Asia Harvest Latest News

This page provides you with latest news and prayer requests related to the countries we work in throughout Asia. It is updated often, so please check back regularly.

Our fifth and final newsletter of the year has an encouraging message for readers, and reports on how God's kingdom continues to grow throughout the unreached areas of Asia. We also have a new map of China showing where each Bible printed by Asia Harvest has been distributed, in celebration of passing the 4-million Bibles mark recently. Click here to read our December newsletter.

Enjoy our new and inspirational 'Lost' and 'Beautiful Feet' videos at our Videos page.

Our latest Asia Harvest newsletter contains a timely word of encouragement from Paul & Joy Hattaway, as well as three remarkable testimonies from the mission fields of Asia, which are sure to encourage your faith. Click here.

Our last two newsletters (which you can read at the links below) explained about the urgent and large need for Bibles in China today. They broke many people's misconceptions about China, due to the orchestrated and successful propaganda campaign launched by the Chinese government and the registered church in China.

Another misconception that many Christians around the world have is that persecution of God's people no longer occurs in China. Although it could accurately be said that persecution is less than in the past, there are still many house church believers regularly arrested, fined, and imprisoned. These days, because of the threat of international publicity, these arrests tend to take place in more remote rural locations where the authorities think there is no chance of the news making it out of China. The majority of house churches in China happen to be in such remote rural locations.

Please pray for 15 house church leaders from two isolated parts of China who have been in jail since mid-July. The China Aid Association reports they continue to be held as local police try to extort money from their families, who have been told the detainees will be sentenced to lengthy labor camp sentences if the money is not forthcoming.

The arrests began at 10 a.m. on July 26, when dozens of local police officers burst into a meeting in the city of Wuhai, Inner Mongolia, where more than 20 church leaders from Wuhai and Ningxia province’s Shizuishan were gathered to plan summer church activities. The police surrounded the meeting site and apprehended 21 people. They also confiscated everything at the meeting site, not just Bibles but even the bamboo mats that the believers regularly use to rest and nap on after meetings. Everything was loaded into police vehicles and taken away. The 21 detainees were given physical exams. Six of them were very elderly and were found to be in poor health, and the detention center refused to accept them, so they were released.

The remaining 15 church leaders were held for 15 days, after which, their family members were notified that if they raised 50,000 Yuan (US$ 7,800), they would be released. But when the families delivered the money to the prosecutor’s office, it turned around and sent the case back to the Public Security Bureau. The Public Security Bureau then told the families that if they raised several tens of thousands of Yuan (thousands of dollars) again, the detainees would be released. The following individuals are still being held in the Wuhai Detention Center:

Dong Zhen, Ren Xitao, Mu Liandi, Mu Guilian, Ning Yuncai, Mi Lili, Huang Xiulian, Uncle Ye, Hao An, Sister Ding, Yu Baojie, Dong Yanxia, Zhang Mingfeng, Zhang Shuxia, Da Yumei.

Please pray for these brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray the Lord would protect and sustain them, and help them to bring glory to His Name in prison. Pray the persecutors and corrupt officials would be ashamed of their filthy deeds when they see the good lives and faithfulness of those they have arrested.

The second part of our interview with Paul Hattaway is a must-read for Christians everywhere. He continues to share about the causes of the need in China for Bibles, and, in his typically insightful and direct way, challenges Christians around the world to line up their priorities with God's priorities. Click here to read this vital newsletter.

Our latest newsletter is Part One of an enlightening and direct interview with Paul Hattaway, the founder of Asia Harvest. He shares about a growing emergency in China - a dire shortage of Bibles - and explains how this has come about, and how so many Christians around the world have been deceived into believing that Bibles are now readily available in China. Click here to read this newsletter.

Several Christians were recently attacked and killed in Xiengkhouang Province, Laos. Laos is a Communist nation in Southeast Asia, bordering Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and China.

On April 15, troops from the Lao People's Army arrested a group of Christians from the Hmong ethnic group. All of the believers' Bibles were confiscated. The troops shot and killed four of the women after repeatedly raping two of them. Their husbands and children were beaten, tied up and forced to witness the gruesome killings. At last report, the whereabouts of the surviving believers were unknown.

Pray for comfort for all those mourning the loss of the four Christian women. Pray other believers will soon be returned home safely. Pray for the peace and strength of Christ to reign in the hearts and minds of Laotian Christians under pressure for their faith. Pray that the Laotian government will recognize the need for true freedom for all their citizens. Source: World Evangelical Alliance and The Voice of the Martyrs

As we draw closer to the return of Jesus Christ, He foretold that there would be an increase in natural disasters in the world, including earthquakes. We are certainly experiencing this at the moment!

With the world's focus being on the recent disaster in Japan, few people are even aware that another huge earthquake (measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale) struck in northeast Myanmar (Burma) on 24 March. It was hardly mentioned by the world's media, but this latest disaster has provided another strategic opportunity to help those in need.

The quake struck in the 'Golden Triangle' region where the countries of Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos meet. Dozens of tribes inhabit this dense-jungle area. The worst affected communities were inside Myanmar where at least 400 people have died. The real number may be substantially more, but clear information is difficult to obtain. People in this part of Asia are generally very poor, and their homes are simple structures made of bamboo or flimsy wood. Thousands of homes were destroyed in seconds, as they are not built to withstand an earthquake of this strength.

Many thousands of people remain displaced and homeless. As this region has a long history of conflict with the Burmese military, the national government has refused to help. The people of Shan State have largely been forced to care for one another the best they can.

Having been based in northern Thailand for many years, Asia Harvest has many contacts in this area who are helping. We have already sent US$45,000 of assistance. If you would like to help, it would be greatly appreciated. Hundreds more families need immediate help. We can provide shelter, food and clothing for US$120 per family.

Please pray for the tribes of the Golden Triangle, many of whom are unreached by the Gospel. Pray this disaster would open hearts and that many people will find not only physical comfort at this time, but salvation through Jesus Christ.

If you would like to help with the urgent need your donation would be greatly appreciated. You can do so either by donating by credit card or Paypal to the Asia Disaster Relief fund on our secure website: http://asiaharvest.org/pages/projects.html, or by sending a gift by post, with a note that it is for the Asia Disaster Relief fund, to any of the Asia Harvest addresses listed here.

100% of gifts to the Asia Disaster Relief fund go directly to the need. Not a cent is deducted for administration or any other expense. We cover such expenses ourselves. All donations in the United States are tax-deductible. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us.

Picture above: A small boy in Myanmar having bamboo splinters removed from his face after the earthquake.

No doubt you have been as shocked as we have seeing the images of the massive earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan yesterday. The wall of water wreaked havoc on the coastal city of Sendai as it moved inland. Sendai is the capital of Miyagi prefecture. There are dozens of small churches in the area and our primary concern today is to ask you to pray for them. They need God’s help to know how to minister at this time, where to start, how to comfort and what to do.

Asia Harvest partners are already involved in this situation. We have a wealth of experience of this kind of ministry having served in the 2004 Tsunami response, the 2008 Sichuan earthquake and hurricane in Myanmar (Burma), last year’s earthquake in Yushu, China, and many other disasters. We have found that people’s hearts are generally wide open to the Gospel during such times, and as well as being able to help countless people with their physical needs, literally thousands have entered into a relationship with the Living God during these past responses.

One of the advantages of networking with national believers is that we already have connections on the ground working through churches in Miyagi Prefecture. The immediate need is to get behind Japanese believers, helping mobilize those from the affected areas as well as from Tokyo and Osaka. They will have a critical ministry to the thousands of victims and their families. They will also provide for immediate needs. As you can imagine, right now, food, water and shelter is vital for multitudes who have simply been left with nothing.

If you are familiar with our work you will know that 100% of gifts to the Asia Disaster Relief fund will go directly to the need. Not a cent will be deducted for administration or any other expense. We cover such expenses ourselves. All donations in the United States are tax-deductible. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us.

Please intercede for the people of Japan. Pray they will repent and seek the Lord Jesus in their time of need, and many will come to know Him. The number of believers is still very small in a country where both the Mormons and the Jehovah’s Witness’ have grown faster than the evangelical church, where 24 major cities have no church presence, and where 85% of teenagers wonder why they exist at all.

Update #1 (17 March): Thanks to the generous help of many, Asia Harvest has already sent an initial US$20,000 to help with the relief work in Japan. Our contacts on the field say their greatest needs at the moment are for water, food and stretchers/beds. As the scale of this catastrophe has become clearer in recent days, the problems seem great with impassable roads, lack of fuel, and difficult or non-existent communications in Miyagi Prefecture. Our coworkers however are doing a great job and are assisting the injured and grief-stricken wherever they can. The governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, has stated publicly that the disaster was a punishment from heaven because the Japanese people have become greedy. Please continue to pray for the people of Japan, that they might open their hearts to Jesus Christ in this time of despair.

Update #2 (21 March): Today we have sent another US$26,000 to Japan. Thank you to everyone who has prayed and supported this great need! We are now working with various groups on the ground to help as many people as possible, including 30 churches located in the immediate disaster area. The funds we have sent today will provide the following items in addition to the ongoing basic need for water and food: 200 bicycles, 200 blankets, several thousand diapers (both adult and baby), and 1,000 hygiene kits (containing soap, towels, face cloths, tooth brushes, tooth paste, etc). The 200 bicycles have been specifically requested by Japanese Christians because there is no gas available to purchase, and many areas are still inaccessible to vehicles because of destroyed roads. Our colleagues will use the bicycles to deliver relief supplies to households and shelters that need them the most. There are an estimated 400,000 people now living in 2,200 shelters throughout the affected region. Please continue to pray that the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified through all this. Thank you.

Update #3 (15 April): We have sent over US$50,000 to Japan. Reports that have come back to us tell of how 3,000 people were fed in Sendai Prefecture in the first week of the disaster. Many people cried, as it was the first hot meal they had received since the earthquake struck. A variety of other needs have been met, thanks to the generous response of many people. Some needs have been quite specific. For example, we have provided funds for eye-glasses, because many people lost theirs during the commotion of the earthquake and tsunami. This has been especially demoralizing for the elderly, as not being able to see clearly has added to their stress. Our coworkers in Japan report that many people in the disaster zone are now open to the claims of Christ on their lives, and are appreciative for the loving help they have received from Christians both from Japan and from all around the world.

The first Asia Harvest newsletter of the year is our annual report covering our activities last in 2010. Take a look back at the projects and initiatives we have had the privilege of helping with throughout Asia last year. To read our Annual Report, click here.

Please update our address in your records, and if you have any of our return envelopes with our old address

on it, please discard them. All other contact details, such as our phone number and email address, remain the

same. We are excited about this change, and we look forward to continuing to be a link between you and

All of us here at Asia Harvest pray you enjoyed a blessed Christmas and New Year period, and that you have started 2011 with expectation and faith as you follow Jesus Christ for another year!

The Christmas season brought difficult circumstances for many of our brothers and sisters throughout Asia, with waves of persecutions striking the church in several countries. We provide brief summaries here of some of the trials our fellow believers are enduring right now:

CHINA - On December 1, the Chinese government launched a systematic major crackdown, codenamed "Operation Detterence" against house churches, labeling them "evil cults." According to sources inside China, the crackdown will continue through to March 2011, aimed at arresting key church leaders and influential believers. The attacks do not seem to have been limited to believers inside China, after some China mission websites were brought down by cyber attacks from China at the same time. By calling house churches "evil cults," the government allows itself the freedom to then "prosecute" the churches on false criminal charges, rather than face a backlash from the international community if they just persecute the Christians directly for their faith. Please pray for the house church Christians in China during this time. Pray they will be strong in their faith, and that they will continue to grow in grace and in number.

VIETNAM - Five days before Christmas, on December 20, the Vietnamese government launched a series of persecutions against Christians from ten northern provinces. In Hanoi, hundreds of believers were locked out of a Christmas celebration. When people arrived at the National Convention Center the doors had already been locked by the local police, who attempted to send people away. Deeply disappointed, some of the Christians began praying and singing in front of the center. The police moved in, striking many of the Christians with sticks and with their fists. Six Christian leaders, including Nhuyen Huu Bao, the scheduled speaker at the event, were arrested. Similar incidents were reported in at least four other locations throughout the country: Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Quang Nam provinces, and in Danang City in central Vietnam. Pray the Church in Vietnam will continue to thrive in difficult circumstances, and that millions more Vietnamese people will soon know Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

LAOS - On December 26, government officials and residents of one area in the Communist nation of Laos destroyed the rice paddies farmed by 11 Christian families (totaling 48 people) at Katin Village in Ta Oih District, Saravan Province. Water was drained from the Christians' paddies, which represent the main source of food and survival for them. Fencing was burned down which allowed animals to trample on the need seed to ensure rice would not grow. One analyst said, “If they don’t farm, they will most likely lose the right to work on their land. Also, they need the rice to sustain themselves.” The fields were destroyed just a few days after the Katin village chief and other village authorities armed with guns entered the homes of another seven Christian families, totaling 15 people, and ordered them to give up their faith. When they refused, officials marched them out of the village and warned them not to return. On January 4 and 5, twenty Christians were arrested by armed police during a fresh wave of persecution in another part of Laos. Please pray the Lord will sustain and strengthen these 48 believers, and provide all their needs according to His riches in glory.

IRAN - Further afield in the country of Iran, 70 Christians were arrested over the Christmas period. Twenty-five believers in Tehran were arrested in the early hours after Christmas day. They planned to arrest another 16 Christians, but were unable to locate them. The Governor of Tehran has reportedly vowed to arrest more Christians. Elam Ministries reported that "Armed, plain-clothes, special security officers forcefully entered the homes of Christians while they were asleep, and verbally and physically abused them. They were handcuffed and taken for interrogation. Among those arrested were five married couples. One couple was separated from their two-year old baby. Another couple was also forced to leave their baby that the mother was breastfeeding. A number of single young women were also among those taken.... The security forces broke into at least five such homes, ransacking them, taking personal possessions, changing the locks and placing a government seal on the door. Family members of these Christians have been called by the authorities and threatened and harassed. They were instructed to tell the Christians to surrender themselves. After many hours of interrogation, eleven of the detained were released. The other fourteen are still in prison. There has been no contact from eight of the arrested... There is an urgent need for Christians all over the world to intercede for our brothers and sisters in prison in Iran. Let us pray that they will experience the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit, even in their prison cells. Pray they will have supernatural endurance and courage through this trial, and be shining witnesses to the guards and other inmates. Pray for peace and wisdom when they are being interrogated. Pray for their health. Pray for comfort and confidence for their families. Pray they will soon be released."