My heart is filled with compassion as I see the devastation, pain and hopelessness the people of Pakistan face once again.  It is difficult to imagine how much more a nation can endure that was already ravaged by poverty, corruption and war.However, through the power of prayer and the power of God’s mighty intervention, He can restore, rebuild and revive the people of Pakistan!  I invite Christians around the world to release the mighty force of Word-based prayer for the nation of Pakistan.  It is time for Jesus to be exalted in the nations and for His church to be the powerful force He intended us to be.  My prayer is that in the midst of evil attack against the precious people of Pakistan that God will turn it around for good and that as the Church in Pakistan arises, masses will be brought to the light of salvation.

This was my first trip to Cambodia and I am thrilled to see how the young generation is coming to Christ!

“Cambodia.”  What comes to mind when hearing this name?  Perhaps genocide, ancient temples, Buddhism, poverty, corruption, high-profile Hollywood adoptions, or the Ho Chi Minh trail are some of the possibilities.  For some, nothing comes to mind because they have no knowledge about this small, Southeast Asian nation that often escapes the world’s attention.

Amazingly, in 1975—1979 all Christian leaders and 90% of all Christians in Cambodia died in the genocide by the Khmer Rouge.  Between 1979 and 1990 the church grew in the refugee camps to less than 1,000 people.  In 1994 the church numbered around 5,000 with churches in every province… in 2000 there were 40,000 Christians and in 2008 there numbered 250,000 Christians with over 5,000 churches.  Today, the number of churches and Christians continues to grow!

Rescuing Girls from Sex-trafficking! Sex slavery and trafficking of humans is a big problem in Cambodia. While I was there, I met with two separate organizations that are diligently working to rescue girls that are forced as slaves to work as prostitutes.  I heard powerful testimonies from those who have been rescued and was totally impressed with the quality of aftercare they were provided.  These organizations I met with are not just talking about it – they are really doing it!  We are praying about how PMI can be more involved to help them rescue more young girls.

Cambodian Youth Church! I met a dynamic young pastor in Phnom Penh that started a church for college-age youth.  I preached there on a Sunday morning and was thrilled to see so many young Cambodians who are on fire for Jesus! Pastor Bora’s vision to win the lost to Christ and impact his generation is awesome and inspiring.

400 Believers Gather! I was thrilled to participate in a Believer’s conference with Caleb Wehrli, Shad Wehrli and Wayne Crook.  We had a tremendous time together as we encouraged, inspired and challenged the people to live the life that Jesus came to give them.  I ministered on the subject of “The Rewards of Living a Life of Excellence.”

After a 70-minute flight from Yangon to Mandalay, we boarded an old beat-up van for a 13-hour ride in 100-degree temperatures on some of the worst and most dusty roads I have ever traveled.  My friend, Pastor Stan Saunders and I agreed that the roads were as bad or worse than any we have ever traveled across the continent of Africa.

As our eyes beheld the beautiful sight of a room filled with over 300 leaders, our hearts thrilled as the heat, dust and bumps seemed to fade quickly as a faint memory in comparison to what lie ahead of us.

Last year I had conducted a leadership conference in this same area.  After that conference, the denominational leaders in this region of Myanmar heard about our teachings and the power of God that shook the delegates who attended.  They approached our Myanmar National Director and asked, “Would they be willing to come and minister to us also?”  These leaders represent hundreds of churches and thousands of people.

When we began teaching, their hearts were hungry and their lives were changed!  Pastor Stan Saunders, Pastor Bryan Greenwood and our Myanmar Director joined me as we taught the uncompromised Word of God for 3-powerpacked days.  Many experienced the healing power of God in their bodies and all of them were touched in a dynamic way by the power of the Holy Spirit!

Some of the general overseers of entire denominations expressed how they and their people have never experienced anything like this before.  We left them with a genuine and deep hunger for more of God in their lives and a desire for greater expressions of power in their ministries.

This new door of opportunity has opened for us to impact thousands more people through this new network of leaders.  Praise God!

A few months ago, God began dealing with us about ministering to women and holding women’s conferences in places that He would tell us to go.  We are excited to report that we just completed our first women’s conference, hosted by Powers Ministries International, in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Approximately 200 women came together for a dynamic weekend of fellowship, encouragement, and impartation, as the Word of God was shared.

In Isaiah 60, there is a resounding call to “Arise, and let your light shine for all the nations to see! For the glory of the Lord is shining upon you.” SHINE was the theme for the conference and every power-packed message challenged the women to be all that God created them to be.  Every woman was inspired to remove all self-imposed limits from their lives and release the greatness of God within them to do something to make a difference in their generation.

There is a nagging tendency to live our lives for ourselves and never take the time to do something to help the hurting people around us.  We can have the attitude that, “Someone else will do it!”  Or, “What could I possibly do to make a difference?” God wants us to realize that we ALL have an important part to play and, if we all do our part, we will achieve greatness together as we get the job done for Jesus!

This conference truly ignited a fire of hope and passion in the women who attended.  They were sparked with a sense of commitment and responsibility to do something for God.  They are truly fired up to reach our generation with the love of Jesus and to SHINE for all the world to see.

After the last service, one of the ladies was ecstatic!  She shared with me that God had sent her back to Thailand specifically to share the Gospel with her Buddhist family.  However, five years later, she still lacked the courage to share the powerful message of Jesus with them.  In the Saturday morning service, I charged the women to begin where they were, and to share the love of Jesus with someone tomorrow.  This woman was so inspired and fired up that she immediately left the morning service and went to her family’s home to share the Gospel with them.  She said that it was difficult and she was afraid of their response, but she DID IT!  She was so excited that she finally had the courage to open her mouth and share her testimony with her unsaved family members.  They may not have accepted Christ right at that moment, but we believe that as the seed has been planted, it will produce the joyful fruit of salvation for her whole family!

God wants to use all of us in this last days harvest of humanity!  What is He asking you to do?  Will you let Him fill you with the courage to do it?

Hebrews 2:3

1 Timothy 2:3-6—This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to the  knowledge of the Truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men.

On a recent trip to Pakistan, I was keenly aware of the thousands of people thronging the streets of the city.  As I looked into their faces, sobering and provocative questions flooded my mind:

• Do we really believe in the Gospel of Salvation?
• Do Christians truly care about the salvation of other people?
• Based on our actions, what is our most important mission as Christians and the Church as a whole today?
• Is eternity real?

Perhaps you are wondering how I could be asking such seemingly basic questions. Was I questioning God’s will for humanity or His mission for the Church?

Absolutely not.

I was reflecting on how our greatest convictions and beliefs dictate our primary behavior and responses.   Our convictions determine our highest priorities. And, our highest priorities will be evident by what we do and how we invest our lives. Or, as the old adage says: actions speak louder than words.

Heaven or Hell—We Decide

With these thoughts racing through my mind, I voiced a sobering reality to one of the young interns traveling with me.  “Joshua,” I said, “every one of these people we see here today will end up in one of two places—Heaven or Hell.  There are no other alternatives.”

The more than 6 billion people alive today will be sorted, grouped, tagged (however you want to put it) into one of two categories—SAVED or NOT SAVED.

Poor people, sick people, rich people, old people, young people, hungry people, crippled people, happy people, sad people, homeless people, people with Aids, people with malaria, people who were victims of abuse, people without hope—as different as they are, every one of them shares a common need—salvation.

Developing an Eternal Perspective

As I minister in many extremely poor countries, the voices of the people are so desperately crying out for relief from their immediate distress. And rightly so! God never intended for His beloved and most prized creation (human beings) to live this way.  My heart goes out to them, and my first response is to meet their immediate need.  If they are hungry, feed them.  If they are thirsty, give them clean drinking water.  If they are abused, rescue them.  If they are sick, provide a remedy.  If they are homeless, build them a home.  If they lack a good education, provide them with one.

However, in reality, these are temporary solutions to temporary problems. According to the Book of James, this life (good or bad) is like a vapor—a puff of smoke compared to eternity. As Christians, while we must consider meeting temporary needs, more importantly we must also consider the primary and eternal need for salvation.

The most important question is: “Where will these people spend eternity?”

Recently, an anthropology expert shared with me the fact that most Christians are not as interested in starting Bible schools, training pastors, planting churches or holding evangelistic campaigns as they are in meeting the immediate needs of people. It seems Christians will overwhelmingly respond to and support humanitarian programs that address the immediate physical needs of people (especially involving children) and especially in dramatic situations.  In fact, it is very popular among generous Christians to fund orphanages, contribute to feeding programs, provide medical aid, dig water wells, give to disaster relief and education. Thank God for that!

Julie and I also highly value and are very involved in providing humanitarian aid in all of these ways.  We were involved in the tsunami disaster relief in Thailand.  We helped fund earthquake relief in Pakistan.  We are building a home to educate children in Thailand and an orphanage in Myanmar.  We are also involved in a large scale orphanage in Thailand which rescues children at risk of extreme abuse.

However, we also have a very strong conviction that regardless of a person’s physical circumstances or condition, the Gospel of salvation is their greatest need.  Our goal is to minister to the whole person—spirit, soul and body—but our primary goal is to secure a person’s eternal salvation through their acceptance of Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

Mobilizing and Maintaining

As we read the Gospels in the Bible, we see that Jesus was very compelled to meet the physical needs of the people.  However, His greatest aim was to save their souls.

In Matthew 25:35-40 Jesus says in a parable, “I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.  I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.  I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”

Jesus also says in Matthew 18:11, “For the Son of man came to save [from the penalty of eternal death] that which was lost.”

Our goal for every orphan we help is that they become powerful witnesses for Jesus.  Our goal for every person we feed is to make sure they hear and receive the message of God’s love and salvation.  Our goal for every person we help is that they ultimately discover and become assured of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.  And, our mission doesn’t end there.

Julie and I believe establishing a permanent Christian presence wherever we go is of utmost importance. We are dedicated to helping establish and mobilize more churches, pastors and Christians in these nations. In this way, our humanitarian efforts become stronger, and more effective and far-reaching.

Consider these events:

• In December 2004, nearly 200,000 people were swept into eternity when a tsunami relentlessly struck several countries in Asia and Africa. (We were there when it happened.)

• In August 2005, 1,836 people died when a category five hurricane slammed into the coast of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.

• In October 2005, nearly 100,000 people perished in northern Pakistan and India when an earthquake demolished small mountain villages.  (I was there when it happened.)

• In May 2008, nearly 200,000 people died in Burma when a cyclone smashed into the Irrawaddy Delta in the southern region of that nation.

• In January 2010, hundreds of thousands of Haitian people lost their lives when, without warning, an earthquake tumbled buildings, burying them alive.

• In the last five years, thousands of U.S. and coalition troops have died and many thousands more Iraqis and Afghans have died during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

• Today, hundreds of Africans will die from hunger, disease and war.

• And so on…

Now consider this truth:

The moment a person breathes his or her last breath and their heart beats for the last time, it matters not whether they were sick, poor, uneducated, homeless, without food, without water or without medical care.

All that really matters at that moment is where they will spend eternity.

If we feed someone, but don’t share the Gospel of salvation with them, they die with a full stomach, but spend eternity in hell—what eternal good have we done? If we provide a good home and education for a child, but don’t share the Gospel of salvation with them, they die having lived a good life with a good education, but are lost to eternal destruction—we have defeated our purpose!

Why would we help someone with an immediate physical need while neglecting their most urgent spiritual need of salvation?

God is great in mercy! This is why He sent Jesus to provide eternal salvation for all of mankind through His sacrifice.  This is why Jesus willingly gave His life for us.  This is why Jesus bore our sins through the sacrifice of Himself.  This is why the Innocent willingly died for the guilty!  This is why the One who had no debt was willing to pay a debt for one who could never pay his debt.  This is why God raised Jesus from the dead!

This is why Julie and I believe in and preach the Gospel of salvation. This is why we are dedicated to empowering emerging Christian leaders to succeed in their mission to reach their people for God! This is why we focus our efforts and money in church planting, Bible schools, training leaders and evangelistic campaigns.

If we really believe in the Gospel of Salvation, then it will be evident because we will:

• Feed the hungry while preaching the Gospel of salvation to them.
• Clothe the poor while preaching the Gospel of salvation to them.
• Provide medical care while preaching the Gospel of salvation to them.
• Build orphanages while preaching the Gospel of salvation to them.
• Dig water wells while preaching the Gospel of salvation to them.
• Care for widows while preaching the Gospel of salvation to them.
• Rescue the abused while preaching the Gospel of salvation to them.
• Provide disaster relief while preaching the Gospel of salvation to them.
• Plant churches!
• Start Bible schools!
• Train Christian leaders!
• Evangelize!
• Support those who preach the Gospel of salvation!

Let’s remember the Gospel is not only the Gospel of blessing, healing, prosperity and protection… it is also the Gospel of Eternal Salvation!

What we do and how we invest our lives reveals to God and to the world that we believe in the Gospel of Salvation.

Eternity is real!

As we support reputable Christian Relief Organizations like Life Outreach International, we can be assured that our support is making a profound and life-changing impact in the lives of the people of Haiti.

Our hearts are moved as we see the images of the precious people of Haiti enduring the horrors of immense pain and suffering.

Along with much needed physical relief and medical aid, they are a people in need of the message of comfort, peace and love that can only be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Please do something to bring help and hope to the people of Haiti.

You can donate to Life Outreach International today.

If the world were a village of only 100 people, this is what it would look like:

• 60 Asians
• 14 Africans
• 12 Europeans
• 8 people from Central America, South America, Mexico and the Carribean
• 5 people from the USA and Canada
• 1 person from Australia and New Zealand

The people of the village would have much difficulty communicating because:

• 14 people would speak Mandarin
• 8 people would speak Hindi/Urdu
• 8 English
• 7 Spanish
• 4 Russian
• 4 Arabic

(This list accounts for less than half of the population of 100. The others speak Bengali, Portuguese, Indonesian, Japanese, German, French and 200 other languages.)

In the village there would be:

• 33 Christians
• 22 Moslems
• 15 Hindus
• 14 Non-religious, Agnostics, or Atheists
• 6 Buddhists
• 10 following other religions

In the 100-person village:

• 80 would live in sub-standard housing.
• 67 adults live there and half of them are illiterate.
• 50 would suffer from malnutrition.
• 33 would not have access to clean, safe drinking water.
• 24 would not have electricity.
• 76 having electricity would only be able to use it for light at night.
• 7 would own an automobile. (Some would own more than one.)
• 5 people would possess 32% of the entire village’s wealth and these would all be from the USA

• The poorest 1/3 of the people would receive only 3% of the entire income of the village.

• In the village there would be 42 radios, 24 televisions, 14 telephones and 7 computers and some would own more than one of each.

Some other interesting thoughts for you to consider:

• If you woke up this morning healthy, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

• If you have never experienced the danger of war, the fear and loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pain of starvation, you are better of than 500 million people in the world today.

• If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are more comfortable than 75% of the people in the world.

• If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish somewhere, you are among the top 8% most wealthy people in the world.

• If you can read this, you are more blessed than over 2 billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, it becomes both evident and vital that education, acceptance and compassion are essential for the progress of the world’s people.

The Only One who can truly help and change the condition of humanity is the ONE TRUE and LIVING GOD—Jesus Christ.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.”

So, what is Christmas all about for Christians? It’s about giving like God gave. This is why we share gifts with loved ones, family and friends. However, I believe God wants us to take a step further… to give to the poor, the needy and to people who, in our eyes, may not deserve it.

This is why we have conducted Christmas Outreaches in Asia for the last 6 years. This year, with the help of Life Outreach International and our PMI partners, we are giving away 4,000 pairs of shoes (soles) to 4,000 children (souls) in Thailand, Burma and Pakistan.

Not only will these children receive a new pair of shoes for Christmas, but they will also hear the Christmas story; the most powerful message of love, acceptance and forgiveness ever told.

I want to encourage you today, let’s all remember what Christmas is all about.

We at PMI pray that you have a very blessed and merry Christmas and an extraordinary New Year!

With all our love,

Todd and Julie

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He is likely one of the most loved and respected Christian leaders in the world today.

For me, personally, there is no individual that I have known that has influenced my life, my family and my ministry more than Pastor Billy Joe. From the time that we met him in 1983 until today, as I have traveled the world over, I can confidently say that he is the finest and most extraordinary man that I’ve ever known.

His life has literally influenced every aspect of my life as he was a near-perfect example to me. He truly exemplified Christ as a Christian, a husband, a father and a minister. Without hesitation and with great confidence I make Pastor Billy Joe my 21^st century role-model for life and ministry.

I trusted Pastor Billy Joe, not because he was perfect, as no one is perfect, but because he was genuine, sincere and real. He is a man who genuinely loved people regardless of their status, shortcomings or past failures. He was never interested in someone because they might benefit him in some way. He was interested in people for how he might benefit them. He loved people, not crowds. He truly loved people like Jesus loved people.

Whenever I was around him, he made me feel significant, important and that he really cared. I remember times when in the presence of many “big name” ministers, when his eyes caught my eyes, he would single me out and immediately engage in meaningful conversation with me. He always made people feel valuable.

Many things about Pastor Billy Joe’s life stand out to me, such as His character, integrity, honesty, fairness, kindness, faith, compassion, strength, leadership, wisdom, and his passion for God.

However, something that has always astounded me about him was his tenacity, determination and over-achieving attitude. These characteristics about him have revolutionized my way of thinking, my attitudes and the way I approach life and ministry. I am convinced that anything that Pastor Billy Joe would set his heart to accomplish would surely come to pass because of his stubborn determination and faith in God.

This same spirit of a champion and heart of a warrior now live in me through Christ and through the example given to me by Pastor Billy Joe.

His passion to win souls and impact the nations is contagious! Much because of Pastor Billy Joe’s influence, today, my wife and I serve God in the heart of the unreached nations of the 10/40 Window as missionaries. He fully embraced Jesus’ heart for the lost and effectively passed that passion on to many others like me. Now, as we lay our lives down for the sake of the Gospel, we continue to ignite Jesus’ passion for souls in Christians all over the world.

The scripture that best sums up what Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty means to me is 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NLT.

Billy Joe is patient and kind. He is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Billy Joe does not demand his own way. He is not irritable, and he keeps no record of being wronged. Billy Joe does not rejoice about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Billy Joe never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Billy Joe will last forever!

I, as one of thousands, commit to carry the torch, take the baton and perpetuate the “Spirit of Victory” that was indelibly imparted into me through the life and ministry of Pastor Billy Joe.

I have been here for five days so far, and have preached fifteen times to thousands of precious Pakistanis! Hundreds have come to Christ and many have experienced God’s dynamic power in their lives.

Several hundred Christian leaders have come to our seminars to receive cutting-edge teaching and helpful insights for success. Knowledge and revelation has impacted their way of thinking and their way of doing things.

Our world is truly facing critical times! As I returned to Asia once again, I have been overwhelmed with an urgency to pray for America and for the nations. Urgency always compels one to action. I cannot sit idly by and do nothing while carrying the Answer to the world’s problems within me. I am compelled to pray! I am compelled to act! I am compelled to make my life count in my generation!

My objective in writing this letter to you today is not only to let you know about the great things that are happening through PMI here in Pakistan, but to remind you about the cause that really matters―the cause of Christ! My goal is to stir your heart for world missions once again!

As I reflect on all that I am seeing around the world, my heart aches. I want to do so much more than we are already doing. I want to train more leaders, build more churches, open more Bible schools, save more children, feed more people and support more pastors!

The only way that we can continue to make progress in the Gospel and take more ground for Jesus, is through support from people like you.

Even in difficult financial times, missions must remain a priority to the church and Christians! Jesus gave His life for it. We have dedicated our whole life to it! Julie and I will not relent from the mission! And, we invite you to join us! We need your support now more than ever.

Soon, I will send you a great report of all the wonderful things that God did while I was here in Pakistan.

Until then, I pray God’s abundant blessings over you!

Thank you partners for your faithful support!

Your Friend and Missionary,

Todd Powers