Beyond Boundaries: Making Disciples Across Indochina's Cultures |
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Greetings!
Earlier this year, we shared with you our plan for 2024, which is to multiply, based on Acts 6:7, which says that “the word of God continued to increase, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem.” Our strategy for multiplication is through equipping, empowering, and evangelizing. We equip leaders through solid content and the discipleship relationship. We empower coordinators to oversee classes. Equipped leaders share the gospel.
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Previously, we focused on the Philippines, India, and Nepal. In this newsletter, we will focus on the Indochina Peninsula, also known as Mainland Southeast Asia. Mainland Southeast Asia includes the countries of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Together, these countries are composed of 800,000 square miles and are inhabited by 250 million people. This area is part of the 10-40 window, where most of the unreached peoples of the world reside. Myanmar is about 5% Evangelical, Thailand 1%, Vietnam 2%, Cambodia 1.5%, and Laos 2.5%. Today, there is a growing Church throughout the region.
This region is called Indochina due to the influence of India and China. While predominantly Buddhist, Cambodia was at one time Hindu, evidenced by the ancient Angkor Wat temples in Siem Reap. These countries represent ancient cultures with rich yet troubled histories. In the 70s, both Cambodia and Vietnam experienced war and turmoil. One-half of the population of Cambodia was decimated by the infamous Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. The war was devastating for Vietnam and America. Communist governments now rule both Vietnam and Laos. Myanmar continues to experience civil war from a military junta discontent with election outcomes three years ago. Out of the turmoil and troubles, God is working and painting a beautiful picture of His plan for this area.
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Each country has numerous minority or tribal groups and a main people group. In each country, the majority people groups (Bama, Thai, Khmer, Lao, and Kinh) are Buddhist and have been resistant to the gospel. In contrast, the minority groups are predominantly Christian (Karen, Kachin, Hmong, Kho, Lahu, Lesu, and Akha). The Akha lady pictured below was one of the first believers among the Akha in Thailand. Her son, Luka, now leads an outreach teaching farming, education, English, and a CCI ministry training center in northern Thailand. |
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This Akha lady was one of the first believers among the Akha people group in Thailand. |
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In 2002, we were invited to begin training in Thailand, followed by Vietnam in 2003, Cambodia and Myanmar in 2007, and Laos in 2012. As we developed relationships with local leaders and led Teacher Training Workshops (photo of the first TTW in Thailand) to equip new trainers, the Lord began to give us a vision for impacting the whole peninsula for the glory of God by bringing affordable ministry training to local pastors, church leaders, and businesspeople who do not have access to biblical training due to language, cost, and distance. God provided godly translators and printers to translate the curriculum and print the materials. God raised up national directors, area coordinators, and support staff to lead the ministry. What began as a small work has now blossomed into advancing teams in every country. |
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CCI Thai Team at the 2023 Global Conference |
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By God’s grace, we now have 54 paid staff of national directors and coordinators overseeing this region. Just this past September, Joe Kontz joined the CCI team and now serves as the Regional Director over this region. Joe shepherds and leads the men who oversee each country. Kittikun oversees Thailand, Khup oversees Myanmar, Sitha oversees Cambodia, Somsay oversees Laos, and Y’Hanh oversees Vietnam. In addition to 54 staff, there are 114 volunteer teachers who lead classes. Over 3,400 servant leaders have finished the BTCP 10-course curriculum comprising 520 in-class hours. We have also trained over 4,000 pastors and leaders through our other seminars, including biblical stewardship, resolving conflict, effective preaching, biblical love and marriage, and leadership pictures from 2 Timothy 2. Ninety (90) churches have been planted since we began in 2002. We can say that God has worked beyond what we could ever ask or think.
God has used ordinary men and women whom He saved by His grace to personally invest in the lives of many lost people and share the gospel with them. Just think of the praise that is rising in these lands up to the Lord and how this is a sweet-smelling aroma to our great God!
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I'd like to introduce you to Samuel, a businessman from Cambodia. His wife and pastor encouraged him to enroll in our class. He reluctantly attended, wanting to please his wife, not thinking God could use him. He had no intention of starting a church. His primary focus was on his commercial endeavors. The idea of leading a church was far from his mind. The training was transformative for him. What began as mere participation developed into a deep commitment to the Lord. Now a CCI graduate and trainer, Samuel has started two house churches with 40 members in each church and four home groups that meet for discipleship. Recently, Samuel also started a new CCI class training seven church leaders. His journey from a disinterested businessman to a dedicated church planter highlights the profound impact local church-based training through a discipleship relationship can have on an individual’s life and the lives around them.
God saves us into an intimate relationship with Himself. Out of the overflow of this relationship, God desires to use us to make disciples of all people groups. The Holy Spirit has endowed each of us with at least one spiritual gift for building up others. This is why we need training – so we can effectively be a part of His plan in making disciples. God is worthy of the time spent in preparation. As we are equipped, we find our place in God’s global cause of gathering worshippers unto Himself.
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On April 6, CCI Thailand celebrated the graduation of 27 Akha pastors and leaders from the Akha Baptist Institute. The Akha people migrated from China to the hill country of Thailand and are now Thailand’s farmers. One of the graduates, Lawqsaq Yeusawq, testified that the CCI training equipped him to oversee a local church because CCI made it accessible to him in his remote village and in his native language. Pastor Jone, a CCI trainer, led him to Christ from a Catholic background. |
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Just last month, Joe Kontz led church planting training with our team to expand our training to those wanting to plant churches. In cooperation with Dynamic Church Planting International (DCPI), Joe trained 25 members of our teams in developing a vision for churches planting churches and the development of a plan to accomplish it. Once a church is started, they need to develop a vision for starting another church and develop a plan to send out members to do so. They need to be equipped to accomplish this. As churches plant churches, disciples are made, and God is glorified.
Y’Hanh, the National Director of Vietnam, testified this about the church planting training:
“Attending the DCPI training was a transformative experience for me. The program equipped me with practical tools and a visionary mindset to plant and grow churches effectively. The sessions were rich with biblical insights and real-life applications, making the complex process of church planting accessible and actionable. One of the most impactful moments was learning about the importance of strategic planning and community engagement. The trainers emphasized the need to understand the unique cultural and social dynamics of the area where we plant churches. This approach helped me see the value of being both a spiritual leader and a community builder. I wish I would have learned this before I planted a church. I left the training not only with a clear plan but also with a renewed passion and confidence to fulfill the Great Commission to train church planters in Vietnam. I am grateful for the opportunity and look forward to seeing how God will use this training to advance His gospel.”
Somsay, the National Director of Laos, said this about the church planting training:
“Since I have worked and served with CCI, I mostly focus on making disciples, training pastors and church leaders by using BTCP as a tool. When some of my students graduated, they went out and planted churches but without any training and methods. When two of my students and I got DCPI training, we were all excited to learn a new tool. I am ready to use this to train our alumni and the faithful men who want to plant a church. This is another good way to fulfill the Great Commission. We plan to translate the lessons into our language and will train our people when God opens the way for us.”
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CCI Teams from Southeast Asia attending the Church Planting Training led by Regional Director Joe Kontz (back far right) |
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With 54 paid staff in mainland Southeast Asia, it takes resources and training to equip them to serve effectively. It costs $300 a month to support one coordinator. Many of our coordinators pastor a church and serve with us part-time. Each month, they submit a ministry report, financial report, and activity report to their national director, who compiles all the information and sends it to us.
We only have funding for these men through the end of the year. Please pray that God provides for them for 2025 and beyond. These individuals are the driving force behind the expansion of our disciple-making work, working tirelessly on the ground to ensure that our efforts reach far and wide. If you want to support these men personally, we will send you their family photos and monthly prayer requests. You and your family can intercede for them.
Thank you for your partnership in praying and in giving for the advance of the gospel and God’s work throughout this world. It is supporters like you that make our mission possible. We are fortunate to have you as part of our CCI family!
Grace and peace in Jesus,
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Dr. David Nelson
Chief Steward and Servant
Crossing Cultures International
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From September 1 to October 7, David Nelson will be on a Fall Tour with three National Directors from Southeast Asia. They will be visiting churches and ministry partners in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Arizona, California, and Canada. If you are in these areas and are interested in a visit, please contact Amanda Boston at aboston@cciequip.org.
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In June 2025, CCI is co-leading an inspirational tour in Israel. We would love for you to come and join us. For more information, click here to go to our information page or click on the video above.
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May Edition CCI Equipping and Multiplying News
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