By Shenalyn PagePosted May 15, 2024
Pastor Doug Batchelor and his wife, Karen, recently returned from a three-week trip to South Asia (April 14–May 7, 2024). The revival and evangelistic tour took them to the Islamic countries of Indonesia, Pakistan, and the United Arab
Emirates, as well as to the Hindu country of India. Thousands gathered to hear Pastor Doug’s encouraging messages and reaffirm their faith in the God of the Bible.
Pastor Doug, president of Amazing Facts International, also had the privilege of preaching in the world’s second-largest church!
His travel schedule is usually planned years in advance, but this trip came together in just three months when his schedule opened up unexpectedly earlier this year. He shares, “I’ve had many invitations to that part of the world, so I
thought it was a good time to try to put a trip together. I had never been to Pakistan, but I kept meeting believers who said the people there were watching Amazing Facts. It was exciting to see how God put everything together for this
trip.”
“The differences between the countries can give you whiplash!”
The Amazing Facts Indonesia staff drove 12 hours to meet the Batchelors in Jakarta when they arrived on April 16. “It was wonderful to spend time with our staff,” shares Pastor Doug. “Many are young people excited about working with
Amazing Facts Indonesia. They are anxious to grow their capabilities to reach the people in their country.”
While in Jakarta, Pastor Doug preached for a five-day evangelistic meeting at the Basilea Convention Center. The meetings culminated with more than three thousand in attendance, a large baptism, and many recommitting themselves to God’s
work.
The Batchelors then flew to Pakistan, where Pastor Doug preached in Lahore and Karachi at the Sabbath-keeping university and church headquarters. Pakistan is 97 percent Muslim and one of the poorest countries in the world, so Christians
there were thrilled to gather for encouragement. Both Sunday- and Sabbath-keepers crowded in to hear Pastor Doug teach the Bible truth about the state of the dead. One meeting was held in the open air with Pastor Doug preaching from a
school roof, surrounded by security guards.
“The sights and sounds of Pakistan are epic,” wrote Pastor Doug while traveling. “They have no traffic signals or even stop signs. Lines in the roads, if any, are totally ignored. You may even drive in the wrong lane into oncoming
traffic if you choose. Motorcycles, big diesel trucks, buses, rickshaws, cars, and an occasional donkey fill the intersections. … Our prayers have greatly improved as we travel here.”
The next stop was Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, one of the world’s wealthiest countries. “The differences between the countries give you whiplash,” Pastor Doug wrote. “Dubai is a forest of exotic skyscrapers laced with new freeways
swarming with Mercedes, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis!”
A group of 300 Sabbath-keepers, mostly from other countries, gathered to hear Pastor Doug speak. The Batchelors also spent time with Karim, who was converted through the ministry of Amazing Facts and is now the only Arabic
Sabbath-keeping pastor in the Gulf region.
“They formed a human wall around us.”
Christians make up only a tiny percent of the population in each of the four countries visited, yet the people welcomed the Batchelors with open arms. Large crowds listened eagerly to God’s Word, and many were baptized despite the
threat of stigmatization, arrest, and even death.
In Pakistan, believers formed a human wall around the baptismal pool. “They told me nothing about the background of those we baptized,” says Pastor Doug. “It was for their safety and mine.” Security guards accompanied the Batchelors
everywhere they went to ensure their safety.
“It’s thrilling to see people responding to the gospel,” adds Pastor Doug. “We met many, rich and poor, who shared wonderful testimonies of how the outreach of Amazing Facts has transformed their lives.”
One attendee in Hyderabad, India, where the Batchelors spent the final week, said, “I have never
felt such a strong pull toward accepting Jesus as my Savior until I heard Pastor Batchelor speak.” Thousands gathered on Sabbath for revival meetings about preparing for the end times. Intense heat (about 113 degrees Fahrenheit) did not
deter the people from listening.
Another participant shared, “In the midst of this heat wave and all the troubles around us, Pastor Batchelor’s message gave me hope and a renewed sense of purpose.”
Jesin, a seminary professor, said. “I have worked in Hyderabad for nine years and have never seen such a response!”
“He paid for our trip!”
Hyderabad is home to Calvary Temple, which is, at 300,000 members, the second-largest church in the world. The church is pastored by Dr. Satish Kumar, a devout Sunday-keeper who has been watching Amazing Facts’ presentations for years.
He and Pastor Doug struck up a personal friendship at the National Religious Broadcastor’s Conference several years ago.
On the final Sunday of the trip, Dr. Kumar invited Pastor Doug to speak at his church. Pastor Doug shared his testimony with a group of several thousand, handing out hundreds of copies of The Richest Caveman afterward. In the evening,
he spoke about the importance of receiving the Holy Spirit to a crowd of 20,000 Sunday-keepers!
“It’s unbelievable,” Pastor Doug shares. “We’ve been praying about the work in India and, you know, God may reach the Indian people by transforming the Sunday-keeping churches. We don’t know what’s going to happen, but we definitely see
God at work.”
Amazingly, the Calvary Temple gave an unsolicited honorarium to Pastor Doug, which exactly equaled the amount of cash that Pastor Doug had taken with him to cover the many costs of the trip. “We tried not to take it, but they wouldn’t
let us refuse,” Pastor Doug shares. “It seems like such a God thing—truly, He paid for our trip!” Amazing Facts is putting the honorarium toward the ministry’s ongoing gospel efforts in India.
“That isn’t the half of everything that happened,” says Pastor Doug. “We did a lot of meetings, a lot of Facts of Faith tapings, and had a lot of little adventures along the way. We never got sick or lost our luggage. God was really
good to us.”
Thank you for being a part of the Amazing Facts family and helping us share God’s truth in the places that need it most!