VISION 2020 ASIA
	"Where there is no vision the people perish."

Dearly Beloved:                                                                          February 1, 2002

Greetings to all of you in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus!  It is good to be home with my family.  The Lord has gone before us all of the way.  My trip to India was very productive.  Much seed was sown.  We are looking to God to give us a bountiful harvest in His own time.  Thank you for praying and partnering with us.  While I was in India we had a break-in at my business but thanks be to God the police caught the culprits in the act, thanks to Sarah Read who was staying with my wife.  She saw them and immediately called 911.  Satan always tries to discourage our efforts but God is faithful.   

I had a very blessed time with Pastor JD Moses and family at Bhadravathi.  He is a good man and he is doing a good work for the Lord.  The Lord blessed our meetings.  One man in particular who according to Pastor Moses was a hardened sinner and opponent of the ministry was gloriously born again and wants to be baptized.  We did not see large numbers of decisions but I believe there is going to be a great harvest yet to come in India.  Dr. Ron Comfort is planning to visit India next year so we are making plans for a Pastor's and wives leadership conference in Ban galore.  We want to make good use of Dr. Comfort's many years of experience.  During the day we will conduct the leadership conference and at night we are planning an evangelistic crusade.  Please pray with us as we organize and plan for this event.  It has been my prayer for Vision2020Asia to be a catalyst that God will use to bring unity within these many ministries.  There are so many good fundamental men and ministries within India.  It is time that we join our forces and claim India for Jesus Christ, Psalm 2:8.  Please pray that God will mightily bless our efforts.  Some of the topics being considered for this conference include: The Church Subtly Deceived - the Present Day Charismatic Movement; Maintaining the Purity of the Church; Church Discipline; Soul winning; Baptist Distinctives; Stewardship; Living in the Center of God's Will & Modern Theology in Light of the Scriptures. 

While I was with Brother Moses we were able to purchase a new pump and motor for their well.  This was gratefully received.  Please uphold this ministry in your prayers.  Brother Moses is also caring for two congregations in Ban galore which is located 5 to 6 hours by vehicle from Bhadravathi.  His main ministries are in Bhadravathi.  Please visit our website to learn more about his ministries at: www.vision2020asia.org.

Upon leaving Brother Moses I went to Hyderabad to be with the Bhaskar's.  They are beginning a new training center outside of Secunderabad.  Vijay and Sukanya have a unique ministry of family counseling.  God is using this couple mightily for the Lord.  They are spiritual descendents of the Gillette's who spent over forty years of faithful service as missionaries in India.  Brother Sam Gillette is a 50's graduate of BJU.  Vijay and Sukanya have dedicated their new facility at Hope Baptist Outreach Ministries to the glory of God.  Half of the facility will serve as their residence and office and the other half will be used for the new evangelism-training center that we had the joy of dedicating.  It is a beautiful facility that God has provided.  It was truly a delight to spend some time also with their three teenage children, Shiny, Samuel and Joseph.  Heaven is going to be a wonderful place when we all will be gathered around the throne praising the Lamb that was slain from every tribe, kindred and nation.  What a day that will be!!  I had the wonderful privilege to meet with the incoming students and teachers.  Pastor Vijay plans to use four or five of the local Pastor's as the teachers in the training center.  There is already a waiting list begun for the third batch of students wanting to be trained.  We need immediate help for a minimum of $400 monthly to begin the training of these students.  Vijay and Sukanya have been willing to move forward by faith and their example has been a great encouragement to me personally. 

Upon leaving the Bhaskar's I traveled to Calcutta the very same day that our American Center was attacked.  I was a bit concerned but God went before me.  When I arrived at the Calcutta airport Jacob Shaitus an officer of the Indian Airport Police force met me.  Jacob has corresponded with me via email.  I first met him at Bagdogra Airport in Sikkim.  He was recently transferred to Calcutta.  Our missionary Athem had told him of my arrival.  I could see the protecting hand of my Heavenly Father going before me.  Our missionary Athem also met me.  Due to what had happened that morning in the city we were discussing getting a room near to the airport when Dr. John Thomas, former Principal of Calcutta Bible College, walked up and provided us safe transportation to Carey Baptist Church and CBC.  God is soooooooooooo good.  Athem and I had a fruitful three days at Calcutta visiting CBC, Dr. Thomas' ministries and doing a bit of shopping.  I also had the joy of meeting the new CBC Principal, Dr. Kumar and challenging some of the students at CBC.  Pastor Ashok Andrews and his wife Mai opened their home to me while I was at Calcutta.  God is using them mightily at Carey Baptist Church.

Athem and I then traveled together to Assam.  I had the wonderful privilege of seeing all that God has done since 1945 through the faithful efforts of so many BMM missionaries.  Truly, their labors have not been in vane.  I met the President and General Secretary of the N.E.I.B.C's [North East India Baptist Churches].  We shared our vision for India with these men.  We are hoping that we will be able to work together in the future training national leaders.  It was such a joy visiting with Mohan & Leina Zagirdar's extended family.  On Saturday afternoon we had the Memorial service for Leina's mother, Mrs. Devi.  I would estimate there were 5 to 600 in attendance.  Many of these were lost.  I was given the opportunity to preach the Gospel to these many lost souls.  Please pray for a bountiful harvest.  The Gospel seed was deeply planted.  I also visited the school started by Leina's parents and listened as Mr. Singh, Leina's father, shared his ongoing vision for this ministry.  What a family!  What a legacy Mrs. Devi has left behind!  I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to visit these ministries.  I am pleased to say that all family members are heavily involved in the propagation of the Gospel of Christ.  Leina's brother has a wonderful medical ministry nearby.  Her other brother Sana is working with BMM's Bible translators.  I was privileged to speak to the students at the N.E.I.B.B.C. & Seminary as well as meet with Dr. Ishak and his family, the College President.  Dr. Ishak holds a PhD in chemistry.  He left his government job to serve Jesus Christ in training young people.  I also had the privilege of meeting Brother Fame who left his legal practice as a lawyer to take over as Director for Bible International India of BMM.  God is on the move in India.  I was not worthy to meet such dedicated and committed servants of Jesus Christ.  God is doing something bigger than any of us within the nation of India.  I count it a privilege to be able to have just a small part in God's BIG plan for this nation of over one billion souls. 

In closing, I would like to tell you of one experience that I had on the morning of January 18th.  That very morning as I said good-bye to Dr. JD Moses and our friends at Ban galore I had prayed for God to work a miracle in the nation of India.  I challenged the church leaders at Ban galore to pray for God to raise up Christian leaders all across the nation in key positions of leadership.  I have already met several such leaders in India.   As hopeless as the situation may appear, I believe that our God is able.  Daniel became the highest ranking official in Persia during the reign of Darius.   I left Ban galore by air and arrived safely at Hyderabad.  I was met by the Bhaskar’s.  As we were walking out of the airport toward their car a young man neatly dressed and carrying a handbag walked up to me.  I asked Brother Vijay if he knew this young man.  He said, No.  I asked the young man what he wanted.  He said, please pray for me.  I was a little hesitant.  I asked him specifically what he wanted me to pray for.  He said, “please pray for God to give me a good government job.”  I immediately recognized his being sent there from God.  I asked for his name.  He said John Wesley.  There in that parking lot by faith I asked God to give John Wesley a good job within the government of India.  I told him not to forget that prayer five years from then. 

Beloved, I do not know all that God is doing but this one thing I do know; “God is not willing that any should perish.”  Within the subcontinent of India alone there are over one billion perishing souls.  I count it a privilege to be used of God even if it is just to bring one lost soul to Christ.  "For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"  Beloved, this tells me that ONE soul is worth more than ALL the riches of the entire world.  Will you help us reach India for Christ?  Once we have done that then we will launch out into all of Asia.  Our vision is to use India as a staging ground of evangelism to reach into all of Asia with the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ.  There are so many counterfeit gospels.

The Bhaskar’s have an immediate need of $400 monthly in their training center.

Athem & Indu Khyiang need $400 monthly for their training center in Sikkim.

Athem has also expressed a strong desire to send out 10 evangelists in the Himalayan region to immediately begin planting churches.  This would require an annual amount of $3,879.

Suresh Kumar has an immediate need of $400 monthly support for a training center near Eluru. 

Jesus said in John 4:35, "Say not ye, There are yet four months and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest".  Beloved, Jesus rebuked his disciples 2000 years ago for the mentality of procrastination.  Every day that we delay thousands of souls are perishing, dying without Christ, going to Hell.  I grew up on a farm in NE Pennsylvania.  When the grain has a golden tint to it, that means the grain is ripe.  Jesus said, the grain is "white already to harvest".  When the grain has a white glint, which means it is over ripe.  The precious grain is falling to the earth perishing.  We dare not say there are yet four months.  "Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, they are white already to harvest."  I have been carrying this load on my shoulders since April 2000 when God called me to begin Vision2020Asia.  The harvest is too GREAT!  The laborers are too FEW!   This task is too great for any one man.  It will require a unified effort on behalf of ALL of God's people working together to bring in the harvest. 

I am going to speak very frankly.  It amazes me that in America we can spend millions of dollars on ornate church buildings, personal homes, cars, boats and many other forms of recreational activities while 75% of the rest of the world lives in abject poverty.  Countless millions of souls are perishing every day.  While I was visiting with Pastor Moses he took me to visit a Buddhist temple and training camp outside of Ban galore.  I was told that there were 4,000 young men being trained in this false religion.  I was overwhelmed at what I saw.  A large majority of these Buddhist disciples were teenagers or even younger.  Satan’s work seemingly has no lack of funds.  Why?  Why does God’s work suffer so greatly?  Why does the work of the true and Living God languish?  May God forgive me for my self-indulgence.  Personally, I believe that the support of national missionaries with strict accountability is the VERY best means of spreading the Gospel.  I believe it is the BEST stewardship of God’s money.  They already know the languages, cultures and mindsets of their peoples.  They can live on a fraction of what it would cost us to send one of our own plus they have no need of two or three years of deputation trying to raise their personal support.   They are there NOW as our representatives.  And finally, in most of these 10/40 Window nations foreign missionaries are not permitted.

The needs that I have mentioned in this letter are just a few that I am aware of.  For as little as $1.00 a day you can personally support a national missionary in training or a full time native evangelist.  Many Americans spend more than that on chewing gum or candy each day.  I have enclosed our missionary, Athem Khiyang’s, latest annual review and a copy of our Monthly/Annual Prayer Calendar.  The calendar is representative of approximately two thirds of the earth’s least evangelized peoples.  I hope that you will make additional copies for others and use it daily to pray for these strongholds of Satan to be broken down over these regions.  If God leads you to partner with us, please write or call us today!  My cell phone number is 864-303-8029 or my office is 864-879-3117.  I am available for evangelistic meetings, missionary conferences or revival services.  I would be delighted to hear from you. 

Yours for Souls,

Brother Jim Starr, Coordinator

Vision2020Asia, 2 Tim. 2:2