Rose (name changed) had a deep desire to serve God, but was absolutely paralyzed by fear. She barely spoke to anyone, so stepping out in ministry seemed impossible. After attending a training with Novo’s Global Partner on spiritual authority and hearing God’s voice, she found courage and began leading women in Discovery Bible Studies. What started in one village has now grown into multiple generations of disciples, with new groups continuing to multiply under her guidance to the fourth generation—the marker of a full gospel movement! Rose’s journey shows how ordinary people can step out in faith, overcome fear, and spark movements of the gospel.

Read more to discover how Rose moved from fear to leadership and is now transforming communities through discipleship.

After years of abuse, loss, and persecution, Ashira (name changed) had every reason to give up hope. But at a safehouse supported by Novo staff, she met Jesus—and everything changed. Now, this once-broken woman has become a bold disciple-maker, starting house churches and helping others find freedom in Christ, even from the other side of the ocean.

Discover how God is redeeming Ashira’s story and multiplying his Kingdom through her life.

Novo staff Jeremiah leads Novo NK, a ministry helping North Korean refugees, including women trafficked into forced marriages in China. Bethel House, their mission center in Southeast Asia, provides a safe place for these women to experience God’s love, receive care, and learn about Jesus. This was their first year running Bethel House, and eight North Korean women completed the three-month program. All eight encountered Jesus, experienced the Holy Spirit, and were baptized. Their testimonies reveal the desperate lives they had before and the incredible new hope they’ve found knowing God loves them. 

Read more about this beautiful rescue ministry and the women whose lives are being changed.

In a nation rich with deities and spiritual seeking, Novo staff Christian and Rie describe Japan as “hard soil.” During Novo’s Activating Prayer Cohort, they were reminded of the authority and power they have as followers of Jesus. As they joined with other believers in prayer, spoke blessings boldly, and courageously worshiped in public spaces, something began to shift—hearts opened, and curiosity about Jesus grew.

See how prayer, blessing, and courage are transforming ministry in Japan.

Six Cambodian students recently gave their lives to Jesus through InnerCHANGE’s Bible classes and soccer programs—each one a story of joy, courage, and purpose that comes from following Christ. MeyAing found faith that brought hope to her family, and Lina found freedom and joy in Christ. 

Read more to hear the full stories of how these students encountered Jesus and chose to give their lives to him.

Dave, a lifelong motorcycle rider, moved to Cambodia in 1994. For decades, he rode throughout the country, praying and meeting people as Jesus led. The motorcycle gave Dave access to hard-to-reach places and people, including a remote animist people group of 40,000 with only 200 followers of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit moved Dave to equip this group’s church leader with simple tools to empower everyday people to share the gospel story. New believers and churches have been multiplying at an incredible rate ever since. Many thousands have come to faith and an average of two new churches are starting every month. They are sending their own people as missionaries to nearby cultures.

Though God eventually led Dave to move on, he returns each year. His good friend and leader in the church insists he play “the game”: they visit every new church planted in the last year and Dave opens his GPS log. Almost every time, he finds he and his Prayer Circle group have prayed for that exact village—often more than once. After faithfully sowing in prayer, Dave gets to watch the harvest come in.

Perched on treacherous mountainsides deep in South Asia are some of the hardest to reach (literally) people groups in the world. Just getting there takes days and days on motorbikes, travelling over tiny roads balanced on sheer cliffs, through leech-filled rivers. But God is blessing the workers making those journeys by showing up in miraculous ways. Almost every person who has become a follower of Jesus in this region has had a miraculous healing. 

Hear about what happened when one witchdoctor's wife who was deep in the demonic, met Jesus, and was healed from paralysis.

Hamid left Iran as a refugee. While working as a translator he was moved by hearing about God’s love at a church service. The pastor showed Hamid the story of Thomas, suggesting he invite Jesus to visit him. Hamid was a Muslim and had never prayed to Jesus before, but he tried it. When Jesus showed up in his room, his life was forever changed.

Watch a video of Hamid sharing how Jesus appeared to him and set him on a new path of making disciples in connection with Novo’s Global Partner in the Middle East, NEO Leaders.