Jesus for Asia: Thailand

We send you our greetings and our love again this month.  We find it difficult to contain our excitement as we are beginning to witness the fruition of the work that we began just over two years ago.  There were times of discouragement and frustration for us, but these occurred only when we focused on what we could do and took our eyes off the One who can do all.  We have had to learn lessons the hard way, but praise God that He has been patient with us and an “ever help in time of need.”

We have just completed construction of our first television set.  With the help of some faithful friends here in Thailand, and the donations that we received from family members and friends, we were able to purchase needed materials.  Last Friday morning I was standing on the laminate floor that had just been laid, when an overwhelming feeling of gratitude came over me.  I wept as I thought of how many souls will be won because of the programs that will be produced on the set where I was standing.  Not only do we have the set, but we had just purchased the equipment that will allow us to “stream” live, to actually be able to produce DVD’s 15 minutes after the speaker has finished. To have all the editing process expedited because of the ability to “switch” between cameras and Power Point presentations through the software supplied with the equipment.  The last purchase had come at the expense of the funds we had laid aside for our return trip to Thailand next year.  Now we are in the hands of the owner of the universe and have never felt safer.

We were able to get business cards printed because we now had commitments for speakers and programs in six different languages.  Our card states that we will be doing programming in English, Thai, Karen, Hmong, Akha and Yao.  The first day that we received one thousand cards they were outdated as we received commitments for two more languages, Burmese and Mien.  I don’t know if anyone has ever tried to do what we are trying to accomplish and maybe that is where our naiveté is actually a blessing.  The prayers of those of you in our behalf are being answered on a daily basis.

It is now that we need your help.  For us, the “well has run dry.”  Becoming a fund-raiser is not what I want to do.  But as I see the potential to reach virtually millions who have never heard the name of Jesus, it becomes almost an obligation for me.  How much value is there in a soul?  I believe that it is certainly more than my pride.  So all I ask is that you consider carefully my next words.

Over the years it was so easy for me to ignore the work in the mission field.  Without much thought I would drop my dollar in the Sabbath School mission offering every week and think that I was fulfilling my obligation as a Church member in good standing.  Apparently I was not alone.  My friend Jon Wood recently brought to my attention that sixty years ago for every $10 given for tithe, an additional $6 was given for foreign missions.  Now that number is 28 cents.  The average SDA member gives $25 a year for foreign missions.  (I wonder how much is spent for entertainment).  Is it no wonder that there are a thousand people groups where there is no Bible, Christian, or missionary?

I do not want to use our Divine counsel as a hammer to drive a point, but is it no wonder that words like this are repeated hundreds of times in the Spirit of Prophecy.  “There is a class that are represented by Meroz.  The missionary spirit has never taken hold of their souls.  The calls of foreign missions have not stirred them to action.  What account will those render to God, who are doing nothing in His cause,–nothing to win souls for Christ.  Such will receive the denunciation, ‘Thou wicked and slothful servant.’”  Historical Sketches, 290.

I challenge you to search the EG White writings using the words “foreign missions.”  Some may question whether this is all that important, but I will guarantee you that if you do so, your attitude cannot remain the same.  If we want our home missions to be successful, support of foreign missions will open the way.  “The home missionary work will be farther advanced in every way when a liberal, self-denying, self-sacrificing spirit is manifested for the prosperity of foreign missions for the prosperity of the home work depends largely, under God, upon the reflex influence of the evangelical work in countries afar off.  It is in working actively to supply the necessities of the cause of God that we bring our souls in touch with the Source of all power.”  CET 222.1.

So what am I asking of you?  Venie and I, and the work in this part of the world need your support.  We do not ask for personal support, but donated funds for the studio work specifically.  Just prior to our saying good-by to our Kettle Falls Church family, a brother that I love and respect, an Elder in the Church, told me that the people of Kettle Falls needed to get behind their missionaries and support them in their work.  Divine counsel mandates this.  No one can question our loyalty to our Church.  We have always tried to lift our Church, and to never bring reproach to its name.  We want to be the hands and feet of our Church family bringing the Gospel to a dying world.  So of course, you are the first people to whom we make our plea.  We want our cause to be your cause.

For those churches who know us and are always so kind to us, we also solicit your help.  We have had a friend in the Portland area that has sent us $10 a month since we have arrived.  We believe that there will be souls in heaven because of her systematic support.   We also believe that by her commitment, her gift has been multiplied several times over as God has used what she has cheerfully given.

There is so much more I want to say.  But let me close with this thought.  It would do each of us well to examine our commitment to the Present Truth cause and the Three Angel’s Messages.  We want to go Home to be with Jesus, but have we become to comfortable in this life to hate this world so much that we would do anything and everything to hasten that event, even to sacrifice everything for the cause.  My favorite song is “I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold.  I’d rather be His than have riches untold. I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands, I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hands.”  I hope that is the prayer of each of us.

We need funds to continue our work, funds for DVD’s and CD’s, funds for a projector, funds for labels, funds for all that comes with media production.  What can you do personally for us?

• Go to your Board of Elders and plead our cause.  Perhaps your Church could adopt us as your foreign mission outreach ministry.
• Suggest to your Pastor that a month be given to study the work of foreign missions in our Church as delineated in the Spirit of Prophecy.
• Organize your Sabbath School class to become part of our team.  We would be happy to send you a “Mission Spotlight” every quarter chronicling the work that is being done because of your gifts.
• Pray!  Fast and pray if necessary.  God is going to finish this work, but He allows us the opportunity to be a part of it.
• If you would like to come to Thailand for a short-term mission trip, let us know.  Your lives will never be the same again.  The comforts that we feel we must have will become not so important to us anymore.
• Measure the value of a soul in the eyes of Heaven.  Brothers and sisters, we cannot allow the loss of eternal life because no one has ever told the people of SE Asia that there is a Savior for them.

As always you can go to our website and click the “Donate” button at the top of the page.  If this is impossible for you send your gift to:

The Osborn Project

Jesus For Asia, Inc.

PO Box 216

McDonald, TN 37353

Perhaps for some reason you may not want to support our project.  That’s o.k.  But please find a foreign mission project somewhere and support it like you have never done before.  God will bless you, and the work will soon be done.

With our love,

Bill & Venie Osborn

Gayle’s Story