Going Home, Coming Home

Once a month I go to Nan Province to visit and encourage the Lua churches.  One village I visit often is Nam Ri Phatana.  Located on the Thai-Laotian border, it is home to families of former communists who fought the Thai army during the Vietnam era.  We have

Benz, Jo, Pimpa lead worship Nam Ri Phathana Christian Church

three Lanna Theological Center graduates (Benz, Pimpa, and Joe) who are the main leaders.  They have grown the congregation from a few members to over 30 families.  Since March they have run out of chairs and people have to sit on mats.  They have started a children’s church that meets after the singing, during the preaching. The three take turns teaching the young people.

Pimpa leads children’s church Nam Ri Phathana Christian Church

Last November I visited a member in the hospital. He had been in a freak accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down. He  was rushed four hours to the provincial hospital and doctors gave him no chance.  In fact they were surprised he even survived the rough mountain roads down to the provincial capital.  After six months in the hospital the doctors felt he was recovered enough to go back to the village.  He had minimal use of his hands, could not walk.  The government provided a medical bed for his house. The church was very excited.

The members had been praying for his recovery and were excited to show God’s healing power in their village. There were high hopes that this would have an impact on the village.  One of our leaders was especially encouraged as she had been a faithful prayer warrior on this man’s behalf.

The man’s family had not been baptized, but seeing the husband and father recover, the rest of the family were ready to be baptized on New Year’s weekend.

The man was brought home and all seemed well for two weeks.  Then one day our leaders were visiting the family and while they were sitting on the floor talking, the man went home to be with Jesus.  Every one was shocked and discouraged.  There was fear that this

Funeral service for church member.

would have a negative impact on not just the family, but the whole village. (This language group is very animistic and believe in the power of spirits over everyday life so this would be seen as a power struggle between God and the village spirits)   But, praise God, the family remained faithful.  The wife said she did not want to wait until New Year’s weekend to be baptized, she wanted to be baptized immediately so she could with her husband in heaven should she die before the scheduled New Year celebration.  So she was baptized the same day as the funeral.  One going home to Jesus, another coming home to Jesus.  The three teenage children decided to wait until New Year’s weekend.

I encouraged the leaders and the members to not let Satan defeat them with despair. Yes, we had hoped that this man’s recovery would be a witness to God’s healing power.  But now he is completely healed.  And through it all his family still came to Jesus.    God will work this situation out with the rest of the village.

And God has been faithful.  Since then there have been two more families added.  In March I baptized a family of four, and this month (May) a family of five were baptized.

Baptism New Years Day. Leader Joe in the red hoodie.

Pray for the three families added to the church so far this year.  Pray especially for the family who lost their husband/father as they continue to work through their loss.  Pray for Benz, PimPa and Joe as they serve their growing congregation.

Thank  you for your support of the Ban Nam Ri Phathana Christian Church.