It was formed after Dirk Wood and his family had spent almost one year working in that country as missionaries. In the Philippines, they found a nation torn by war and strife and flooded with poverty and sickness. The ministry has come a long way since it’s beginning and is now fulfilling the ASEA vision through:
In 1992, missionaries Dirk Wood and Steve Same were very involved in the works of Arise & Shine Evangelistic Association Philippines. Bible schools, church planting, evangelism, crusades and a Christian grade school were on-going. But it was in the midst of this activity that God spoke to Dirk. He said, “You will go to London and preach the Gospel to the nations gathered there.” To Dirk, it was like the call to Macedonia that Paul received. He didn’t know at the time that the book OPERATION WORLD had listed a prayer request for England saying, “Pray for more effective outreach…pray that…leaders with vision may lead the churches into action, wrest victory from the jaws of defeat and make an impact on the nation.” Steve Same soon felt the same call to go and the Wood and Same families left the ministry in the Philippines and moved to London, England in June of 1993.
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While preaching to the multitudes of London one evening at Leicester Square, Dirk was approached by someone from the city of Cape Town, South Africa, with the words, “You need to come to South Africa, we need preachers like you.” The London ministry was booming, but soon an outreach trip was scheduled for the ASEA team in 1998. Four years later, Dirk and his family relocated to spread the vision to South Africa. They found a nation torn apart by hatred, poverty and violent crime. Dirk was drawn to the areas where gangs rule. The vision for South Africa includes training those whose futures point to gangs to be preachers of the Good News instead. Based in an area known as Muizenberg, ASEA was able to complete a building project in 2018 to house a church and a training center.
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Dirk grew up in an unstable home, subjected to alcoholism and violence. Bitter, angry and without hope, he joined the U.S. Army when he was 19, and married 17-year-old Elizabeth. His time in the Service, and their first year of marriage, was turbulent. In December 1974, while stationed in Germany, Dirk and Elizabeth were supernaturally introduced to the Lord Jesus Christ. Their lives were dramatically and immediately changed, and Dirk experienced a direct call to preach God’s Word.
After his discharge, Dirk and Elizabeth returned to their hometown of Pensacola, Florida, USA. They both became very involved in the various activities of Liberty Church, and Dirk received his Master of Theology from Liberty Bible College. To fulfill God’s call, Dirk did extensive evangelistic work in the city. He later received his Doctorate of Theology and Ph.D. of Theology degrees from International Seminary.
In 1985, God called the Woods to the mission field; they landed in the Philippines in April 1986. Working with Filipino nationals, Dirk founded Arise & Shine Evangelistic Association. ASEA has grown to include evangelism training and outreaches; Schools of Bibliology; a Christian school for grades K through 10; a sponsorship program for underprivileged students; feeding programs; medical care for the poor; children’s Bible clubs; a fellowship of ministers; a seminary; and an accreditation center for Bible schools. Several missionaries work with the ASEA team, including their daughter, Michelle, and her husband, Craig Logan.
In 1993, God called the Woods to carry the ASEA vision to London, England. In 1995, Abigail Brittany Wood was born there. In 1996, ASEA purchased a former pub building in central London, renovated it, and turned it into “The London Outreach Center.” The Center has various functions: housing for ASEA staff; headquarters for a distance study program; an outreach center for evangelistic ministry, youth ministry and community service; facilities for group training programs, etc.
In 2002, the Wood Family began a new outreach to Cape Town, South Africa with the same ASEA vision to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, train nationals to evangelize and teach the great importance of God’s Word in the life of every believer. Dirk, Elizabeth and Abigail greatly appreciate your prayers!
You can contact the Woods at:
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Bob married his high school sweetheart, Cozette, in 1951. For the next twenty years, Bob served in the US Navy as an aviator and meteorologist. Cozette rededicated her life to Jesus in 1963 and Bob accepted Christ in 1964. Since that time, they have unreservedly served the Lord as a team. Bob and Cozette have five grown children and reside in Arcadia, Florida.
During their Naval career, Bob and Cozette spent three years in Japan, during which time they received the call of God into full-time ministry and missionary service. During those three years (1965-68), they were missionaries at “government expense”, working with other missionaries, service personnel, and starting a servicemen’s church and home (which is still active today).
Following retirement from the Navy in 1971, the Thomas family moved to Japan as missionaries and served there until 1974. The next six years were invested in Christian education in Maryland and in Florida. Bob was the principal of two different ACE schools and helped to start several others. From 1980-91, Bob was the Academic Dean and Vice-president of Liberty Bible College in Pensacola, FL. Bob and Cozette then returned to Japan for another year of missionary service. Their work in Japan was completed with the establishment of a new church work in Fuji City.
Since returning from Japan in 1992, the Thomases have served with ASEA as USA Director and Assistant International Director. Bob and Cozette provide the ministry with valuable experience, wisdom, encouragement and counsel. Bob also maintains the necessary liaison with the various governmental agencies for ASEA.
Cozette has an AA and a BA in Biblical Studies. Bob has a BS in Meteorology, Master’s Degrees in Religious Education and in Counseling and Human Development, a Religious Education Doctorate and a Ph.D. in Nouthetic Counseling.
You can contact the Thomases at:
rfcjthomas@gmail.com
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Steve and Tina Same have worked with Arise and Shine Evangelistic Association since 1988. They spent four years in the Philippines, working among refugees and the homeless. In 1992 they joined a newly formed ASEA ministry in London, England. They now serve in urban street ministry, operating out of ASEA’s “London Outreach Center,” a fully renovated former English “pub,” where they evan gelize among the city’s 9 million people.
Hi! We are Steve and Tina Same, and we’ve been serving in missions for ten years. We met in high school in Florida, came to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior and then got married the year after graduation. We immediately got involved in local outreach ministry but soon felt a call to go to the uttermost parts of the earth with the message of salvation.
We spent five more years in Bible school and local outreach ministry, during which time the Lord blessed us with our first two children Steven and Isaiah.
Eventually it was time to GO! and God opened a door for us to serve with Arise and Shine Evangelistic Association in the Philippine Islands. We left the States in June, 1988, with suitcases in hand and passports stamped.
The Philippines was a new world in every way. What a joy to see the birth of the vision God gave us. We worked with ASEA for five years, sharing the gospel on the streets, teaching in ASEA’s Schools of Bibliology, their A.C.E. Christian School, radio programs, and regular outreaches. Joshua, our youngest son, was born during this time.
In 1992 we were asked to join ASEA in a six month outreach to London. By the end of the six months the Lord had made it clear that we were to stay. For the next three years we saw unique and blessed fruit from intensive ministry on the streets.
We now help ASEA operate the London Outreach Center (an old, renovated English pub), a base of operations and outreach to London’s 9 million people.
You can contact the Sames at:
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3354 SW County Rd. #769
Arcadia, FL 34269
USA
Email: Arise-Shine@msn.com
Email: (Dr. Bob Thomas)
DrBeto04@embarqmail.com
Phone: +1-863-494-6477
32 Rotherhithe New Road
London SE 16 2AD
England
Email: AriseLondon@msn.com
Phone: +44-207-394-8285
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Blk 14, Lot 52, St. Joseph 7 Village, Phase 5
Gulod, Cabuyao, Laguna 4025
Philippines
Email: ArisePhilippines@msn.com
Phone: +63-921-446-8592
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PO Box 84,
Muizenberg, 7950 Western Cape
South Africa
Email: AriseCapeTown@msn.com
Phone: +27-21-709-0338
SMS/WhatsApp: +27-81-270-4576
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