about getting the pure Word of God into the hands of Nepali people all around the world, not just in Nepal.

While we were in Russia, Jamie, Heidi, and the children hung out a Mikko’s dad’s lakehouse up near Heinola. Gospel tracts went out, and there were some witnessing opportunities there as well as on the streets of Helsinki. Glory to God!

On Sunday, September 23, I taught at a Baptist church in Tampere. It was another good opportunity to exhort and train brethren in the needful work of bold evangelism. From there, Mikko and I again embarked on a long road trip—this time up into Lapland, the northernmost region of Finland, most of which lies above the Arctic Circle.

Along this journey, one of our goals (in addition to proclaiming the Gospel to Lapland Finns) was to assess the situation of the Saami people, particularly the Northern Saami, and distribute some Bibles to them in their Saami dialect. The Saami are an indigenous people that can be found in the northern reaches of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Though Nordic in appearance, there is much about the Saami that reminds me of Native American life. They are heavily into Shamanistic animism while their traditional lifestyle involves bright-colored clothing and large teepees made of reindeer hide. Traditionally, the Saami are fishermen, trappers, and reindeer herders. Even today, reindeer husbandry is a large part of the lifestyle.

Many years of forced assimilation into the modern lifestyle of four countries makes it difficult to estimate the numbers of Saami. The population has been estimated at about 85,000 with the majority of these in Russia. Of this number, the Northern Saami have their own dialect and number approximately 9,000 in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Today, many Saami live modern lives with modern jobs in cities inside and outside the traditional Saami area. There are several dialects of the Saami language, and preserving the language has become a real important part of preserving the culture.

The Bible was translated into Northern Saami back in 1988 in Norway. We attempted to purchase some Northern Saami Bibles from the Finnish Bible Society before making this trip and were astounded to discover that only a few were available. There was nothing in paperback, and a single Bible cost about $33.00 (and that was with a discount). Thus, we could only purchase a few and just prayed for the Lord to give us discernment about when and where to give them out. As for Gospel tracts, nothing exists in the Northern Saami dialect. Such a situation begs a question: What is the point of translating the Bible for a people group if you are not going to print it in quantity, make it affordable, and attempt to distribute it freely amongst the target people? When the only option is a $33 Bible, one begins to question the work of the Bible societies. We faced the same problem in Nepal. That’s why Project Jagerna was born. Some would say that printing and distribution is not the job of the Bible translator. That is another man’s problem. I would wholeheartedly disagree. I am a Bible translator, and the work only begins with translation. Bibles in an indigenous language do no good sitting on a shelf in a bookstore with a price tag too expensive for indigenous peoples and/or Christian workers to afford, especially when these are needed for mass distribution. Translation, publication, and distribution are inevitably bound, and if a translator is not motivated by actually getting the Word into someone’s hands so that they can come to Christ, I question his reason for even engaging in the work in the first place. Sadly, if the truth were told, copyright laws and the notoriety of such a position inevitably point to money as a big driving force. God, help us.

Later, Mikko and I would run into a Saami believer at a church in Inari. She had never seen a Bible in her language and tears came to her eyes as she told us how her people were perishing in their shamanism without the Lord and that no one was reaching them. She was so happy to get her own Bible and took two more copies, promising to pass them on. One of these we had attempted to leave with the Saami Radio Station up in Utsjoki, the northernmost settlement in Finland. The office was closed that particular day. We told this sister about our effort. She promised to take one of the Bibles and give it to the radio station. Because preserving Saami language is such an integral part of preserving the culture, she felt confident that they would read it over the air, especially if a Saami person such as herself requested to hear it. Please pray that this comes to pass and that many Northern Saami hear the word in their own language.

I will refrain from further lamenting this unfortunate situation, a situation where a Bible translation is available but ridiculously expensive. I will also decline commentary on the Norwegian Bible Society’s claim that the Northern Saami are a reached people and their adamant refusal to grant permission for us to print Saami Bibles in the United States for free distribution in Lapland. It simply suffices for me to repeat what I said in Nepal: Shame on the United Bible Societies.

This inexorably brings up another point. With the Northern Saami, we personally observed what I believe to be an unreached people group in a Western-world country. In recent years, missionary organizations have focused so much upon the “10-40 Window” that unreached people groups like the Saami are not even acknowledged, perhaps because they don’t fit some manmade definition of what constitutes an unreached people group. Now, I have been involved with a lot of dangerous missionary work in the “10-40 Window”, so I am not disavowing its status as a needful mission field. However, a lot of Christians have been programmed not to consider Western Europe and the United States as legitimate mission fields. Sadly, in this twenty-first century, quite the opposite is true. The moral and spiritual bankruptcy of the western world (The United States is quickly following in the footsteps of Western Europe) in this generation means that there are lots of people that have never heard the biblical Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ (“Churchianity” and preaching a sky-fairy deity that looks more like the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella than the God of the Bible is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ). I have run into many such people in my own hometown of Hickory, NC. And, we have over 50 churches in our community. ‘Tis a crying shame! Hey, I would even go so far as to say that the Finns are unreached as well as large parts of America. Hear me out: Religious and church-going does not mean reached, and white skin does not mean evangelized! We Bible-believing Christians have a job to do. This generation of believers is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth, both in and out of the “10-40 Window.” The task is overwhelming, so let’s begin by getting up off our spiritual backsides and boldly taking the Gospel to the streets in the spirit of Acts 4:30-31.

Well, this update is long. I will save the detailed recap of our Lapland adventure and some other tidbits from the streets of Helsinki for the next issue. There is much to tell about which we can rejoice. Pray for Full Proof Gospel Ministries as we seek to determine what the Lord would have us do in regard to the Northern Saami peoples. We are currently investigating some options about how to print Saami Bibles cheaply in either America or Kathmandu. Later, I would like to see us take a volunteer team into Lapland in the dead of winter (when the long periods of cold and darkness yield prime opportunity for sharing with bored and undistracted people). In Finland, the roads are well-maintained, and winter travel is pretty easy. I envision many hours over strong Finnish coffee and in Saami homes sharing the Gospel and mass distributing Bibles we have printed. Maybe I am just pipe-dreaming, but my encounter with the Northern Saami seems to have struck a chord.

Again, please pray for our return trip on Thursday. We have to spend the night in New York; then it’s back to North Carolina. The upcoming weeks will be busy. The day after I return, FPGM will be attending a missions conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. And, the following weekend, we will be working with a bold brother in Hickory at the annual Oktoberfest Festival. He has actually rented out a booth space and secured permits that will allow us to stage mass tract distribution and open-air preaching for the duration of the weekend festival. Please pray for us as we utilize a unique involvement to boldly proclaim the Gospel in our hometown. Dylan and Cheri Harris (You might remember these folks from their Diego-to-Fuego bicycle journey and FPGM’s partnership with them in South America back in early 2006), along with their six-month-old baby, will be staying with us for the month of October. Dylan will be assisting me in some local outreach, and we will utilize the time to plan for some joint work in South Asia next year. Please pray for us. It will be good to fellowship with old friends. November will involve evangelism trainings in Claremore, Oklahoma and possibly in Capulin, New Mexico. Please pray for me as I prepare for these. In January, our baby is due. Please continue to pray for Jamie in the latter stages of her pregnancy. After this, it is back to South Asia for several weeks. I have already mentioned a lot about the volunteer teams needed for work in Bangladesh and Nepal in February of 2008. For brevity’s sake, I won’t repeat this. That time for this is quickly approaching. Please pray that the Lord will provide the team members.

I will sign off for now. The hour is late, and there remains much packing to do. Stay tuned for the concluding recap of our adventures here in Northern Europe. Also, check out the website (www.fpgm.org). Some photos from our work over here are up or will be shortly.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are most affectionately yours for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ,

Jesse, Jamie, Bethany, and ??? Boyd

FPGM HOMEPAGE

Greetings from Finland

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 08:39:49 -0400

Greetings, beloved brethren, in the name of the One True God and the Lord Jesus Christ, whom He hath ordained to judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31). “And this is the record, that God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son hath not life” (I John 5:11-12).

I bid you moi from Finland, a nation of $8.50 Big Mac Value Meals, $11.00 Subway Sandwiches, $3.00 Cokes, $7.60/gallon gasoline, and 22% sales tax. Notwithstanding, “my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

-Current Location: Leppavaara, Finland (a suburb of Helsinki)
-Outside Temperature: 48°F
-Comparable North American Latitude: Anchorage, Alaska
-Population of Finland (about the size of Washington, Oregon, and California together):
5.2 million
-Population of Dhaka (the capital of Bangladesh): 12.4 million
-Cost of Electrical Outlet Adapter in Nepal: $1.50
-Cost of Electrical Outlet Adapter in Finland: $55.00
-Number of Lakes in Finland: 187,888

Thanks for all your prayers. We arrived here safely a little more than a week ago and have since been busy for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ. It is a lot cooler here than back in North Carolina, and the air has the clean crispness of Fall. White birch trees are in abundance, and the leaves have even begun to change. The culture here is diametrically opposite to what we were accustomed to in South Asia. Life goes by at a much slower pace, one can confidently drink the water (which, by the way, tastes better than any water I have ever sampled from a tap), and the cost of living exceeds even big city life in the United States.

From a spiritual perspective, Finland, like South Asia, is dark. The Lutheran Church is the state religion, and this can be summed up as dead orthodoxy bearing little, if any, resemblance to the teachings and ministry of Martin Luther, the same man who refused to capitulate to the diabolical Roman Catholic Church at the Diet of Worms in 1521 with these words: “Here I stand, so help me God.” It is mandatory for a citizen to register his religious beliefs in this country, and 86% of the population are registered Lutherans. These, in turn, are required by law to pay taxes to the Lutheran Church, and most teenagers that we have encountered on the streets have been “confirmed” in the Church. Here, the sad fact is that church membership, baptism, confirmation, etc. is merely religious ritual for people who show little, if any, sensitivity to the things of the Lord. I was witnessing to some teenagers on the streets in Helsinki the other night, and a fifteen-year-old, while gulping down his tenth beer of the night, told me about his confirmation: “Yeah, we went on this ski trip with the church, and the priest waved his hands over us and did some magical ceremony. Then, he prayed over us and said that we were confirmed in our faith (i.e. saved).” This recap, of course, was interspersed with a string of blasphemies and adamant rejection of the Gospel that was being presented to him. Please pray for Teno. In the end, he did take a Gospel of John, and perhaps the Lord will bring our conversation to his mind at some point in the future. Sadly, his situation is quite the norm around here for young people.

Agnosticism and atheism are the common paradigms that prevail in this culture, despite church membership and state religion. And like America, Finland (as well as the rest of Western Europe) is one of those fields where, notwithstanding Christian presence and influence in bygone generations, the society of today can legitimately be called unreached. There are many, especially the younger generations, who have never heard the Biblical Gospel (i.e. repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ—Acts 20:21). I have seen this in America many times. Yeah, people may have heard about Jesus, or they may attend some church, but they have no clue about what it means to be born again, nor have they ever heard of such a concept. I honestly believe that I have a greater chance of running into a stranger in Kathmandu, Nepal who is a born-again Christian than I do here in Helsinki.

The Finnish people, in general, are a tough, resilient, and reserved folk. The harsh winter environment and their history almost demand it. An incredible story from WWII that is often overlooked in the history books is that of the Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940. Finland, one of the world’s smallest nations and boasting a badly outnumbered and ill-supplied military, was able to utilize geography, climate, and sheer will to literally stave off a colossal invasion by the Soviet Union, the world’s largest military power. For more than 100 days, a David vs. Goliath defensive struggle of unequaled valor and astonishing fortitude ultimately enabled Finland, though she lost some land to the Soviets, to remain a free and sovereign nation without succumbing to the fate of the rest of Eastern Europe and the Baltics. Truly, this story is one of history’s more fascinating. ‘Twas a time when the Finnish nation looked to God for their deliverance. Today, things are a lot different, and as is the case for America, Psalm 9:17 gives an ominous premonition. 
Mikko & Heidi Sivonen, along with their two small children (Barnabas & Timothy), are old seminary friends, and they are the only missionaries with their large organization in all of Finland. This is most likely a result of the fact that Finland, like America, is not considered “unreached” or in need of major missionary effort (an opinion I would wholeheartedly disagree with). At the moment, I recall a local pastor near my hometown who once told me that his church did not consider FPGM’s efforts to be missionary work because, at the time, we labored mostly in the United States. Christians sure are sheltered these days. I guess it gets real comfortable in the four walls of nice little church edifices. Ok, I am off on a tangent . . . Back to the Sivonens: Their field is large, and the need for the Gospel in this culture is overwhelming. Thankfully, they have a real heart for bold evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. It is a privilege and an honor for FPGM to assist and supplement their ministry in Northern Europe for an entire month, and our job description, while here, fits us to a T.

Please pray for Mikko and me this upcoming weekend and through the first part of next week. First, we head up to Jyvaskyla in Central Finland to conduct an evangelism training for about 50-60 Finnish believers at a local Youth Camp. My role will be to train them how to use the Law of God and appeal to the conscience when proclaiming the Gospel. Pray that the Lord will give me the words to say and that young believers will be emboldened to get the Word out. Pray for Mikko as he also teaches.

On Saturday, Lord willing, I will be running a 22K race in Jyvaskyla while carrying a large Christian flag that reads: “Jesus Christ is God. The Bible is Absolute Truth.” During the race, Mikko and some of the youth will be handing out tracts and sharing the Gospel amongst the bystanders. Last weekend, Heidi (Mikko’s wife) and I ran an 18K here in Leppavaara. She and I alternated carrying the flag, and many saw the Gospel message. I heard a lot of comments from fellow runners and bystanders, but because I cannot speak Finnish, I am not sure if such were complimentary or insulting. Oh well, no worries. During the Leppavaara race, Mikko and Jamie handed out fresh orange slices and Gospel tracts to the runners as they passed by a strategic location along the route. My finishing time was 1:41:26, a little slower than my goal, but the cold air, the wind, and the whipping of the flag slowed me down a bit. Besides, the starting line was so clogged with runners (close to 1,000 people participated) that one couldn’t move faster than a walk for the first five minutes. Oh well, the day was not about me finishing in a certain amount of time. It was about the message of the Gospel boldly going out. And, it did. Thanks for your prayers. May be same be said for this upcoming weekend. Pray that the Lord will give me strength to finish strongly and without injury. May many see the flag and be convicted unto repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

Sunday, Mikko and I will drive over into Russia and spend several days distributing Bibles and Gospel tracts in rural Karelian villages north of Petrozavodsk (land that was part of Finland prior to World War II). Pray that we will have no trouble crossing the border or picking up the Bibles in Petrozavodsk. Pray also for abundant opportunity to sow seed on unplowed ground and that the weather will allow us to safely travel the terribly maintained roads. While in Russia, Jamie, Heidi, and the children will be spending time with Mikko’s dad and stepmother up at their lake house. These are not saved, so pray that the ladies will have a unique opportunity to share their faith and make an impact.

I look forward to sharing with you how all this plays out. Now, let me recap some additional highlights from the past week or so. Shortly after we arrived (all the luggage showed up this time), Mikko and I hooked up with Shaun Rossi, an American and the pastor of a local English-speaking church plant. We hit up the university campus here in Leppavaara, targeting international students with the Gospel and inviting them to an church evangelistic kickoff this past Sunday. We talked to people from all over the world—Muslims, Africans, Indians, Asians, Finns, and even a few Nepalis. With regard to the latter, the Lord clearly put Bidur in my path. He seemed open to the Gospel when he saw that I spoke his language, and we even met for lunch today. As I write, a box of our Project Jagerna Gospel of Johns in Nepali are on their way to Finland. I intend to present these to Bidur and his Nepali friends sometime next week. Pray that the shipment will arrive in time. It was terribly expensive to ship these and some additional English tracts over here, but one cannot put a price on getting the Word to people in their own language. So, even here in Finland, I rejoice to announce that the work of Project Jagerna is continuing faithfully.

Anyway, as Mikko, Shaun, and I invited people to church, many also heard the Gospel. The international church evangelistic “kickoff” went well. There were people there from all over the world, and Shaun faithfully, boldly, and clearly communicated the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was also a joy to fellowship amongst believers with many different skin colors and ethnic backgrounds. The truth of Ephesians 3:1-6 was truly in that place. Pray for this church as it continues to reach out to international students at the university campus in Leppavaara. At the end of the month, I will be exhorting the believers in this body unto boldness. Pray for me in this matter.

Shaun Rossi, a faithful brother in his mid-twenties, has, like the Sivonens, been a real pleasure to work with. It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord puts people of like faith and like passions in our path to aid us in our mission: making the Gospel of Jesus Christ an unavoidable issue for as many people as possible all around the world. Last week, the three of us (Mikko, Shaun, and myself) hit the streets in Helsinki and then took an entire day to labor in neighboring Estonia (a former Soviet Republic), just across the Gulf of Finland. In Helsinki, we witnessed to some teenagers hanging out late in cold city plazas. I particularly think of Aekaa and Denne, two young guys who had been raised in homes completely devoid of God. Neither had ever heard the real Gospel message, and both claimed to be atheists (having known nothing else). The Lord gave me boldness and wisdom to expose the fallacies of atheism, appeal to their consciences with the Law of God, and explain what Jesus did for them. These seemed really open, and initial hostilities soon turned to gentle curiosity. Denne even said, “It is really weird that you came to us this night, and what you are saying makes a lot of sense.” Both took a Gospel of John and promised to read it. Please pray for their salvation. Mikko and Shaun also had some good encounters. It still astounds me to think of the 13-15 year-old drunks that I saw that night. Yesterday, I was out running and beheld two young girls—they could not have been older than 10—smoking cigarettes. Most of these, have no clue about the God who paid the price for their sins. Sad, but true.

Over in Estonia, we targeted the streets of Tallinn, the capital city. Getting there involved a two-hour ferry ride from Helsinki across the choppy Baltic Sea and a brief ordeal with immigration. Ironically, this former Soviet Republic actually had a feel of “Old World Europe.” The center of town boasted large cathedrals, narrow alleyways, a large public square, and cobblestone streets. The overall attitude toward the Gospel seemed a little different than in Finland. We gave out at least 500 Estonian Gospel tracts, and very few people refused. Some young people also stopped to listen with curiosity as I preached in one of the public squares. Not too long ago, during the Cold War era, there was no freedom of speech or freedom of the press in this place. People were not allowed to leave the country and true Christians suffered real persecution (as was the case in the rest of the Communist Bloc). I suppose curiosity about the Gospel and interest in what a few crazy street preachers have to say is a lingering effect from years of government oppression. Hey, we praised the Lord for it. We spent about eight hours on the streets of Tallinn and walked many city blocks. I recall encounters with a German tourist, some Russian youth, a French atheist, a Muslim from Azerbaijan (another former Soviet Republic in the Caucasus), and numerous Estonians. Please pray that the Word of the Lord will not return void and that these will come to Christ. I truly believe the day was fruitful.

Back in Finland, Shaun and I traveled up to Tampere, an industrial city in central part of the country. We handed out some tracts on the streets and met with a few local Christian workers, including a British couple that is trying to plant a church and do evangelism in a small town about an hour southwest of Tampere. The Lord allowed me to encourage these folks in their ministry and to exhort them unto boldness. The British young man, in particular, had an incredible testimony. He is only twenty and USED to be a gangster on the streets of London, heavily involved with selling drugs. Now, he lives in Finland with his wife, and these miraculously saved young people have a real desire to share their newfound faith with the lost. I wish I had possessed such passion in my early years after becoming a Christian. When I think of all the wasted and self-serving years in my Christian walk, a sense of shame comes over me. “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:24-25). Please pray for this young couple and their ministry. Again, God shows us that there is a faithful remnant and that we are far from alone in this spiritual battle.

While thinking on Tampere, I recall our witnessing to this young wanderer who was asking for money to get to Canada. We approached him because Shaun had reached out to this same guy several years ago when he was claiming to need money for the same purpose. He claimed that he was an anarchist and didn’t need God. He also had the audacity to argue that a society of no laws would bring peace. I explained that we needed laws because man is corrupt and depraved. He boasted in evolution but could offer no explanation for the undeniable existence of man’s conscience and the incredible design found in nature. Denying God’s existence and asserting that all ends with death, he paradoxically claimed that what Hitler did was wrong and that he would suffer for his sins. I tried to explain that if there is no God, Hitler got away with everything he ever did and we are no better than him. We are all going to end up as worm food. “The fact is,” I replied, “How can you claim to believe in evolution and then say that Hitler was wrong? In Hitler’s mind, he was right, and he simply took the ‘survival of the fittest’ claims of evolution to their logical conclusion.” It was simply unbelievable to here the logical inconsistencies and contradictions that poured from this guy’s mouth. The truth of II Corinthians 4:3-4 was abundantly clear in this encounter as was the enemy’s opposition. Every time we brought up Jesus Christ, some distraction would occur. Someone would come by and interrupt the conversation, another person would ask for a cigarette, etc. etc. Finally, the guy got angry and accused us of trying to start an argument. I told him that God had given him the free choice to accept or reject his provision of salvation. Then, this young man, who previously and adamantly denied God’s very existence, subtly acknowledged Him while arrogantly proclaiming: “I choose to reject God’s gift of salvation.” Realizing that the Lord is not a beggar, we shook the dust from our feet and moved on down the avenue. Sad, but true.

Well, I should wrap this up. The hour is late, and a busy weekend is approaching. Please keep us in your prayers. Ask the Lord to give us boldness, compassion for the lost, strength to work long days, and financial provision in this horribly expensive culture. Jamie and Bethany are doing well after a short bout with sickness; and the unborn baby continues to be pretty active.

While driving around the wilds of Karelia in Russia, perhaps we will see some reindeer, moose, or the Aurora Borealis. We could even run into snow and some rough reindeer herders who are open to the Gospel. The will of the Lord be done.

Until next time, we are most respectfully yours and nothing more than servants. To God be the Glory!

Jesse, Jamie, Bethany, and ??? Boyd

FPGM HOMEPAGE

Another Eve of Departure

Sat, 1 Sep 2007 08:31:01 -0400

Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the ONLY WAY to heaven (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). “For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens” (Psalm 96:5).

Again, we find ourselves on the eve of departure from these shores. Your prayers are coveted. Tuesday morning (September 4), we leave for a month of challenging and needful work in Scandinavia and Northern Europe. Our plane is scheduled to arrive in Helsinki, Finland early Wednesday morning, and we will not return home until the first week of October. Please pray for traveling mercies, especially since Jamie is over five months pregnant. Since my last correspondence, much has come together regarding this missionary journey, and it is exciting to again be on the verge of taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ into remote corners of the globe. As mentioned, we will be partnering with the Sivonen Family (old friends and long-term missionaries who are based out of Helsinki) in the coming weeks, and our focus will be threefold: Public proclamation of the Gospel; Bible distribution & literature saturation; and the exhortation & training of local believers. Of particular importance will be two planned excursions into the Far North just before the coming of the brutal winter snows:

One such jaunt will involve taking Bibles into Karelia, a region north of St. Petersburg in Russia. Until just recently, the Karelian peoples have not had any Scripture in their native language, so our objective will be to smuggle Bibles into Russia and then travel around the region saturating Karelian villages with the Word. Obtaining a Russian visa was a complex nightmare, but my passport finally returned to me with the proper visa stamp. The Lord was good. Thanks for your prayers in this matter. The second excursion will involve a long road trip up into Lapland (a remote region where Finland, Norway, and Sweden come together up above the Arctic Circle) for the purpose of Gospel distribution and making contact with existing Christians and Bible-believing churches (if we can find such). Again, this will involve village to village saturation and the targeting of distant pockets of people for whom Christ died. In places like Karelia and Lapland, there are countless small towns and villages where exposure to the Gospel is extremely limited or altogether absent. As is our custom, we endeavor to take the message of eternal salvation to where it has not been named (Romans 15:20).

Also, please pray for me on September 16. I will be running a half-marathon while carrying a Christian flag that reads “Jesus Christ is God. The Bible is Absolute Truth.” Pray that this will be a bold witness for the Lord and that I will have the strength to finish the race.

All in all, I look forward to sharing more detail with you in the coming weeks. As was the case while we served in South Asia, check the website (www.fpgm.org) for the latest news, prayer requests, and some fresh photo galleries.

Over the summer, the Lord has given us opportunity to proclaim the Gospel and offer evangelism training in numerous venues. It has been good to get back on America’s streets, and the Word has gone forth. I think of places like Detroit, Michigan where many Gospel tracts went out and a number of homeless were blessed with fresh socks. I also think of Montrose, Colorado and Shelby, North Carolina where the Lord put some Nepalis in my path. Being able to speak their native language was a real bridge for spiritual things, and these readily received some of our Nepali Gospels of John. In Lake City, Gunnison, and Grand Junction, Colorado, the downtown strips were targeted with the Word; and in Salt Lake City, Utah, my brother and I put out a lot of Gospel tracts at the annual Outdoor Retailer Trade Show (We were there working a booth for TCK Slog Series, an outdoor sock line that I helped to design and currently represent. Check it out at www.slogseries.com).

After the OR Trade Show in Salt Lake, I took a week to travel around Western Colorado and climb a few Fourteeners as a way to train for this upcoming half-marathon in Finland. This also served as a venue to take the Gospel to a few more American cities/towns on FPGM’s target list. In the end, I bagged five peaks (including my 34th state high point). This was far less than I had anticipated, but terrible weather and unexpected trial forced major changes in the itinerary. Twice, God delivered me from apocalyptic thunderstorms while I was stuck above tree line. On Mt. Elbert, hail and lightning forced me to descend a route that put me miles from my car and the trailhead. However, a gracious man from Virginia showed up and gave me a ride. The Lord was good, and this man heard the Gospel. The next day, as I sat atop the summit of Redcloud Peak, I gazed south toward the nearby summit of another fourteener (Sunshine Peak). Nasty weather was approaching, and I knew that I should go back the way I had come. But, another fourteener was so close, and I had worked so hard to get onto that high ridge (Such were my mental wrestlings). So, I went for it at mach speed. Two hundred feet from the summit of Sunshine, the sky opened up and dumped painful hail in droves. All I could do was bend over, endure the blows, and press on. Finally, I reached the summit, but the moment my foot set down on the pinnacle, I began to hear static electricity popping all around me. The peak was charging for a lightning strike. Immediately, I bolted down the slope at full speed. There was no shelter anywhere in the vicinity, and I had to get off that mountain. Several minutes later, a huge bolt of lightning struck not 50 yards from me. When it was over, I was still breathing and still running. As I reached the saddle between Redcloud and Sunshine, I met an elderly man who was likewise stuck on that exposed ridge. Our only option was to descend the loose and rocky north slopes—the closest route to tree cover. I led the way, taking several spills and causing major rockfall; and finally, we were both in the valley and amongst the trees. The danger was past, and the Lord’s hand of protection had never left. All praise to the Maker of the Mountains! As I trudged back to the car, it occurred to me that Sunshine Peak had been named inappropriately.

The ultimate goal during my week of climbing had been to summit Uncomphagre and the Wetterhorn—two of the gnarliest peaks I have ever seen in the Rockies. The experience on Sunshine shook me up, but I decided to proceed with the plan. This super dayhike would have involved 18 miles, about 7,000 ft. of total elevation gain, three summits, and perfect training for the upcoming half-marathon. Unfortunately, it never even got started. Rain came in, and my rental car got stuck near the trailhead. I was twelve miles from the nearest town and the nearest paved road. Darkness was approaching, and I had no choice but to walk back toward Lake City and look for help. The entire saga did not end until 3:30pm the next day, and it involved two unsuccessful attempts to get the vehicle out of the mire (one with a tow truck) and a jeep that had to come all the way from Gunnison (60 miles away). I was so thankful that I had spent $96.00 back in June for our annual AAA Plus Roadside Assistance Membership. That $96.00 saved me from paying $500 in this unfortunate situation. I share all of this because it proved to be yet another demonstration of Isaiah 55:8-11 in our ministry. I wanted to climb a few more peaks, but the Lord had other plans: This apparent calamity actually set up three divine appointments. The Lord put two rock climbers (Alec & Will) and an Iranian tow truck driver (David) into my path, and all needed to hear the Gospel. But for a stranded rental car and a failed attempt on some coveted peaks, these encounters would never have taken place. Moreover, the nature of our conversations proved that the Lord was at work. Please pray for the salvation of these. As I drove back toward Salt Lake City in an amazingly undamaged rental car and caught one final glimpse of the mighty Uncomphagre from the south rim of the Black Canyon, I paused to rejoice in the tribulation (Romans 5:3-5). Those peaks are not going anywhere, and there is always another day.

Back on the homefront, I have spent the summer conducting evangelism training at a local house church, and the Lord has given several opportunities to exhort believers in nearby local bodies. Pray that as a result of this, the Word of God will go out boldly and abundantly both “publickly, and from house to house” (Acts 20:20).

Please also continue to pray about our upcoming work in South Asia planned for next year. I had hoped to take in two volunteer teams (one to Bangladesh and one to Nepal), but I have yet to find any laborers who will make this commitment for the cause of the Gospel. Finances are also a major issue at this juncture. Regarding Bangladesh, in particular, there have been some problems over in Dhaka, and one of the national believers we worked with last year has gotten in trouble with the government as a result of his bold witness. Please pray for him as well as our missionary contacts there. Below, I have posted an email correspondence that I recently received from the Bangladesh front. These are brethren we worked with and are planning to work with again in February:

“Thanks to all of you who have faithfully prayed for the flood relief effort here in South Dhaka. I’m sorry to report that after much effort, the event has ultimately ended in failure. The initial order of food and medicine for 2000 families had to be abandoned on site and there is little hope it will reach the people in need. Why? Well, as most things in Bangladesh, it is complicated, but I’ll try to give you some idea of the challenges and some glimmers of success.

First, many of the people who offered to partner with us to help the people in need ended up being “bad guys”. After we purchased such large quantities of food, several groups started making financial demands for their cooperation and others started stealing the products. When we did not give-in to their demands, all of a sudden, they claimed to be greatly offended by the Bible verse (John 3:16) we had printed on the food vouchers distributed within the flood affected communities. When a group of street thugs caused a disturbance at the distribution site, all of our “unofficial” approval was out the window. Now the police officials I had already met said they could not provide police protection without official approval from the Bangladesh government. This started my journey to government offices all over Dhaka. No one wanted to be heard saying “no” to flood aid, but they did not want to be accused of cooperating with a Christian group either. After meeting with half a dozen government officials who kept passing the buck, the bottom line was that we did not have official government permission to do the distribution; therefore, no cooperation from the police. Under the best of circumstances, it might have been difficult to maintain order among so many needy people. With so many enemies determined to see the event fail, if we had attempted even one day of food distribution, it is almost certain we would have all ended up in the police station for causing a public disturbance provoked by our enemies in the community.

Without the most basic cooperation from the government and the police, we were wide open to more and more demands and threats from people trying to take advantage of the situation. We were stuck. It was not even possible to move to a new location or sell the food back to venders under these circumstances. With no hope of being able to move the food or distribute it ourselves, our team did the only thing we could think of to discourage the ‘bad guys” from selling the bulk food for a profit. We separated it into almost 2000 bowls we planned to give to the people on the first day of the event. Our hope was that this would force local authorities to give these bowls away just to get them off their hands. Again, we underestimated just how little they care about their people and just how determined they were to obstruct our witness for Christ. Instead of giving them to the public, they removed the furniture in a nearby school and hid the bowls from public site. What a disaster! Now, charges have been filed against my best friend and national partner for causing a public disturbance. I am in the process of seeking advice and praying God will show me how to help this friend. Pray I will do the right thing and stand by my brother through this trial.

Has anything good come from this situation? Here are a few things we can claim as victories:

1. For two weeks, the flood affected people, 50 national volunteers, the local community and over a hundred school children and their teachers have watched me and a small group of Muslim background Christians struggle to show the love of Christ to a community in need.
2. While not the best entrance strategy for a long-term opportunity to share the Gospel, the laminated food vouchers with the Bible verse John 3:16 have been circulated and faxed to hundreds of government offices throughout Dhaka. Gospel access has been achieved in these places and God will not fail to accomplish His purposes through that exposure.
3. Almost everyone in the community understands that the failure of this event is not our fault. No one believes we have offered something and then changed our minds. The community has watched us struggle for two week trying to help. Even on the last day, when I walked through the crowds waiting for the last time, I saw people pointing at me and calling out “good man, good man”.
4. It’s hard to be confident of anything at a time like this, but I’m sure that any good that has been witnessed in our lives has been connected with the love of God as expressed in John 3:16. Almost everyone is aware that this verse has been the focal point of controversy in this situation. My prayer is that this will cause people to meditate on the meaning of this message and what it means for them personally.

This has been a difficult time for me and my family, but I want to thank all of you for your confidence in sending and praying for us as ambassadors for Christ in Bangladesh. I have made errors, I’m sure, but I can honestly say that I have done what I thought was right every step of the way. Pray that God will be found strong in my weakness.

Meanwhile… flood waters are still covering Bangladesh, prices are rising uncontrolled in the markets making it even harder for the poor to purchase basic necessities, and as of yesterday the country is under a strict curfew in an attempt to stop nationwide rioting …we are safe, but many here are not. Please pray!”

Obviously, my friends, the need for prayer is great. I also heard more news from Bishnu, my national partner in Nepal:

“Thank you for your email and I'm so sorry to respond to you late. I was a little bit busy in the work God has provided for us. It was exciting to hear the work you did there in the streets and I was overjoyed by that and that also excited me to go more out here in KTM. Today we'd planned to go out to Ratnapark but it rained when we wanted to move but my heart couldn't stop compelling me to go out to New Baneswar where we did some distribution while returning from Bauddha, do you remember? Yes, when I was being ready to go there late afternoon, Biji [Bishnu’s six-year-old daughter] also wanted to go with me. So I took her with my bag full of 250 tracts among which were 85 Gospel of John Nepali, 25 English, 50 The Life of Jesus and 100 God Made Jesus to be Sin.
We distributed these tracts within 45 minutes and some people refused to take. One teenager told me, while I was giving him a tract, that he does not like Jesus. Then I told him, "Why don't you like Him? He just came to bear our sins and to die for us. He came only to reconcile us to God because we're separated from God due to the sin and don't hope to go to heaven with your sins unforgiven. This is not a religion but Jesus came from only true God who also loves you." He was about to move and I told all these things within seconds. Then he took one Gospel of John in Nepali. I met two believers from west Nepal, one man who wanted to read more Christian literature for free and a person positive to Christianity who has three friends searching for a Church nearby where they live. I give the phone number of a pastor of the nearby church. He was quite happy. This was a good day and especially because Biji always wants to go for outreach. Today also she distributed about 30% of the tracts standing with me at the footpath. Just pray for those distributed tracts that they bear fruits. Thank you for praying for us.”

For the moment, we cannot concern myself with South Asia too much. There is much work to be done in Finland and Northern Europe first. However, upon our return in October, we will have to hit the ground running. In order for our planned outreaches in Bangladesh and Nepal to be effective, WE NEED LABORERS WHO WILL GIVE OF THEMSELVES FOR THE CAUSE OF THE GOSPEL. Please at least pray about this. Also, FPGM’s finances are somewhat strained. Again, we find our monthly operating budget more than our committed monthly support. On paper, this leaves little, if any, fund availability for Scripture printings (desperately needed for our distributions in South Asia next year) and travel expenses. Traveling anywhere in Europe is horribly expensive these days (due to the falling value of the dollar), and these next few weeks in Finland, Russia, etc. will test our faith in the Lord, our Provider. In actuality, since FPGM was founded back in 2003, our monthly operating budget has more often than not been greater than our committed monthly support. Yet, God has never guided where He has not provided. We trust that these upcoming efforts will prove no different. If the Lord should lead you or your Bible-believing church to financially support FPGM on a monthly basis, know that this will help insure that we are able to embrace the doors of opportunity opened to us in Northern Russia and South Asia and keep striving for our ultimate goal: To make the Gospel of Jesus Christ an unavoidable issue for as many people as possible all around the world. Remember, all contributions to “Full Proof Gospel Ministries” are tax-deductible.

The Bible says that God ordained for those who preach the Gospel to live of the Gospel (I Corinthians 9:14). The only way that we can do this is with your help. Please at least pray about this and our personnel needs for the volunteer teams. I once heard a preacher say, “If you claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ and cannot go into all nations with the Gospel, then you should give so that others can. If you cannot go or give, you should pray. If you can go, give, and pray, you should be doing all three.” It convicted me.

Well, I better sign off. There still remains much packing and preparation to be done. Lord willing, the next update will be a glorious recap of fruitful labor for the Gospel from far away shores. Please pray for us and the Sivonens in the coming weeks.

One more thing before I shut up . . . Some recent happenings in the news and a few encounters on the street spur us to go on record with a few convictions. In these dark and foreboding times—when “judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the streets, and equity cannot enter” (Isaiah 59:14-15), we say without apology:

There is a Creator God (Genesis 1:1; Romans 1:20), and woe unto him that strives with his Maker (Isaiah 45:9). The Holy Bible is the FINAL AUTHORITY (Hebrews 4:12-13; II Timothy 3:15-16). Man is GUILTY (Romans 3:19-20), and at his best state, he is altogether vanity (Psalm 39:5). Homosexuality is an abomination in the sight of God (Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26-27). It was not mother nature; it was FATHER GOD (Psalm 24:1). The Lord hates divorce (Malachi 2:16; Mark 10:11-12). No murderer, thief, liar, adulterer, fornicator, homosexual, blasphemer, whoremonger, or idolater will enter the Kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:9). Buddha, Mohammed, and Joseph Smith were deceived liars and spiritual robbers (John 10:1-10). Modesty is the only option for Christian women (I Timothy 2:9-10). Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the Church (Ephesians 5:25). Children are a BLESSING from the Lord (Psalm 127:3-5). Going into debt is NEVER the better option (Proverbs 22:7; Romans 13:8). Sound doctrine is IMPORTANT (I Timothy 1:3). Let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity (II Timothy 2:19). America is in BIG TROUBLE (Psalm 9:17). Going to church does not make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald’s makes you a hamburger (Matthew 7:22-23). Believers should never date or marry non-believers (II Corinthians 6:14). A man that measures truth based upon experience is a fool (Proverbs 28:26). It’s a glorious thing for Christian women to raise children in the sanctuary of a godly home (I Timothy 2:15, 5:14). It’s not a good thing when all men speak well of you (Luke 6:26). False teachers are cursed of God (Galatians 1:8-9). “Lifestyle Evangelism” is an EXCUSE (II Corinthians 4:13). The cry of the hour is ecumenical unity, but God’s Word calls for separation (Ephesians 5:11) and a bold stand for truth (Jude 1:3). Sex outside of marriage is disgusting and offensive to God (I Corinthians 6:18). Seeker-driven ministry is ridiculous because there is no such thing as a seeker (Romans 3:10-11). A friend of the world is an enemy of God (James 4:4). A Christian is either a FANATIC or a HYPOCRITE; there is no middle ground (Revelation 3:16). The god of the Koran is a disgusting idol; he is NOT Jehovah God of the Bible (Isaiah 43:11; Isaiah 45:18,22). Repent or perish (Luke 13:3,5). Turn or burn (Ezekiel 18:21). Woe unto pastors and Christian leaders who lead their flocks astray and fail to teach the whole counsel of God (James 3:1). Unless a man is born again, he will NEVER see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3). Jesus Christ is coming soon, and boy, is He mad (II Thessalonians 1:7-8). Politics cannot save America (Isaiah 40:15; Ecclesiastes 7:20). The LORD GOD is holy and righteous, He is not like the fairy godmother in Cinderella (Isaiah 59:1-2). The Lord does not exist to make your dreams come true (Joel 2:11; John 15:20). WE ARE NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST (Romans 1:16).

If things continue to spiral downwardly in America as they did in the Book of Judges (e.g. “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes—Judges 21:25), I fully expect to go to jail and/or encounter strong persecution for my faith and biblical convictions. But, may the grace of the Lord be upon me, and may I respond to threats of suffering and death like Polycarp, a faithful man of God who was burned at the stake in the second century. When threatened with wild beasts or the stake if he would not recant his faith, he said these words:

“Thou threatenest me with a fire, which will perhaps burn for an hour, and then soon go out; but thou knowest not the fire of the future judgment of God, which is prepared and reserved for the everlasting punishment and torment of the ungodly. But why delayest thou? Bring on the beasts, or the fire, or whatever thou mayest choose: thou shalt not, by either of them, move me to deny Christ, my Lord and Saviour.”

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,

Jesse, Jamie, Bethany, and ??? Boyd

FPGM HOMEPAGE

Big Plans

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:27:35 -0400

Greetings, dear brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:15).

I greatly apologize for the recent lull in communication; I should have at least emailed that we had returned from South Asia safely. Please forgive me. Our lives have been a bit of a roller coaster since we arrived back in America on June 15. Even now, battling the reverse culture shock is a daily endeavor. After spending almost year in South Asia, I detect much about our materialistic, idolatrous, and hurried American culture that is vomit-inducing. God save the United States! Recently, my brother and I went out on a Friday night to sow seeds of the Gospel amongst the young people that characteristically loiter along the main drag in Hickory, NC. It was my first outing since returning from Nepal, and truly, it was a real struggle. We were mocked and could barely get anyone to take a Gospel tract. One young man said that he hated God, and another group barked that they wanted to be left alone. I thought of people mobbing me just to get a Bible in Bangladesh, distributing 1,200 New Testaments in twenty minutes in Kathmandu, and the large crowds that would always gather to hear the open-air preaching in Ratna Park. It seemed like we never had enough Bibles and tracts to distribute in those venues. This particular night in Hickory, NC was a completely different and discouraging occasion, for a mere handful of tracts proved to be much more than was required. But alas, God calls us to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season” (II Timothy 4:2). We are to be governed by obedience, not by results.

On the ministry front, things are busy as usual, and we rejoice that the Lord continues to give us opportunities to serve at home and around the world. This email update will mainly cover areas where your prayers and support are greatly desired.

On September 4, Jamie, Bethany, and I will be traveling to Finland for a month to partner with some missionary friends (Mikko & Heidi Sivonen) in the work of public proclamation, Bible distribution, and evangelism training. The Sivonens are old seminary friends, and Mikko is actually Finnish by birth. They have two small children and have been serving in Scandinavia for a little more than a year. At roughly the same latitude as Alaska, Scandinavia (Finland, in particular) is a difficult field. The weather is extreme in the winter months, and the people are typically reticent and introverted Many find themselves wallowing in church tradition and dead orthodoxy apart from knowledge of the biblical Gospel and a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ (Hmm, sounds like America). Up around the Arctic Circle, there are numerous small towns and villages where exposure to the Gospel is extremely limited or altogether absent. In addition to street evangelism in the Helsinki area and possibly down in Tallin, Estonia and St. Petersburg, Russia, we will have two unique opportunities to take the Gospel into the far north just before the coming of the winter snows. One such jaunt will involve bringing Bibles into Karelia, a region north of St. Petersburg in Russia. Until just recently, the Karelian peoples have not had any Scripture in their language, so our objective will be to travel around the region and saturate villages with the Word. Back in Finland, we intend to go on a long road trip up into Lapland (the northernmost region of the country) for the purpose of Gospel distribution and making contact with existing Christians and Bible-believing churches (if we can find such). Again, this will involve village to village saturation and the targeting of extremely remote corners of the region. Enmeshed with all of this, we will also be assisting at a youth camp in Jyvaskyla and with an evangelism training up in Tampere. Furthermore, I hope to compete in a half-marathon in Jyvaskyla on September 15 as an opportunity to be a bold witness for the Lord. Some of you might remember me running a half-marathon in Mammoth Lakes, California back during the summer of 2004. I carried a 3’x5’ Christian flag with “Jesus Saves” inscribed on the white field and attached to a pole as I ran—the same flag that accompanied me on my bicycle on two Trans-America missionary journeys. I plan to carry this same flag in the Jyvaskyla half-marathon. Please pray for me as I am training for this event even now. My body does not seem to respond as well as it did several years ago.

The above itinerary, of course, is subject to change according to the will of the Lord, and as our past travels have always shown, things never play out as planned. In fact we have learned to live by this dictum: “Know no surprises, and be satisfied with plan B.” In doing so, it seems that the Lord always does something better and far beyond what we had hoped or imagined. What we are confident about is that the Lord is sending us to Finland; we are going (I obtained the plane tickets a couple of days ago); and it will be a very busy month. Notwithstanding, the nature of this missionary journey will be right up FPGM’s alley (i.e. boldly proclaiming the Gospel where it has hardly been named and supporting/supplementing the faithful labor of long-term missionaries). I look forward to penning exciting email updates from the lake-dotted countryside, vast tundras, and remote barrens of the far north. Perhaps I will even be able to do so under the soft surging glow of the Aurora Borealis (i.e. Northern Lights). God knoweth.

Please pray for us as we prepare for this journey. Having just returned from South Asia, finances are really tight for us. Also, the falling value of the American dollar on the European markets means that travel in this part of the world is horribly expensive these days. Please pray that the Lord will make provision as He has always been faithful to do. Also, I need to obtain a Russian visa for the work we plan to do in Karelia. This is an awfully complicated and expensive process, and I do not have much time. Pray that everything will go through smoothly. Also, pray for Jamie. She will be making this journey while she is 5 months pregnant. Yes, another little one is on the way—due in January. We found out in Nepal but kept everything under our hats until we got home. Bethany is real excited that she will be a big sister.

In previous updates, I have already mentioned our plans to return to South Asia in late January of 2008 for about eight weeks. This will involve evangelism trainings for LTD (a closed country in South Asia) believers that K is bringing to Kathmandu (January 25-31) and possibly at a Bible college just outside Kathmandu; the bringing in of volunteer teams for distribution and training work in Bangladesh (February 2-9) and Nepal (February 19-28); overseeing the first printing of a Project Jagerna edition of John and Romans; and a Bible distribution run into the Himalayas. These plans have not changed. Pray for Bishnu Shrestha (my Nepali national partner) and myself as we attempt to complete translation work on Romans by the end of the year. Pray also for K as he prepares to bring brothers to Kathmandu for training. This will be very risky for him, especially as these attempt to take Bibles and tracts back into LTD. Regarding Bangladesh, pray for my partners there as they prepare for our coming and face a financial need like the one we face with Project Jagerna in Nepal. Their Bible printing funds are depleted, and we are going to need about 30,000 New Testaments and/or Gospels of Luke printed for the work the FPGM team has been asked to do there. In Bangladesh, a Gospel of Luke can be printed for about 18 cents. If you would like to contribute to the printing of Scriptures in Bangladesh, please contact us for more information.

As for the volunteer teams, pray that the Lord will send laborers. Right now, our greatest need is for the Bangladesh volunteers. So far, this team only includes myself, Bishnu, and Jon Lane. A fourth member is possibly lined up, but I would like to have at least seven folks so that we can split up into two groups during our distributions and outreach in Dhaka. We will be targeting the Muslim Estema festival (one of the largest single gatherings of Muslims in the world), the Dhaka Book Fair (you might remember my recapping of our work at this event earlier this year), and several key neighborhoods with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Like earlier this year, we also hope to do some open-air preaching and distributions from the boat taxis on the Buriganga Septic Tank (I mean River) that runs through the middle of Dhaka. If you are interested in being a part of this team, please contact me (see contact information at the end of this email). Airfare will cost around $1500 per person, and you will need to arrive in Dhaka on February 2. We will labor there until February 9. Thus, including travel time, you will be away from your home for about ten days. Obtaining a Bangladesh visa costs $100 and is a bit of a headache. This process needs to be started a couple of months before traveling, so if you are interested, a decision needs to be made soon. Know that there is some risk involved because Bangladesh is a Muslim country, and spreading the Gospel is illegal. However, Dhaka is one of the most intense and crowded cities on the planet, and the environment is something everyone should experience. There is a real hunger for the Word of God in that place, despite the Islam that prevails. It is really something to behold people fighting over a copy of the Scriptures or completely mobbing you to get one for themselves. It will be a real adventure. Pray about it.

Partnering with the Nepal Team requires a bit longer of a commitment (February 19-28), and such will involve labor in a more remote part of Western Nepal. Again, pray that the Lord will send laborers (see Matthew 9:37-38). Our aim with a Nepal team will be to do an evangelism training for local churches and distributions in several fishing villages. Basing out of Tikapur, we will engage in itinerant evangelism by bicycle in the vicinity of the Karnali River. I would also like this same team to be involved with mass distribution in Kathmandu for a couple of days. A good stock of Jagerna materials will have to be printed to accommodate this work. Again, I implore you to join us in praying for God’s provision. Printing our Jagerna Gospels of John (with a clear Gospel presentation intro) runs about $0.10 per copy. If you would like to learn more about Project Jagerna , please visit our website ( HYPERLINK "http://www.fpgm.org" www.fpgm.org). Once you enter the website, click on “Project Jagerna.” Contributions to this work can be made out to “Full Proof Gospel Ministries” and mailed to the address found at the end of this update. Make sure to write “Full Proof Gospel Ministries” in the memo space, so that we can ensure the funds are used for the printing of Scriptures in the Nepali language. Remember, all contributions to “Full Proof Gospel Ministries” are tax-deductible. Contact me ASAP is you are interested in volunteering for the Nepal Team.

All in all, a lot will be involved with preparing for this needful follow-up journey to South Asia in 2008, not the least of which is financial provision. Pray that the Lord will make such provision. This matter, from a human perspective, is overwhelming from where I presently sit, but the Lord has never failed to adequately provide where we clearly guides. If the Lord should lead you or your Bible-believing church to financially support FPGM on a monthly basis, know that this will help insure that we are able to embrace the doors of opportunity opened to us in Finland and South Asia and keep striving for our ultimate goal: To make the Gospel of Jesus Christ an unavoidable issue for as many people as possible all around the world. The Bible says that God ordained for those who preach the Gospel to live of the Gospel (I Corinthians 9:14). The only way that we can do this is with your help. Please pray about it.

On another note, please pray daily for Bishnu Shrestha, FPGM’s national partner in Nepal. He has continued to lead a group down to the mosque and Ratna Park each Friday for public preaching and tract/Scripture distribution. Another 5,000 Gospels of John have gone out in recent weeks. Unfortunately, there have been some threats against their work as of late. On one occasion, they were told by so-called “agents” that they could not evangelize in Ratna Park anymore. Also, it was said that they would be beaten if they continued to distribute and preach the Gospel. We never heard such direct threats when I was there. Anyway, the faithful brothers have continued the work, and nothing terrible has happened yet. Pray for their safety. Below, I have reprinted part of a recent email correspondence from Bishnu. Here, he describes an outing that occurred AFTER the aforementioned threats were made. We could learn from such boldness:

“Thank you again for praying for us. Last Friday, July 13, 2007 was also a good day for our street evangelism. As usual we, Anand, Ashish, Laxmi and myself went to the Ratna park where free people gather there who have time to listen and discuss. There are some people already sitting in our open pulpit. As we reach I greeted them and started distributing the one page tract. Then, our discussion started. After few minutes we started to sing some hymns with guitar which attracted people. Then brother Anand preached and then we again sang a hymn. Then I preached from the Ten Commandments making people to think about their sinfulness and helplessness to go to heaven. Then I preached the Gospel as the only way of salvation. Many were listening attentively and most of them were young people. As I was preaching my throat was gone. Then I took a small break and other brothers sang a hymn titled, "Jesus calls you all," while I drank some water from my bag. Then again I preached that "when Hindus do sins, then they search God in stones, idols, air, fire and river, but the true God of Bible came to search for us." Then I quoted Isaiah 1:18, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Then I preached about the result of sin and the way to be free from that. At last I quoted Revelation 3:20, " Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Then I challenged them that they couldn't enter the heaven with their sin in themselves because God is holy and He doesn't allow sin to enter His Kingdom. I again gave assurance that God hates sin but loves the sinners. Then we distributed 250 of Gospels of John in Nepal, 100 of Gospels of John in English, 50 of The Life of Jesus, and 200 of God Made Jesus to Be Sin, altogether 800 tracts. Please pray for these tracts that they are fruitful. Then started an intense discussion with some orthodox Hindus. They told me, "There is no sin." But I asked them, "When you lie, your conscience accuses you of your guilt. This is the sin and God also tells this sin." Then some of them accepted that I was right but in the last a man came to us and told, "We're the agents and the one who sends us wants to have religious violence in Nepal. You've no right to preach like this." Then we opposed him and left. This was also a victory in Jesus. Please pray for our safety in the days to come.”

This upcoming weekend, please pray for us as we travel to Michigan for a family reunion on Sunday. My grandmother was one of fourteen children, so it is a big reunion. Anyway, I have been asked to preach at the “worship service” that will inaugurate the day’s festivities. There will be lost people in attendance, so pray “that I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 5:20). I have never been one to mince words when it comes to the exclusivity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In an effort to further strive toward FPGM’s goal of taking the Gospel to the streets of every significant city and town in America, we will also be going down into the heart of Detroit on Saturday night to proclaim and distribute the Word and minister to the homeless with fresh socks. Be in prayer about this. Lord willing, by brother and brother-in-law will be accompanying me.

Finally, on the homefront, I am conducting a training at a local church for the duration of the summer. Pray for the brethren of New Testament Christian Fellowship as they are trained in the work of bold and public evangelism.

Well, I better sign off. We have to catch an early flight in the morning. Please commit the above matters to prayer, and as always, thanks for partnering with us in the work of the Great Commission. The prayers, encouragements, and financial support from many of you who may be reading this have always been a welcome aid, and our prayer is that God returns the blessing again unto you tenfold, no, and hundredfold. Don’t ever hesitate to let us know how we can specifically pray for you.

Stay tuned for more news on Jamie’s pregnancy, the upcoming trips to Finland and South Asia, and our evangelistic adventures in the good old USA—The Land of the Lost and the Home of the Pagans. The situation is truly dire, my friends (see Psalm 9:17).

Peace be with you all,
Jesse, Jamie, and Bethany Boyd

FPGM HOMEPAGE

Reflections from Delhi

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 08:20:51 -0400

Greetings from Delhi, India, the last stop along this ten-month journey for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ. I trust all of you received my most recent update of a few days ago; some technical problems were encountered while sending it. That particular update contained a few important prayer requests, so if you did not get it and would like to, drop me an email request.

We left Nepal two days ago, and since, most of our time has been spent inside, trying to endure the heat in this chaotic metropolis. The Gangetic Plain of India is miserable this time of year. Temperatures regularly soar above 100°F, the haze is thick, and the air is sticky. The monsoon will bring some relief, but it has yet to begin. Being in Delhi brings to mind the truth of a statement I have heard many times: “Coming to Nepal from India is like a breath of fresh air.” Not exactly, if reference is being made to Kathmandu. This time of year, just before the monsoonal rains, it ranks as one of the most polluted cities in all the world. Smog gets stuck in the bowl-shaped valley, and the warm air keeps it there. I gave up jogging this Spring because I did not want my lungs to turn black. Ah, the joys of life in South Asia. We love it and would do it all over again!

In my most recent update, I failed to mention a little adventure the Lord gave me in Nepal several days before our departure. There is a small peak on the north side of the Kathmandu Valley Rim—Shivapuri (8,963 ft.)—that I had long desired to climb, going back to our previous stay in Nepal in 1999-2000. Why? Because it’s there, I guess. Anyway, I finally decided to go for it on a day when it looked like rain was inevitable. I set out on my motorbike and drove up beyond the village of Budhanilkantha (the site of a Sleeping Vishnu idol that pilgrims come to worship) and into Shivapuri National Park. The road got really bad, but it was only a few kilometers to the trailhead, and the guard told me that the summit was only a ten minute walk from this nearby Buddhist gompa. For some reason, I seriously doubted this. Ten minutes of sauntering actually became 4 hours of slogging in the fog. The monsoon hadn’t officially started in Nepal, but we had been getting some unrelated rain. And, the rainy season is not the time to be trekking or hiking in the Himalayan foothills (I have learned this the hard way). Leeches are everywhere, and the clay soil becomes so slick that you can hardly go up or down without breaking a leg. If it does start to rain, then trails can quickly become small rivers. Notwithstanding, the hike was good exercise; I ran into a mongoose and heard leopard growling nearby. I encountered a few villagers and some army personnel on the trail. I was able to share with these, and some took Gospels of John, including a Hindu priest who was meditating on Shivapuri’s summit. As I began my long descent back down the mountain, I noticed that he was intently reading it.

I also ran into Damien, a young man from Belgium. He asked what I was doing in Nepal, so I bluntly told him that I was a missionary intent upon spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I expected a harsh rebuke (normal response from hippie trekkers when you bring up the Gospel), but I was surprised by his curiosity. He asked a lot of questions that allowed me to quote Scripture, go in-depth about the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and exhort him to investigate the claims of the Bible. I could have kicked myself for not bringing an English Gospel of John, and I told him this. He replied, “I probably would not have taken it; I have chosen a path of meditation. However, I WILL REMEMBER WHAT YOU HAVE SAID” (emphasis mine). I actually walked away happy with his last statement. There was victory in this, for the Word of the Lord does not return void (Isaiah 55:11). Please pray for Damien’s salvation and for his father’s health. Apparently, he is really sick back in Belgium, and Damien was going to have to cut his trip short to return home and be with him. I promised him I would pray about this, so I ask you to do the same.

As I made the long descent following a successful summit of Shivapuri, I passed by a Hindu temple, tons of trashy prayer flags, and a Buddhist gompa where mantras poured out of the puja room to a disturbing drumbeat. Some young monks smiled at me through the dark doorway, and I thought about how these had been deceived into worshipping a selfish coward like Buddha (who, by the way, never claimed to be a god) and following the god of this world (II Corinthians 4:4)—the true force behind the “tranquility” of Tibetan Buddhism that Westerners go “gah-gah” over so much. After the manner of Jude 1:9, “The LORD rebuke thee, Satan” was my utterance as I headed for my purple Pulsar waiting by the side of the road. I also lifted up a prayer for those young monks and thought about the judgment that awaits those who have led these little ones astray (Luke 17:2).

Back at the motorbike, I had two choices: Go back the way you came (which only involved five kilometers on a bad road back to the pavement), OR take a more scenic route that involved twelve kilometers on the same road, hoping that the road’s condition would improve. It didn’t look like rain, and I was feeling adventurous, so I opted for the latter. About five kilometers into this jaunt (i.e. past the point of no return where it as equidistant to keep going or turn back), this turned into a terrible mistake. The road did not improve, and the heavens opened up a torrential downpour. Pretty soon, the road became a river with 2ft. deep puddles, I was completely soaked, and the bike was covered in mud. In the end, it took me 2 hours to go a mere 12 kilometers (about 7.2 miles). At one point, the water was rushing incredibly fast across the road, and one-half of it had already caved in. To the right was a large drop-off. I only had one choice: Ride along the narrow remaining shelf of the road and pray that the water is not too deep. I took a deep breath and proceeded. God saw me to safety. By the time I finally reached the pavement and then the outskirts of Kathmandu, I truly was a site to behold. But, I and the purple Pulsar had survived to tell the tale of yet another adventure in a place called Nepal. Praise be unto God. On this outing, it became abundantly clear why Nepal sees so many landslides every year once the rains begin.

Such encounters with the false religions of this place, as described above, and a recent newsletter from a New Zealand brother who has also been laboring in Nepal leads me to ramble a bit:

What would you say about a man who left his wife and children, ran away from home, and spent the rest of his life in the jungle? An irresponsible and selfish coward, right? A really bad guy, right? Well, that is exactly what Buddha did. To search for “peace” he left his family and went into the jungle to meditate. His teachings have always been “Meditate like me, and you can find peace; I will show you the way.” The best this madman and spiritual atheist could do was offer help in “finding peace.” The Lord Jesus Christ, however, brought a very different message. He did not say “I will help you find peace.” He said “I will GIVE you peace” (John 14:27). He didn’t say “I will show you the way.” He claimed “I AM THE WAY” (John 14:6). Buddha did what he did for himself, but JESUS GAVE HIMSELF FOR US.

Then, there are the Hindus who claim that their religion is oldest in the world, having come from Mt. Kailash in Tibet, the place Shiva supposedly came in the world. Even today, Hindu pilgrims flock to this mountain and pay homage to what they believe is the source of their religion. I have one question: “Where did Mt. Kailash come from?” In truth, the incredible majesty of Mt Kailash really declares the glory and power of the Creator (Romans 1:18-20). There is no language where the witness of the creation is not heard (Psalm19:3). But alas, man changes the truth of God into a lie and worships and serves the creation rather than the Creator (Romans 1.25). To a Hindu, I can say with authority: “Before your god came from Mt. Kailash, my God made Mt. Kailash.” A Christian brother from New Zealand was sharing in a recent newsletter about an encounter he had with a Hindu priest and a yogi at one of the oldest temples in Nepal. He asked this question: “What would be the criteria for God to be God?” These did not have an answer and responded, “You tell us.” The Christian brother replied: “Is it not love?” The priest and the yogi agreed. Then, the Christian said, “Which of your Hindu gods loves you? Kali wants blood. Shiva wants drugs and alcohol. Krishna said he came to the world to destroy the sinner. So, who loves you? Which of your gods wants to save you?” The truth is, as the Christian brother went on to explain to the priest and the yogi: “Jesus Christ is the only God who came to save the sinner. So who would you like to follow? You must decide—the one who comes to destroy you or the One who wants to save you.” The priest and the yogi had no answer. Pray for their salvation.

The “There are many ways to God and all religions teach the same thing” crowd likes to boast that Jesus Christ and the Hindu Krishna are pretty much the same—avatars or incarnations of the “divine principle” (whatever that is). The fact is, Krishna was in immoral animal who would make King Solomon look like a “one-woman kind of man.” He is known for his association with the naked body of a woman, and a Nepali proverb sheds a lot of light on this fool: “If Krishna does it; it’s a miracle. If we do the same, it’s rape.”

It is truly sad to see so many people deceived by false religion and fairy tales that provide no real answers to their hopelessness. The truth of II Corinthians 4:4 is very real. A month or so ago, some of our Hindu friends from many years ago (they were our landlords back in 1999-2000) lost their only son (a very bad thing in Hindu culture). He was found dead in a Delhi hotel room, and to this day, they do not know what happened. When Jamie and I heard the news, we went over to their home to simply be with them. I had shared the Gospel with this family many times, and I had given them a Bible and other materials. Thus, there really was nothing more that I could say, especially in a hopeless situation where a young man died without Jesus Christ. In those moments, I clearly saw that all the rituals, all the pujas, all the tikas, and all the religion could not bring back their son or give them any sense of peace. The sorrow and despair in that household was so thick that you could cut it with a khukri knife. This was further evidenced by an altar that had been set up to honor their dead son. People were placing food offerings on this altar, lighting candles, and burning incense. Then, the mother (a long-time friend of ours and an excellent cook) starting talking to us about how her husband needed to find another wife. She said, “I am too old to give him any more children. But, if a younger woman becomes his wife, they can try to have more children, and maybe through this, our only son can be reincarnated into the world.” Weeping, she went on to say: “We have to bring our son back.” In that moment, by heart sunk, and I could form no words. In the end, the Lord led me to simply offer to pray for them. Publicly, I asked that the Lord would comfort them and clearly reveal Himself, showing that family the peace that could only be found in Jesus Christ. Jamie would go over to the Thapa household and spend time with the mother several more times before we left Nepal. Sadly, the death of their son caused her to dive deeper into her Hinduism. She purchased a couple of new idols and had them proudly displayed in her home. Still, these could not speak, hear, answer, or being her son back. Only the Lord can open their eyes to the Truth. Please pray for the Thapa family. In the end, may God use this sad loss to point them to Jesus Christ. There is nothing that can be done for their son; but for them, there yet remaineth hope. Kunta, the mother, got a visa to America and will soon be coming to live with one of her daughters (an old friend of Jamie’s) for several months in the Atlanta area. Pray that we will have an opportunity to visit with these, and that seeds we have planted will be further watered by future encounters.

Another sad twist to this story is the fact that one of the daughters had been attending a church in the Atlanta area with her husband and their little girl. In fact, the little girl had been going to Awanas for quite some time. When this tragedy struck, Sanju emailed Jamie on several occasions in utter despair. She wrote things like: “What can we do for him?”, “Please pray for my brother’s soul,” “Is there any hope?” Jamie clearly explained to Sanju, as she had many times, that real hope and real peace can only be found in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. I was disgusted to read these correspondences because they implied that this church they had attended had made no real effort to share the Gospel and/or reach this Hindu family. The fact that they could comfortably attend church there while contently remaining Hindu tells me very clearly that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was not being preached. All they heard from the pulpit were probably little ditties about “love all, serve all” instead of repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (see Paul’s example in Acts 20:21). I understand why lukewarm churchianity makes the Lord want to puke (see Revelation 3:16). The insinuations in this circumstance literally turned my stomach. Now, I pray that I am wrong and that I have misread things in this matter. But, in these days of apostasy and neutered preaching, such would be far from a surprise. Again, please pray for Sanju Thapa and her family in Atlanta, for Kunta who will shortly be coming to America, for Shiva Ram and Ranju (the other daughter) who will be remaining behind in Kathmandu. We truly love these people and want to see them come to Jesus Christ. And, thanks be unto God, He does have the power to save them.

Reaching high caste Hindus in Nepal, like the Thapas, is very difficult. These enjoy a high social status, and giving up Hinduism to come to Christ would inevitably cause them to lose this. Sadly, like the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:22, many of these, when confronted with the person and work of Jesus Christ, walk away sorrowful, for they have great possessions. Jesus goes on to say in this passage that it is harder for a rich man to enter heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. His disciples responded, “Who then can be saved?” (Matthew 19:25). Jesus then gave hope even for high caste Hindus: “With me this is impossible; but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

In my previous email, I mentioned a final opportunity for me to go to the mosque and Ratna Park with my bold and faithful Nepali Christian brothers. On this occasion, the Lord allowed me to preach open-air for about an hour. Pastor Anand was an incredible translator, and the crowd did get pretty large. After the manner of Paul in Athens (Acts 17), I made reference to the fact that Nepal is a place where many gods and many idols are worshipped. I then asked about references to a “God” I would characteristically see mentioned on posters, in shop windows, or painted on the back of large transport trucks. I have seen statements like “God is One”, “God is Love,” and even “If God be for us, who can be against us?” I asked the crowd, “Who is this UNKNOWN GOD that your culture casually makes reference to in its decoration?” I followed up with “I have come to proclaim this UNKNOWN GOD, the Creator of heaven and earth, to you today.” The preaching continued with elaboration about God’s witness of Himself in creation, through conscience, and by special revelation (i.e. the Bible). Creation reveals God’s glory, power, and righteousness (Psalm 19:1-3; 97:6; Romans 1:18-25). Conscience reveals God’s holiness and condemns man for his sinfulness (Psalm 19:7-11; Romans 2:14-15). Special Revelation—God’s Word—reveal’s God’s purpose and plan for the ages and his program of redemption for mankind through the person and work of Jesus Christ. It also verifies what our conscience declares: WE ARE GUILTY AND IN NEED OF A SAVIOUR (Hebrews 4:12-13; I Corinthians 13:10-12). As the crowd continued to listen, I appealed to the authority of the Bible:

“Fulfilled prophecy is the main proof that the Bible is the written Word of God. It makes more than 800 prophecies, all of which are removed far enough in time from their fulfillment that there can be no chance of accident or coincidence. Of these 800 prophecies, roughly 300 of them have already been fulfilled literally, and the 500 that remain are set to be fulfilled in the future. The probability of these 300 already fulfilled prophecies coming to pass by coincidence is mathematically, statistically, and scientifically impossible. So, when the Bible speaks about itself being the holy words of the Living God, it is speaking with mathematical and statistical certainty of a scientific fact. With regard to the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Bible prophesies 48 details of his life hundreds of years before his birth and then shows them to be fulfilled literally. The Bible then hazards its truthfulness on 500 more prophecies which are yet to be fulfilled in the future. The Shastras, Vedas, and the writings of Buddha do not dare hazard such guesses. And, the Koran, compared with the Bible in this respect, looks like an ant hill would look beside Mt. Everest.”

Some in the crowd were young and looked well-educated. I rebuked their appeal to “science” before they could even give it:

“At this point, you may boast in your denial of God’s existence, the pompous claims of humanistic science, and your assertion that you are not a religious person. If you really believe that the existence of countless galaxies and solar systems that do not slam into each other and rotate at intervals which you can set your watch by came about when some primordial dust cloud randomly and spontaneously flung them into outer space, then the Bible describes you quite accurately: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1). Evolution is not real science: Its foundational claims cannot be proven, and time and time again, such have been demonstrated with observable science to be false. On the contrary, real and objective science backs up the claims of the Bible. Go study the Laws of Thermodynamics, the magnetic half-life of the earth, the decreasing size of the sun, the rate of sediment flow from rivers into oceans, population growth statistics, the real value of so-called “vestigial organs,” the complete absence of “transitional species” in the fossil record, etc. Then, honestly try to say that the earth is billions of years old and that your great, great, great, great . . . grandfather was swinging through the trees and that his great, great, great, great . . . grandfather was floating around in a bunch of primordial soup. Try to explain where the uniqueness of the bombardier beetle, the extinct trilobite, and the hummingbird fit into the evolutionary tree. Deal with the amazing and complex nature of the human eye and then try to say with a straight face that such came about by chance. Let evolution try to compensate for the symmetry of the human body and the undeniable design found in matter. What about the human conscience, something unique and completely absent from all other animal species? How did this “evolve”? No, my friend, common sense tells us that every design has a designer. To deny God and boast in the THEORY of evolution makes you a religious man. You follow a man-centered religion that requires more faith to believe than the simple claims of the Bible, and your religion completely justifies the atrocities of Adolph Hitler, the Khmer Rouge, Joseph Stalin, the ruthless Maoist insurgents in Nepal, and every other madman that simply took “survival of the fittest” to its logical conclusion. If all ends for you at death, then Hitler got away with everything he ever did, and you are no better than him. Why not go and put yourself out of your misery?”

God’s grace was abundant as He continued to give me, a weak and broken vessel, the words to say to that crowd. Having laid a foundation in the authority of the Bible, Creation, and the Fall of Man, while talking about the three-fold witness of God; and having ploughed the ground by appealing to the Law of God and the guilt of human conscience, I was now ready to plant the seed of the Gospel into the turned up ground of those hearts.

“Because we are guilty and have no hope of being able to save ourselves,” I proclaimed, “this is what the Creator God did for you . . .” I preached Jesus Christ, and then concluded with these words as I invited the listeners to take a free copy of the Gospel of John:

“Consider the words of Jesus Christ Himself as preserved in the Gospel of John. Jesus claimed to be God manifest in the flesh. In John 10:30, He said: “I and my father are one.” In John 3:13, Jesus claimed to be in heaven while he was on earth. Only God could make such a claim. In John 14:9, Jesus claimed that those who had seen Him had seen God the Father. Jesus goes on to say in John 8:24: “If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” Perhaps most astounding, however, was Jesus’ bold claim in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” By making such a statement, Jesus Christ, in essence, took all manmade religions and threw them in the garbage heap.

If you are listening to me this day, you must make a choice. Was Jesus Christ telling the truth about Himself in John 14:6, or was he a liar? If Jesus Christ was lying about himself, then he was the biggest and most deluded fool that ever walked the earth, and his teachings are worthless. If He was telling the truth, however, then He is the ONLY WAY to salvation.

The truth is, Jesus Christ proved His claims about Himself to be sure when he rose from the dead, after prophesying that He would do so (Matthew 20:19). There were more than 500 eyewitness accounts of the resurrected Lord (see I Corinthians 15), and the laws of any manmade justice system teach that if eyewitnesses have given a testimony and agree in their testimony, and if that testimony has been reduced to writing and no reliable evidence can be produced to overthrow the written testimony, then the written testimony stands and cannot be disannulled or abrogated. In other words, the fact of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead would stand up in any legitimate court in the land. No other religious teacher, prophet, or guru ever lived without sin, claimed to be God, and then proved such claims to be so by raising up from the dead. Buddha is dead and buried. His burial place exists to this day. Mohammed had the Ten Commandments and broke every one of them; he, too, is dead and buried. His grave can be found today. Countless others have come and gone, claiming to possess the way of salvation. All have died in their sins, and Jesus, claiming to be the only door to life, referred to these as thieves and robbers (John 10:7-8). You must choose: Was Jesus a liar, or is He the way, the truth, and the life? His tomb is empty, and His body has never been found because He is alive. In Revelation 1:18, Jesus says: “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

As I finally gave my vocal chords a break, and as the last syllables of Anand’s translation drifted off in the breeze, I looked at my watch and then gazed forward awestruck: After more than an hour, the crowd was still there, and it was even larger than when I had first begun. I saw faces that had been standing there the entire time. And, some of these would continue to remain as a Christian brother from New Zealand would follow my exhortations with another hour of bold preaching. Almost 600 Gospels of John and a bunch of Gospel tracts went out this particular day. Truly, the Lord gave me one last taste of victory in Nepal before we moved on in our journey. Again, please continue to pray for the work of public proclamation in Kathmandu as my faithful Nepali brothers continue to take the Gospel to the streets in a land full of idols.

Reliving this incident, as I type, again reminds me about how different things will be in America in the upcoming days. Distributing 1,200 Bibles in 20 minutes will not happen on America’s city streets like it did in Patan, and being able to draw large crowds of people to hear the Word of God being preached in a public forum will never happen like it did in Ratna Park. Nevertheless, however, America is lost and perishing, and it needs the Word of God preached with boldness and without compromise. The results are God’s. Our duty is to be faithful. Pray for us as we make this transition. We may not give out a thousand Bibles in one outing or preach to crowds of hundreds, but there will be just as much victory in two Bibles received or the open ears of only a handful.

Lord willing, we get back to America on Friday morning. I hope to hit the streets of Hickory, NC that evening. I may as well get my feet wet at the first opportunity. I will need the grace of the Lord; pray for me. While offering Gospel tracts to passersby, I just hope I will remember to say: “Would you like some Good News?” instead of “Raamro kabar ho. Padhunos.”

Well, I better sign off. We head to the airport in about four hours. It will be a long flight over Asia, Europe, and the Atlantic. Pray for traveling mercies. I still have some time and about 130 Hindi Gospel tracts left. I will now head out to the streets in sweltering heat to distribute the remainder of our contraband. May someone come to the Lord even in these last moments.

Soon, another missionary journey for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ will come to an end. But, the work is our life, and it will only cease when we draw our last earthly breath. So, help us God.

Please, as mentioned in my last email update, continue to pray for Project Jagerna, next year’s evangelism trainings in Nepal, and our continued work in South Asia. In these matters, there are needs that only He can supply.

Peace be with you all, and thanks for your prayers and partnership. Our field is the world.
Jesse, Jamie, and Bethany Boyd

FPGM HOMEPAGE

Jaigaon, the East, & Prep for Departure

Sun, 10 Jun 2007 08:14:55 -0400

Greetings, dear friends, in the name of the Most High God. “For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens” (Psalm 96:5).

I pen this update on the eve of our departure from Nepal. The next couple of days will be bittersweet. Please pray for us, for those we leave behind, and for traveling mercies as we make the long trip back to North Carolina. Lord willing, we will be back at our home base around noon on Friday, June 15.

When I last wrote to you all, I mentioned an upcoming final journey outside the Kathmandu Valley and requested your prayers. Thanks for lifting us up to the Lord. I believe the effort was a huge success for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ. For security reasons, I will have to be a bit vague in the recap; please forgive me:

To make a long story short, BK, my national partner, and I traveled to India and then on to a town on the LTD border (LTD will henceforth be a reference to a closed country that, for security reasons, I cannot name). By God’s grace, we were able to meet up with a persecuted brother from LTD that we had previously labored with (Some of you know him as K, but henceforth, we will refer to him as Joseph). Risking big problems with the authorities, he traveled outside his hometown and met us at a predetermined rendezvous point. For a couple of days, our fellowship was sweet as we learned of the Lord’s work in his neck of the woods since our recent efforts there. What I saw was a genuine brother, who though persecuted and threatened, had become more zealous for the proclamation of the Gospel and more determined to find ways of getting the Word into the borders of his homeland. His response to persecution reminded me of the first-century Christians in Acts 4, and from this example, we certainly could learn. After the believers in Acts 4 had been threatened by the authorities, they did not hide in fear. Instead, they prayed that the Lord would behold the threats and grant unto them boldness to speak the word (Acts 4:29). Then, in Acts 4:31, we get an amazing and very clear picture of what it looks like to be filled with the Holy Spirit: “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with he Holy Ghost, AND THEY SPAKE THE WORD OF GOD WITH BOLDNESS” (emphasis added). Also, it bears mentioning that Joseph was very humbled and grateful for the funds some of you sent to help compensate for monetary penalties the LTD authorities have levied against him because of his labor for the Truth. Thank-you for helping out a faithful brother who knows persecution that many of us may never see.

The time together with Joseph also allowed us to plan an evangelism training for him and a handful of his persecuted brethren from LTD in January of next year. I cannot say anything more about this, but it is on the calendar, and the Lord is going to have to make provision and work mightily for this to be able to happen. Please start praying about this even now. It’s one thing for FPGM to print Gospel materials and do saturation evangelism all over South Asia, but what is more needful is the training, equipping, and supplying of local believers and churches so that they can do the same. Pray for BK, my national partner, as he works to make arrangements and finalize details for this important training.

When we parted ways with Joseph in India, we had supplied him with a large quantity of complete Bibles, Gospels of John, and various Gospel tracts. There was some concern about how these could be taken into LTD under the radar of the authorities. I cannot go into details, but the Lord God answered our prayers abundantly. To make a long story short, Joseph walked around the border town for three days praying for a transport vehicle that would not be searched at the crossing. The Lord provided this, and all the materials got into the country safely. Within a few days, these had been distributed to local fellowships all over LTD for distribution purposes. In the words of Nahum the prophet, “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble: and he knoweth them that trust in him” (Nahum 1:7). Of no less importance is the fact that Joseph returned home safely without any real difficulty.

After our rendezvous with Joseph, BK and I returned to Nepal and did some village distribution in the far eastern districts. Again, the Word of the Lord went out in abundance, and many were confronted with the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We labored in Ilam, Fikkal, and Pashtupatinagar up in the hills. And, down in the terai belt (flatlands), we hit Kakarbhitta and Birtamod. Political unrest and strikes caused problems for us getting back to Kathmandu, but in the end, the Lord brought about our safe return. All in all, ‘twas a very fruitful journey. As we flew home from Bhadrapur, BK demonstrated his boldness and faith in a profound way. Except for the two of us, the plane was full of Indian nationals. All our Gospel materials were gone but for a handful of Hindi tracts. BK wanted to distribute them to everyone on the plane as it was in mid-flight. Initially, I discouraged this because it made me a bit uncomfortable (If you tried to do this on a domestic flight in America, the air marshal would probably tackle you and take you into custody. Upon arrival to your destination, you would most assuredly be arrested for being some kind of terrorist). BK, however, insisted while promulgating that God had given us the opportunity. All we had were Hindi tracts, and all these people could read Hindi. The tracts, in his words, were meant for them. He then headed down the aisle and made sure that each passenger received one. I chuckled as I thought about what reaction such an effort would bring in the United States, and I was ashamed that my pride and fear kept me from seeing God’s hand in such an opportunity. Ultimately, though, I rejoiced to have again learned at the feet of my national partner. There is so much we spoiled American believers could learn from our faithful brethren around the world.

Back in Kathmandu, the moments crawled by ever so slowly and the days sped with haste. Ten thousand more Gospels of John came off the presses. We conducted several distributions in Nepal’s capital city, and things concluded nicely with an evangelism training at a local Baptist church. Providing training for believers in the work of evangelism is something we would like to focus more upon in the future. I hope those that we have conducted this time around will lead to many more such opportunities in the future. God knoweth.

My final Friday outing with the brethren from Siyon Mukti Baptist Church was one of the most special I remember here in Nepal. As usual, we distributed a lot of materials outside the mosque where Muslims were exiting the compound following their Friday prayers. Then, we moved over to Ratna Park for preaching and more distribution. The Lord allowed me to preach open-air for a solid hour, and the crowd grew to several hundred. A brother from New Zealand then followed my preaching with another hour of open-air Gospel proclamation. At the same time, our Nepali partners and some American missionaries that joined us were distributing and sharing with small crowds of their own. It was amazing to see multiple groups of people listening to multiple believers share the Word at the same time and on different parcels of ground in the same park. I noticed several people that listened for two solid hours as I and my New Zealand friend laid out the Word. Please pray for Pastor Anand, Ashish, and the other brothers from Siyon Mukti Baptist Church as they continue to target the mosque and Ratna Park on Friday afternoons. Pray also for BK (my national partner) as he labors with them, attempts to rally his own church to get involved, and continually supplies these faithful evangelists with Project Jagerna Gospels of John (i.e. as the Lord provides the funds to print them).

Speaking of Project Jagerna, I marvel at what the Lord has done since we began the work back in February. Not only did we complete translation of the Gospel of John, but we were able to print 40,000 copies of this prefaced by a solid Gospel presentation. Of these 40,000 copies, almost 11,000 have been distributed by FPGM and more than 20,000 have been supplied to local churches, Christian workers, and missionaries for their bold distribution purposes. Not only did these go all over Nepal, but they went into India and LTD as well. Currently, only about 4,000 English and 5,000 Nepali Gospels of John remain in our inventory, and this will not last long, especially when one considers the weekly distributions at the mosque and Ratna Park. Our funds for printing are completely exhausted, so join us as we pray for the Lord’s provision. By year’s end, our goal is to have Romans completed and to be able to print editions of John and Romans together. We will need a hefty supply of these in January/February 2008 for planned evangelism trainings and distributions in Kathmandu, western Nepal, and up in the Himalayas. It is in the Lord’s hands to provide. If the Lord should lead you or your church to contribute financially to the printing of pure copies of Scripture in Nepal, you can make a check out to “Full Proof Gospel Ministries” and send it to the address printed at the end of this update. Write “Project Jagerna” in the memo space of the check so that we can ensure its proper use. Remember, all contributions to FPGM are tax-deductible. For information purposes, we can print Nepali Gospels of John for about 10 cents/copy while the English editions are roughly 9 cents/copy. Please don’t forget to also pray for the translation work. Additional information about Project Jagerna can be found at www.fpgm.org.

Toward the end of January, 2008 our plans are to return to South Asia for about eight weeks. Lord willing, we aim to conduct evangelism trainings for LTD believers in an undisclosed location, at a Bible college in Kathmandu, and in Western Nepal. Also, we will oversee the first printings of John/Romans for Project Jagerna and be involved with Scripture distribution in Bangladesh, Kathmandu, and hopefully, somewhere high up in the Himalayas. It is our prayer that we can bring in two separate teams of volunteers from America to particularly aid with efforts in Bangladesh and Western Nepal. From February 2-9, we will be in Bangladesh aiding existing long-term workers with needful distribution of the Scriptures in Dhaka. I have been asked to bring in a team of 5-7 solid believers who are willing to help target the Muslim Estema festival, the Dhaka Book Fair, and several key neighborhoods with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray that God will provide us with faithful laborers willing to give of themselves for a short time in Bangladesh. Also, pray for our partners in Bangladesh. They face a financial need like the one I mentioned regarding Project Jagerna. Their Bible printing funds are depleted, and we are going to need about 30,000 New Testaments and/or Gospels of Luke printed for the work the FPGM team has been asked to do there. In Bangladesh, a Gospel of Luke can be printed for about 18 cents. If you would like to contribute to the printing of Scriptures in Bangladesh, please contact us for more information.

In Western Nepal, our aim with a volunteer team will be to do an evangelism training for local churches and distributions in several fishing villages. Basing out of Tikapur, we will engage in itinerant evangelism by bicycle in the vicinity of the Karnali River. I would also like this same team to be involved with mass distribution in Kathmandu for a couple of days. Tentatively, it looks like we will bring the Nepal Team in from February 19-28, and a good stock of Jagerna materials will have to be printed to accommodate this work. Again, I implore you to join us in praying for God’s provision.

With regard to these volunteer teams, please pray that the Lord will send laborers (see Matthew 9:38). We need bold brothers and/or sisters who are willing to risk more than a little discomfort for the sake of the Gospel. We also need financial provision from the Lord to print Scripture portions for these teams to distribute. Finally, we are asking the Lord to provide the means to make such a trip. Travel between the United States and Asia is expensive, but the lostness in this part of the world and the nature of the work compels us to come. There is so much preparation to be done between now and next January. Join us as we pray that the Lord brings all of this together. If anything, for the sake of those persecuted brothers in LTD who ardently desire to be trained (having approached us with this desire), we have no choice but to put our hands to the plough and not look back (Luke 9:62). The rest is in God’s hands.

Well, I have a lot of packing to do. We leave Kathmandu tomorrow and will then be in Delhi for two days. Pray for us as we do a bit of tract distribution there, and please lift us up as we travel back to America. The Lord has given us wonderful closure in this place as well as open doors to continue the work in the future. Pray especially for BK and S, my Nepali national partners in the Jagerna Work. Pray also for our friends who labor here in South Asia long-term for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ. During the past ten months, the Lord has blessed us with special friends in Ladakh, Nepal, and India who share a love and a passion for the Truth of the Bible. These are here for the long-run and rarely get to return home and be with family in the States. We are privileged to know these folks and acknowledge what a valuable part they are to the Lord’s work here in this spiritually dark region of the world. Pray for such work and for the laborers. Without their aid and partnership in numerous areas, FPGM would never have been able to accomplish what has been accomplished in Ladakh, Nepal, Northern India, and LTD going back to September of last year. Many of you to whom I am referring may be reading this. THANK-YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS AND YOUR FRIENDSHIP. GODSPEED IN YOUR LABOR FOR THE KINGDOM.

Upon our return to the United States, public proclamation and training believers in the work of evangelism will continue. Pray that the Lord will give us open doors as well as a little rest from time to time. Galatians 6:9 compels us: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

For now, I sign off. Perhaps I will pen a few more words from Delhi over the next couple of days. It has been difficult bidding farewell to our friends here in Nepal, but as we make yet another transition, the words of John Wesley come to mind: “My parish is the world.” With this, we too, concur. So, help us God.

For the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ,

Jesse, Jamie, and Bethany Boyd

P.S. Please forgive the lack of flow and any grammatical errors in this update. My mind is all over the place right now, but I wanted to at least let everyone know what is going on. As always, thanks for your partnership in prayer. To God be the glory!

FPGM HOMEPAGE

Langtang & Gosainkund

Fri, 18 May 2007 08:10:44 -0400

Greetings, yet again, from the Himalayan Kingdom (perhaps soon to be Republic) of Nepal. Many thanks for your prayers in recent weeks; the Word of God continues to go out in this far-off place.

This update will not be customarily long and detailed. In fact, due to some security issues and recent threats against our Project Jagerna work, I do not deem it wise to talk in specifics, at least for the time being. Please understand this. I am thinking especially of the well-being of my national partners.

More than a week ago, one of my American friends and I returned from a long trek high up in the Langtang and Gosainkund Himalayas. Many Jagerna Gospels of Johns, tracts, and fresh socks were distributed amongst the Tamang and Sherpa peoples in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord also helped us to locate some small pockets of existing believers in the area and to supply several churches with Gospel materials for distribution purposes. All in all, ‘twas another arduous and fruitful journey for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ. From yak herders high in the Langtang Valley to Hindu pilgrims coming down from the “holy” Gosainkund Lake and from Tamang farmers to Sherpa peddlers, many heard the Word of the Lord. On one occasion, we ran into a young man up above 14,000 ft. We offered him one of our Jagerna Gospels of John. He politely refused, claiming to have already received one on the streets of Kathmandu several weeks ago. Apparently, our Kathmandu distributions end up affecting people who live all over Nepal. This was and continues to be our intent. Along this journey, we also had opportunity to share with several Israelis, a Frenchman, and a German young man. Please particularly pray for Akkad, Lila, Wally, and Conrad. These seemed open to the Truth and received English Scriptures.

Tomorrow, I am going to India with my Nepali national partner. We will be gone for about a week, but I cannot talk about where and why we are going. Just know that excursion involves smuggling Bibles and tracts and making contact with persecuted brethren. Please pray for us; this is a very needful journey, and we rejoice to think that the Project Jagerna work is already going beyond the borders of Nepal. Please also pray for Jamie and Bethany while they remain here in Kathmandu. The Lord has allowed Jamie to build several good relationships with local Nepali women. Pray for her as she continues to sow into these lives in the coming days; may these come to know the Lord as a result of her faithfulness.

Please also continue to pray for the work of Project Jagerna. As previously mentioned, there have been some threats made against our efforts, and we fully expected this. Pray that the Lord will help up to remain steadfast, unafraid, and resolved to continue to mass produce and freely distribute the pure Word of God for the Nepali people. Soon, another 5,000 Nepali Gospels of John and 5,000 English Gospels of John will be rolling off the presses. My aim is to leave a healthy supply with my national partners before we leave for the States in several weeks. That way, the distribution can continue. As for the translation work, our goal is to complete Romans by the end of the year and then print an edition with John and Romans together. Thanks to internet and email, I will be able to remain actively involved in the translation and printing work despite having to return to America for the remainder of the year.

We are scheduled to depart from Nepal on June 12; I just arranged the plane tickets today. We will spend a couple of days in Delhi and then return to the States on June 15, Lord willing. Our tourist visas for Nepal are nearly exhausted, and we really have no choice but to leave for the remainder of the calendar year. Pray for us as we aim to find satisfactory closure and to equip, as best we can, our national partners to carry on the work that we have begun. Lord willing, we can return again next year.

The Lord never did open up any doors for ministry in other countries enroute back to the United States, but we are content. This journey, since September of last year, has been about South Asia; there is no reason to try and make it any more than that. Possibly, we will be doing some work in Europe for several weeks in the Fall. Pray for us as we prepare and attempt to discern the Lord’s specific will in this matter.

There is cause for praise. Apparently, a man we gave a tract to on the streets in BHN got saved and has a real desire to go back and share the message of salvation with his family. K is actively involved in this man’s discipleship. Pray for them; I can say no more.

Well, I better sign off. I still have to pack, and my plane leaves in the morning. Again, thanks for all your prayers and support. We are honored to be servants, nothing more; and we are honored that so many have faithfully kept us and our work in their prayers.

Grace, mercy, and peace be with you all in the name of the Most High God.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:58).

Jesse, Jamie, and Bethany Boyd

FPGM HOMEPAGE

Jagerna & A Closed Country

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 08:05:54 -0400

Greetings, dear brethren, in the name of the Most High God and His Only-Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. “And this is the record, that God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life: and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (I John 5:11-12).

I apologize that it has taken so long for me to respond with news regarding recent prayer concerns. There has been much spiritual attack since Jon Lane left Nepal (undoubtedly a result of the incredible distribution of the Word that took place while he was here), and numerous issues have been a source of trial and tribulation. Pray for us.

Let me just say this from the outset. Many thanks are in order for your faithful prayers over the past several days regarding our persecuted brother in BHN (For security reasons, we will henceforth refer to him as K and his country as BHN). After several days of no news, I finally got through to him on his cell phone. He could not talk at the moment because he was being watched by a government official. Over a series of emails and correspondences, I have learned that he was thrown in prison for two days but was NOT beaten. He now has to attend a series of court hearings, pay some fines, and the government has cancelled the permits and licenses that allow him to operate an authorized travel agency (i.e. his livelihood). They threatened to “make him a beggar on the streets” before this “is all over” (their words). Please continue to pray for him. It turns out that Jon and I were tracked by government spies our last night in BHN. For security reasons, I really cannot go into much detail here. We innocently asked them for directions when we could not find our hotel (we were out saturating late at night); and we innocently offered them “Good News” after they showed us where to go. There was no way we could know who these men were (two of them acted a bit drunk), so Jon and I can harbor no regret for sharing the Words of Life with lost souls that God put in our path. To make a long story short, these men followed us to our hotel while cursing, screaming, and blaspheming God. They then roughed me up a bit and broke down the door of the hotel. The unsaved hotel owner actually came to our defense and beat up one of the spies. I refused to retaliate when they were hitting me because I knew that any reaction (even self-defense) could easily land me or the people we had worked with in prison. God gave me an amazing grace to not even feel their punches. Later, K was informed that these men were pretending to be drunks and followed us to try and get us to give them a tract (i.e. evidence of our activities). During the whole episode, I was able to snatch the evidence (i.e. Gospel tract) from the man’s hand, and Jon got rid of it. Their so-called evidence was gone, and they could not “prove” that Jon and I, working with K, had left those same tracts all over town. I believe God’s guidance in helping us snatch that tract is what ultimately prevented K’s punishment from being worse than it was. Let’s face it; if they really had something on K, connecting him to us, they would have done more than strip his license and then give him an opportunity to pay and have it reissued. If they had real proof, he would still be in prison. So, it is plainly evident that snagging that Gospel tract was huge. All praise to the Lord. We also have been able to discern that the government authorities were hot on our tails. Jon and I just happened to leave the country the next morning, sooner, undoubtedly, than those spies had expected. In all this, therefore—even the trials, tribulations, and spiritual attack—the grace of the Lord has proven itself real and abundant. Thanks so much for all your prayers; the Lord heard his people.

Really, I am not surprised by all the attacks from the Evil One. Considering what we had been able to do in such a spiritually dark place for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ over four days (much of this a result of your prayers), spiritual attack was a given. Add to this the fact that spiritual warfare has consistently followed all of our bold efforts to target Tibetan Buddhists with the light of the Gospel since we came to South Asia months ago. But alas, the Most High God is above it all. Man can try to shut us up; hey, they can even kill us; but, “the foundation of God standeth sure” (II Timothy 2:19). The enemies of the Truth cannot kill the Truth, and ultimately the Almighty will always get the glory. There is such hope and peace in this.

I wish I could go into detail about our work in BHN as I am accustomed to do about other places we have labored. However, because of what has happened, it is best to remain vague. There will be some pictures on the website, but I cannot post anything that shows K or the other like-minded people Jon and I interacted with. Just know this: The Word was sown in abundance; there were divine appointments; and we were able to conduct witnessing training for three local underground bodies. The Lord also allowed us to supply like-minded people in BHN with literature, and much of this, we heard, had been distributed before we even left. We even left a good supply with K just before we returned to Kathmandu. Even in the midst of his recent troubles, he had gotten the material out to other believers for distribution purposes. Really, K has been a picture of boldness and commitment to the Gospel despite his unfortunate circumstances. In our last correspondence, it was requested that we try and send English copies of the Word, a hearty supply of our Jagerna Project Johns (Nepali and English editions that we hope to print soon), and local-language tracts to a secure location in that big country that Columbus was trying to reach in 1492 when he unexpectedly ran into the Americas. Pray for us as we try to accomplish this and thereby continue our efforts to get the Truth into BHN. Pray also for those who will be smuggling them in the country. I don’t know if Jon and I will ever be allowed back into BHN, but that does not mean we cannot fight the darkness from outside the borders.

Please continue to pray for K and our persecuted brethren in BHN. My words would be unable to properly communicate the spiritual darkness that settles heavy in this otherwise beautiful, clean, and isolated country. Once again, the outward “peace and tranquility” of Buddhism bewrayed its diabolical, intolerant, violent, and devilish nature. Countless times, Jon and I beheld the masses seeking to earn merit under the bondage of their false religion. On one occasion, we watched people walking round and round a shrine countless times in a clockwise direction while counting their prayer beads through their fingers. One man was stopping to prostrate himself with each step. Another instance went beyond foolish into the realm of the perverted: All over the place, we saw erect, ejaculating penises painted with great detail on the four walls of houses and temples. One other occasions, wooden renditions of the same were hung from the four corners of homes. These, the Buddhists believe, help to ward off demons. Such makes you wonder what really goes on behind the closed doors of the monasteries.

Before he gave his heart and life to Jesus Christ, Jon Lane used to be a Roman Catholic. In BHN, he was astounded by the similarities between Roman Catholicism and the Buddhism we encountered—prayer beads, incense, images, the concept of earning divine merit through ritual or sacraments, etc. Such further proved the assertion that I have made numerous times—The Roman Catholic religion is nothing more than ancient paganism clothed in “Christian” language. Under the antichristlike banner of religious ecumenical unity, Buddhism and Roman Catholicism will get along just fine as they unite under the battle cries of “Many pathways to God”, “Let’s just all get along”, and “Kill the Bible-believing Christians who say Jesus is the Only Way to Heaven.” When it comes to persecution of Bible- believers, BHN’s government learned well from 1500 years of Roman Catholic butchery and the examples of 50 million martyrs falsely accused of “heresy.” It is simply amazing when one considers the false accusations that are brought against believers in BHN (Many are the same that were brought against believers of old): Some have been accused of cannibalism in taking the Lord’s supper and of drowning others while performing baptism. I heard of one instance where a group of believers had gathered at the river for a baptismal service. Nearby, a young lady was washing children’s clothes in the same waters. The current swept some of the clothes downriver, and the authorities found them. They then accused the Christians of drowning a child and throwing the clothes in the river. The pastor’s wife and several other spent six months in prison because of this. Yes, this type of stuff really is going on in our world today. And, one sad truth is this: The American government will jump to the aid of a lot of people around the world (Many of these still hate our guts even after we help them), but God forbid that we would intervene or come to the aid of persecuted Christians in places like BHN, the Sudan, and points in between. Ok, I am starting to soapbox . . . Please forgive me.

Besides our adventures in BHN, much effort for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ has been undertaken in Nepal in recent weeks. Much gratitude goes out to Jon Lane of Platte, South Dakota and Bishnu Shrestha (my national partner) for their partnership in these endeavors. Not only has Project Jagerna completed its first printing, but, by the grace of God, it has also completed its first mass distribution. As soon as Jon arrived in Nepal, we hired a van, packed it full of Bibles and Gospels of John, and then set out for four days to saturate the highway route between Kathmandu and Pokhara as well as the spur route going up to Gorkha. My family, Bishnu’s family, and Jon put together a formidable group, and many heard the Word in places like Malekhu, Mugling, Gorkha, Abukairani, Dumre, Damauli, and Pokhara. All in all, this venture saw 1,500 Nepali Bibles and 5,340 Jagerna Gospels of John freely distributed in the towns and villages between Kathmandu and Pokhara. Oftentimes, we would draw crowds through open-air preaching and the public sharing of our testimonies. Bishnu proved to be a fine translator as we clearly communicated the Gospel. People would then mob us for a free copy of the Word. There were numerous fruitful conversations, and on several occasions, we were able to supply local pastors and/or missionaries with materials for distribution in the villages. I think of Achash, a missionary from Northeast India who labors in villages west of Pokhara. We gave him two cases of Johns for distribution. A couple of weeks later, he came to Kathmandu, and we gave him five more boxes. The previous two cases had nearly been exhausted. Thus, the Jagerna work is already going forth in ways beyond what we initially imagined. All credit, of course, goes to the Lord God.

In Pokhara, we took 1000 Bibles down to the center of the Nepali New Year Festival. Many heard and received the Word as they waited in line and/or congregated around the festivities. Our supply was exhausted in less than an hour. Later, we took a large duffle bag of fresh socks and Gospel materials down to a riverside village that gets really cold in the wintertime. We distributed long, warm socks donated by Twin City Knitting of Conover, NC to the elderly in the village and went house to house with Gospels of John. Down on the riverbank, Jon shared publicly with a small crowd that gathered. Again, Bishnu was a superb translator. Eventually, we returned to Kathmandu with an empty van and a driver (along with his helper) that had clearly heard and seen the Gospel over a period of four days. Of course, we reserved a Bible for each of these two as well. Please pray for their salvation. I also want to express my gratitude for Jamie and Bemu (Bishnu’s wife). These were a huge help in the work, and even Bethany and Bigi (Bishnu’s daughter) helped distributed tracts to a lot of children. It was a real joy to have our families along as an active part in the ministry.

After BHN, Jon, Bishnu, and I set aside two days for mass distribution in Kathmandu. We hired an open-ended truck and targeted gathering places all over the city. Numerous images are permanently etched in my mind:

-In the shadows of Swayambu Stupa, a large and popular Buddhist shrine, we preached open-air from the back of the truck and distributed more than 1,000 Bibles and 600 Gospels of John to the crowds that gathered around. We also saturated the stupa grounds and distributed into the heavy traffic on nearby Ring Road.

-In Patan, hordes of people were gathered to watch a large wooden chariot pulled through the streets. Inside were idols and a Hindu priest performing pujas. The Hindus mob this chariot and pray to their idols for the monsoonal rains to come. ‘Tis true paganism in all of its madness. The streets were so full of people that the truck could not move. Thus, we started preaching and distributing from the open truck bed. In less than 20 minutes, more than 1200 Bibles went into a myriad of desperate and outstretched arms clamoring for the Words of Life. At one time, I actually thought the mob was going to turn the truck over on its side. Hands were reaching, bodies were shoving, and voices were yelling. At one point, the distribution created a real traffic problem; the police got involved and were not too happy. Still, the people came, and sadly, many went away empty-handed because our supply was completely exhausted. The amazing thing is that this distribution was done in the most orthodox Hindu part of Kathmandu. There, we did not encounter hostility but real spiritual hunger. 1200 Bibles in 20 minutes!!! It would take hours and hours to distribute that many in America. Later, we did some open-air preaching in Patan’s Temple Square.

-At Ratna Park, we gathered a crowd with the open-air preaching of the Word. Jon preached, Bishnu shared his testimony, and I invited all to come for free Bibles. A crowd that started out as about 20 people quickly grew to several hundred, and following my invitation, chaos ensued. Five cases of Bibles and a case of Gospels of John were ravaged as the mob pounced like hungry wolves. We were forced to brace ourselves and toss many copies into the crowd. A few were thrown back, but for every one who rejected the gift, there were twenty-five in line desperate to receive. In this, Jon Lane truly experienced (as was my hope) the “hungry for the Word mob scene.” In the pandemonium, a small leather Cambridge New Testament was stripped from my hands and taken. My grandmother had given me this Bible before she died, and it had accompanied me on the streets many times in America and all over the world. I was saddened, but even now, I pray that its words are pointing someone to Jesus Christ.

-John Hill, a dental missionary who works in Ladakh, India needed to make a visa run, so we worked it out for him to come to Kathmandu and crash at our place for a couple of days. After picking him up at the airport, we immediately took our distribution truck straight over to Boudnath Stupa, the second holiest site in Tibetan Buddhism (Patola Palace in Lhasa is the “holiest” site). We distributed all around the stupa, supplied a local pastor with a case of Johns, and gave away more than 500 Bibles in the passing traffic. I chuckled as I thought about what the reaction would be if we tried to hand out Bibles to motorists in traffic in America. From Boudha, we went over to Naya Baneshwor and gave out another 100 Bibles and 400 Johns. Thus, John Hill got immersed into Nepali culture quite quickly. He seemed to enjoy it.

In addition to the distributions in Kathmandu, Jon Lane and I also got to conduct some evangelism training at Zion Salvation Church—a small independent Baptist church just south of Kathmandu. Pastor Anand and his brother Ashish (along with some other brothers from the church) faithfully distribute and share Christ at the mosque and Ratna Park every Friday. I have been partnering with them in these efforts for quite some time, and we were honored to share with their church body. The people were humble and attentive, and they seemed to embrace the teaching well. We also supplied them with Gospels of John for distribution purposes.

I really could write much more about our Jagerna distributions and the work we shared with Jon Lane in Nepal and BHN. However, the point has been made: God was faithful; the Word went out; believers were edified, trained, and supplied; and your prayers for us were answered in abundance. During Jon’s stay, more than 5,000 Bibles and close to 10,000 Gospels of John were freely distributed in Nepal alone.

Eventually, both Jon Lane and John Hill left us, and we battled with loneliness. Junk happened that got our spirits down. For example, I innocently and accidentally left a backpack in the back of a taxi. I lost my wallet, my camera (including a lot of memorable photos on the memory card), my cell phone, and some other valuable stuff. It could have been worse. Right before we left the house and got into that taxi, I randomly took my credit and bank cards out of the wallet and put them in my back pocket. Thus, these were not lost. So again, God’s protective hand was apparent. In addition to this, our plans for an overland return to the States via Tibet, China, Russia, and Finland seem to have hit a wall. The logistics and expense are way beyond our reach, our attempts to make Christian contacts have come up empty, and it is very cumbersome to obtain some of the required visas. Thus, we are back to square one, not knowing how or when to get home. Pray for us as we seek direction from the Lord. Our tourist visas allow us to stay in Nepal until June 17. We have to leave by this time, and we are trying to decide whether or not we should immediately return to the States. Frankly, we are weary and tired, and next year will require our return to South Asia. We simply want to be obedient to the Lord in these choices. As for our commitments in Finland, Fall is a better time of year for this, and it is easier and cheaper to get there on a round-trip from the States as opposed to beginning the trip from here. Right now, we just need divine guidance. Another source of disappointment has been the cancellation of the Everest Region distribution. For various reasons, it is obvious that the Lord road-blocked our plans in this one, so this is surely what is best at this time. May He help us to rest in this.

Notwithstanding, today our spirits are climbing. Many trials have turned to gold, and we are excited about what the Lord can and will do these last two months in Nepal. Just last Friday, I returned to Ratna Park and the mosque with Bishnu, Anand, Ashish, and a few other brothers. Again, many Gospels of John (about 800) went out, and four of us preached open-air to a sizeable crowd. Several pursued us afterwards and sought more information. All of our Jagerna Johns have contact information printed on the inside and back covers. This information includes Bishnu’s cell phone number, and already there have been calls. One old man wanted to meet with Bishnu over tea and hear more about Jesus. Another called to ask if he could come to Bishnu’s church. So, things are happening, and the Word is showing that it does not return void.

On Tuesday morning (May 1), Brandon Philbeck (He partnered with me in the Manang Distribution last December) and I will be traveling up to the Langtang Valley for a couple of weeks. We will journey to Dhunche on motorbikes and then backpack for several days high up into the Langtang Himalayas. Our objective will be to saturate the area with the Word and to research the status of believers and/or churches (if there are any) in that area. Please pray for our safety; we will be traveling at high altitude, and the Tibetan Buddhism is strong up there. Lord willing, we will return to Kathmandu by May 13. Please also pray for Jamie and Bethany while they remain here in the capital city.

Well, for now, I will sign off. Again, please pray about helping K to get his license renewed in BHN. Also, the time is coming soon when we will need to print more Gospels of John in Nepali. Out of the original 20,000 that we printed, less than half remain. We also need to do an English edition—English has been requested on numerous occasions in Nepal and BHN, and many young people can read English better than Nepali. We also hope (if God wills) to complete our work on Romans to that we can append it to John and print the two together before we leave Nepal in June. For about $0.10 each, we can print the Gospels of John in English and/or Nepali. Adding Romans to John will probably increase the price to about $0.15 per copy. My friends, these are not shabby looking books. They turned out really nice (we did not want something so cheap that it would easily tear up), and printing is real cheap here in Nepal. We can also print Gospel tracts for a little less than 1 cent per copy. Our normal FPGM operating budget and monthly support does not leave much left over to cover printing costs. Thus, if you or your church would like to help us print the Word of God in Nepali, we would be most appreciative. Checks can be made out to “Full Proof Gospel Ministries” and mailed to the address that appears below. All contributions are tax-deductible. PLEASE WRITE “PROJECT JAGERNA” IN THE MEMO SPACE so that we know to specifically use such contributions for the printing of Bible portions and Gospel tracts.

Again, my friends, thanks for all your prayers and support during our recent trials and tribulations. I am most grateful, and K is most grateful. Again, I am reminded about how vital our prayer covering is and that God has blessed us with many faithful friends and fellow-believers who help spiritually carry us along with their intercessions as we trod the far corners of the globe for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ. Truly, these are dark times, but you all, my like-minded friends, are bright lights that help us to pierce the darkness. THANK YOU!

Grace, mercy, and peace be with you all,

Jesse, Jamie, and Bethany

FPGM HOMEPAGE

Distribution, Proclamation, Labor for the Truth

Sun, 8 Apr 2007 07:57:47 -0400

Greetings from Nepal on this Resurrection Sunday in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Risen Saviour: “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death (Revelation 1:18).”

As I contemplated this morning upon the significance of this momentous event—an event that is the foundation of my faith (see I Corinthians 15:12-20) and what sets the Gospel of Jesus Christ apart from every false, manmade religion—several things came to mind. First of all, just as Christ’s resurrection was sure, so is His return. God has appointed a time when He will judge the world (even the secrets of men) in righteousness by Jesus Christ who was raised from the dead (Acts 17:31; Romans 2:16). This is both the blessed hope of the believer (Titus 2:13-14) and the condemnation of the world (John 3:18-19, 36). “Churchianity” does not want to talk much about the return of Christ in these last days, and scarcely can one find a preacher who will touch the topic with a ten-foot pole. Apostasy and iniquity abound as the Bible prophesied (II Thessalonians 2:3); perilous times are here (I Timothy 3:1); and the love of many has waxed cold (Matthew 24:12). Nevertheless, the truth of God standeth sure: The Risen Lord will physically return to this earth to put down iniquity and set up a Kingdom (Matthew 26:64; Acts 1:11; Daniel 2:43-44). The apostasy of ecumenism has overcome many that claim to follow Christ. Sadly, these join forces with reprobate humanity to seek worldwide peace and unity at the expense of biblical truth, foolishly thinking that fallen mankind can usher in peace on earth. Human history clearly shows that all manmade attempts at bringing "peace on earth" or "worldwide unity" have resulted in prison camps, revolutions, bloodshed, and graves. Real peace on earth will only come when Jesus Christ physically and bodily returns to earth to set up His Kingdom. And, my friends, this is as sure as our Lord’s resurrection from the dead. He is alive, and He will reign forevermore. This is the comfort of the believer (I Thessalonians 4:18). Do you merely pay lip service to the resurrection of Jesus Christ one day a year? Are you ready for His return? Surely, it cometh quickly.
Contemplating the Resurrection this Easter Sunday also brought to mind the power and efficacy of the Holy Bible, the words of the Living God. Christ’s resurrection, as well as approximately 50 other details of his life and work, were prophesied in the Scriptures hundreds of years before his birth. All such prophecies were then shown to be fulfilled literally. My friends, fulfilled prophecy is the main proof that the Bible is the written Word of God. It makes more than 800 prophecies, all of which are removed far enough in time from their fulfillment that there can be no chance of accident or coincidence. Of these 800 prophecies, roughly 300 of them have already been fulfilled literally, and the 500 that remain are set to be fulfilled in the future. The probability of these 300 already fulfilled prophecies coming to pass by coincidence is mathematically, statistically, and scientifically impossible. So, when the Bible speaks about itself being the holy words of the Living God, it is speaking with mathematical and statistical certainty of a scientific fact. The Bible then hazards its truthfulness on 500 more prophecies which are yet to be fulfilled in the future. The Shastas, Vedas, and the writings of Bhudda do not dare hazard such guesses. And, the Koran, compared with the Bible in this respect, looks like an ant hill would look beside Mt. Everest. In the name of the Risen Lord, I stand upon the Holy Bible as the FINAL AUTHORITY in all matters of faith and practice. Join me.
Finally, this blessed day, I was drawn to II Corinthians 4:13. The Apostle Paul, in the context of Christ’s Resurrection, writes: “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.” My friends, one cannot separate belief from public verbal testimony. I stake my faith on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and I cannot help but speak it to a lost and dying world. Is the same true for you? Oftentimes, we claim “lifestyle evangelism” or mission strategies that are nothing more (if, that is, we are truly honest with ourselves) than EXCUSES not to speak or give verbal testimony of the Gospel. For, in speaking lies the real risk of suffering for Christ. The Bible has a message for us: “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord . . . but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (II Timothy 1:8-9).” To those of you who believe on the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, I urge you to speak your faith to the lost. The narrow path to life demands it. Happy Easter!
Ok, I am done preaching. Let me draw your attention to South Asia for a few moments. PLEASE PRAY FOR US OVER THE COMING WEEKS. Particularly, lift up Jon Lane. He leaves Platte, South Dakota on Monday morning (April 9), and, Lord willing, he will arrive in Kathmandu on Wednesday (April 11). The work will begin immediately, and the next two weeks will be a whirlwind of activity. We covet your prayers for strength, boldness, and faithfulness to the Gospel. The day after Jon arrives, our plans are to load up a van with Bibles, Gospels of John, and tracts. Jon, my family, and a Nepali family will then spend the next four days on the road, publicly proclaiming the Word of God and freely distributing the Scriptures all along the main highway between Kathmandu and Pokhara. We also hope to target a Nepali New Year celebration in Pokhara. Our prayer is that many will hear the glorious Gospel of the Blessed God which is committed to our trust.
The morning after returning to Kathmandu (April 16), Jon and I will board a plane and head for the closed country of Bhutan for four days. We need your prayers as we attempt to sneak in contraband (Scripture portions and Gospel materials in the local language of the people). If this stuff is found by the authorities in the airport, it could be confiscated. Pray earnestly that the Lord will blind their eyes. In Bhutan, Lord willing, our plan is to exhort and encourage persecuted brethren and scatter seeds of the Gospel wherever our feet may trod. A Bhutanese believer will be accompanying us as our government-appointed “tour guide.” He is taking a real risk by being in our company, for the opportunity demands boldness. Pray for his and our protection. Much of our work will be done under the cover of darkness while we pose as “tourists” (the only way for a foreigner to legally enter Bhutan).
On April 20, Lord willing, we shall return to Kathmandu. The next five days will be spent doing mass distribution all over Nepal’s capital city—at religious sites and other places of public gathering. Jon also has a preaching engagement at a small Baptist church just south of Kathmandu. By the time Jon Lane returns to the States (April 25), we hope to have freely distributed 5,000 Nepali Bibles and 10,000 Gospels of John (not including what we are able to distribute in Bhutan). These efforts will not be successful in our own power, and they must be bathed in prayer. Please join with us in prayer.
Please also continue to pray for Project Jagerna. I have added more information about this Bible translation/publication/distribution project to our website (www.fpgm.org). Check it out. This afternoon, I am heading over to a local printing press to pick up 10,000 copies of the Gospel of John that have been printed. Another 20,000 are on the way. God has been very good to bring all of this together. Thanks goes out to Jeff Sundell, a fellow-laborer here in Nepal, for purchasing 10,000 of these. Gratitude is also warranted for New Testament Christian Fellowship of Hickory, North Carolina—a small house church of only seven families. This house fellowship began less than a year ago when three families, disillusioned with the apostasy of American “churchianity”, came together for the sake of reverting to the simplicity of the New Testament church. Because this local body of believers is not burdened by what typically plagues Laodicean American “churchianity” (fancy buildings, expensive programs, financial debt, an endless list of staff positions, etc.), it is amazing to watch them faithfully and generously support missions and minister to genuine needs within their own community and church family. Their philosophy is that the Lord’s money is not meant to sit in a bank, go against a church’s financial debt, or to fatten the pockets and meet worldly wants (i.e. as opposed to needs) of so-called “ministers.” It is meant to be used for the furtherance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is because of the faithful giving of New Testament Christian Fellowship that we have been able to print 20,000 Nepali Gospels of John and 16,000 Nepali Gospel tracts. Moreover, NTCF is completely financing our trip to Bhutan (travel expenses and Gospel materials) so that those who have never heard the Gospel can be confronted with Jesus Christ. And, this is the work of one house church body—seven average families committed to the Great Commission. I am greatly encouraged; the Lord continues to show us that a faithful remnant does yet remain in these lukewarm Laodicean times. Pray that we will be faithful in the work that such generosity has commissioned us to do. Our responsibility in this matter is grave. So, help us God. Please also continue to pray for Project Jagerna.

After Jon Lane returns to the United States, our remaining two months in Nepal will be extremely busy. Two evangelistic trips into the Himalayas are planned—one to the Everest Region and one returning to Manang. Pray as we try to pull all of this together. Also, I have previously mentioned about our evangelistic return trip to America (across Tibet, China, and Russia). Presently, this missionary journey is teetering on the edge of a cliff (due to cost and problems with obtaining visas). Pray for us as we seek wisdom in this matter.

So, the main gist of this email update is a fervent request for prayer. James 5:16 says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Your intercessory canopy as we go forth is on the spiritual gear essentials list.

Before signing off, let me briefly (Is it actually possible for me to be brief?) recap some recent events here in Kathmandu. On Good Friday, I again teamed up with believers from Siyon Mukthi Baptist Church, and we headed for Ratna Park and the local mosque. When all was said and done, more than 300 Bibles were distributed as well as gobs of Gospel tracts. There was no persecution this day, and many heard the Word as Pastor Ananda preached boldly to a crowd of onlookers. When the Bibles came out, we were literally mobbed by people clamoring for a copy. One time, I was tackled and trampled under foot on the sidewalk as people dove into an open box in hopes of grabbing one of the few remaining testaments. All I could do was cover my face and wait for the madness to end. Most of the desperate souls were Muslims dressed in their religious garb, having just left the mosque following Friday prayers. Their desperate efforts to get a Bible was a powerful testimony to the emptiness and hopelessness of manmade religion. On another occasion, Pastor Ananda caught a fist to the mouth as people were fighting over a Bible. My friends, this chaos resulted from the desires of the lost to have a free copy of the Holy Scriptures. I dare say that this would never happen in America. GOD SAVE THE UNITED STATES!

Last weekend, Brandon Philbeck and I loaded up with Gospel materials and drove our motorcycles from Kathmandu up to the Tibetan border (about 130 km) along the Arniko Highway. We saturated villages all along the way with Bibles, tracts, and Gospel DVD’s. It was good to be on the open road and out of the pollution of Kathmandu. This time of year (just prior to the monsoon), Kathmandu is one of the most polluted cities in all of the world. Daily, we battle “Kathmandu Black Lung”, and, due to the smog, we have not seen the Himalayas in many days. Technically, we set foot into Tibet, but the Chinese soldiers would not let us off the “Friendship Bridge” between the two countries. One of the guards chased after me into Nepal when we saw me take a photo. Thankfully, he did not confiscate my camera. Anyway, we distributed Gospel tracts on the border and then started to head back toward Kathmandu, planning to camp somewhere for the night. Eventually, our literature supply was exhausted. As we gave out Nepali Bibles in Bharabhisi, the last remaining copy was refused three times. Brandon exhorted me to hold on to it; perhaps God had a special purpose. A little while later, we stopped for a cold drink in another podunk town. The shopkeeper surprisingly asked us if we were Christians. To make a long story short, she had been witnessed to before and had read some Gospel tracts. We gave Rakhnasuke the Bible, and she was overjoyed. I explained how God will give us wisdom to understand his Word if we ask him. Brandon and I watched as she prayed aloud right there in her shop for divine wisdom. I showed her some passages in John, and soon thereafter, we were on our way. Undoubtedly, this was a divine appointment, and Brandon had been right. That Bible had been refused because God intended another use for it. This was a small jewel in a long, hard day for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ. Please pray for Rakhnasuke’s salvation. We never did find a suitable camping spot, and it was so nice cruising along the winding Arniko Highway without traffic and under the light of the moon. Before we knew it, we were racing back into Kathmandu—260 kilometers in a day. Needless to say, my rear-end was quite sore.

I suppose I could write more, but the theme remains the same: distribution, public proclamation, divine appointments, and labor for the truth. Perhaps my stories sound like a broken record, but truly, we are having the time of our lives. I look forward to sharing more adventures from the other side of the world.

The grace of Almighty God be with your spirits. Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.

Jesse, Jamie, and Bethany Boyd

P.S. I again invite you to check out the website. I have added more pictures to the Nepal galleries, especially Kathmandu. Also, the Project Jagerna section is nearly complete. Enjoy.

FPGM HOMEPAGE

Bringing Bangladesh Back to Nepal

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 20:01:11 -0400

Greetings from the Himalayan Kingdom (soon to be Republic or Communist State) of Nepal. Grace, mercy, and peace from the One True God and the Lord Jesus Christ. “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life (I John 5:10-12).

It has been a month since my last update, and much continues to happen here in South Asia. We are still on a spiritual high from our experiences in Bangladesh, and God has helped us channel this energy into preparing for some big things here in Nepal. We will need your prayers over the coming months.

In recent weeks, there has been a gasoline shortage here in Nepal, and the pump lines rival anything that America saw back in the 1970’s. I am really having to limit my use of the motorcycle. If things do not clear up soon, transportation could potentially come to a complete halt. Pray for the Lord’s intervention in this matter. Also, political instability remains an issue of concern. Several days ago, twenty-five people were killed in some kind of confrontation. The door to proclaim the Gospel is wide open at the moment, but it could be slammed shut in the blink of an eye. Pray that God will have mercy on the people of Nepal. The gas lines have created some interesting opportunities for proclamation. Earlier today, a group of us foreigners took bottled water, snacks, Bibles, and tracts down to the long line. People had been waiting for hours (both taxis and motorcycles) in the hot sun, and they were extremely grateful for a cup of cold water and a snack. Bibles and Gospel tracts went out in abundance. For the stalled taxi drivers, we gave out cassette tapes containing Biblical truth. One image does stand out in my mind. A high-caste Hindu couple was more than happy to receive free water and food, and they also took a cassette tape about Jesus. Later, we walked by the same car, and the tape was laying on the curb. It had been ravaged and torn apart in anger. The ribbon had been pulled out and was lying in a crumpled pile. I cannot fathom such hatred toward the truth. John 12:47-48 came to mind, and a chill went up my spine. Please pray for these who openly rejected the outstretched arm of the Lord Jesus Christ. Notwithstanding, the whole experience was an excellent venue for us to demonstrate and proclaim the love of Jesus Christ in a spirit of service. Many heard the Gospel message. Pray that the Word of the Lord will not return void. There will undoubtedly be many more such opportunities as this fuel crisis continues.

Well, my parents came to Nepal for two weeks, and the entire experience was a real blessing for Jamie, Bethany, and myself. They brought us some much-needed supplies, and Bethany was able to spend good quality time with her grandparents. Shortly after their arrival, I decided to test the waters and see if Nepalis were as hungry for Bibles as the people in Bangladesh. My dad, Bishnu Shrestha (my national partner), and I went down to the Hindu Temple plaza in Patan with a box of 110 Bibles. In less than 15 minutes, our supply was completely exhausted. The mob was as insane as anything we saw in Dhaka, and my lip was split open pretty good as people clamored for a copy of the Scriptures. Prior to this incident, we had only taken out Bibles in small quantities during our evangelistic outings. But, my experiences in Dhaka convicted me about the need for mass distribution of God’s Word. This particular night, the Word of the Lord went forth boldly in the shadows of idolatrous temples. Tons of Gospel tracts were distributed as well, and it was spiritually gratifying to do this alongside my father.

Traveling around Nepal with my parents allowed for some pristine Himalayan panoramas and numerous other witnessing opportunities. My dad and I saturated some outlying neighborhoods in Pokhara, and Jamie and my mom got to share with some American tourists who were open to the Truth. Back in the Kathmandu Valley, Daya Ram Pokharel, my dad, and I hiked from Nagarkot to Changa Narayan, saturating villages with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many heard, including a Hindu “holy man” who was standing guard at a hilltop shrine.

I hated to see my parents leave, but their presence helped to spiritually rejuvenate us for the homestretch here in Nepal. I love you, Mom & Dad. Thanks for blessing us with your company. And, thanks to all of you who committed their journey to your prayers.

Much more has gone on in Kathmandu for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ. For the past month, I have been partnering with the pastor and a handful of bold Christian brothers from a local independent Baptist church for weekly outreach at the Muslim mosque in the heart of the city. While Muslims exit the mosque en masse on Friday afternoons following their time of “prayer,” we have been targeting the resulting crowds with bold preaching and Bible/Gospel tract distribution. It is amazing to see how hungry the people are. On one occasion, we were mobbed as hands reached through the fence behind us and bodies pressed against us from the front. People fought to get a tract. Several times, thing got a little crazy. Some “educated” Muslims started rebuking us for sharing the Gospel in front of a mosque. We explained that the interim democracy that currently exists in Nepal gives us the freedom to do so just as it gives freedom for them to worship at the mosque. As others were asking intuitive questions about Jesus, a couple of the “educated” ones starting blaspheming and mocking Christ. I explained that each man had to make a choice. Either Jesus was telling the truth about Himself in John 14:6, or He was a liar and the most deluded fool that ever walked the planet. He cannot be a “good prophet” without being who He claimed to be. One guy loudly proclaimed that Jesus was a liar. At that moment, I felt a tingling in my toes that started to run the length of my body. I knew what I had to say, and I knew the consequences could be grave. I responded: “No, my friend, I will tell you who is and was a liar. Mohammed was a liar, and your god is just a powerless idol. Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. This is not religion; it is truth according to God Himself.” Immediately, our lives were threatened, and the crowd pressed in upon us. After some people loudly said that they could kill us, I invited them in this manner: “Go ahead and kill us. We are not afraid to die for Jesus. Your Koran commands you to kill infidels if you want assurance of your salvation. Do whatever you feel like you need to do. We will not fight back, and you cannot kill the Truth.” I can honestly say that I was ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for my Lord at that moment. However, an amazing thing happened. Once the Muslims saw that we were not afraid, and once the crowd saw the courage that the Holy Spirit bestowed upon us, things instantly calmed down, and we were able to walk right through the crowd and disappear down the street without incident, distributing tracts all along the way. I was reminded of Jesus’ experience on the brow of the hill outside of Nazareth in Luke 4. In Luke 4:30, it reads: “But he passing through the midst of them went his way.” The Lord allowed us to do the same. I apologized to my Nepali brothers for putting their lives in danger with my big mouth, but they rebuked me, assuring me that they, too, had been called upon to speak the Truth about Mohammed in front of the mosque in times past. All of us were edified unto more boldness. Immediately, we headed over to Ratna Park and did some open-air preaching. Many heard, including Deepak, a man who asked numerous questions and showed signs of conviction. Please pray for his salvation.

The next week, we headed back to the mosque and again gave the Word out to many. One young Muslim fully decked out in his religious garb shredded a Gospel tract right in front of our faces, and a few others remarked about how “evil” it was for us to share in front of a mosque. Notwithstanding, the people still clamored for the Word. Islam has always thrived on the fear it instills in its adherents and its enemies. We refused to bow in fear to this idolatry, and in doing so, we discovered that the threats of violence against us were empty. The Lord is good, and we rejoiced to suffer shame for his namesake. Later that same afternoon, we did some distribution on the fringes of a large Maoist rally that had gathered in Ratna Park. While Maoist leaders were shouting their political and atheistic mantras, we worked the outskirts of the crowd and again gave out the Word in abundance without incident. Pray for us and the faithful believers of Siyon Mukhti Baptist Church as we continue to sow seeds amongst the Muslims and Maoists here in Kathmandu.

By the way, I am typing this update by candlelight because rolling blackouts are the norm in Kathmandu these days. So, please forgive me for any typographical errors.

On another occasion during the past few weeks, a group of us, including some Nepali believers, went to a busy area in the heart of town and distributed 550 Bibles in less than 45 minutes. On one occasion, a couple of Maoists approached and asked if they could take some Bibles to their Communist leaders. We rejoiced to comply. We also got to do a little open-air preaching as well, and many heard the Word. There is so much more I can write, but time will not allow. Instead, I want to share about what lies in store for the coming weeks and years with regard to FPGM’s work in Nepal.

First of all, the people of Nepal are hungry for the Word of God, and our experiences in Bangladesh with mass distribution of the Scriptures have spurred us toward such here in this place. After much prayer and consideration, Full Proof Gospel Ministries has decided to partner with some Nepali believers of like faith and like mind in a long-term project that aims to preserve the pure Word of God for the Nepali people through TRANSLATION, PUBLICATION, and DISTRIBUTION. We are calling this effort PROJECT JAGERNA (Jagerna is the Nepali word for "preservation"). To make a long story short: It is the 21st century, and the Nepali people still do not have a reliable and accurate translation of the Holy Scriptures in their native tongue. The current Nepali Bibles that do exist represent questionable translation at best, contain syntax and vocabulary that the common people cannot comprehend, aren't available for distribution in voluminous quantity (a problem that has limited our ability to do distributions to the extent that we saw done in Bangladesh), and can be too expensive for the average Nepali to afford. Thus, there is an ignorance of the Bible in Nepali culture, even amongst professed Christians (Many Christians who live in the villages don’t even have a personal Bible), that is absolutely appalling. Unlike biblical ignorance in America, however, this ignorance is not primarily willful. People just don't have access to a pure translation of Word of God, and they are hungry for it. Project Jagerna, with the help of the Lord, is committed to battling this problem, a problem that has eternal consequences. To state it simply, our endgame is to see that a FAITHFUL and ACCURATE translation of the Bible into Nepali is made available and freely distributed amongst the world’s 60 million Nepalis. Of this number, only about half live in Nepal. The translation arm of Project Jagerna will take about seven years to complete, Lord willing, but the publication and distribution arms will reach out indefinitely. Pray that the Lord will make financial provision for the many costs that are involved and that He will see this project through to its completion after the manner of Philippians 1:6. The Jagerna Translation WILL NOT be copyrighted, and all distribution under the umbrella of Full Proof Gospel Ministries will be FREE as the Lord provides. For more information about Project Jagerna, please monitor FPGM’s website (www.fpgm.org). In the coming weeks, it will promulgate in-depth information about Jagerna , detailed reasons why this project is important, and ways that you can help financially support the printing of pure Scripture portions, and/or Bibles for the Nepali people. Please pray for us as we try to get this work off the ground; the project is definitely in its infant stages. Notwithstanding, it is exciting to see the Lord bring to fruition convictions and desires with regard to the Nepali Bible that initially pricked my heart eight years ago when I lived in Kathmandu. These same pricks He put into the heart of my Nepali partners in this work long before that. The truth of Isaiah 55:9 again manifests itself. I am humbled.

After many hours of grueling work in the past few weeks, Bishnu Shrestha—a bold witness for Jesus, a linguistic genius (He has translated numerous Gospel tracts and Christian books into Nepali), and one of my Nepali partners in Project Jagerna)—and I completed work on the Gospel of John and hope to have at least 10,000 of these (with an in-depth Gospel presentation and contact information) printed in the next couple of weeks. Humanly speaking, this will be impossible, but we need these for a massive distribution that we have planned for mid-April. I take comfort in Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:26: “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Dr. Samuel Rai, another one of our partners in the Jagerna work (a former Communist who has suffered persecution in times past for his faith in Jesus Christ) has begun work on Romans (which we hope to print along with John in the coming year). As mentioned, it looks like the translation arm of this project will continue for another 7 years. Our interest is not in making an easy translation or a hasty translation; rather, taking the strong warnings from Revelation 22:18-19 into heartfelt consideration, we aim to be accurate and faithful to the preserved Words of the Lord. Bible translation is not something to be taken lightly. Pray that the Lord will give us wisdom and that our desire to see a pure Bible FREELY distributed all over Nepal will be soon realized. Stay tuned for more information on Project Jagerna at www.fpgm.org.

Full Proof Gospel Ministries also covets your prayers on a few other matters

1. Pray especially for our remaining three months here in Nepal. Our estimated date of departure is June 9 (At that time, our tourist visas for 2007 are up), and there is still much work to be done. May we be faithful stewards of the time allotted to us. For several weeks in April & May, we will be returning to the Khumbu Region in the vicinity of Mt. Everest so as to saturate the Gokyo Valley with the Word of God. Back in 1999, I traveled to this same place with some Nepali partners. Our plans were to saturate the Khumbu and Gokyo Valleys with the Word. Bad weather and sickness disallowed travel into the Gokyo Valley, and since, the task has remained unfinished. Pray that the Lord will bring to completion this endeavor that began eight long years ago. The last part of May, we plan to return to Manang on the north side of the Annapurna Himalaya so as to follow up with encounters from our December, 2006 journey to this place. Pray that spiritual fruit will be born. Also, there is already a need for us to return to Nepal sometime next year. May God bring this to pass.

2. From April 11-25, Jon Lane from Platte South Dakota (Many of you might remember the Lane Family’s short partnership with FPGM during our Maine-to-Florida bicycle ride/missionary journey back in 2005) will be traveling to Nepal to help FPGM with a massive Bible distribution project. Our objective will be to freely distribute 5,000 Nepali New Testaments and 10,000 Gospels of John all over the Kathmandu Valley, along the highway between Kathmandu and Pokhara, and up the spur route to Gorkha (the ancient capital of Nepal). There will also be opportunities for discipleship training and open-air preaching. Pray for Jon's safe travel and that together we will be able to saturate these areas with the Word. Pray also for the Nepali partners who will be laboring with us.

3. For five days during Jon Lane's two-week visit (April 16-20), we will be traveling to the closed country of Bhutan so as to carry in the Word of God. Bhutan is closed to the Gospel and any type of evangelistic activity is highly illegal. Many in this mountain kingdom have never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the small pockets of believers that do subsist are persecuted. Even carrying Bibles and Gospel tracts into the country is risky. Moreover, just to get an entry visa is extremely expensive, involves a lot of government red tape, and requires you to operate through a Bhutan travel agency. In short, it costs $200 per person per day to legally be in Bhutan. Thus, our stay will be short. Fortunately, our travel agency contacts are underground believers, so they understand the nature of our coming and are committed to accommodating us. There will also be opportunities to meet with and encourage persecuted brethren. Pray that this journey comes together and that the government gives us the green light to come in as tourists. Pray also that the Lord will meet the financial needs for this journey. It will be very expensive, but you cannot put a price on making the Gospel available for those who have never heard. Finally, pray for our protection and effectiveness as we attempt to saturate Thimpu (Bhutan's capital), Paro, and other places in Bhutan with the Gospel message. May the Lord blind the eyes of the authorities in such a way that we can at least get an abundance of Gospel materials into the country.

4. Pray for us as we make our return journey to the United States this summer. Lord willing, this will involve an overland trip to Beijing, China from Kathmandu, passing through Tibet along the way. From Beijing, we purpose to ride the Trans-Siberian Railway across Mongolia and all the way to Moscow. From Moscow, we will take the train to St. Petersburg and then on to Helsinki, Finland. In Finland, we aim to partner with some missionary friends for a couple of weeks. After this, Lord willing, we return to America. All such plans are subject to the direction of the Lord God, and as always, our primary objective will be to saturate with the Word of God along every step of the journey. Pray for us in this matter. In particular, these is a lot of red tape with regard to securing Russian visas. We are trusting the Lord to help us obtain these. ALSO, IF ANY OF YOU HAVE MISSIONARY OR LOCAL CHRISTIAN CONTACTS IN ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA, AND/OR IRKUTSK, MOSCOW, AND ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA, PUTTING US IN TOUCH WITH THESE WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED. It would be nice to have some Christian fellowship along this arduous journey.

Well, I should sign off. It is late, and there is much work to do before I can put an end to this day. In conclusion, let me say that I continue to marvel at how the goodness of the Lord manifested itself during our recent time in Bangladesh. William Carey, a faithful Baptist missionary from the 19th century and the “Father of Modern Missions” (as some have labeled him) was the first to translate the Bible into Bengali, the language of the Bangladeshi people. Carey was a hero of the faith mightily used by the Lord in South Asia many years ago. When I consider the sacrifices that he and his family (as well as many other faithful believers who have gone before) made so that far-away peoples could hear the glorious Gospel of the Blessed God, I realize that any “sacrifice” I may have made for the Lord is nothing more than an inconvenience. Real suffering for the cause of Jesus Christ I know not. Notwithstanding, it was a real honor to walk in Carey’s footsteps (just as it was an honor to follow the path of 1st Great Awakening during our 2005 Maine-to-Florida bicycle journey) and distribute 10,000 Bengali Bibles to the same people group to which he labored to give a Bengali Bible around 200 years ago. In 1792, William Carey wrote an article entitled “An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to use means for the Conversion of the Heathens.” In it, he listed and rebuked a number of excuses Christians of his day were typically making as to why they would not go into all nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. One of these excuses and/or objections was DISTANCE. Carey’s rebuke of this excuse is humbling. He argued that the invention of the mariner’s compass left followers of Jesus Christ with no legitimate reason for staying at home because of distance. After all, in 1792, a man could travel anywhere in the world less than six months! When I consider that we can travel anywhere in the world in less than 24 hours in 2007, one thought comes to mind. WE OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED!

For the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ,
Jesse, Jamie, and Bethany

P.S. FPGM wants to thank Twin City Knitting Co. of Conover, NC for its recent donation of a huge duffle bag full of socks to be used for distribution amongst the poor here in Nepal. These will provide an excellent bridge for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ here in the Third World.

FPGM HOMEPAGE

Bangladesh

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 19:55:36 -0500

Greetings in the name of the Great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ, “who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14).

By the grace of God, we returned to Kathmandu, Nepal nearly a week ago. My parents arrived here on February 25, and they will be with us for the next couple of weeks. Hopefully, increasing political instability in this country will not keep us stuck at home, or in Kathmandu, for that matter. Alas, for now, this is enough about Nepal. There is so much to tell from our 10-day stint in Bangladesh.

When we originally came to India back in September of 2006, we had no plans or aspirations to travel to Bangladesh. However, when our luggage was initially lost and we contemplated not being able to go to Ladakh, my friend who lives in Dhaka emailed me about needing some help with bold Bible distribution in Bangladesh. Of course, the luggage eventually showed up, and we went to Ladakh for two months of fruitful ministry. Since, however, we set our sights on Bangladesh, and due to the bold nature of the work going on with my contacts in that place, we endeavored to make it happen. The Lord granted our prayerful petitions, and with all said and done, we continue to rejoice concerning the fruit of this journey. In ten days, a little more than TEN THOUSAND copies of Scripture (New Testaments, Complete Bibles, and Gospels of Luke) were freely distributed into the hands of lost souls on the streets of Dhaka! And, this was done in a Muslim country with little, if any, real threats to our safety and security. And, it all goes back to some lost luggage. I am humbled as Isaiah 55:9 comes to mind.

Before I provide a more detailed recap of how the above was accomplished, let me say that in all of this we had the great privilege and honor of partnering with faithful and bold fellowsoldiers of Jesus Christ—both foreign missionaries and local believers. Due to security issues and the fact that we, together, really pushed the envelope for the cause of the Gospel in a Muslim country, I cannot mention names or other specifics. Mostly, we labored with two missionary families and a handful of Bangla brothers from one jamaat (i.e. church). The jamaat of which I speak meets weekly under a grove a trees, and this body of believers has really embraced the need for bold distribution of the Scriptures. Being Bengalis, they can blend in with a crowd and disappear from the scene rather quickly (unlike us white Americans), but the risk of persecution is great for these brothers. And strangely, they do not seem to mind. There is much American “churchianity” could learn from such meek and committed soldiers of Jesus Christ.

Bangladesh is a poor country that has a long history of violence and natural disasters. With a larger population than the United States crammed into land area the size of Arkansas, the place can be overwhelming. Dhaka, the capital city, is one of the largest cities (i.e. population-wise) in the world and probably the most intense. Parts of the city are actually quite modern, clean, and nice compared to anything I have seen in Nepal or India. On the other hand, the south part of Dhaka is the epitome of filth and chaos. The Buriganga River (a large flowing septic tank of filth and trash) runs along the southern border of the city, and all along the riverbanks, trash is piled high, and people dig through it for “treasure.” One could see the steam pour out as holes were delved into. The smell alone was extreme. Truly, that part of town was the dirtiest and most polluted patches of ground that my feet have ever walked. Pollution in Dhaka isn’t so much industrial (i.e. in the air); the air was not smoggy, and the skies were clear. The problem is with sheer filth. Sewage bubbling up into the streets, trash piled along the Buriganga, demolished store fronts, and gut-wrenching smells are commonplace. The place really is a living, breathing ecological disaster. But, then there is the Gulshan District—one of the nicest metropolitan areas I have seen in all of South Asia. As for the KFC and Pizza Hut, they boasted cleaner and more modern facilities, friendlier service, and better-tasting food than any I have ever encountered in the United States. So, Dhaka also features a paradigm of extreme contrast. We loved it!

As mentioned, Dhaka is one of the most intense cities we have ever experienced. It is virtually impossible to do street evangelism without drawing sizeable crowds. People will clamor for Bibles and actually fight over them. If one is not vigilant and prepared to exit the scene, a large crowd can quickly turn into an overwhelming flood of chaos. Then, the police become a problem to be concerned about. In my last email update, I mentioned that we were targeting a Book Fair down at Dhaka University (a political hotspot for the past 30 years), an annual event established to celebrate the national language of Bangladesh. This was a great venue for giving out free Bibles in the national language. The first night, 2000 Bibles were given away without incident; I have never seen that many copies of the Word of God go out so quickly.

The second night, however, was a far different matter. Many more people were out on the streets because it was Valentine’s (I found it strange that Bengalis celebrated this holiday). As soon as we began handing out Bibles, mobs formed. People were pushing, shoving, and fighting to get a Bible, and a real scene exploded. I tried to draw the crowd away from the boxes of Bibles by moving down the streets and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ open-air. A faithful Bengali brother translated for me. Initially, it worked, but before long, we had two large crowds with which to deal. People did listen to the preaching with interest, and I went right for the jugular with I John 5:11-13. Now, I realize that some puffed-up “missionary strategists” would say, “You cannot or should not mention that Jesus is the Son of God when witnessing to Muslims because they do not believe this, and this concept offends them. Thus, they will not listen to you, blah, blah, blah . . .” Well, my friends, the Sonship of Jesus Christ is the core of the Gospel according to I John 5:11-13, and if God was not manifest in the flesh (see I Timothy 3:16), then our faith is in vain, and man is dead in his sins without hope. Anyway, I determined before we arrived in Bangladesh that I would not beat around the bush with Muslims concerning the Gospel and that I would not intimate, as many do, that Jehovah God of the Bible and Allah are the same God. They are not! Our attitude would be that of Esther the Queen in Esther 4:16: “ . . .and if I perish, I perish.” Our objective in giving out the Bible and in bold preaching was to proclaim the unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ—the Gospel of repentance, faith, forgiveness, and the hope of everlasting life (something Islam or any other manmade religion of works cannot offer). This, by the grace of God, we did. During the preaching, one Muslim man got real angry and started rebuking us for “shoving our religion down everyone’s throat in a Muslim country.” It was interesting to watch the crowd actually jump to our defense: “They’re not talking about religion; they are telling us about how to have a relationship with God.” The people were hearing us. Praise be unto God! The angry man then lit into my Bengali friend; for a moment, I feared for us. But, my brother was calm, cool, and collected. A Bengali journalist standing nearby remarked about how courageous we were to proclaim this message in a Muslim country. I cleverly replied: “Why does that make us courageous? We have nothing to fear because Bangladeshis are very friendly people. Besides, we count our lives as nothing in service to our Lord and Saviour.”

Eventually, after the preaching, we rushed back over to our brothers handling the Bible distribution. The crowd was getting way out of hand. The distribution had stopped, and our partners were simply sitting on the boxes to guard them. It was strangling in the midst of that crowd. We tried without success to form human chains and keep the people away from the boxes. Then, we tried to get people to form a line. Some did, and waited patiently. All went south, however, when the police showed up. For awhile, it looked like we would be arrested. In fact, the officer said as much. Going to a Bangla jail was not desirous, so quietly we prayed. Again, some of the crowd jumped to our defense and urged the commanding officer to let us go. The aforementioned journalist also spoke on our behalf. Finally, we were let go and told to leave the premises with our remaining boxes of Bibles. The mob followed us. From our parked van, we placed the remaining full boxes on the sidewalk. The mob pounced as we speedily drove away. It looked like a ravenous pack of wolves fighting over fresh meat. People were that hungry for the Word of God. I was humbled. When all was said and done at the Book Fair, an additional 1,000 Bibles had gone out before the door to that venue was suddenly closed. We rejoiced in this.

Thankfully, our Bengali brothers did not seem too shaken up. We had an additional 1,000 Bibles still in the van, and they were ready for more. We found a busy sidewalk with low light, parked the vans alongside the streets, and started distributing to passersby. For the next hour or so, many more Bibles went out into the hands of the lost. We targeted pedestrians, rickshaw traffic, and slow moving buses. People hung out the windows clamoring for a copy, and some ran across multiple lanes of dangerous traffic to obtain one for themselves and their friends. Things never got quite as chaotic as the Book Fair, but there were more scary moments when a police officer came by on a rickshaw. My American partner offered him a Bible and went to shake his hand. The officer jumped off the rickshaw and would not let go of his hand. He then grabbed his wrist and starting talking into his radio. My friend called me over, and I noticed that the officer had no weapons on him. I advised my partner to break the hold, and we would run for it. We definitely did not need more police showing up after what had happened earlier. That officer was looking for us, and such was obvious when he showed up. So, my friend broke loose, and we sprinted for the van, hollering for everyone to follow. Ironically, the “arresting officer” just stood there watching. We sped off into the night, tons of traffic serving as a good camouflage.

All in all, the night was wild. Our Bengali brothers, thankfully, did not seem too phased. We had planned another outreach for the following day, and the temptation was to call it off because of our run-ins with the police. Such fear was not from the Lord. We prayed about it and decided to embrace the example of the apostles in Acts 5:17-18, 25, 28-29, 41-42. These “ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ” (Acts 5:42).

So, the next day, we met up with our Bengali brothers down near the “Buriganga Septic Tank”, I mean, Buriganga River. We hired a large wooded boat and loaded several boxes of Bibles and Gospels of Luke thereupon. The next couple of hours were some of the most memorable in my service to the Lord. These ranked right up there with the hours spent carrying that cross across the remote Nubra Valley in extreme Northern India. Our party navigated up river, around passing boats, and along the trash-filled shores, giving out Scriptures to multitudes that beckoned. There were some moments of madness as people scrambled for a Bible. A couple of times, we got stuck amongst boats with no way of escape. Thankfully, the police never showed up. Bibles were tossed to passing boats, distributed on passenger barges, and lobbed to outstretched arms on the shore. The Lord also allowed me to preach open-air in a megaphone for all to hear. I know not whether my English was comprehended, but where man is unable, God is more than able (Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37). One of my objectives in doing this was to demonstrate boldness for our Bengali brothers. Their leader caught the fire, took up the megaphone, and proclaimed to the people in their native tongue.

Several images stand out in my mind from this boat outreach:

1. A crowd of children ran barefoot down the garbage-lined shore at full speed trying to catch up with our boat and receive Bibles for themselves.

2. A little boy with no arms wanted a Gospel of Luke so badly. He couldn’t take it or pick it up, so we laid it upon his shoulders; he held it there with his head as he walked away.

3. A man swam out to the boat for a Bible and nearly drowned trying to get back to shore while keeping the Bible above water.

4. Women were bathing in the Buriganga (????) but put this on hold to get Bibles.

5. A Bible got tossed to the outstretched arms of a man on a passing boat. It missed its intended target and accidentally fell into the water. The man still pursued and fished it out of the black water.

6. Several nice, hard-backed complete Bibles were given to tufi-clad Muslim men who at least dressed like they were important.

All in all, this outing was incredible with none of the problems from the night before following after us. Again, the Word of the God went forth in abundance.

The remainder of our time in Bangladesh continued to be eventful. One evening, an American worker and myself hooked up with a Bengali brother down in the southeast corner of Dhaka. This time, the van would drop us off and then pull up the road to wait. We kept things moving to avoid drawing ridiculous crowds and handed out Gospels of Luke from heavy boxes held tightly in our hands as we walked down the avenues. Passing buses and rickshaws, roadside shops, bus ticket counters, and the masses were all targeted. 1,200 Gospels of Luke and 50 New Testaments went out this night. There was only one tense moment when a young man ranted about it being “not fair” for us to be giving out the Bible in a Muslim country. I made it clear that his opinion did not frighten us. We had to obey God, and I said, “Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven!” At least the eavesdropping crowd heard some bold words to keep them awake that night. All in all, ‘twas a good.

Later in the week, we did another Buriganga River distribution: 1,800 Gospels of Luke, 200 New Testaments, and a handful of ornate complete Bibles went into the hands of the lost. This time, we would park the boat along the shore, disembark, and saturate close-knit neighborhoods that abated the shore. This, of course, was done in the shadows of mosques and an intense Muslim presence. On two occasions, things became a bit unnerving. One man taking a boat taxi kept saying that we were putting our lives in danger and that we should cease our efforts. I finally had enough of the fear complex that was beginning to pervade our group, so I told this self-proclaimed prophet that being in danger was OK. “Jesus is the only way to heaven,” I said, “and I will proclaim this even if it means my death . . .” I make no apologies for this. One thing Islam cannot do to me is make me fear its lies, its people, and/or is demon-god. If God (i.e. the TRUE God of the Bible) be for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)? On another occasion, we were working a Muslim neighborhood. One man tried to act important and asked if I was a Muslim. Unapologetically, I said, “No, I am a follower of the One True God and the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son.” The exchange drew a crowd; I was mocked and then told that my life was in danger. I told the people that I was not concerned about my personal safety. To the chagrin of the Muslim hecklers, people continued to approach and receive Bibles from my hands.

But alas, these were just two hostile encounters in a sea of positive encounters that day. Many heard and received copies of the Word without incident: boatmen; manual laborers; children; Muslim men decked out in tufis with long beards and long robes; women clad in black burkhas; rich; poor; handicapped—all we encountered in those highways and along those hedges. “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and he knoweth them that trust in him” (Nahum 1:7).

Wow! There is so much more I could write. Jamie and I hit the streets in the Gulshan Area a couple of times. For symbolic purposes, I did a little distribution in front of a big mosque on Gulshan Avenue. On this occasion, I could have been a bit bolder, but being alone was tough. Later, a bunch of Gospel DVD’s were given to police officers. None opposed.

Our final full day in Dhaka proved an excellent way to conclude the overall visit. Four of us, including two Bengali believers, met up at the place where the Bibles were being stored. We spent all morning stamping 2000 New Testaments with contact information. Then, we loaded up the van and headed for the outer fringes of Dhaka on the southeast side. By day’s end, our supply was completely exhausted. For much of the time, we simply stayed in the van and drove slowly down pedestrian-crowded streets. There was a constant barrage of arms reaching into the windows, clamoring for a “free book.” At several points, we got out and distributed to passing buses, rickshaws, CNG’s, and crowds. The effort was wearisome but rewarding. Again, a few Muslims expressed disdain, but the common people kept coming to the chagrin of such. All praise to the Lord!

So, so as a result of all of the distributions in which FPGM took an active role in Dhaka, over 10,000 copies of Scripture were freely disseminated. And, we did not get arrested or kicked out of Bangladesh. To God be all the glory! Perhaps Bangladesh is the only Muslim country in the world where we could get away with this. Really, I should not even say such. When God is in control and he wants his Word to get out, it will go out regardless of what government is in power and no matter how high the security risk.

We are already praying about returning to Bangladesh (perhaps next year) during one of the huge national festivals. Our vision is to take a small team of dedicated and bold believers who will help us freely distribute 50,000 Bibles in a period of about ten days. Please pray for us and for the faithful long-term laborers in Dhaka as we endeavor to make this happen. The Bibles are and will be available; the challenge will be to get them out. The will of the Lord be done.

The Holy Spirit’s conviction was heavy as we left Dhaka and returned to Kathmandu. In a hostile environment, God gave us the grace to push the envelope for his Gospel. Now, we really need to push the envelope in Nepal and wherever else our feet may trod for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ. The times require boldness beyond what I have been able to offer heretofore. The same can be said for you, fellow-believers who may be reading this: Time is short, and frontline soldiers are wanted in the Lord’s Army who love not their lives unto the death (Revelation 12:11). Boldness and faithfulness are our only options “in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). So, help us God.

Well, our travels in South Asia have allowed us to share the glorious Gospel of the blessed God with people of many religious backgrounds. We have proclaimed to Buddhists who acknowledge no supreme god; we have proclaimed to Hindus who worship millions of gods; and we have proclaimed to Muslims who worship one god (his name can be found in Revelation 20:2). As always, our message has not been one of religion (i.e. working one’s way to God). Jesus Christ has freed us from the bondage of religion that we might have forgiveness and a RELATIONSHIP with the Creator of the Universe.

In this update, it may seem that my descriptions and references to Islam are harsh. I make no apologies for this, for I do consider Islam to be an enemy of Biblical Christianity (as is Buddhism, Hinduism, Roman Catholicism, and all of the world’s manmade religions). It is my enemy because of its doctrines and its history, not because of its people. I DO NOT hate Muslims (I love them enough to share with them what Jesus has done for me). Rather, I hate the blasphemous Islamic system for the same reason that I hate Communism, Evolution, or any other false system. I hate it because it is false, yet it professes to be true. I hate it because it stands between millions and the truth. I hate it because its pompous claims have rejected the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I hate it because countless millions have passed into eternity lost because of its false gospel. Will someone protest that it is wrong to hate a system? The Word of God would disagree: “Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:128).

Thank you for all the prayers that were lifted up as we ventured out of Nepal. Please continue to pray for our work here in Kathmandu as we endeavor to step up the boldness in view of our experiences in Bangladesh (Such has already begun, and details will be forthcoming in the next update). Please pray for the faithful believers (foreign and local) who continue to labor faithfully and mass distribute copies of the Bible on the streets of Dhaka. May the Lord preserve such in boldness and protect these from the evil hand of persecution. May many lost souls come to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Well, I have to catch a flight to Pokhara. It has been good to share these past few days with my parents. As mentioned, they will be hear until March 9. Please pray for their safe return to the States.

Grace, mercy, and peace be with you all.

For the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ,

Jesse, Jamie, and Bethany Boyd

FPGM HOMEPAGE

Darjeeling, Sikkim, & Calcutta

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 19:46:50 -0500

Greetings from Bangladesh in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the ONLY mediator between God and men (I Timothy 2:5).

We have been out of Nepal for almost two weeks now, and since taking our leave, this journey has been a whirlwind of activity and proclamation. Presently, we are in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, one of Asia’s poorest and most politically unstable countries. For the past two nights, down by Dhaka University (a political hotbed for the past 30 years), we had the great privilege of freely distributing approximately 3,500 New Testaments without incident on the streets of this predominantly Muslim country. Bangladesh prides itself in being one of the only modern nations that fought a war of independence for the primary purpose of preserving its national language (a very bloody affair with Pakistan that lasted nine months). For the entire month of February, there is a large book fair down at Dhaka University where Bangla literature is promoted, displayed, and sold in abundance—all to celebrate the national language. This is an excellent venue for FREELY distributing Bibles in the Bangla language, and it has been an honor to come alongside and partner with existing workers and local Christians in boldly getting the Word out. Pray for us as we attempt to get more Bibles into the hands of the lost. Public proclamation in this country is risky (especially for the local believers), but thus far, God’s favor has shined upon our efforts. Even a handful of police officers gladly received copies of the Scriptures the other night. Pray that the door remains open. But, that is enough about Bangladesh for now; our time here has really just begun. Lord willing, we return to Kathmandu on February 22.

Two weeks ago, we left Nepal via the eastern border town of Kakarbhitta while transporting a sizeable supply of Bibles, Gospel tracts, and Jesus Films. Our mission was to deliver these to some long-term laborers up in Darjeeling, India. These could then be used around Darjeeling and up in Sikkim, a restricted area of India that borders Tibet. Because all of eastern Nepal was experiencing political unrest, strikes, and forced curfews, there was great potential for trouble as we tried to exit the country. Many of you prayed for us about this. I rejoice to announce that we flew into Bhadrapur (The involved a nice panorama of Himalayan giants, including Mt. Everest) and then made the land crossing into India without incident. Because of political strikes, there was no motorized transportation available, and the border crossing was 22km from the airport. So, we settled in for a three-hour ride on a bicycle rickshaw. Actually, it took three rickshaws to get us and all the materials into India. We were a bit of a caravan, and pleasant afternoon weather ironically made for an enjoyable ride in the country. A few people were also confronted with the Gospel of Jesus Christ along the way. God was very good to us this day.

From the border, we safely made it up to Darjeeling in the Himalayan foothills. While there, we had the privilege of staying with a family who is currently experiencing some problems with the Indian government because of their boldness for the Gospel. The fellowship was sweet, and we were honored to have been able to bring them some much-needed materials. For security reasons, I cannot say much else.

It was very rainy and cold in Darjeeling, and we did not see the sun for days. Notwithstanding, I utilized the time afforded to make a four-day jaunt up into Sikkim, a restricted area of northern India. Sikkim actually has an interesting history. Back in the 1970’s, Sikkim was an independent kingdom that sensed it was facing the inevitable fate suffered by Tibet—overthrow and occupation by the Communist Chinese. So, in a preemptive move, the monarchy approached the Indians and offered to give its land to be a part of India in exchange for protection from the Chinese and a measure of autonomy. Ever since, Sikkim has officially been a part of India. Still, things are a little different there, and the people enjoy a more autonomy than in other parts of India. Also, the area is restricted to foreigners, and even with proper permits, a Westerner cannot travel to certain parts of the region. North Sikkim is the most difficult area to get into, so that it what I set my sights upon. Technically, you cannot get a permit to go in there as a foreigner unless you are part of a “tour group.” I was traveling alone with one Bhutanese believer from Darjeeling, so it would be difficult. In the end, I got the permit and did not ask any questions about how this came to pass. So, after doing a little Gospel distribution in Gangtok, Sikkim’s capital, we hired a jeep and set out for North Sikkim.

The weather was terrible (cold, rainy, snowy), and it ultimately limited where we were able to go. However, we did make it up to Lachung and Lachen, the two largest settlements in the area. Each was in a different valley, and getting there involved hours of driving on narrow, winding roads. These made the mountain highways in West Virginia seem like straight great roads. In Lachung, some Gospel tracts and Jesus Films went out on the streets. Wangchuck, the 19-year-old Bhutanese believer who traveled with me, had some distant relatives in Lachung, so we lodged with them and were able to boldly speak Christ in their Buddhist home. In the end, they accepted a Bible and a Jesus Film. Please pray for their salvation. As for Wangchuck, he comes from a long line of believers. His grandfather has been a pastor in the Darjeeling area for more than 50 years. His great-grandfather was a bold evangelist in Bhutan who was martyred for his faith. He was poisoned by the Bhutanese authorities and died a slow death.

Fortunately, most people in Darjeeling and Sikkim speak Nepali, so I was able to have some meaningful conversations and do a good bit of seed-sowing. Some heard the Word along the roadside, others heard in the villages, and some heard under their own roof. Our hope was to travel north from Lachung into the Yumthang Valley near the Tibetan border, but heavy snow prevented this. We really never got any good views of the mountains, but the snow was aesthetically pleasing in its own way. From what I could discern in the fog, it looked like Lachung sat at the head of a massive Yosemite-like valley with imposing cliff walls on both sides. Supposedly, big peaks were all around, but I my own eyes may never really know.

Over in Lachen, another sizeable Buddhist settlement that lies one valley to the west from Lachung, I walked the streets under cover of darkness in a driving snow and distributed Gospel tracts as God gave opportunity. In the “hotel” where we lodged, a young Tibetan girl spoke good English and seemed open as I shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She took a Bible; please pray for Tenzig’s salvation. In a Tibetan home just south of the hotel, we were invited inside for tea because our driver offered to carry a package back to Gangtok for them. They, too, seemed to be people of peace (see Luke 10:5-7) and acted open to the Gospel. They were happy to get a Jesus Film DVD. Again, please pray for the salvation of these.

From Lachen, we tried to drive north toward Thangu, but only a few kilometers outside of town, the jeep got stuck in the snow. At least 6 inches had fallen the night before. It was beautiful, but our options were limited. In a comical display of typical South Asian culture, we spent more than an hour trying to get the jeep out of the snow and back up the hill into town. I did not understand why the vehicle would not find traction and wondered if the driver was using his 4WD. He assured me that he was. Finally, after using shovels and spreading dirt all over the road, the vehicle crested the hill. Only later did I discover that our driver never did put the jeep in 4WD. In his words, “I didn’t want to waste oil.” So, in his mind, rather than being wasteful with oil, I guess it was better to waste time and energy in cold, falling snow to make a stretch of road passable for 2WD when 4WD would have handled the same stretch with ease. Sometimes, this culture is simply beyond me.

The drive back to Darjeeling from Lachen was long and arduous, to say the least. On our way out of Lachen, we visited the large Buddhist monastery on the hill above town. While Wangchuck kept watch, I snuck into a room where visiting monks had stashed their luggage. I was able to slip a few Gospel tracts into their stuff and strategically place a few more around the monastery. Out in the courtyard, with heavy snow falling, we shared boldly with a group of monks. One of these was very outspoken and bantered about how all religions were the same and that there were many pathways to God. Against the teaching of Buddha himself, he also claimed that Buddha was a god to be worshipped. The truth of II Corinthians 4:4 was very evident. I took him through the Ten Commandments and explained why mankind needs a Saviour as opposed to works-based religion. I then made no bones about quoting John 14:6 and maintaining that Jesus Christ was the only way to salvation. I said, “You claim that Jesus was a good teacher like the Buddha, but you have to make a choice. Either what he said about himself (John 10:30; John 14:6-9) was true, or he was a liar and the most deluded fool that ever walked the planet.” This at least got them thinking. The outspoken monk shrugged and replied, “I cannot say.” Initially, our offers of Gospel tracts and Tibetan Jesus Films were rejected, but one young man changed his mind after hearing the Words of Scripture. In the end, the outspoken monk also returned and actually asked for the materials that he had previously refused with vehemence. I rejoiced in the truth of Psalm 19:7 and Hebrews 4:12-13, and we ultimately left that monastery with another spiritual victory. Hey, the fact that we did not get kicked out of the monastery was victorious in and of itself. Praise be unto God!

In Manjan, we parted ways with our driver. Please pray for Namgyal; he is Buddhist and over a couple of days, he was able to observe the Gospel going forth. He was also confronted with the Truth and seemed open. I was encouraged by his rantings about the Dalai Lama being a hypocrite. His words were after this manner: “If he really were a god with all this spiritual power, why couldn’t he save Tibet from the Chinese? And, why did he run off to America and India where he sits around in luxury and, aside from some speaking engagements, pretty much ignores the poor people of his homeland?” The truth speaks for itself. I did not even need to comment. I was, however, reminded of the words spoken by James, a formerly Buddhist Ladakhi believer who climbed Stok Kangri with the Nomad and me over in Ladakh: “Behind the Dalai Lama’s smile is the smirk of a demon.” Pray that Namgyal, too, will see the true nature of demonic Tibetan Buddhism. “Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar . . . (Romans 3:4).

Trying to get back to Darjeeling from Manjan was another nightmare. It involved two-hours of misery in a shared jeep taxi and another encounter with nonsensical aspects of South Asian culture. The jeep taxi was completely full and could not fit another person. A handful of police officers stopped the driver and demanded a lift down the mountain. So, an elderly lady with a baby was forced to get out of her seat and cram herself in the rear of the vehicle. Others were forced to scoot where there was no room to scoot, and there were four people in the front seat, myself and Wangchuck in included. For a good while, the jeep navigated dangerous mountain roads with huge drop-offs while the driver was literally hanging out the window and operating the vehicle while sitting on someone’s lap. Wangchuck had to shift the gears because the driver could not reach them. The whole time, I had my hand on the door handle ready to jump out of the vehicle if it plummeted over the cliff. It is against the law in Sikkim for taxi drivers to stuff their vehicles like that because of safety issues, but those idiot police officers needed a ride, so the law they were sworn to uphold no longer mattered. Thus, a lot of lives were endangered for “convenience’s” sake. Thankfully, we arrived at our destination safely. A shared taxi from Manjan back to Darjeeling, I decided, was not an option. The extra money needed to hire a private taxi for the 2 hour drive was worth every rupee.

Initially, I had mixed feelings about the trip up into Sikkim. The weather was terrible the entire time, and the mountains never revealed themselves. Moreover, the rain and snow kept people off the streets, and witnessing opportunities were less than expected. Notwithstanding, any time the Word of God goes forth (especially in a place like Sikkim where many have never heard the Gospel), there is victory and reason to rejoice. Thus, all was worthwhile. All praise be unto the Most High God!

The remaining time in Darjeeling was good, and I was glad to be with my family again. The Gospel went out on the streets of Darjeeling, and Wangchuck and I saturated a Tibetan Refugee Camp with the Words of the Living God. Unlike the refugee camp up in Marpha, Nepal where Brandon and I were kicked out a couple of months ago, these Tibetans at least seemed open to the Gospel. We gave out lots of Gospel tracts and a few Jesus Films. Even the old men and women busy at the looms and sewing machines gratefully received materials at our hands. We left that place rejoicing. Other workers in Darjeeling will be following up on this saturation endeavor, so please pray that spiritual fruit is born. I also walked along the back roads above town and got to share with some that were out and about. I think of a group of teenagers smoking pot and a handful of young Buddhist monks. The Lord gave me boldness, and the Gospel was at least cheerfully considered. More tracts went out into the hands of lost men.

While in Darjeeling, Bethany’s third birthday came and went. She got to ride a pony in Darjeeling, and we had a “party” at a nearby pizza place. It was enjoyable. And, the fellowship we shared with the long-term workers in the area was special. I wish I could say more about these special servants of the Lord. If any of you folks are reading this, thanks for your warm hospitality and for allowing us to briefly partner in your work. I pray that our bold efforts will benefit your long-term ministry and that you will see spiritual fruit born.

Before leaving the area, God bestowed a blessing upon us about which we had prayed much. For the entire week we had been there, it rained and rained (I was reminded of the Pacific Northwest). The clouds were thick, and the mountains were invisible—depressing, to say the least. On our last full day, we awoke to find clear skies and an amazing panorama a big Himalayan peaks spread across the Western horizon. Kanchengjunga, the world’s third highest peak, was close, and it stood out stark. The surrounding hillsides were dotted with villages and settlements, and the crisp air did much to lift our spirits. All praise to the Maker of the mountains! “For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name” (Amos 4:13).

From Darjeeling, we traveled down to Calcutta for a couple of days. After a long delay at the airport in Bagdogra, we arrived in Calcutta on a chaotic Saturday night. Most hotels were booked, but we eventually found an overpriced room that proved to be a good location. Again, God took care of our needs. We had transported a small supply of Hindi Gospel tracts, and it was important to give out all of these during the short time we had in this mega-city. So, we set out in the morning with Bethany in her stroller and basically spent the entire day on the streets. We sowed seeds of the Gospel near the Victoria Monument, at the Kali Temple in Kalighat, in Lal Bazaar around the William Carey Memorial Baptist Church, around the City Center shopping area, and in the Ho Chi Minh neighborhood around our hotel. Even Bethany was handing out tracts from her stroller.

At the Kali Temple, the spiritual darkness was thick. Kali, according to Hindu mythology, is basically a female demon who is only appeased by blood sacrifice. The Kali priests are deluded, the worship is debauched, and the whole mess is sheer devilry. On the particular day that we happened upon this place, there was some sort of celebration commemorating the founding of the temple. People were wrapped around the edifice numerous times in infinitely long lines, waiting to do puja and offer up blood sacrifices to Kali, the demon goddess. Priests were hacking off goats’ heads to a disconcerting drumbeat while standing in pools of blood around the Satanic altars. I forced myself to behold this debauchery so as to motivate compassion for the lostness of those people. My prayer as I stood there was after the manner of Michael the Archangel in Jude 1:9. Bethany got really scared, and Jamie and I were overwhelmed. We handed out a few Gospel tracts and then got out of there. One young priest, while reaching for a Gospel tract, spilled a bottle of something all over me. I think it was water, but who knows? What it was going to be used for is beyond my imagination. Outside the temple, I was able to boldly speak the Gospel to a priest and a few others standing nearby. I explained how the real blood sacrifice had already been paid by the God-man, Jesus Christ. I pray that these words did not fall completely on deaf ears. People did grasp for Gospel tracts when they saw us giving them out. I only wish we had more with us. Then, there were the “cute” little Western tourists waiting barefoot (going barefoot in that bloody place was like begging for all sorts of diseases) in line to receive their Kali tikkas. Such was the epitome of foolishness and ignorance. What went on in that place reflects the true demonic nature of Hinduism and its child, Buddhism. Yet, the Western World licks this up in the name of peace, tranquility, and global ecumenism. “And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Matthew 15:14).

Our spirits were lifted shortly after departing the demonic shadow of Kalighat when we stumbled upon the William Carey Memorial Baptist Church in Lal Bazaar. In 1809, William Carey and his co-laborers founded this church. Almost 200 years later, people were inside on a Sunday morning worshipping the One True God. I was reminded that the light of the Gospel can pierce even the blackest of spiritual darkness. We sauntered around the courtyard for a bit and handed out some Gospel tracts in front of the church and in honor of Carey’s legacy of boldness and sacrifice. In big letters across the front of the church was a comforting message: “Jesus Saves!” And, just above the front door were some of Carey’s words: “Attempt great things for God. Expect great things from God.” I realized that this is exactly what we needed to do in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, America, or wherever our meet may trod for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ.

The remainder of the day in Calcutta saw our Hindi tract supply depleted and several more opportunities to boldly speak the Gospel in a public venue. On one occasion, Bethany walked around a park (after sliding down the rickety slide a few times) and gave tracts to everyone she saw. In the States, I am not accustomed to applause after publicly sharing a brief message from the Bible on the streets. In Calcutta, however, I shared a few words with a group loitering about, and ironically, applause followed. All clamored for Gospel tracts. So, again and again, the Word of God went out on the streets of one of the world’s biggest, most chaotic, most polluted, spiritually dark, and overwhelming cities. We returned to our hotel with cause to rejoice. Thanks for all your prayers.

The following day, we arrived in Bangladesh. Immigration was a nightmare, but finally, we hooked up with our colleagues—some old friends, some new. Again, the security situation prevents me from saying too much. Suffice it to say that there are solid workers here that really care about getting the Word out on the streets and into the hands of the lost despite the risk involved. Already, there have been adventures, and there is a little more to the story than the brief summation I provided at the beginning of this update. It really is better if I let all this be the subject of a subsequent email, so stay tuned. Please pray for us.

In closing, I exhort you all with these words from the mouth of a true servant of the Lord: “Attempt great things for God. Expect great things from God.”

Peace be with you in the Lord Jesus Christ,
Jesse, Jamie, and Bethany

FPGM HOMEPAGE

Intro to Nepal’s Far West

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 19:41:05 -0500

Greetings in the name of the ONE TRUE GOD, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son, King of Kings and LORD of Lords.

Recently, I returned from a week of labor out in the western part of Nepal. By God’s grace, I was given the opportunity to assist with discipleship trainings in both Surkhet (a small city nestled in the hills) and Nepalgunj (a large population hub in the Terai—the flat strip of land that runs the length of Nepal just north of the Indian border and just south of the Himalayan foothills). In each of the trainings, more than ten Nepali churches were represented, and numerous believers were trained in how to boldly spread the Gospel, disciple new believers, and plant new churches. As I study the Scriptures, it is clear that the foundation of the Great Commission of our Lord & Saviour is bold evangelism (not the “lifestyle, keep your mouth shut, never never offend someone, water down the Gospel, blah, blah, blah” approach that modern-day churchianity suggests—see II Corinthians 4:13). Upon a foundation of bold proclamation is to be constructed a solid framework for discipleship that ultimately results in the planting/growth of Bible-believing churches (the model clearly presented in the Book of Acts). In Surkhet and Nepalgunj, it was a real blessing to be a part of bold evangelism on the streets as well as the discipling and training of existing Christians in such a way that they were equipped to go out, form teams, proclaim the Gospel, disciple fellow-believers, and start new churches. Please pray that fruit is born all over Western Nepal (a section of the country where there is much political unrest, Maoist terrorism, and few Christians). And, thanks to Thomas Akins and the ministry of Pioneer Evangelism for allowing FPGM to be a part of this work.

In addition to helping with the trainings, I was also able to supplement the effort by hitting the streets with the Gospel while the trainings were in progress. My motivation for doing so was two-fold: First, bold proclamation was a way to abundantly scatter seeds on the same fallow ground that many of the recently-trained believers will now be targeting (i.e. preparing the way and putting the Gospel in the forefront of many peoples’ minds in these locales). Secondly, it was my desire to model boldness and public proclamation for other believers. Whether or not these objectives will bear actual fruit is in the Lord’s hands. Obedience is far more important than results, especially when the latter is beyond human control (I Corinthians 3:7).

In Surkhet, many Gospel tracts and several Bibles got into the hands of the lost. One evening, while walking back to the “less than one star” hotel, I paused to give out tracts to a group of young men. One of these followed me and started asking some questions about the differences between Christianity and Hinduism. As best as I could in the Nepali language, I proclaimed that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was freedom from the bondage of Hindu religion and/or all of the world’s false religions. I showed him some Scripture verses in John and laid the salvation message out plainly. When the conversation became too deep for me to follow, I petitioned Timothy (a faithful Nepali believer from Kathmandu who was helping to interpret during the trainings) for help. Timothy joined the conversation, and many things of the Lord were spoken as we continued the long walk back into town. At the hotel, we invited the young man and his uncle upstairs to our room. For the next hour, the Gospel of Jesus Christ was proclaimed. The young man (Jaya) then expressed a desire to be saved. To make sure that he understood the seriousness of such a decision, I took him through the Ten Commandments to show him his guilt and his need for a Saviour. I then explained that being born again meant completely giving up the lies and false gods of Hinduism and following the Lord Jesus Christ alone (Luke 14:33). Jaya could not be talked out of salvation; he wanted it. Right there in the hotel room, Timothy and I laid hands on this young man as he knelt down and called on Jesus Christ to save him. On January 21, 2007 a soul was born into the Kingdom of God. All praise be unto the Lord God Almighty! What a privilege it was to be a part of this. Jaya’s uncle also listened with intent but was not ready to make such a decision. At least he heard.

Now, here is the interesting thing about Jaya’s salvation. He is from the backwoods of the Jajarkhot District, but he serves in the Nepali Army down in Nepalgunj. Because of a nationwide strike that had the entire country shut down on January 21, Jaya was stuck in Surkhet when he should have been at his post. But for the political unrest, I would never even have met him. It occurred to me: Sometimes, God has to do big things to get a man’s attention. In this situation, the Lord literally shut down an entire country so that one man could get saved. Isaiah 55:9 immediately comes to mind. Another “coincidence” (not really!) showed that God was at work and confirmed that this decision was genuine. Jaya just happens to work closely and on a regular basis with Timothy’s brother (a solid believer with connections to other believers and churches) down in Nepalgunj. Thus, the Lord had already set up an avenue whereby this young man could be discipled and equipped to serve the Lord. Please pray for Jaya Bahadur Shahi as he begins his new life in Christ Jesus.

In Nepalgunj, I also hit the streets. “The Gunj,” as it is sometimes called, is a depressing border town that sees much political unrest and Maoist-incited violence. Tourists rarely, if ever, go to this place, and besides us, the only Westerners in town were United Nations Peacekeeping Workers. In the center of town, and in the midst of bicycles, rickshaws, loitering masses, and chaotic traffic, I was able to hand out a multitude of Gospel tracts and engage in numerous conversations about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I think of a young Muslim rickshaw driver, a group of teenage boys, bus-stop crowds, and many others. Many had never even heard of the Gospel. Please pray specifically for Dhurga, a 50+ year-old female shopkeeper. I shared with her for more than an hour, and the discussion drew a small crowd. She appealed to her Hindu gods as I proclaimed Jesus Christ and showed the guilt of mankind according to the Law of God (see Psalm 19:7; Romans 3:20). In the end, she accepted a Bible. Please pray for her salvation. Also, please pray for Murkhesh, a young believer who has not been properly discipled in his faith. The Lord allowed me to exhort him unto boldness and obedience and to give him a new Bible. I also introduced him to some believers at the nearby church where we were having the training. On yet another occasion, a young female believer saw me handing out tracts. She came over to thank me and promulgate that she, too, was a believer. Her husband, a Nepali policeman, is also a believer. To make a long story short, she urged me to come sit outside her front door, enjoy some tea, and share with her Hindu neighbors. I had a small crowd of Hindu women that listened intently as I went through the entire Gospel. Some were sewing, some were nursing their children, and others sat wide-eyed. I then gave away my last Nepali Bible for these to share amongst themselves and further search out the truths of God. These people were open and would have gladly had me return to their home to hear more. Thankfully, I was able to relay this information to the pastor of the church where the training was being conducted. I exhorted him to have some of his newly trained people follow up. This home would be the perfect place to put into practice the things they were being taught. Please pray that a new Bible-believing church is ultimately planted in this home.

In a few days, Jamie, Bethany, and I will be leaving the country for about three weeks. Because one can only stay in Nepal for 150 days per calendar year on a tourist visa, we have to spend some time outside the country in order to be able to remain here as “tourists” until the people we are house-sitting for are able to return to Kathmandu. There are other visa options, but they are very expensive, and the process is a nightmare. Our plans initially involve transporting a supply of Gospel materials to existing workers who live in Darjeeling, India (at the foot of Kangchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain). Lord willing, we will stay in the Darjeeling area for about ten days. While there, we will boldly target some Tibetan refugee camps with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Once again, this is a situation where we are coming in short-term to be bold in ways that longer-term workers are not able lest they run the risk of getting kicked out of this politically sensitive area. There may also be an opportunity to do some evangelistic work up in Sikkim, a restricted section of India that is surrounded by Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan. Please pray for us as we make preparations over the next few days. Our hope was to be able to take a van from Kathmandu all the way out to the eastern Nepali border town of Kakarbhitta, thus allowing the safe transport of boxes of Bibles and Gospel tracts. However, political strife in Eastern Nepal has highways blocked and curfews being enforced. Now, it seems we will have to fly to Bhadrapur and then find a vehicle to take us from there up to the border. This could prove to be a nightmare. Once in India, the political unrest will be behind us, and someone will be waiting to take us to Darjeeling. My prayer is that the roads open up in the next couple of days.

From Darjeeling, we will travel by land down to Calcutta, hopefully hit the streets there for a day, and then, we will fly into Dhaka, Bangladesh. We did successfully obtain Bangladeshi visas here in Kathmandu. They are only single-entry for 15 days, but this will be sufficient. Thanks for your prayers in that matter. Lord willing, we will spend about ten days in Dhaka. Again, our objective will be to go in with boldness and do mass dissemination of Bibles and tracts. Bangladesh is a Muslim country where the work of evangelism carries with it real risks. We will probably get kicked out of the country, but this will be no big deal. The current workers faithfully laboring there need these materials to get out in the hands of the public. We will assume the risks of this so these can remain behind for follow-up in a less vicarious manner. Geographically and culturally, Bangladesh is the armpit of South Asia. It is not a pleasant place to be, and Dhaka would be a difficult place to live. Please pray for the workers with whom we will be partnering. For security reasons, their identities must be kept anonymous. Also, pray that if we get kicked out of the country, it will be on the tail-end of our visit. Lord willing, we will return to Kathmandu around February 22.

In my last email update, I requested prayer for January 15th in Nepal. At the present, the government of Nepal is going through transition (from a Hindu Kingdom to a “democratic republic”—at least that is standard mantra), and there is a lot of political unrest. On January 15th, the interim government began. There was potential for big problems with this, but the day came and went without major incident. Praise be unto God. Thanks for your prayers. Presently, things are still pretty quiet in Kathmandu, but some cities in the east are under enforced curfews. There are missionaries living out there who cannot leave their homes. Please pray for the safety of these. There still remains potential for trouble, and the open door for the Gospel that currently exists could slam shut at any time, especially when one considers the growing power and influence of the Maoists (on the United States’ official terrorist list, but a viable political party in the newly instituted interim government). The Maoists will play a major role in the shaping of this country’s new government in coming months. Presently, they claim to want peaceful coexistence and multipartisanship with rival political parties. Their endgame, however, is total control. Once the “peaceful approach” loses its expediency, then violence and force will become the strategy. Just look down the corridors of history at Russia, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, etc. Despite the mantra about working for peace from Maoist leadership, Maoist cadres in more remote areas of Nepal are still forcefully recruiting young people, charging illegal taxes, stockpiling weapons, and killing innocent people. At one of the church-planting trainings that I previously referenced, some Christians admitted that they had not been evangelizing and endeavoring to plant new churches because they were afraid of the Maoists. Fear of those that can kill the body is never a reason to refrain from carrying out the Great Commission. I realize that this is easy for me to say, but I did not say it. Jesus did—Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:4-5; Hebrews 13:5-6, etc. Please continue to pray for Nepal. May the door remain open.

Pray also for the Nepali churches. The lukewarm Laodicean “churchianity” (see Revelation 3:14-22) that plagues America in these last days rears its ugly head here in Nepal as well. Churches are full of false converts (I have encountered many of these on the streets. They claim to be Christians but have no clue about what it means to be born again), and many local-bodies are inward focused. Amongst pastors and Christian leaders, one regularly encounters chakari (Nepali word that connotes political back-scratching, compromise, and corruption) and a thulo manchhe (Nepali for “big man”) attitude. If one looks at a map of Nepal, most of the churches are located in the southern Terai belt and the big cities. There are large blocks of territory where there are few Christians and many people who have not heard the biblical Gospel. Like America, Nepal is not being reached by the nationals who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. A spiritual awakening of national proportions is desperately needed here in and in America. Thankfully, God always reserves unto himself a faithful remnant (see I Kings 19:18; Romans 11:4). There are some solid national churches and believers here, and we have been privileged to interact with some of these. May we all be found faithful.

Thanks be unto God that he has a faithful remnant reserved unto himself in America as well. Many of you are a valuable part of that remnant, and your prayers and support toward our work have been edifying and sustaining. Rejoice with us in the spiritual fruit being born.

On a side note, those of you who financially contributed to Full Proof Gospel Ministries in 2006 should have received your tax-deductible receipts by now. If not, they will be coming shortly. Thanks again for your sacrificial contributions. Such makes you fellow-helpers to the truth we endeavor to proclaim, demonstrate, and sow.

Pray for us as we travel this upcoming week. Internet access will be limited, but I will try to keep you updated.

Grace, mercy, and peace in the Lord Jesus Christ,

Jesse, Jamie, and Bethany Boyd
Full Proof Gospel Ministries

FPGM HOMEPAGE

Last Year, This Year in Nepal

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 19:28:53 -0500

Greetings again from Kathmandu, Nepal in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: Jaimashi (Nepali for “Victory in the Messiah”)! I trust everyone had a blessed Christmas and is enjoying a Happy New Year. Apology is warranted because this update has been so long in coming. Things have been extremely busy lately, and earlier today, Jamie’s sister got on a plane bound for the United States, her eventful time here coming to a close. She was supposed to leave two days ago, but for some odd reason, she was not allowed to board the plane. After immense hassles and unexplainable problems, the only available option was to purchase another ticket in business class. Otherwise, she would have been stuck here for at least ten days (all the flights were overbooked). This was an airline problem, so we are praying that they will honor the original ticket, admit their mistake, and refund the money once she gets back to the States. If not, a major financial burden will loom. Please join us in prayer about this; the important thing was to get her home. We still have not been given an answer as to why she was bumped from her original confirmed and reconfirmed seat. In my opinion, someone else was desperate for a flight out of here and paid a bribe. The easy thing to do was just sell Beth’s seat to someone else. That’s third world culture for you. Praise be unto God, however, that she is enroute to America as I type. Please pray for her safe arrival.

In addition to the above, there have been numerous other struggles lately, and earlier today, after dropping Beth off at the airport, I found some aatmaako aushadi (Nepali for spiritual medicine), something to ease the mind and remind me about why we are here. I went down to New Road (a very busy street in central Kathmandu) and started handing out Gospel tracts and Bibles. Before long, I had a curious crowd, and the Lord allowed me to preach the Gospel boldly and publicly. Several meaningful and deep conversations with interested Nepalis ensued. I was alone this time, but the Lord gave me a special overflowing peace. There was victory this day, and the cares of this world seemed to melt away in “the glorious Gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust” (I Timothy 1:11).

In my last update, I only made it partly through a recap of our recent work in the Manang/Mustang area on the north side of the mighty Annapurna Himalaya. I cannot possibly get too detailed about the latter half in this update because so much else has happened sense. Against my usual custom, this update, though long, will be more of a general summary. I apologize (Who knows? This may actually be appreciated by many of you). If I were to go into my normal detail, this could turn into a lengthy novel. There is so much more about which I could write.

I last left off as Brandon and I came back into Humde, having boldly taken the Gospel to the villages of Humde, Upper & Lower Pisang, Ghyaru, Ngawal, and Ngawal Phedi. From here, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we would go on to do the same in Munji, Braga, Manang, Khangsar, Yak Kharka, Muktinath, Jharkot, Jomson, and Marpha—most of these being settlements that sit at over 10,000 ft. To get over to Muktinath, so as to reasonably be able to get back to civilization, we had to cross the 17,764 ft. Thorong La. We left High Camp at about 5:00am in a raging blizzard. We had to go, or we risked being stranded on that side. This would have meant a long, long, long walk out the other way back toward Pokhara. Near the top of the pass, the wind was blowing around 60 mph, and the air was as cold as I have ever experienced. Spit froze instantly, and I discovered that it was a big mistake to take off my gloves in an attempt to snap a few photos. Needless to say, there was no view; and breaking trail down the other side was a formidable challenge. Thanks be unto God that we had ice axes. In places, the trail (with sheer drop-offs only inches away) was a solid sheet of ice. Prem, our Nepali partner in these efforts, worked tireless to dig out steps in the ice while the elements raged. Finally, God brought us safely out of the woods, so to speak. The dry desert valleys of the Mustang and the residences of Muktinath were a welcome sight; I was reminded at times of Ladakh. All in all, the Thorong La crossing was an awesome exploit.

Between Humde and the Thorong La, highlights included bold preaching, fellowship with some of the few believers who reside in Manang, and hiking up to some yak herders who were nestled in a remote valley. Two of these yak herders are recently baptized believers (Ram and Jiban came to Christ and were baptized in an icy Himalayan stream). We took them a couple of nice, big-sized Bibles and some other discipleship materials. The fellowship was incredible and memorable. Though language barriers existed, our spirits bore witness with each other that we were the children of God according to the adoption that is only found in Jesus Christ (Galatians 4:4-5). The warm yak milk was actually pretty tasty, and the sunset views of the mighty Chulus were awe-inspiring. Please pray for Ram and Jiban—may the Lord help them to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ; and may they be bold witnesses for him in a spiritually dark and forlorn land. Please also pray for the small handful of believers that live in Manang (As far as I know, there are only about seven believers, including Ram and Jiban). It must be tough for them seeing as we encountered much hostility in this place. Notwithstanding, there was some openness in Manang. Bibles and tracts did go out, and we found one man who claimed to get saved two weeks before when some Korean Christians came through and shared with him. Mukhya was in desperate need of discipleship, so we hired him to help porter some supplies up to Thorong La (This gave Prem lots of time to talk with him) and introduced him to some of the other local believers. There has been further contact with this man since returning to Kathmandu. Pray that he embraces a biblical understanding of salvation and that he will follow the Lord in believer’s baptism and spiritual growth. In Khangsar, we spent some time with a poor family who seemed open, and in Braga, two brothers were very open and showed visible signs of conviction as we boldly shared with them around a woodstove. Please pray for Karma, Ravi, and their family. We later saw Sonam (the father) again, and he asked us for a Tibetan CD that contained Scriptures and Bible teaching.

The town of Tenki Manang also holds special memories for me. The first day that we planned to go there, the village was empty. The entire town had gone out to observe the funeral rites of an elderly lady who had died the day before. In Tenki Manang, we had been asked by some long-term workers (who regularly visit and labor in that area) to track down one particular woman who had shown some openness to the Gospel—Ongma. A villager pointed us to her home, and as it turned out, it was her mother who had died the day before. Numerous people were there in mourning, so I asked if I could come in and pray for them. At first, Ongma was suspicious, but, in response to the Holy Spirit’s pricking, I mentioned my friendship with one of the long-term laborers who has done Kingdom work in the area (something we do not normally do). Her face immediately brightened, and she invited us inside. Though very poor, she served us tea and biscuits as we offered our condolences and then publicly prayed for her and her family. She allowed me to preach briefly to the group gathered there. All took tracts, and some Bibles went out. I don’t consider the timing to have been coincidental. When death was at the forefront of peoples’ minds in this small settlement, we were able to come in and share the words of eternal life. Please pray for Ongma’s salvation; and pray for the Christians who will specifically follow up in these lives. All in all, Tenki Manang was very open. Many heard and showed interest that day. In my opinion, this town is ripe for a harvest.

On the Mustang side of the Annapurna, after crossing the Thorong La, our three-man team also experienced some opportunity and success for the Gospel. The Word was spread as we slogged down the trail, and there were several good conversations about the things of God in Muktinath, Jharkot, Kinga, Jomson, and Marpha. Marpha, a small village and a bit of a gem on that side of the Annapurnas, served as a nice respite for a couple of days. The narrow cobblestone streets were nostalgic, and we stayed in a quaint little lodge where the young hostess has shown some interest to the Gospel in times past. Please pray that Anusha will embrace a clear understanding of who Jesus is and why she needs Him. She definitely heard the Truth again and observed Brandon and me being bold on the streets of her hometown. May such efforts not return void. While in Marpha, Prem went out to visit believers in a nearby village. Brandon and I, on the other hand, targeted a Tibetan settlement. Ultimately, we were kicked out of this place as a young “educated” fool (probably the son of the head lama) showed up and lured the initially interested crowd away from the Truth with his rantings, blasphemies, and allegiances to Tibetan Buddhism. Sadly, the people vocally made their choice to follow “Lord Buddha” and ordered us never to return. We shook the dust from our feet, openly rebuked them for deceiving their children, and committed their folly to the Lord (John 12:47-48; Mark 6:11). In all this, even the rejection, we declare victory in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (I Peter 4:14).

Our last Tibetan CD had been rejected in the Tibetan Camp, but we were able to later get it into the hands of a young monk at the Buddhist Monastery in Marpha. Initially, Brandon and I went straight for the puja room. An old monk was lighting butter lamps inside, and we proceeded to talk to him about the sure path to eternal life. At first, the lama showed interest, but the moment we mentioned the name of Jesus, he expressed open disdain. The Lord gave me the boldness to preach the whole Gospel right there in the puja room until he kicked us out. All the while, a young janitor listened, but he would not take a tract for fear of the lama. Not willing to concede defeat, Brandon and I went to the roof of the monastery and prayed in earnest over the town, that God would deliver the people from the deceitful and dark devilry of Buddhism. Then, we started singing old hymns and Christmas carols to the glory of God. Soon, we had an audience of young boys (i.e. monks in training) who were peeking at us from their nearby windows. These had undoubtedly observed the earlier confrontation with the lama, and it sparked an interest in them about the message we were bringing. Eventually, one of them snuck out (peeking over his shoulder the whole time) and took from our hands a stack of Gospel materials in the Tibetan language. He took them back to his peers with a big smile on his face. So, the same materials that were rejected by villagers in a Tibetan settlement were ironically received by young monks in a Tibetan monastery. Again, the victory was the Lord’s.

From Marpha, the walk back to the road was grueling, especially since we covered it in two days. The hot shower and steak dinner in Pokhara was a blessing not to be taken for granted. A lot happened during these two weeks of adventure. Over a period of twelve days, we walked over 100 miles and saturated fourteen mountains villages with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Many heard the Word of God. To Him alone be the glory! Thanks for all your prayers.

Back in Kathmandu, Christmas came around, and we prepared for Beth Crafton’s arrival. On Christmas Day, before going to the airport, I decided that the least I could do for Jesus was go out on the streets and tell a few people about him. At a nearby school, some Nepali churches were putting on a “Christmas Celebration.” Mobs of people were out on the streets, and a large elephant was walking around the neighborhood with Santa Claus riding on top. I started handing out tracts and openly praising God for becoming a man so that sinful men could have eternal life. Many heard that day, and several Christians expressed encouragement by the example. I must admit, this will be one of my life’s fondest Christmas memories.

While Jamie’s sister was here, our schedule was packed. Our objective was for Beth to experience third-world culture in such a way that she would be emboldened for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We experienced the culture alright. On two separate occasions, political strikes left us stranded, and then there was the airline fiasco. So, in a weird way, our prayers were answered.

For several days, we ventured out to Daya Ram Pokharel’s (my long-time Nepali friend) village. Enroute, we found ourselves stranded in Gorkha because two local bus companies got into a big feud. As a result, the Gospel abundantly went out into this ancient city (the original capital of Nepal). How could we be upset about this? Finally, the buses were running again, and we look a bumpy ride across a river to a remote bus stop. From there, it was a long walk up to the village of Choprak—high on one of the terraced hillsides. We were able to hitch a ride on the back of a tractor for a few miles. Bethany enjoyed this, but our intestines were shook up beyond the worst level of discomfort. Walking again was most welcome, except for the fact that I fell off a terrace into a disgusting pool of mud. Finally, we came to Choprak, a remote Nepali village way off the tourist trail. The villagers acted like they had never seen a blonde-headed little girl, so Bethany was the center of attention. She had the time of her life. There were all kinds of children and farm animals to play with. On one occasion, she disappeared for hours with a group of kids only to return dragging along a baby goat. The mind of a child is an amazing thing. The lack of common amenities that we so often take for granted did not bother her in the least; and her eyes saw no racial or cultural differences. Ultimately, her presence was a bridge for the Gospel. The peoples’ love for her allowed us to boldly share with them. For two days, we lodged in a humble mud-brick abode with beds of straw. We were well taken care of, and the nights were so quiet and peaceful. Jamie and Beth spent much of their time fellowshipping and sharing with the women of the village. I, on the other hand, walked all over the hillsides and through several other villages with Daya Ram’s young son. Along the way, many Gospel tracts and a few Bibles went into the hands of lost souls. The outing also allowed me to find some medical supplies that were badly needed by a young girl back in Choprak. She had crushed her finger in a grinder, and it looked bad. A few simple items from another village allowed us to bandage up the wound and make inroads to fighting the infection. In this, another bridge to the Gospel (i.e. spiritual medicine) was created. Praise be unto God. Interestingly, we ran into a few local Christians who lived in the area. I was encouraged to see one house with a wooden cross posted on the outside (a bold move in a Hindu village). One lady sought us out when she heard that someone had been going around giving out “papers about Jesus.” Kesap had been saved a while back after God had healed some leg problems she was having. The fire of the Holy Spirit was very evident in this woman, and our fellowship was sweet. Please pray that she will be a shining light in those remote villages. After a memorable time, we left Choprak the way we came in. Bethany was carried down the mountain in a basket, and the morning fog made for some interesting scenery. Unfortunately, the weather was pretty lousy the entire time we were in Choprak, so the Himalayas (normally majestically visible) never availed themselves. The hazy sunsets, however, were some of the most glorious that I have seen.

From Choprak, we walked down to a bus stop. From there, it was a very bumpy ride back to the main road. There, Jamie, Beth, Bethany, and I caught a microbus going to Pokhara. About ten kilometers outside of the city, we ran into a traffic standstill. The local bus companies were angry because Nepalis were buying tickets to ride on tourist buses (much nicer and safer). So, local bus drivers (a bunch of crybabies, if you ask me) completely blocked the road off with two big buses. There was no way in or out of the city. To make a long story short, we had to walk amidst streams of stranded motorists for several miles so as to get past the roadblocks, burning tires, and rioting mobs. Finally, we found a taxi to take us into Pokhara. There, we were stuck for two days until a compromise was reached and the road going back to Kathmandu opened up again. Some really nice Nepali Christians run a hotel in Pokhara, so at least we had a pleasant place to stay and some good fellowship. Again, the weather was pretty lousy, so Beth did not get to enjoy the amazing Himalayan panorama that normally graces the Pokhara Valley. It’s funny: The Nepali people clamor for democracy. But, when a Nepali wants to make the free choice to ride a tourist bus instead of a local bus for the safety and security of his family, the local bus drivers (supposed to be in favor of democracy) get mad and act like a bunch of foolish children until they get their way and the average Nepali no longer has the free democratic choice to ride a tourist bus. To put it mildly, this so-called “democratic” society does not work, and perhaps, it never will. Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.

Back in Kathmandu, we kept Beth on her toes day in and day out. On one occasion, we met up with Brandon at the Bouddha Stupa (the second holiest site in all of Tibetan Buddhism). That day, a famous rimpoche (Buddhist leader) was visiting, and crowds came out to see him, acting almost as if he was a god. We decided to be bold in the face of such idolatry, and many Gospel tracts and Bibles went out. A supply which would have taken hours to exhaust on the streets of any American city was exhausted at Bouddha in about half an hour. We also took the Gospel to the Thamel neighborhood and to a couple of villages in the Kathmandu Valley. A few days ago, we hopped on motorcycles and made the scenic drive up to the hilltop village of Nagarkot. Beth rode with Brandon; and Jamie and Bethany rode with me. Finally, Beth was able to behold the mighty Himalaya. God opened the skies according to our prayers, and from the hilltop, one could see from the Khumbu Himal on the east all the way over to the Annapurnas in the west. It was glorious. Because it was a Saturday (the weekly holiday), many Nepalis were picnicking and partying up on the brow of the ridge. We utilized the occasion to hand out some tracts and engage in conversations with people about the things of the Lord. It was fruitful. I particularly think of Karma. Please pray for his salvation; he seemed very open. Back in the actual town of Nagarkot, we saturated the streets and gave out quite a few Bibles. Again, there were fruitful conversations about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Many other things happened over the past two weeks; but space and time will not allow any further elaboration. We feel like the entire experience (trials and all) was unique and constructive for Beth. And, her coming was a major blessing to us as far as re-supply was concerned. We now have a hefty supply of Russian and Chinese Gospel tracts (These will be needed for our proposed overland return trip in the summer); and some other important items needed for the work here are now in hand. It was also a huge blessing to be able to send back a trunk of stuff.

Before signing off, I need to mention some important prayer requests:

1. Again, please pray for Beth’s safe return; and pray that the mess with the airlines will get straightened out.

2. In order for us to be able to stay in Nepal until June (when the family we are house-sitting for is set to return), we need to spend several weeks outside of Nepal between now and then. A person is only allowed to be in Nepal on a tourist visa for up to 150 days per calendar year. Obviously, there are more than 150 days between January 1st and mid-June; and other types of long-term visas are very expensive and difficult to secure. An opportunity has come up for us to go to Bangkok in a few weeks and then on to Bangladesh (I have mentioned the latter several times before). I have a stash of Thai Gospel tracts that I would like to get out on the streets in Bangkok, and we have a few medical issues that need to be addressed. Thailand has some of the best medical services in the entire world, and the prices are very cheap. Getting to Bangladesh via Thailand is a lot safer and more reliable than trying to get there from Kathmandu. This would keep us from having to fly Bangladesh’s national airline, something I have been advised from a trustworthy source not to do. Please pray for us as we try to discern the Lord’s will in this matter. We have been asked to come to Bangladesh by current long-term workers. There is a good supply of Bibles and tracts that need to get out into the streets of Dhaka; so again, our roll will be to come in and be very bold, stirring the pot so longer-term laborers can follow up less vicariously and avoid the risk of being kicked out of the country. For us, getting kicked out is no big deal, and it could very well happen. So, the exploit is worthy in more ways than one, and we are trusting God to provide the financial means. Lord willing, we will leave Kathmandu on February 6, the day our current tourist visas run out.

3. In a couple of weeks, Lord willing, I will be going out to Western Nepal to help with some evangelism training. Please pray for fruit in these efforts as well.

4. The political situation in Nepal is very strained right now. Some issues are being discussed and decided on January 15 that could have a profound effect on the country. The potential for chaotic problems is great; and there is much unrest amongst the general populace. In Kathmandu alone, there have been numerous strikes in the past couple weeks. I am sad to say that we must be ready to leave the country at a moment’s notice. Please pray that this does not happen. January 15 will be a big day. If things go badly, our work here could be finished for the time being. This is completely in God’s hands. Join with us as we earnestly pray for peace and resolution. It would be tragic to see the open door for the Gospel that now exists slam shut in the face of political meltdown. I am not trying to sound sensationalistic or to exaggerate reality. Actual chaos is minor; it is the potential for chaos that has recently skyrocketed. Hopefully, January 15 will come and go with everything returning to normal.

5. Please pray for Daya Ram Pokharel’s family. It was his village that we visited while Beth was here, and because of work, he was unable to join us. He is the lone believer in his family but is still highly respected in the village. As a result, our friendship with him made us most welcome guests. The Lord did provide the opportunity for us to share with his mother, his wife, his children, and some of his extended relatives. Please pray that these will come to salvation. Daya Ram has prayed for them for a long time; and their lost condition is a real source of sorrow for him. I cannot even begin to know what this is like.

6. In a previous email, I mentioned Ashik, a young man very close to the Gospel. He recently moved to Singapore and will be there for two years. We never saw him come to the Lord, and we did not even get to hook up with him one more time before he left. However, he has been emailing us. Just continue to pray for this young man. He is very close to salvation. May the Lord put Christians in his path in Singapore.

7. Please pray for the Shiva Ram Thapa family. Seven years ago, these folks were our landlords, and we lived above them. We got along well and they were very sad to see us leave Nepal. The last thing Shiva Ram said to me back in February of 2000 was: “I will pray to your God that he will bring you back to Nepal because I believe he will answer this prayer.” In recent days, I have reminded Shiva Ram of this statement, and God has given us opportunity to renew the relationship and share the Gospel boldly. When Beth was here, they invited us over to our old apartment (they now live there), and his wife cooked up an incredible meal. As we prepared to leave, I gave Shiva Ram a Bible and boldly spoke Truth right there in the living room. Please pray that we will see fruit from this. The Thapas are high caste Hindus that are very attached to their religious rituals. Notwithstanding, we have earned their respect and the freedom to be bold in their presence. May God bring them to salvation. Their daughter lives in Atlanta and is getting ready to have another baby. Beth is actually carrying some stuff back to the States to send to her. Being able to do this for them made for another Gospel bridge.

Thanks in advance for your prayers in the above matters. For those of you who financially supported Full Proof Gospel Ministries in 2006, your tax-deductible receipts are enroute to the United States even as I type. Please be patient; you should be receiving these by mail in the next couple of weeks. Again, thanks so much for your support. Without it, none of the above would have been possible.

Until next time, be steadfast and bold in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Yeshu Khristle mero jivan pariwatan garnubhayo. Tyashile wahaako barema dherai dherai mancheelaai bhannu parcha! (Nepali for “Jesus Christ changed my life. That’s why I must tell many, many people about Him!”).

Jesse, Jamie, and Bethany Boyd

P.S. Though extremely long, this update was still a general overview. So much is happening, I cannot keep up. Praise be unto God.

FPGM HOMEPAGE