VISION BEYOND BORDERS

Vision Beyond Borders grew behind the desire to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to those who have no hope. We go into oppressed or impoverished areas all over the world and simply ask them what they need. We then try to help and serve them in any way we can which opens up the door for us to share the good news of the Gospel.

Our ministry started 30 years ago by providing Bibles in native languages to people around the globe who were persecuted for their faith. I was in southeast Asia and met a pastor who had spent 22 years in a Chinese prison for his faith in Jesus Christ. I asked him how we could help the church in mainland China. He said to pray, but also to supply Bibles. So, we started raising money and smuggling hundreds of Bibles to them every time we visited. There is no greater joy than giving someone a Bible in their own language. What greater gift can we give someone than the Word of God that they can understand? It is truly life-changing. China is saying one thing to the outside world, but what we’re seeing on the ground is that persecution is increasing. It is dangerous for both us and those receiving the Bibles. But we continue to spread God’s word. During the last three decades, we have brought over two million Bibles and 15,000 hand-wind tape players containing the Gospel into closed countries.

When I was in these countries, I felt a great urge and then a clear calling to help the local people. In any way I could.

When I visited India, I saw countless women and children walking around who had been sold into sex trafficking. My heart ached for them. So, we set up safe houses in several countries, and began a rescue and rehabilitation program which has gotten hundreds of women and kids off the streets in India, Romania, Nepal and Pakistan.

We went into the war-torn area of Syria and saw the lack of adequate food and supplies throughout most of the country. So we have raised money to pack 40-foot containers with food, medical supplies, clothing and school supplies and shipped them to both Syria and parts of Burma and Iraq. We have now sent over 20 of these containers. We have also distributed over 40 million vegetable seed packets, which provide self-sustaining resources for villages and orphanages.

One day I was praying and I saw a vision of Jesus hanging on the cross looking over the whole world. A view from the cross is really a vision beyond borders and that is how I got the name for our ministry.

It’s amazing to see how these loving acts have opened incredible spiritual doors. The people there have seen the brutality of Isis which is in stark contrast to the compassion of Christians. This has led to countless discussions and hundreds have asked us for Bibles. This Christ-like love that we are showing is opening the door to the Gospel.

The work we do is dangerous, taking us into a lot of restricted and remote areas. But we want to fulfill the Great Commission as stated by Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20 by meeting the spiritual and physical needs of people throughout the world.