“Everyone got sick – all 1,000 of them.”
That doesn’t sound like an answer to prayer, but in this case, it was. Last month at preachers’ training, Dwangsuang, a fireball LiSu preacher of about 50 years old, came to me with an urgent prayer request.
‘My wife left for Myanmar to go to the preaching conference of a false preacher. I told her not to go, but she wouldn’t listen.” As we prayed, we asked the Lord to use what was necessary – even sickness — to stop her and bring her back. She called and asked his forgiveness after everyone attending the conference became ill. They had to cancel the meeting without any preaching and send everyone home. The Lord does answer prayer!
Dwangsuang is one of our most fervent preachers. He has been traveling to a remote LiSu village and preaching there for the last six months. The Lord has saved some of the people and a small church has been established. They don’t have a building yet, but faithfully gather in homes to listen to Dwangsuang’s preaching.
We had a great Thanksgiving service there last week. There are four other men from our preachers’ training who are also reaching out to new Lisu villages. Two of them begged us, “Come encourage our people. It’s on your way.”
Though it was late, we couldn’t turn down such pleas. And what blessings were to be ours!
The first was a small rundown village right off the highway where we were
traveling. As we entered the simple little LiSu home where about ten people were gathered, we were greeted by the wife of the home.
“I have been a Christian for about 10 years, she said. “I’ve lived in this village for many years and for most of that time
I was the only Christian here. The Lord saved these other two women, but we had no preaching until I Li Ya came. We are so thankful he came. We long for more people to be saved and a church established here.”
Please pray for faithful I Li Ya, these women, and for the Lord’s work in the village. There were several lost ones gathered there with us as we shared the Gospel that day.
From here we traveled to a third village higher up in the mountains and farther off the road. After a very wearing ride, this tired missionary was quickly refreshed. A crowd of about 25 gathered around a thatched gazebo to hear me exhort them from the Word. Afterwards, the leader of about eight families said, “Our spiritual battery has been low. It is faithful preaching of the Word that can recharge it. We have been years without a preacher. We are thankful that David is coming now.” David is one of the LiSu men attending the preacher’s training.
Please pray for these 35 men who are attending preachers’ training each month, that the Lord will bless them in 1) Their personal understanding and growth in the Word, 2) Their homes and children, 3) Safety as they travel, no trouble at border crossings, and with less expense, and 4) Their labors – the people to whom they minister. It is encouraging to see the work of the Lord multiplying through these men we are training, with souls being saved and churches established. Below is a picture of the Lahu and Lisu preachers from Thailand — one of the two groups who meet for training each month.
More doors for ministry are continually opening. There is a great need for educating the teenagers in the mountains. We have a plan for a learning center, but first we need a place and we need volunteers to help us run it. We are still praying the Lord will provide land where we can live, have the preachers’ training, and minister to children all in the same place.
The Lord is all-powerful. He who made 1,000 people sick to bring a rebellious woman home, can easily provide the exact place we need. He is good! For Christ count everything but loss… Bro. paul