Spring Update from Dave & Shawn Smith

The last few weeks have been another reminder of the crucial importance of prayer (James 5:13-18).  Thank you for praying for my (Dave) recent trip to Asia.  I enjoyed the opportunity to interact with and teach college students.  I had the privilege to preach in several churches including two on Palm Sunday.  It’s always a blessing to worship together with believers from around the world.  A highlight was attending and speaking in a pastors’ conference.  These pastors serve in various regions throughout Asia facing growing affliction and persecution.  The theme of the conference was “Standing in the Coming Storm. As bad as the opposition to Christianity has been in Asia, it seems to be getting much worse.  I have to be vague in a public forum like this but one local leader, who is well aware of the current situation, described it as the “normalization of hate” towards Christians.  I’ll write more on that in another post.  The wars, church burnings, and blatant attacks on Christians continue to spread throughout several countries in Asia.  At the same time, the Gospel continues to spread to the regions beyond and to those who have never heard.  The needs and unreached peoples seem endless, so please continue to pray for our Asian brothers and sisters who are serving faithfully in the midst of evil opposition.