Alumni Feature: Jon Wood and Jesus for Asia Ministry

After graduating from Pacific Union College with a B.S. in psychology and an A.S. in Photography in 1987, Jon Wood began his career as a 3D Motion Graphic Artist before eventually returning to PUC as a professor of film and television. In 2005, the Lord impressed him to start Jesus for Asia, a missionary organization that sends missionaries to unreached areas of the Asian continent. And now, 21 years later, the ministry has worked in over 10 countries, with nearly 1,000 workers worldwide, touching the lives of many with the good news of Jesus.

It was not easy to start a ministry, especially one of this caliber, but Wood and his wife, Natalie, also a PUC alumna, were determined, so the first thing they did was pray about how God would work and lead them as they felt called to lead others. “We spent months, actually years, praying about what that would look like, how it would be set up, what principles we would use to run it, what project we would start with to make the biggest impact,” he said.

In the winter of 2004, Wood, along with a small team of students, traveled to Thailand around the time the Indian Tsunami hit, one of the deadliest natural disasters of this century. He ventured to India, where he filmed some of the survivors on the beach. He took this footage back with him, and his students edited it into a short video that was shown at the PUC church. Immediately, $6,000 was raised for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency. He then uploaded the video to YouTube, where he raised an additional $2,000.

With this second donation, he hired five Bible workers, helped 10 families in India by purchasing food for them, sponsored an evangelistic series, baptized 35 people, and started a church. He also discovered something rather remarkable. The more he shared what was happening, the more people gave. Finally, in March of 2005, Wood tendered his resignation at PUC, where everyone sent him off in prayer and encouraged him to pursue this mission and start the ministry full-time. The ministry began as Jesus for India, but they felt called to expand the work to Thailand and Cambodia, so they changed the name to Jesus for Asia.

Many schools have been established, and plenty of evening tutoring schools with free meal services are in operation for the benefit of children and adults alike, serving an estimated half a million meals each year. Adding to this are the rather incredible testimonies that have come out of this ministry from missionaries to everyday people with stories that can only be described as miracles, like people raised from the dead, and people healed from tuberculosis and elephantiasis. The churches planted continue to grow, and more missionaries tell their amazing stories, keeping Wood and the ministry motivated to do more.

In 2010, they launched Mission TV, a 24/7 channel that focused on the Great Commission, which encouraged viewers to share the Gospel. In 2022, an office was built in Collegedale, TN, to accommodate staff growth with the expanding work in Asia. God’s hand was visible in every step of this process and continues to guide them as they seek new ways to spread the word.

Since he decided to pursue this mission 20 years ago, Wood has remained incredibly motivated and driven to continue the work the Lord has laid out for him. For him, seeing souls won for Christ remains the motivator. “Honestly, we’ve never been more excited than now as we see the work affecting more and more lives every year, with new projects being added that bless more and more people. And the Word of God keeps unfolding new revelations in His grace and power.”

The work is not yet finished. There is always a need for more missionaries who feel truly called by God to serve in the good and bad times, and who are willing to go to far-off places to spread the name of Jesus to those who have not yet heard the good news.

“Anyone can do easy,” said Wood, “but hard things build character.” He hopes that more and more people will work hard with him and his ministry to save souls, furthering the reach of the Gospel in Asia. “There is room for many ministries in the world. Grab a map and go. You can go as a tourist first, just explore and see where the needs are and where there is a lack. Learn to trust God by reading His word and seeing what He has done in the past for His people, and know that He wants to do things like that for you!”

Whoever feels called to serve within Wood's ministry can visit www.jesus4asia.org to learn more and email info@jesus4asia.org to inquire.