Rating: 
Summary: Powerful and Convicting
Review: A friend recently sent me this book. I have read a bunch of issues of Yohannan's magazine and she also sent me a video of Yohannan. Don't read this book if you enjoy complacent Christianity. This book will take you out of your comfort zone and make you think. I agree that native missionaries can reach people in ways that Western Christians can't. That may be a hard truth for some to swallow. But I think it's true nonetheless. I respect Yohannan's vulnerablility, passion, integrity and honesty. Yohannan's writing style is easy to read. He uses simple words, but they pack a powerful punch. I think every Christian should read this book. People who are considering going into missions definitely need this book. It will help you develop an eternal perspective about things such as evangelism and money. I think Yohanan's observations about the American church are especially powerful. We in the west definitley need to re-evaluate our view of missions and native missionaries. Personally, I think that these men and women who are native missionaries put us to shame. They are willing to be persecuted, beaten and even killed to share Christ with others. Meanwhile, we in the west whine if we have to suffer even a little. I'm not trying to make a sweeping generalization. I've been guilty of that myself. We like things quick and easy. This book is definitely a must read. This is definitely a book you will need to read more than once. Check it out! You won't be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: American Christians Must Read!
Review: After going on a short term mission trip, I was completely disillusioned. It was rather horrible - no real work was done in the name of the Lord. There was a lot of playing with kids, and giving away candy, but to call it a mission trip I strongly felt was completely unfair to true missionaries. About a week after I got back, someone recommended this book.
When I read this book, my heart lept for joy. It completely defined and explained everything that I saw, and was burdened with in my heart.
The book is a call for the church to be the church - burdened for the lost, and using all of its resources in the most effective way possible to reach them. KP Yohanan presents a beautiful way that God is working in these last days. The only thing is, you have to be prepared to not get any glory, unlike telling people you're taking a 2 week mission trip to [insert country here]. He proves how ineffective these trips are, how ineffecient, and how the same resources could be used to help the church around the world send out its own missionaries, who are far stronger than the average American. It is also a radical call to true Christian living - sacrifice. This is a must read.
The only thing I would caution - KP is pretty dogmatic that foreigners should let people handle their own lands, because they can do it better. This does prey to the American "just drop some change in the bucket" church mentality. Although I believe this is the best option for most, God will sovereignly call some people to go to the mission field, and I would hate for them to doubt that call and think they can be of no use.
Rating:
Summary: Get this book FREE
Review: Author K.P. Yohannan himself offers this book for free on the Gospel for Asian website http://www.gfa.org/gfa/
Rating:
Summary: really confronts materialistic American Christians!
Review: First I want to say the author does NOT claim special revelation. He may claim a bit more "leading" than some may be comfortable with, such as the one reference to a vision. However, it was no extravagant claim, just claimed leading into ministry. He also appears to really make it clear that all claims to miracles are in response to prayer of committed Christians and never claims anyone to be a "divine healer". Surely all conservatives believe God still heals in answer to prayer, according to HIS will and at HIS time. This is the setting all miracles mentioned in the book are in. The author does a great job of sharing the great truth of the fast growing Asian church and does a great job of arguing for supporting native missionaries who can support themselves, their families and a ministry on $130 a month! Buy the book and seriously consider becoming involved in what God is doing in Asia! One warning though, be prepaired to be confonted about any materialism in your financial priorities!
Rating: 
Summary: The future of missions may follow the advice of this book.
Review: First published in 1986, I'm surprised that such an insightful book hasn't gathered more attention. One of a Christian's main goals is to reach the lost, this book describes a method by which we could possibly reach more unbelievers more rapidly. Even if a person was to not use the author's specific organization, the solution proposed is simple yet quite profound. His main point is a winner in my book. I assigned the 3 rating because the book is not in-depth and has only one main point. However, it is still worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: I disagree!
Review: Here are some things that I disagree with, and my reasons, I hope that this review will be of some help to you... He is very against western missions. If God tells you to go "Go into all the world and teach good news to all creation" you should go, it is as simple as that. We can not just give some money and leave it at that. I believe Native Evangelists are good as well (I have nothing against them, God told them also to teach good news unto all creation).
Also he is very negative to "tentmakers" (probably one of his reasons for his being so against western missions). He does not believe that you should start Hospitals or such to help the people but should only teach the gospel. These days in alot of countries it is necessary for westerners to be "tentmakers" just to get a visa, but even before alot of people only found about Jesus through schools, hospitals etc.... Paul, was also a "tentmaker".
And his idea that it takes so much to support western missionary's! There are some who take everything with them and live with expensive western food. But there are also those who lived on the local economy like Hudson Taylor did before us. If you live with the people like the people and eat and dress like them, where does all this extra money come in???
And my last problem is... If it is God's thing, than God can provide the money as he did with George Muller and Hudson Taylor, without them requesting it from any human--but only from the Almighty God, who "owns the cattle on a thousand hills". I hope this was helpfull.....
Rating:
Summary: I disagree!
Review: Here are some things that I disagree with, and my reasons, I hope that this review will be of some help to you... He is very against western missions. If God tells you to go "Go into all the world and teach good news to all creation" you should go, it is as simple as that. We can not just give some money and leave it at that. I believe Native Evangelists are good as well (I have nothing against them, God told them also to teach good news unto all creation).
Also he is very negative to "tentmakers" (probably one of his reasons for his being so against western missions). He does not believe that you should start Hospitals or such to help the people but should only teach the gospel. These days in alot of countries it is necessary for westerners to be "tentmakers" just to get a visa, but even before alot of people only found about Jesus through schools, hospitals etc.... Paul, was also a "tentmaker".
And his idea that it takes so much to support western missionary's! There are some who take everything with them and live with expensive western food. But there are also those who lived on the local economy like Hudson Taylor did before us. If you live with the people like the people and eat and dress like them, where does all this extra money come in???
And my last problem is... If it is God's thing, than God can provide the money as he did with George Muller and Hudson Taylor, without them requesting it from any human--but only from the Almighty God, who "owns the cattle on a thousand hills". I hope this was helpfull.....
Rating:
Summary: Book written by a proselytizer
Review: I gave the book one star because I could not give it zero. GFA and their ilk are proselytizers and KPY's book their "vade mecum". Proselytization means "to INDUCE people to change to one's own faith". My friend's maid in India confessed that the only reason that she converted to Christianity was because she was poor and the proselytizers made good their promise of giving her money, furniture, etc. if she converted. This is not an isolated instance but _routine_ happening. The proserlytizers fundamental assumption that people of other faiths are "under the grip of Satan" has been shown to be false by Christian missionaries (yes---Christian missionaries! but not of the routine variety) themselves based on _experiences_ (not blind faith) they had in India. Abhishiktananda's (Dom Henri Le Saux) encounter with Sri Ramana Maharshi "shook his fulfillment theology. In the light of this perfect incarnation of the advaitic experience, all the deeply entrenched convictions of Christian superiority seemed to crumble" (see Prof. Bettina Baumer's essay in the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue website). Amazingly, not a single word was exchanged between Sri Ramana and Le Saux in the two times they met! Le Saux's faith in Jesus Christ remained firm (and rightly so) till his death but his understanding of Christ's message was profoundly altered. He writes in his diary, "Moreover I recognize this mystery, which I have always adored under the symbol of Christ, in the myths of Narayana, Prajapati, Shiva, Purusha, Krishna, Rama, etc." So the people of India are not under the grip of Satan, after all! Le Saux has been studied by others and Ph.D theses have been written (e.g., Edward Ulrich's thesis, Catholic University of America, 2001). See also the experiences of Father Bede Griffiths (author of "Cosmic Revelation" among others) and Sister Sara Grant (author of "Towards and Alternative Theology"). Before you encourage proselytizers like KPY, please see James Arraj's website innerexplorations dot com, particularly the section on East-West dialogue. James is a believing Christian, which brings a lot of credibility to the challenge faced by Christianity. If you want to progress spiritually, take the contemplative path---don't misdirect and waste energy in proselytization and portray people of other faiths as being in the grip of Satan.
Rating:
Summary: Book written by a proselytizer
Review: I gave the book one star because I could not give it zero. GFA and their ilk are proselytizers and KPY's book their "vade mecum". Proselytization means "to INDUCE people to change to one's own faith". My friend's maid in India confessed that the only reason that she converted to Christianity was because she was poor and the proselytizers made good their promise of giving her money, furniture, etc. if she converted. This is not an isolated instance but _routine_ happening. The proserlytizers fundamental assumption that people of other faiths are "under the grip of Satan" has been shown to be false by Christian missionaries (yes---Christian missionaries! but not of the routine variety) themselves based on _experiences_ (not blind faith) they had in India. Abhishiktananda's (Dom Henri Le Saux) encounter with Sri Ramana Maharshi "shook his fulfillment theology. In the light of this perfect incarnation of the advaitic experience, all the deeply entrenched convictions of Christian superiority seemed to crumble" (see Prof. Bettina Baumer's essay in the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue website). Amazingly, not a single word was exchanged between Sri Ramana and Le Saux in the two times they met! Le Saux's faith in Jesus Christ remained firm (and rightly so) till his death but his understanding of Christ's message was profoundly altered. He writes in his diary, "Moreover I recognize this mystery, which I have always adored under the symbol of Christ, in the myths of Narayana, Prajapati, Shiva, Purusha, Krishna, Rama, etc." So the people of India are not under the grip of Satan, after all! Le Saux has been studied by others and Ph.D theses have been written (e.g., Edward Ulrich's thesis, Catholic University of America, 2001). See also the experiences of Father Bede Griffiths (author of "Cosmic Revelation" among others) and Sister Sara Grant (author of "Towards and Alternative Theology"). Before you encourage proselytizers like KPY, please see James Arraj's website innerexplorations dot com, particularly the section on East-West dialogue. James is a believing Christian, which brings a lot of credibility to the challenge faced by Christianity. If you want to progress spiritually, take the contemplative path---don't misdirect and waste energy in proselytization and portray people of other faiths as being in the grip of Satan.
Rating:
Summary: Life Changing
Review: In the U.S., we have so many distractions and demands on our time. It is critical to focus on the things what really matter for eternity. I have supported Gospel For Asia for 15 years. I have gotten to know several of the staff members and can say I am truly impressed with their integrity. This organization is exceptionally ethical. I feel privileged to be able to read their newsletter and pray for their projects and support a missionary financially. I am a skeptic by nature. I think this group has done admirable work and KP (the founder) has his hand on the pulse of God's desire! God Bless them. By reading this book you will be challenged and blessed! Remember "you are blessed to be a blessing".
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