Keep on Praying!

Keep on praying for the Deen Khao group. We had a good meeting this afternoon. They appear to be doing much better. I definitely see growth in some of them. Today, before the meeting, Gao and his wife Nit went with me to share the gospel with some of their relatives in a nearby village. We got to share first with one woman and then with two others. It is hard to say how responsive they are, but they did have many questions. I am glad to see Gao and Nit with boldness to let their relatives know. Today, I did most of the sharing and they did more of the casual talk, but I am praying that next time, they will share also.

All religions are equally bad??

Yesterday (Wednesday) I went out with Noom to share the gospel. Noom and his wife, Namkang, are a sweet Christian couple who love the Lord but live in the middle of nowhere. (Actually, they live in an absolutely beautiful place surrounded by rain forest and mountains...kind of a hidden valley). Noom has been sharing the gospel several times a week as he goes from village to village looking for stuff to recycle. Yesterday, when we entered the first village, we talked to group of seven or eight men sitting in a small bamboo pavilion. It seemed to us that everyone was very hard-hearted---one man loved to talk and just went on and on about how all religions were good, because they teach people how to be good. He was unwilling to even listen much to any of the gospel. He also made it difficult for anyone else to listen. As he talked, I realized that in fact the opposite is true. All religions are equally bad!! (Note that here I am defining religions as man's attempts to be good through deeds and rituals.) All religions deceive men into believing that we can just do good, give to the temple, go to the assemblies, etc and that we will be good enough to get to heaven. They keep us from realizing that we need to be reconciled to God! It is so sad to meet people in this state, no matter what religion they ascribe too. Let's face it. Many people just want religion in Christianity too. They may never enter into a right relationship with God.

Praise the Lord! We did meet a few people later in the morning who were interested in hearing the gospel and even had many questions about God. Pray that God will open the hearts of the Thai people. Pray that He will distinguish clearly between religious duties and entering into a loving relationship with the one true God.

A New Hope

A few weeks ago, Tracy and I started working with our believers at Deen Khao and teach them what it means to BE the Church in their community (Light in the darkness). We have been encouraging them to pray for the lost, help meet the needs of the poor, pray for those who are sick, sharing the gospel with others, etc.

Ba Sian had told us that she had visited and prayed for a friend (Ba Dap) in another district. Today, I took four believers from Deen Khao village to visit this friend and pray for her son, who has had brain damage and seizures from hitting his head on a rock many years ago. We shared the gospel with the mother, Ba Dap, who is a Buddhist nun.

Ba Dap informed us that her son has had no more seizures since Ba Sian prayed for her son (Tom). From our conversation, I gathered also that Ba Dap is ready to believe. She does believe that God has brought some healing to her son. She said that she is trying to figure out what she should do since she is a Buddhist nun.

She provided a nice meal for us of curry over rice noodles. As we sat and talked, she told us that her husband (the leader of the village) is also believing. This is such exciting news.

God is really working in this family. However, this is not an easy road for them to take. Pray for Ba Dap that she will be determined to embrace Christ and leave behind Buddhism with its teaching and idolatry. Pray for her son, Tom, to receive further healing. Pray for her husband to receive Christ from his heart. Pray that they will read the Bibles we have given them. May the Lord shine His love into their hearts and into this community in Pla praya.

Good Meeting!

We had our Monday afternoon meeting and it went well. Yai Wiang didn't get to come, because she had guests. (She did say she would come next week). Pretty much everyone else came. We watched a Southern Thai version of the Jesus film that has just come out. What a blessing! It really amazes me how effective the Jesus Film is in explaining the gospel clearly. After the film, we practiced telling the gospel story. It was fun. Several of them are eager to go with me to share the gospel, so next Monday we are going to go to another village and give them that opportunity. I also really encouraged them to love and forgive Yai Wiang and especially to pray for her and she seems to desire to continue on with Jesus. SO KEEP PRAYING!

Yai Wiang

Who can know a person's heart? I went by and visited Yai Wiang this past week. I was intending to lovingly tell her that we could no longer meet at her house due to her going to the temple and participating in Buddhist activities. I must say I was surprised. She told me that she didn't participate in those activities and that she didn't bow down to the idols. She said she only went to see her grandchildren do a Thai dance. (this has nothing to do with Buddhism). She also told me that she didn't participate in the GinJay rituals (Chinese Spiritism). I was a little skeptical, but she assured me that she wasn't throwing away Christ. I did tell her that we were not going to meet regularly at her home anymore. (this is due to the fact that Gao and Nit cannot come). She seems to be willing to come to their home, so I encouraged her to come. I really hope she is telling me the truth and that this is all just a big misunderstanding. I know in the end the Lord will reveal the truth. Please continue to pray for her. Pray also for the other group members. I understand that Ba Siang and Yai Wiang don't get along. Pray that the Lord will bring his healing and love to this relationship also. Pray that I will have wisdom and discernment in all of this. I feel a little helpless in trying to understand their southern Thai dialect and read their attitudes and feelings as well. I cannot do this without God's help. Tonight is our weekly meeting. Pray that the Lord will help them to be His Church for this community and that HIS love will confound those who are looking in from the outside.

Deen Khao Update

Yesterday, I went to our regular Monday afternoon group at Deen Khao village. (It has been moved from Saturday mornings to make it easier for Gao and Nit. It addition we are no longer meeting at Yai Wiang's house. We are meeting at Gao's house instead - he is paralyzed in his legs). Before the meeting, I went to see Yai Wiang again. I wanted to get a chance to talk to her again about her returning to her old religion. I really wanted to lovingly share with her once again that she could not follow Jesus and return to these demonic rituals. I took Ba Siang with me as a witness.

However, she was not at home. She was sitting with some neighbors (non-Christians) instead. Since we could not talk to her there, I simply told her that we were having a meeting at Gao's house and invited her to come. She told us that she couldn't come because she was going to the wat (the Buddhist temple). Again, we were blown away! While Yai Wiang has never been vocal about her faith, she had always seemed to enjoy our worship times.

At the meeting, we shared what happened with the group. Most were already aware of the situation, but everyone was still devastated. HOWEVER, I was so pleased to see how strong in the faith the others are. May the Lord be praised. He knows those who belong to Him.

Please be in prayer. Pray for Yai Wiang: the Lord knows her heart and if she can yet be brought back to Him. Pray also for this group. Pray that they will be faithful to the Lord and to each other. Pray that the Lord will give me wisdom to teach this group and to help them develop into His Church!

Sad News

This blog should have been written last week. Sorry about that....

I went to visit our house group members at Deen Khao last Monday night (over a week ago now). We were supposed to have a meeting, but Gao (we meet at his house) would not be home in time from visiting relatives. I thought I would also stop by and see Yai Wiang. We were meeting at her house on Saturday mornings, but it had become apparent that she was going to the Buddhist temple for Buddhist activities. This has upset all of the church members, many of whom believe that Yai Wiang has left the faith. When I stopped at her house, several neighbors were there. They told me that Yai Wiang had gone to be part of the Vegetarian Festival (Gin Jay - This is a pagan Chinese festival that worship demons and invites possession). If anything can be worse than Buddhism, this is it! WOW! I couldn't believe it.
It appears that Yai Wiang has indeed returned to her old religion.