“The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world…. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to ‘the principalities and powers in heavenly places,’ the final and full display of the love of God. Ephesians 3:10.” Acts of the Apostles, 9.

Nguyen Van Hung* was born into a Buddhist family in a restricted nation in Southeast Asia. As the eldest son, he was responsible for his family’s livelihood and for maintaining the family’s ancestral worship. Growing up without any knowledge of God, he believed that his dead relatives could influence his life for good or evil.

Nguyen joined the army at 18 and served until 1975. Afterward, he studied medicine and worked as a physician. During this time, he heard the message of God’s love for mankind, and he accepted Jesus as his Savior. His conversion brought great shame to his family. His parents were devastated, and his father disowned him. Relatives mocked his new beliefs.

Despite the opposition, Nguyen still followed Christ. He spent 30 years serving as an elder and missionary in a Sunday-keeping church. Then, not long ago, Nguyen met a colporteur from the Seventh-day Adventist Church who introduced him to the truth of the Sabbath. Though this challenged everything he had learned, he studied deeper in his Bible and found no evidence for first day sacredness. After months of study, conviction, and the Spirit’s work on his heart, he embraced the Sabbath truth and left his Sunday church. His wife protested, but his 14-year-old son who had attended all his father’s Bible studies stood by his side.

A small group of Seventh-day Adventists began gathering on Sabbath to study the Bible, moving from house to house to avoid government interference. Although it had been easier for Nguyen to attend a government-recognized church, the challenges only strengthened his desire to follow Jesus and keep all His commandments.

Later, Nguyen had the chance to attend Bible worker training. His faith grew stronger as he deepened his knowledge of God’s Word, and he joined the literature evangelism team to help spread God’s written Word. Though the work was hard, his fellow workers encouraged him, and he remembered this powerful thought from his training: “Our books are silent messengers. When they are in the hands of customers, the Holy Spirit will carry on the work.” Returning home, Nguyen determined to spread the message just like the colporteur who had brought the message to him.

Today, the need is great. There are many searching hearts, and the harvest is ready—but the workers are few. We need your help to support literature evangelists, Bible workers, and small group ministries like the training school. Your donation will help supply gospel literature, transportation, and training that empowers workers to reach souls in even the most remote and restricted areas. Will you join us in this mission? Your gift, no matter the size, will help bring light where darkness still reigns.

Yours in spreading the written word!

*Because of the sensitive nature of this country’s political situation, real names and photos have not been used.