From an RMM Worker

I am sure most of you have been seeing and hearing disquieting news about Thailand the last few days. I wanted to write and let you know that I have been far from any demonstrations or danger, and am perfectly safe. My mission team is located in a province just south of Bangkok. Therefore, we have been spared most of the problems, although we are also under a state of emergency and a curfew for the next few days. The curfew was put in place as a measure to keep people safe and to try to prevent further looting and arson attempts. I have not heard anything new today from Bangkok, so it appears that most of the Red Shirt demonstrators that were behind this destruction have finally been caught or given up. I know most of you probably have questions about the political views that have sparked all these problems. I will not attempt to go into that because it is a very complicated issue. The main point is that there are very deep political divisions and incredible dissatisfaction among Thai people. Some of the main points of contention are corruption in the government, inequality between social/economic classes, and desires for democracy vs. allegiance to the monarchy. The current Prime Minister and Parliament have a plan to try to bring stability back to Thailand and then have new elections later this year. None of us are certain if they will be allowed to follow this plan or if more protests and unrest will be coming in the near future. My prayer is that God will use this situation to call Thai people to himself. That their eyes will be opened to their need for God in the midst of their distress and confusion. I pray also for wisdom to know how to respond and bring hope. Most of my friends and neighbors are embarrassed that Thai people have become so hateful and violent. They are searching for answers, and I pray that God will give me words of life and assurance for them.

Posted by RMM Blog Administrator at 08:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From an account from the Zambia REACH team

God’s power can overwhelm demons, heal the sick, and transform lives in a moment. Many times it’s not that dramatic; it’s the quiet transformation of the everyday. But some members of the Zambia REACH team recently got the privilege of a front row seat for the more dramatic display of that power.

It started when two members of the team went to breakfast with a missionary couple. This couple was part of a team that was reaching out to some remote tribes, and they invited the REACHers to go along to a new village where a people called the Tonga lived. They were friendly to outsiders, but under a lot of superstition and spiritual darkness.

The two team members accepted the invitation and set out with two of the missionaries, Bob and Joe, and a local Christian named Friday. It wasn’t an easy trip. “There’s a definite reason this tribe (and hundreds of tribes like them) are unreached,” one of the team members said. “The roads were pretty horrible.” Bob told them it costs about $500-$700 for each trip.

When they finally got to the village, they introduced themselves to the headman, and asked permission to stay. He granted permission, so they set up their tents and waited for sunset when the people came in from the fields. Then they started a service and Friday, who knew the language, presented the gospel.

Sometimes mission workers see only a few people follow God in many years of work, but this night it wasn’t that way. The people’s hearts were ready—15 of them committed to Jesus, and several sick people came for prayer. But there were spiritual forces that were not going to give up without a fight.

Right after they started praying for one of the women who had made a commitment, a demon manifested itself in her by shaking her violently for about a minute. They kept rebuking it in Jesus’ name and commanding it to leave, and after it shook her for a little it left and she was back in her right mind.

Another woman was also gripped by a demon. She shook, stiffened up, and made bird noises, but that demon was driven out also. “That was really awesome to see God working his power in those people,” one of the REACHers said, “even in those who weren’t possessed but were definitely in need of Jesus.” One man who they thought had cancer told them that he was now ready to die if that’s what God wanted.

Before they left, they had another service the next night and more people believed in Jesus. “To see the genuine desire the villagers had to get to know God—amazing,” one of the team said.

It sounds like a story out of the book of Acts, but it happened in 2010. The same God who shook the Roman world of that time reached into an African village and transformed it, and he let the REACHers be a part.

Posted by RMM Blog Administrator at 07:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)