An Amazing Fact: The massive Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China cost more than $26 billion and took 14 years to build. Measuring approximately one-and-a-half miles across, the dam creates a reservoir that is some 400 miles long. When running at full capacity, the dam’s colossal hydroelectric system can meet more than 10 percent of China’s electricity needs!
Dynamo of Evangelism
Just as many droplets of water at the Three Gorges Dam blend to produce a mighty dynamo of power and light, God brought you and Amazing Facts together in 2011 to take the “Living Water” to this thirsty world.
That’s why I want to take a few moments now to show you just a brief panorama of what has been accomplished this past year—and a glimpse into 2012—thanks to your faithfulness.
Training Soul Winners
In India, the second most populous country on Earth, we opened a Center of Evangelism to train an army of soul winners to reach more than a billion people with the gospel. Believers in India face intense persecution from both Muslims and Hindus—especially those actively sharing their faith. Please pray that these newly trained evangelists will be protected as they boldly work in this great harvest field.
We also opened AFCOE facilities in Ukraine, England, and the Philippines. These modern-day schools of the prophets are raising up a new generation of leaders for churches to help not only bring men and women to faith in Christ but also to help them grow in their faith and be true disciples. Visit www.AFCOE.com to learn more!
Winning Souls
I was privileged to speak at several large meetings in Muslim countries—in the United Arab Emirates and in Indonesia. God opened wonderful doors for us to minister to the church and reach the lost. As churches worked together, we saw huge crowds—up to 9,000 people!—hearing the gospel in these Islamic strongholds. We also saw many baptisms in both countries.
Here in the states, one highlight of the year was debuting Bible Answers Live on Sirius/XM satellite radio all across the country on Sunday evenings. God worked miraculously to make this time available for us, and the response has been incredible! The phone lines fill up quickly, and I get to share real, lasting, and true answers to people’s questions from Scripture.
Reaching China
I started this letter with an amazing fact about China’s Three Gorges Dam ... but there is a major evangelistic effort taking place behind the Great Wall as well. We have established a powerful network that handles the printing and translation of our books and video materials. Small teams of brave, mission-focused Bible workers put their lives on the line every day to bring more people to Jesus. What started out as hundreds of followers is now in the hundreds of thousands. And more than a million people viewed the Amazing Facts Chinese-language videos and Bible lessons in 2011!
And this list could go on and on. We also upgraded our television broadcasts, added more outreach Internet sites, published our first daily devotional, expanded our media programming on social sites and YouTube—it would take all day to tell you everything that happened, all that YOU made possible!
Click here to support Amazing Facts in 2012!
The Personal Touch
But perhaps the best way I can share the impact of your support of Amazing Facts is by sharing Edgar’s story with you.
Edgar is one of the biggest university soccer stars in Ukraine. His future is very promising as a professional player. But Edgar also knows the pain of tragedy. When he was a young child, both of his parents died in a car accident. He desperately wanted hope that he would see them again someday. Many nights he cried himself to sleep wishing to see them just one more time.
Although Edgar had everything going for him in the world—good money, education, and a bright future—he still longed for deeper meaning and purpose. Searching everywhere he could, he was discouraged that nothing offered him the hope he wanted—nothing could fill the hole in his heart. Having given up on everything else, he lifted a prayer as he walked home from soccer practice one day. “God, if you are real and care about me, please do something in my life to fill this void.”
On his walk home that very day, he passed one of our Ukraine AFCOE students—who stopped to talk with him. The student gave him an invitation to our nearby prophecy meetings, and his life was about to change. Edgar said, “I remember the presentation on the second coming. My heart swelled more and more with the joy and hope that I could see my parents again if I trusted in Jesus.” With eyes full of tears, Edgar accepted Jesus into His life. “Jesus means everything to me. He has forgiven me for my sin and given me a future brighter than any soccer game ever will.”
Edgar faced a big test of his new faith during the series. His team was scheduled to travel to Poland for a game, and he was required to go. He really wanted to stay for the rest of the meetings, but he figured that would be impossible. “The coach never lets anyone miss a game for any reason. It has never been allowed.” However, Edgar believed that God was calling him to stay for the meetings. So evangelist and AFCOE instructor Wes Peppers prayed with Edgar, putting the situation in God’s hands.
When Edgar called his coach, the response was extraordinary. The coach responded, “If these meetings are changing your life for the better, then you need to be there.” Edgar could not believe it. “God really does answer prayer, and I know that He really does care about my personal life.” Soon after, Edgar gave his life to Christ in baptism. “This is the best decision I have ever made in my life, and I know Jesus is coming soon.”
That is what your support of Amazing Facts does!
More Work to Be Done!
Yet as amazing as this past year has been, and with all the wonderful things God has done, we are working, planning, and praying for 2012 to be even more fruitful.
Not long ago, the world’s population reached seven billion. That’s a staggering number. Every one of those precious souls needs to hear the truth. And time is short. Jesus said, “The night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4, 5).
Too many sincere seekers don’t really know the truth that can set them free (John 8:32). But together we can change that!
There are so many exciting new things coming this year—new evangelistic campaigns, new media station opportunities, new witnessing products and resources, new outreaches targeted at college-age students, new disciples and soul winners to train ...
... and we can’t do it without you. This month I’ll be presenting Reclaim Your Faith on Hope Channel, for one—and I’ll be travelling to Europe in the spring for a series of youth outreach presentations to reach the lost on that ever-secular continent.
The job of reaching the world is too big for any of us to do alone. But as we pull together, like the many drops of water in a hydroelectric reservoir, we can power a dynamo of evangelism and light the whole world with the truth of Jesus!
Yours for another great year of harvest,
Doug Batchelor
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