WHAT IS A BILLION?The number of unreachedpeople around the world is simply enormous

10 AMAZING FACTSAwesome and astonishingthings you didn’t knowabout Asia

TEARS OF THE SAINTSWhy Christians suffer for their faith

THE BIG PUSHDo you need a push to get involved in the Great Commission?

DON’T FORGET Short-term trips essential items

themagazine

ISSUE 10

TENAMAZINGAWESOMEASTONISHINGTHINGS THAT YOUDIDN’T KNOW ABOUT

Asia

CONTENTS

It’s estimated that there are more than 1 billion people who are yet to hear aboutChrist for the first time. Most don’t even know he exists. 1,000,000,000...sort of rollsoff the tongue doesn’t it? We thought it would be interesting if we tried to measurewhat a billion looks like...

> If you wanted to count to a billion, it would take 31 years, 251 days, 7 hours and 39 seconds (if you counted one number per second).

> A billion seconds ago, it was 1981.

> A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

> One billion metres is almost three times the distance from the earth to the moon.

10 Amazing Awesome Astonishing Things You Didn’t Know About Asia 02

What Is A Billion? 02

Know Your World: North Korea 04

Tears Of The Saints: Why We Suffer 06

Short-Term 2012 Report: Vietnam, Thailand & Laos 08

Short-Term Kit List: Essential Gear 10

Need A Push? 11

What is a Billion?

MORE PEOPLElive in India than in Central

America, North Americaand South America put

together!

ASIA IS THE LARGESTcontinent. 4 billion peoplelive here and the land areais greater than the surface

of the moon!

THE POPULATIONof Hindus in the Indian

sub-continent is 3 timesgreater than the

population of the USA.

THE GREAT WALLof China was built over a

period of more than 2000years (8th century BC –

17th century AD)

THE TEN HIGHESTmountains are located in

Asia. It’s home to thehighest (Mt Everest

8,848m) and lowest (DeadSea 395m) points on earth.

CHINAis the world’s largest

mobile phone market, with nearly 900 million

subscribers.

INDIAproduces 16 million tons of mangoes every year

CHEN GUANMINGtravelled from Beijing to

London by rickshaw in justover 2 years. The

60,000km journey tookhim through 16 countries.

MAWSYNRAM in India is noted as being

the wettest place on earthwith over 11 metres ofrain falling every year.

HALF THE WORLD’Spopulation are within 5 hours flying time of

Hong Kong!

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She should have had all the joys ofa carefree childhood. She shouldhave been as untroubled as any sixyear old. Instead, her dry skin andbrittle nails were signs to make usache for this beautiful little waif withthe most gorgeous, deep browneyes. So was the bloated belly onone so young. The natural pigmentswere fading away to dirty blondestreaks in what should have been ashock of shiny, jet black hair.Malnutrition was taking its toll.

North Korea has plenty of problemsbut close to the top of the list isthis: the country cannot feed itsown people.

Years of economic collapse andfamine have fuelled the breakdownof a once-efficient health-caresystem. Chronic diseases nowaccount for an estimated 40percent of deaths.

REEDUCATEN.Koreans are taught

from childhood tohate Japan, South

Korea and the USA.

MAN ON THE MOON?Many people in North Koreadon’t even know that manhas walked on the moon.

RADIO SILENCEYou can’t turn off thegovernment radio installedin your home, only reducethe volume.

BIG BROTHERVisitors to North Korea aregiven special guides andcan’t go anywhere withoutthem.

MILITARY MIGHTNorth Korea has the fourthlargest military in the world,at an estimated 1.21 millionarmed personnel.

HOLE IN ONEIt was once reported by NKmedia that Kim Jong Il shot38 under par on a regulation18-hole golf course –including 5 holes in one!

Knowyour

world

NORTH KOREA

“people are pouring into Chinaand begging for food

For North Koreans today, the lackof medicine, equipment, sanitationand reliable energy supplies makequality health-care virtuallyunobtainable outside of the capitalPyongyang where only thoseconsidered loyal to thegovernment are allowed to live andwhere food is relatively plentiful.Those living in more remoteprovinces know all too well thatsevere malnutrition is theirconstant companion.

In short, the future is bleak.

More than half of North Koreanchildren are stunted orunderweight, while two-thirds ofyoung adults are malnourished oranaemic.

Even fertilizer has become anunaffordable luxury for a nationshort on fuel, farm machinery andarable land.

(At best, only about 20% of thecountry is fertile.) People arereduced to scraping frozen humanexcrement off the walls of publictoilets, mixing it with ash for use atstate farms.

A recent email from friends moreused to secretly transporting Biblesinto this tightly controlled country,shared this added burden: “Thebiggest need at the moment is food.People are pouring into China andbegging for food. Families are dyingof starvation inside. I don't know ifthis is anything that you want to be a part of or not – but if so please letme know.”

It’s risk-taking for redemption’s sake.The work continues with addedurgency n

Watch our short NK Video here:vimeo.com/2162463

KIDS RULENobody knows for

sure whether the newleader, Kim Jung Unwas born in 1983 or

1984, Either way, he’scurrently the world's

youngest head of state.

5Historymakers Magazine

“people are reduced to scrapingfrozen human excrement offthe walls of public toilets

,

To test faith (1 Peter 1:6)

...you have been grieved by varioustrials, so that the tested genuineness ofyour faith—more precious than goldthat perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise...at therevelation of Jesus Christ.

Our faith is worth more than the value ofall the world’s gold and just as preciousmetals are purified and refined through aprocess, God sometimes allows us tosuffer persecution – he’s testing us toshow how genuine our faith is.

To be like Jesus(1 Peter 2:21, 4:2)

For to this you have been called,because Christ also suffered for you,leaving you an example, so that youmight follow in his steps.

Jesus wants us to follow in hisfootsteps so we will live not forourselves but for the will of God.

To be blessed (1 Peter 3:14, 4:14)

If you are insulted for the name of Christ,you are blessed, because the Spirit ofglory and of God rests upon you.

It’s a blessing to suffer persecution. It will make our homecoming –heaven – all the more amazing.

Persecution is just the norm for millions of Christians today. Name-calling, slander,imprisonment, physical abuse, death: these things are happening all over theworld. Wherever God’s people are, there will always be people who don't like it.So suffering for our faith is real, but why does it happen?

To accomplish God’s plan (1 Peter 3:17, 4:19)

Therefore let those who suffer accordingto God's will entrust their souls to afaithful Creator while doing good.

It’s up to God whether we sufferpersecution. The Devil may be theultimate instrument of persecution but it’s God who is in control. The big picture is that God is building hisChurch and there’s nothing the enemycan do to stop it. From the momentStephen was martyred and persecutionbroke out against the church, thefollowers were scattered all over theplace. The most amazing thing was theydidn’t abandon their faith, they simplypreached wherever they went and in this way the Gospel spread rapidly andthe numbers grew daily n

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fierytrial when it comes upon you to testyou, as though something strange werehappening to you... (1 Peter 4:12)

200 MILLION TEARSMore than 200 millionChristians in over 60nations face persecutioneach day, 60% of theseare children.

SINCE JESUS...More than 43 millionChristians have been killed for their faith.

WORLD WATCH LISTAccording to oneChristian organisation,North Korea, Afghanistan & Saudi Arabia are theworld’s worst countries to live in as a Christian.

, Tears Saints

Persecution is a daily reality for manyChristians in minority groups in South-EastAsia. Our contact reports: “In one Hmongvillage the police were going through andlooking for Christians. This is easy to do, sincetraditionally the Hmong people worship thespirits, and they have an altar over the door oftheir homes. When the people becomeChristians they take down those altars so allthe police had to do to find them was to go tothe homes without the altar over the doors. In one village they found four Hmong Bibles.

The police asked the Christians where theygot the Bibles so they could put a stop to itbut the Christians didn't talk. So the policeboiled water and poured it down the believers'throats. This symbolized how Vietnamese eatdog––one way that they kill the dogs beforethey eat them is to pour boiling water downtheir throats. It was like the Vietnamese policewere telling these Hmong Christians that theywere nothing more than dead dogs. 

The torture was too much for the believers sothey told them a Vietnamese pastor in the cityhad brought the Bibles. This pastor wasarrested, taken to prison, and was beaten dailyfor two weeks during his "re-education." He was released after three months and toldnever to give out Bibles again” n

“DEAD DOGS”

“so the police boiled water and poured it down the believers’ throats

“The big picture is that God is building his Church

THEOF

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SHORT-TERMReport

I have to admit my motives for goingon the team were slightly selfish: tosee a different part of the world, meetnew people, improve my chop-stickskills, shake up my faith a bit.

Carrying Bibles also held a certainexcitement for me and I soon setabout practicing my “calm, cool andcompletely casual” face for the borderguards. I didn’t really have anyperspective on how needed or useful the Bibles may actually be to the people we would meet. This was to change.

After 3 flights we landed in South EastAsia. After a mild panic involving a lostpassport, we were soon jumping into atuk tuk and scooting down town tosample some Asian cuisine. Keen to tryout our limited local phrases we werequickly greeting anyone in our eyeline.

The next day we got stuck into studying“Radical”, a book by David Platt abouttaking back your faith from the westerndream. These studies and discussionsreally helped to focus our minds on thepurpose of the trip, and challenge us tothink about how much we live for God’spurposes or our own comfort. A bigtheme that came out of our grouptimes was how God has alwayspurposed to save all peoples of theearth, and we are His way of reachingthose who are yet to hear of Him.

The contact we met explained howneeded the Bibles were in the countrywe would visit and gave us an updateon the situation facing the believers inthat land. We packed up our bags and Iwas soon ashamed to find that one ofthe girls had managed to squeezemore Bibles into her rucksack. Ihowever had more clean clothes in thecoming days and smelled slightlybetter in my opinion. Looking back

though I may have got my prioritieswrong!

Crossing the border went well. It’s abeautiful country of green jungle, ricepaddies, smiling people, tasty food andspectacular waterfalls. We tookopportunities to prayer-walk aroundBuddhist temples, past gold leafcovered statues of Buddha which soenthralled locals and tourists alike. The highlight was meeting a housechurch leader and hearing hisinspirational testimony, and of howGod is building His kingdom all overthe country. Once again we heard thatthe Bibles were so welcome. It put theneed in perspective when we heardthat in the previous 6 months, 5000people had come to Christ, yet wecould only bring in 850 Bibles for himto distribute. This was a moment ofrealization for me.

We soon found ourselves back wherewe started and restocking ourluggage with Bibles, this time foranother people group and anothercountry. God again calmed,encouraged and provided for us as wetravelled with our bags stuffed. Thehand-over here was somewhatdifferent than previously. Our contactarrived and was away again in a flash,no words were spoken, no photostaken, just appreciation, visible on theface of the national believer, and

“I went with selfishmotives...

“...I didn’t really haveany perspective onhow needed the biblesmay actually be...

encouraging smiles and handshakesfrom us to our brother in Christ.

It was after this that the group discussionsand the chance to see the country andpeople, became so important. Our studyof Radical continued, as did the changein our hearts that God was working.Getting to see the regions and villagesthat would receive the Bibles reallyhelped to put faces to the numbers andneeds we had heard about.

We spent a lot of time with a localbeliever who had such a heart forreaching the unreached, and such aquiet love for God and strength in Him,that those remaining days becamehighlights of the whole trip for me.

I went with selfish motives and God inis His grace met me where I was at.

He shook me up, led me on, and I amthankful for the challenge and change inperspective that I was able to experienceon that trip. My prayer is for this view topersist in our lives, of being globalChristians, who are either supportingglobal mission or are being globalmissionaries, a people who follow thecall of the gospel to, after being saved,go to those who have never heard ofJesus. If you are thinking about it, Ihighly recommend going to Asia withHistoryMakers, and while you are at it,take a couple of Bibles with you n

–– Keith, N.Ireland

SHORT-TERMReport

9Historymakers Magazine

2012

SHORT-TERMEssentialKIT-LIST

PASSPORT, E-TICKET & INSURANCEYour passport is worth morethan all your money puttogether so don’t lose it! TOP TIP: Get travelinsurance as soon as youbook. If something happensto your flights, you’ll becovered.

LARGE RUCKSACK &SMALL DAY SACKYou’ll be carrying two-weeks worth of clothes plusall your gear around withyou. You’ll also need spacefor carrying a heavy load ofBibles into the countryshould you be on that trip.The day sack is your carry-on bag and something thatyou’ll take everywhere withyou. TOP TIP: Travel as lightas you can.

STRONG COMFORTABLEWALKING SHOESYou’ll be thankful for thesewhen you are trudgingthrough the mud, a river bedor down a floodedmonsoon city street. TOP TIP: Bring a pair of flipflops or slip-ons, they’rehandy for the hot weatherand most indoor places inLaos or Vietnam culturallyrequire shoes to be taken off.

BIBLE & DEVOTIONAL BOOKIt was Hudson Taylor whosaid "There is a living God.He has spoken in His Word.He means what He says.And He is willing and able toperform what He haspromised" A HistoryMakerstrip will shake you up. Beprepared for what Godmight do in you.

SNACKSThere are often those times,perhaps on a sleeper train orsix hour minibus journeywhere you will feel peckish.Snacks such as energy bars,chocolate, nuts and driedfruit are great items to havealong for the ride.

FIRST-AID KIT &MEDICAL ITEMSNot everyone on the teamwill need to bring a First-AidKit but you will need yourown essential medicinessuch as painkillers andinsect bite cream. TOP TIP:Keep a small bottle of handcleanser in your pocket.

EAR PLUGSEar plugs come in handyright across Asia. Noisedisturbance is generally partof life whether in the urbanjungle or the rainforest.Traffic, horns, enginesroaring from 5am till 12pm.In the jungle the orchestraof wildlife starts up as soonas the sun goes down.

SUN CREAM, HAT & SUNGLASSESThe sun shines in mostregions of Asia so evenwhen it’s cloudy you can getburnt. It’s not uncommon tosee Lao, Thai or Chinesepeople walking around withumbrellas, not for the rainbut for the sunshine!

TOILET ROLL, IMODIUMThere is the (off) chance youmight get ‘Delhi-belly’. Mostshort-termers experience itat some point during a trip!Toilet roll and Imodiumshould do the trick!TOP TIP: Banana & yoghurtsmoothies or hot vegetablesoup are things locals mighteat for an upset stomach.

MP3 PLAYER, CAMERA & TRAVEL ADAPTORDepending on your port ofdeparture, you could beflying for up to 13hrs at atime. There are only somany episodes of Mr Beanyou can watch so mp3players help pass the time. A camera is another musthave. Temples, red sunsets,monks and smiling Asianchildren make for greatphotography.

MOSQUITO SPRAY & NET,MALARIA PILLSMosquitos are everywhereespecially during theMonsoon season. Speak toyour doctor for advice onMalaria pills and they will tellyou if the region is a malariazone. Mosquito nets couldcome in handy if you’restaying in more rural placesor more basic guesthouses. TOP TIP: Go for the 100%high-deet sprays.

FOREIGN CURRENCYCurrency is anotheressential item & US Dollarsare accepted in most placesin Asia now. SomeHistoryMakers trips havebeen known to jumpbetween five differentcurrencies!

had to knock at a man's house toget us started again? What wouldhave happened if he'd told us togo away?” "But the guy was drunk," said the husband. “It doesn't matter,” said the wife.“He needs our help.”

So the husband went downstairs,opened the door and not beingable to see the stranger anywherehe shouted, “Hey, do you stillneed a push?” He heard a voicecry out, “Yes, please!” Still beingunable to see the stranger, heshouted: “Where are you?” Thestranger replied: “I'm over here,on your swing!”

There are areas in our life wherewe all need a bit of a push.

Certainly with regard to the GreatCommission it seems that manyChristians need a bit of a push.

A man was lying in bed when he heard a knock on the door. It was half past three in themorning. "I'm not getting out ofbed at this time," he thought, androlled over. Then, a louder knockfollowed. "Aren't you going to answer that?" said his wife. So he dragged himself out of bed, and went downstairs. He opened the door and therewas a man standing at the door. It didn't take the homeowner longto realise that the man was drunk.

“Hi there,” slurred the stranger,"Can you give me a push?" “No,go away, it's half past three,” saidthe man and slammed the door.

He went back up to bed and toldhis wife what happened. “Thatwasn't very nice of you,” she said.“Remember that night we brokedown in the pouring rain and you

What about our prayer time? Are we committingpeoples and places to the Lord regularly? Whatabout resources God has given us? Time? Holiday?Money? Life? What’s it going to take? Everything!

Think of India. Less than 3% of the population areChristians. More than 500,000 villages in Indiaremain without a Christian witness. With over 1 billionunconverted in India alone perhaps we could saythat we Christians need a bit of a push.

Maybe today we need a little push to help us see our responsibility in reaching the whole world with the Gospel. Do you need a push? n

11Historymakers Magazine

NEED A PUSH?

Get familiarized with your Kip,Baht & Dong

Go toairport

Arrive Asia

Apply copious amountsof sun cream

Eat local food

Prepare for side effects of local food

Gain a biggerpicture of God

,s

global purposes

Be a ,Donkey

,

for Christ

Meet undergroundchurch leaders &

local believers

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5

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23What happens on one

of our short-term trips?

Return homepassionate for world mission

In the summer we focus

on carrying Bibles across

borders into two countries in

south-east Asia. We call it

“Operation Monsoon”.

What happens?Spiritual opposition, emotionally

challenging situations, physical

and mental exhaustion. Prayer,

discussion and spiritual

development. Bible studies.

Planes, trains, boats & tuk tuks.

Firm friends, awesome sights and

unforgettable memories. You'llnever be the same again.

Email historymakers@asialink.orgfor app-forms or phone

0161 443 2327 for more details.

7Take in the

sights &sounds

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www.historymakers.infoA ministry of AsiaLink. PO BOX 891, Preston PR4 9AB. Registered charity No.327165.

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