We send strategy teams to focus on segments of unreached people groups. These stories show some of the realities of trying to be a catalyst for the gospel to transform communities.

An Asian Country | Lahu Village Adoption Plan | Nepal | Thailand

An Asian Country

News from an Asian Country. Adapted from an e-mail update written by a MUP worker working with a people who don't have a church or believers yet.

This last Wednesday as she was leaving my house, it began to rain quite heavily. Since she wanted to wait for the rain to slow before she went to the market, I pulled out a blanket that needed some mending. She worked on one end and I on the other. I started asking her questions about what happens when she dies and where the persons spirit goes and if she thinks there is anywhere like a heaven. The Lord really shone his face on her during this time.

After discussing these things for a while, she said no one can know for sure. I said that I did because there was a book that God wrote that told about all these things. She couldn't believe it. But then she said she could never know because she cant read or write. I told her that her brain has no problem and her ears are just fine. So she can listen to the stories I tell her out of the Bible and slowly begin to understand them. And as she understands, that will turn into belief and belief is all you need. For the first time it seemed like this entire "God concept" clicked in her mind. About this time the rain slowed and she got up and left for the market.

About 20 minutes later I got a call from my teammate. She said she ran into our friend walking to the market and decided to go with her. Then she said that I'd better hurry myself down to the market because our friend slipped and fell and needed some help. So I put our baby on my back and headed out. When I got there our friend looked horrible. She was sweating and shaking. Turns out that she felt really dizzy all the sudden and just went down. She said it never happened to her before. When she was able to walk, we hopped on a bus with her and saw her to her house. It really seemed like such a freak thing to happen. But I felt like Satan wanted to fill her mind with dizziness and block out all she had just heard at my house.

So the next day, we bought some lichee berries and headed off to visit our friend at her home. She was happy to see us and looked lots better. She said she had felt dizzy the rest of the previous day and evening. She tried to give me money for the eggs she had broken when she fell and for the bus ride money. I wouldn't take it. But then she turned to me and told me how lucky it was that my teammate had happened to come to the market with her. Otherwise there would have been no one to help. I quickly replied "It was the God that I mentioned the day before who sent her to be with you because he loves you and cares for you. So we want to thank God for what he did." It was so neat! Out of her mouth came the words, "Yes, I thank you God."

All this is just the very itsy beginning of what we know God wants to do. Only one month ago she didn't have a place in her mind for this kind of true God. Now some truth is beginning to take hold and the spirit of God will only build up from there. Keep asking the father for this very special lady to be worshipping with us in the great throne room of the most high God someday.

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Nepal

Seventy Bandaged Heads

Three days on the road, to travel only 240 miles! A few weeks ago I had the privilege of being part of a surgical camp for ears held in one of the most remote parts of Nepal. Four expatriates and twelve Nepalis traveled over some of the roughest road I've ever seen to reach the western border. We arrived to find a line already formed outside the hospital.

The surgeons flew in the next day. A prominent ear surgeon, walking in the door from a two-day trip in a Land Rover, asked for a pen and called the first patient. The pace was set. We worked each day from nine in the morning until sometimes three the next morning. The schedule went something like this: Work, eat rice, sleep, work, eat rice, sleep ... I functioned as translator, audiologist, scrub nurse, sterile processor, and pharmacist, wearing some of those hats for the first time.

Though exhausting, the experience was extremely fulfilling. Nepalis who never dreamed they could get treatment because of cost and distance to travel walked away with reconstructed eardrums and hearing aides for about six dollars U.S. currency. One twelve-year old girl I followed from the first exam to the final dressing change. What a thrill! By the time the week was over, over seventy bandaged heads sat in on the final teaching session. Just like Abraham, the Blessed have become a blessing.

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Thailand

Blazing a New Trail

When other farmers would choose to stay with their old methods even when their land yields less each year, 2 Christian tribal farmers have ventured to be pioneers. When 200 pounds of seed was given by the government, they enthusiastically planted them on their hillside farms to control erosion and improve their land. Even as they sowed the seeds, their neighbors began asking questions and expressing interest. Their leadership in introducing methods that will benefit their people have already sown seeds of future opportunities to share Christ. You won’t see these hero’s in the movies, but these are the people who are living out the real life adventure of kingdom building and making good use of opportunities that will glorify Christ.

A Special Tree

Putting down his machete, LauPau took time away from preparing his mountain rice fields to proudly show me the special trees he had planted last year. These neem trees were special for many reasons. Their fruit will make an organic insecticide that will virtually free him from using dangerous chemicals, save him money, and supply medicinal benefits to his family. They had grown remarkably well last year – 2 to 4 feet and had even survived the 6 month dry season without a problem. These trees came from your donations. Pesticide related illnesses and deaths are common here as there are few regulations and little to no protection used. Preserving life and health is important as Jesus underscored in his ministry. Safe insecticides are important for these lay tribal pastor/farmers who count on their health to support themselves and to ‘feed their flock’.

Leaf Love

In the States we probably would supply vitamin pills, but at the Grace Home Christian Orphanage they will be serving the nutritious leaves of the moringa trees which is a source of Vitamins A, B, C, Iron, Calcium, and essential Amino Acids. More of our moringa seeds have traveled to Cambodia where our former missionary neighbors have relocated. We have heard reports that up to fifty (50%) percent of the people there suffer from malnutrition. Most recently these seeds have also gone to China and to a very poor Hmong tribal village here in Thailand a struggling small group of believers still very young and weak in the Lord are being discipled.

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Lahu Village Adoption Plan Lahu

The Mission

Mekong Ministries began in the fall of 2004. Our vision is to plant churches and see ethnic churches reaching beyond themselves and planting churches.

The Work

Through evangelism using a chronological storying method and distribution of 90 minute fast track tapes and the training of Lahu leaders, over 750 people in 26 villages have put their faith in Jesus and been baptized. We continue to explore new villages and are training leaders in the churches planted to evangelize, disciple and plant new churches.

The Idea

We are looking for communities of believers willing to commit to pray weekly for one of these villages. Over the past two years we have had teams of people travel through these villages with the purpose of praying for the hearts and lives of the Lahu. We are convinced the prayers of these teams have allowed the Holy Spirit to move with freedom in the villages. We believe for the work of God to continue in the area, we need others to join us in praying specifically for the Lahu where we are church planting.

The Plan

We will send you information about the Lahu people along with pictures of your village and general statistics of life in that particular village. We will also email you directions to access a blog set up to keep you up to date with what is going on in your village. We will post stories about the people you are praying for as well as give you a chance to communicate with us what the Lord is sharing with you as you pray for the Lahu.

For more information about The Plan or to pick a village, please send an email to mekongministries@gmail.com.

Mekong Regional Ministry -- Affiliated with Mission to Unreached Peoples and OMF Mekong, www.mekongministries.com.

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