Jesus who?

Yesterday we had a great opportunity to go to a town about 20 minutes away and do some outreach.  It was a group of about 15 Thai Christians from a neighboring town and I tagged along as they passed out tracts and shared the gospel with some people.  We went to Nong Don, a town with only a couple known believes and no Church yet.

One house we visited was on the edge of a rice field.  After talking with the man who owned the house for awhile, we went upstairs to the porch where his mother was sitting.  She is elderly and wanted prayers.  Since I am still so new to the language, I understand very little but sometimes I can know at least the subject of conversation.  A woman from our church began talking with the elderly woman and early in the talk I heard her say Jesus’ name in Thai.  The elderly woman asked again what she said.  “Jesus”, the woman from Church told her.  Again she repeated, “Jesus”.  The elderly woman had a puzzled look on her face and then said she didn’t know that name.  Our friend from Church then proceeded to share with her who Jesus is and the Gospel.  Afterward, we all prayed for her. 

It’s one thing to read on paper that many people in this world don’ t know the name of Jesus Christ.  But it hits you in a different way when you meet someone who hasn’t.  2,000 years is a long time for the news about God becoming a man and taking our sin upon himself not to reach every person.  In the meantime, people like this Thai woman are trying to “make merit” by lighting incense sticks and giving baskets of goodies to monks. 

The elderly woman was very interested to know more and has invited those from the church to return and teach her.  Please pray for her.  Pray that she would see how Christ has fulfilled all of God’s righteous requirements.  Ask God to show her how futile it is to try and earn favor on her own. 

but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”

(Romans 15:21)

 

 

The woman here is the one referenced in the post.

 

Some people from Phra Baht Church where we worship on Sundays.

Oops!

On Sunday we went to a Church about a half hour bus ride away.  When we get off the bus we have to look for another mini taxi to take us to the Church.  That ride is only about 3 minutes.  There are several different types of transportation that we could take in that short trip but our mode of choice is a tuk tuk.  It is really a tricycle motorbike with a carriage on the back.  Pretty fun actually…I’ll try and remember to get a picture of one and post it on here soon…

But when we stepped off the bus and were looking for a tuk tuk, I felt something soft underneath my sandal as I took a step.  I looked down and there were 2 full meals of food in styrofoam containers opened up with the rice and meat exposed. There were also incense sticks jammed in the rice.  The whole thing looked very sacred.  Apparently I stepped on someone’s sacrifice to some god, or spirit, or ancestor…not quite sure.  I felt terrible, and looked around to see if anyone had seen the mishap.  Fortunately I don’t think anyone noticed. 

Is that not a strange place to put a sacrifice?  Right on the middle of the sidewalk where the bus lets out?  As you can imagine, Paige and I quickly moved away from the area so that we could not be blamed.   

Animism

A story as told by Paul DeNeui, a missionary in Thailand:

“Grandmother Somlee was a healer.  This small, frail woman had been endowed with spiritual powers that enabled her to find yah phii bawk, (spirit-delivered medicine).  Through spiritual interaction, it was revealed to her where certain herbs and plants grew.  By mixing these together into potions (also supernaturally revealed) she was able to cure ailments, prevent miscarriages and bring about healings in several cases.  All of these acquired skills came to her, not from the study of books or from other human sources, but from the spiritual interaction she had with the spirit of her area’s territorial power, called the Chao Phua, located in the city pillar shrine of her northeastern Thai province.

As a girl, worshipping at the city pillar, Somlee heard a voice that spoke to her.  ‘If you worship me, I will give you power’.  As she was a poor, uneducated girl, this had great appeal.  She decided to submit to this authority.  She was given a promise of future abilities and eventually these came but not for free.  In the earliest years, the simple donation of a candle or joss stick at the city pillar was sufficient.  As her powers in herbal remedies increased, however, the requirements to return the favor also increased proportionally.  More expensive gifts were required to be offered to the spirit.  If at any time she failed, Somlee would suffer severe headaches and chest pains.  These symptoms became even stronger and more frequent as her popularity, power with medicine, and success increased.  Her power came at a price.

Grandma Somlee was in the midst of her most vivid nightmare.  Crushing pressure upon her chest convinced her that angry spirits had come to squeeze the life breath from her.  Just as she felt all must end she saw a white light and heard a voice, which said, calmly, ‘Do not be afraid. I am coming to you’. She had no idea who it was.  The next week two Thai believers came to her from the direction of the white light and began to talk.  She accepted their message of freedom through Jesus Christ.  That night her nightmare returned again but at the peak of her physical pain she cried out, Jesus, Help me!  The pressure and pain was released immediately.  When she woke the next day she had no further memory of the medicinal recipes that had formerly employed and enslaved her.  She purged her yard of any remnants of the herbal plants much to the ridicule of neighbors.  Later she told them, ‘The spirits were always hungry and never satisfied but God always wants to give. Now I am free’.

Thai people desire to be born again?

The Thai people are flocking to Buddhist temples to be “born again”.  The video link below will explain.  The fields are ripe for harvest.  Pray for Thailand.

http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=fa15fee38d23834de6117fcb920ecb3d4e81b693