South East Asia Missions

click here to return to the John's Virtual-Cafe Home Page

email to John

June 23, 1995

SOUTH EAST ASIA MISSIONS
I'm providing some background info on South East Asian Missions (SEAM), and retyping their March 1995 newsletter so you can see first hand what they are all about. I'm certain that you'll find Dr. Matt's info on Kashmir and Nepal quite interesting, whether you're a believer or not...

SEAM is an outstanding example of what a Christian organization should be. SEAM's policy has always been: 100% of your gift goes as designated. (Stewardship at it's finest.) They were not affected by the recent ERA difficulties.

The SEAM newlsetters have no glossy pages or slick copy. It's real men and women of God faithfully serving those in need. At the end of the newsletter you'll see a listing of some pressing need(s). "Extravagent" luxuries like a bicycle, or an artifical limb, or a movie projector, or a small generator to run a movie projector. Real needs for real people. The needs are those that almost any of us can relate to. Every request has a practical application and a reasonable explanation. No guilt trip, no pressure, no nonsense. No celebrities tugging at your heart strings while showing pictures of pitiful looking children. (Also, no high cost overhead or expensive advertising.) Reasonable requests by faithful servants.

There is a sense of reality and responsibility that permeates this work. People are being rescued daily because of this work. Not only are they being rescued from eternal separation from God (a.k.a. Hell), but they are being rescued from illness, despair and poverty. The love of God is manifest in the work of this mission. The Bible is at the basis of their work, life and ministry. Dr. Rayner would first address the basic needs of the people and then share the gospel. He didn't promote handouts, but taught people how to provide for themselves through work and reliance on God. He supported hospitals, orphanages and schools. He had wells dug in villages to provide the people with water to satisfy their physical thirst so he could then address their spiritual thirst. (I miss having Dr. Rayner's wisdom and counsel.)

If you are interested in a sound investment - INVEST in SEAM. (Matthew 6:19-21)

I've been aware of SEAM since the late '70s. I met Dr. Thomas Rayner, the founder of SEAM, through a Chaplain friend/pastor in Darmstadt, West Germany, Chaplain John Patrick. (Through Chaplain Patrick I also met Pastor Wurmbrand and Tom White from Jesus to the Communist World, but that's another story...)

[ Picture of Pastor Wurmbrand, et. al.]

Chaplain John Patrick, the Darmstadt Kaserne Post Chaplain, Tom White and Pastor Wurmbrand.

Dr. Rayner had very practical insights to missions. He trained to serve in China, but couldn't go there. He said he'd never go to India, but he did. And when he did go, he lost his wife and two children to disease. He lost everything he owned when the villagers burned his hut. He ended up in Japan where he met John Watanabe (actually they met when Dr. Rayner saved John from a heart attack in a subway station! A few weeks later, Dr. Rayner was baptizing him!). They worked together for years building SEAM with the hospitals, orphanages, churches, schools, even a Vo-Tech school. (I also had the pleasure of meeting John Watanabe.) Dr. Rayner died in India a few years back (1985 or so?). John returned to Japan because of health problems. I look forward to seeing both of them again when the Lord returns.

On the mission field SEAM use local people. That shields the work from much of the political difficulties other organizations encounter. There is no need to evacuate missionaries when they are already where they belong. No reason to train the missionary in the language, because they already speak the language and understand the culture. SEAM still has to get outsiders in from time to time. The newsletter covers one of those situations.

I've a friend who worked in Zaire as a missionary. He left because his children were being discriminated against. Within two weeks of his departure, all the missionaries were evacuated, as reported on the news, because of politcial unrest.

Presently, Dr. Madison Patrick is the president. Dr. Matt is a full-time US Army Medical Doctor stationed in Hawaii, and the older brother of my Chaplain friend from Darmstadt. Dr. Matt is also a Gulf War Veteran. He had close encounters of the SCUD kind. Dr. Matt was a close friend of Dr. Rayner. I've never met Matt personally, but we've talked on the phone, and written back and forth.

SEAM is a non-profit organization. I have been successful in getting them recognized by the Boeing Employee Good Neighbor Fund (BEGNF). (If you know a Boeing Employee, pass this on to them. They can designate specifically to SEAM, like I do.) Since 1977: Federal ID No. 99-0170170

The folks with SEAM are trusting on the Lord on a daily basis. They can certainly (and wisely) use your money and your prayers. If you're a believer, you'll meet these folks. If you're a missionary, you'll understand the significance of the work and the approach. If you're a non-believer, as I suspect a few of you are, then I'd like you to see how a few "real" Christians are contributing through their faith. If a non-believer should give to such work, the Lord's work would certainly benefit, but the non-believer would still perish without Christ. God doesn't need your money. He owns everything already. All He wants is for us to admit that He does and surrender. Give it up. He Loves us more than we can comprehend. We get twisted every which way but straight when we try to figure this stuff out. "CREDE UT INTELLIGAS." Believe that you may know! The church I go to has a little rule, Give your heart to the Lord first, then your money. God doesn't need our money. He wants our lives. He wants us to trust Him. The folks working with and through SEAM are walking by faith on a daily basis.

Please pass this information along to others, post it freely wherever it's permitted where Christians might find it. The work of SEAM deserves support, even if that support is only with your prayers! (James 5:16b)

SOUTH EAST ASIA MISSIONS
I'm providing some background info on South East Asian Missions (SEAM), and retyping their March 1995 newsletter so you can see first hand what they are all about. I'm certain that you'll find Dr. Matt's info on Kashmir and Nepal quite interesting, whether you're a believer or not...
SEAM is an outstanding example of what a Christian organization should be. SEAM's policy has always been: 100% of your gift goes as designated. (Stewardship at it's finest.) They were not affected by the recent ERA difficulties.
The SEAM newlsetters have no glossy pages or slick copy. It's real men and women of God faithfully serving those in need. At the end of the newsletter you'll see a listing of some pressing need(s). "Extravagent" luxuries like a bicycle, or an artifical limb, or a movie projector, or a small generator to run a movie projector. Real needs for real people. The needs are those that almost any of us can relate to. Every request has a practical application and a reasonable explanation. No guilt trip, no pressure, no nonsense. No celebrities tugging at your heart strings while showing pictures of pitiful looking children. (Also, no high cost overhead or expensive advertising.) Reasonable requests by faithful servants.
There is a sense of reality and responsibility that permeates this work. People are being rescued daily because of this work. Not only are they being rescued from eternal separation from God (a.k.a. Hell), but they are being rescued from illness, despair and poverty. The love of God is manifest in the work of this mission. The Bible is at the basis of their work, life and ministry. Dr. Rayner would first address the basic needs of the people and then share the gospel. He didn't promote handouts, but taught people how to provide for themselves through work and reliance on God. He supported hospitals, orphanages and schools. He had wells dug in villages to provide the people with water to satisfy their physical thirst so he could then address their spiritual thirst. (I miss having Dr. Rayner's wisdom and counsel.)
If you are interested in a sound investment - INVEST in SEAM. (Matthew 6:19-21)
I've been aware of SEAM since the late '70s. I met Dr. Thomas Rayner, the founder of SEAM, through a Chaplain friend/pastor in Darmstadt, West Germany, Chaplain John Patrick. (Through Chaplain Patrick I also met Pastor Wurmbrand and Tom White from Jesus to the Communist World, but that's another story...)

Chaplain John Patrick, the Darmstadt Kaserne Post Chaplain, Tom White and Pastor Wurmbrand.
Dr. Rayner had very practical insights to missions. He trained to serve in China, but couldn't go there. He said he'd never go to India, but he did. And when he did go, he lost his wife and two children to disease. He lost everything he owned when the villagers burned his hut. He ended up in Japan where he met John Watanabe (actually they met when Dr. Rayner saved John from a heart attack in a subway station! A few weeks later, Dr. Rayner was baptizing him!). They worked together for years building SEAM with the hospitals, orphanages, churches, schools, even a Vo-Tech school. (I also had the pleasure of meeting John Watanabe.) Dr. Rayner died in India a few years back (1985 or so?). John returned to Japan because of health problems. I look forward to seeing both of them again when the Lord returns.
On the mission field SEAM use local people. That shields the work from much of the political difficulties other organizations encounter. There is no need to evacuate missionaries when they are already where they belong. No reason to train the missionary in the language, because they already speak the language and understand the culture. SEAM still has to get outsiders in from time to time. The newsletter covers one of those situations.
I've a friend who worked in Zaire as a missionary. He left because his children were being discriminated against. Within two weeks of his departure, all the missionaries were evacuated, as reported on the news, because of politcial unrest.
Presently, Dr. Madison Patrick is the president. Dr. Matt is a full-time US Army Medical Doctor stationed in Hawaii, and the older brother of my Chaplain friend from Darmstadt. Dr. Matt is also a Gulf War Veteran. He had close encounters of the SCUD kind. Dr. Matt was a close friend of Dr. Rayner. I've never met Matt personally, but we've talked on the phone, and written back and forth.
SEAM is a non-profit organization. I have been successful in getting them recognized by the Boeing Employee Good Neighbor Fund (BEGNF). (If you know a Boeing Employee, pass this on to them. They can designate specifically to SEAM, like I do.) Since 1977: Federal ID No. 99-0170170
The folks with SEAM are trusting on the Lord on a daily basis. They can certainly (and wisely) use your money and your prayers. If you're a believer, you'll meet these folks. If you're a missionary, you'll understand the significance of the work and the approach. If you're a non-believer, as I suspect a few of you are, then I'd like you to see how a few "real" Christians are contributing through their faith. If a non-believer should give to such work, the Lord's work would certainly benefit, but the non-believer would still perish without Christ. God doesn't need your money. He owns everything already. All He wants is for us to admit that He does and surrender. Give it up. He Loves us more than we can comprehend. We get twisted every which way but straight when we try to figure this stuff out. "CREDE UT INTELLIGAS." Believe that you may know! The church I go to has a little rule, Give your heart to the Lord first, then your money. God doesn't need our money. He wants our lives. He wants us to trust Him. The folks working with and through SEAM are walking by faith on a daily basis.
Please pass this information along to others, post it freely wherever it's permitted where Christians might find it. The work of SEAM deserves support, even if that support is only with your prayers! (James 5:16b)

click here to read the March 1995 SEAM Newsletter

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page