Where Does Jesus Live?
3 Oct 2017
When we first met Grandmother Pon she spoke of having no hope. She had no desire to live. She was 86 years old and had so much pain in her right leg that she needed help to walk. Having had two severe falls already she said, “If I fall once more, I do not want to live”. Her lack of hope stirred our hearts.
That was six months ago. Since then our team have visited Grandmother Pon almost every week. We have come to know her and the others in her household including her husband, Grandfather Noor. Together they worked for most of their lives cutting sugar cane, and this is hard work in the hot sun. She is the ‘first wife’, as her husband had two wives at the same time. She did have any children and became a heavy drinker. She had heard of Jesus and had seen pictures of Jesus on a cross. But she did not understand why.
When we visit Grandmother Pon and her family, we look for ways to love them. We share meals with them, and even feed their three cows. The girls in our team paint Grandmother Pons nails and brush her hair, and we help around the home. But most of all we simply talk and listen. We talk about their health, about the past, and about what is going on in their village. Each visit we look to for natural ways to bring God into the conversation and into their lives.
Grandmother Pon has shown a growing interest in knowing about God and so in step with her interest, we have shared our faith. We tell her simple truths – God created the world and everything in it. We read scripture – God’s love endures forever. We sing songs – there is one Thai song she particularly likes, “God is good”. She keeps coming back to the line “God cares for us”. She can’t believe that there is a God who cares for her. We use illustrations from things around us. One day a mother hen had her wings covering her chicks during a storm. From this we were able to share how God cares for us and that he longs for Grandmother to come under His wings. We have introduced her to our Thai Christian friends who have shared their testimonies. It is important for her to know that one can be Christian and remain Thai.
We answer her questions. One day she leaned very close to one of our team and whispered “Where does Jesus live?” She was surprised to hear that Jesus lives in us. We pray for her and tell her she too can pray to the highest God. To our surprise, she has expressed a change in her heart. A change that she cannot yet explain. She recently had another fall. However, this time she did not express a desire to die.
Please pray that God will continue to open Grandmother Pon’s heart to Jesus, so that he may live in her. Pray for the other members of her household, who are often present and listening in when we talk. Pray that they may have ears to hear. Pray that the whole household will believe in Jesus.
-PM