THAILAND True Missions Story Healing Powers (Picture 1) (Picture 1) Lek and Sung (süng, like the word soon with a g on the end) said good-bye to their sick father and headed off to school. They were sad to leave their father, Harn, but what could they do? He had become sick with cancer several years ago and did not have long to live. He could no longer work at the wood factory to support the family. Lek and Sung did not complain, but they accepted it as their lot in life, as all good Buddhists do. As Buddhists, Lek and Sung believed that by accepting the problems life brings without complaint, you might come back in another life to better circumstances. The twins mother, Gaew (gow), was a spiritualist and fortune-teller. Many people would come to her because they thought she had special healing powers. But she was unable to help her husband Harn. He only became sicker and sicker. When Lek and Sung arrived at school one day, they began their day by reciting a prayer to Buddha, as all the students did. All the teachers at the school are Buddhists except for one. Her name is Sunee, and she is a Christian who attends the Nongkhai Assembly of God church. Because Sunee is popular with the students, she is allowed to teach Christian songs to her class. One day, teacher Sunee received copies of The Book of Hope translated into the Thai language. The Book of Hope is a portion of the New Testament written in easy-tounderstand everyday language. Sunee prayed for courage to ask the head teacher if she could pass out copies of The Book of Hope to her students. She nervously approached the head teacher, and to her surprise, the head teacher said yes.
(Picture 2) As they read The Book of Hope, Lek and Sung became excited. They learned that Jesus loved them. Soon they began to attend the Nongkhai Assembly of God church and gave their hearts to Jesus. (Picture 2) The twins also learned from The Book of Hope that Jesus heals people. They asked teacher Sunee if she would pray for their father. Sunee said she would, but she told them that they could pray for their father in their own home as well. This was new to Lek and Sung. They were used to chanting prayers to Buddha in the Buddhist temple. Now they prayed to the true God, and they could pray to Him in their own home! And they did not have to accept their father s sickness as his lot in life, but they could ask God to heal him! The twins asked their father if they could pray for him. At first Harn was not so sure. He didn t know anything about this Jesus and had never been inside a Christian church. Finally, he realized he had nothing to lose. He was going to die anyway, so he might as well let his twin sons pray to the Christian God. Lek and Sung prayed every day for their father to be healed. Soon Harn began to feel a little better. He decided he should go to the Christian church to see what this was all about. But the twins mother, Gaew, would have nothing to do with it. Go ahead and go to that church, she said, but I will not go with you! Lek and Sung had their father carried to church on a mat, and the pastor prayed for him. After about two months, Harn was completely healed! He went to the doctor, who told him that he was cancer free. Harn began attending the Christian church with his twin sons. All three of them rode together on the father s motorcycle. (Picture 3) (Picture 3) When Gaew saw that her husband was healed, she began to change her mind. She decided to go with her family to the church. Soon she became a Christian too! Now Gaew joins her husband and the twin boys. All four of them hop on the motorcycle to ride to church. And when people come to Gaew for her healing powers and fortune-telling, she tells them that her powers were nothing and they need to come to Jesus. Only Jesus has healing powers! Information for this story was provided by missionary Christine Hosack and is used with permission from Assemblies of God World Missions. 2004 by BGMC of The General Council of the Assemblies of God. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce and adapt lesson components for exclusive use in the local church. Any other use requires written permission.
Thailand 1 The twins mother was unable to help her husband Harn. He only became sicker and sicker.
Thailand 2 Sunee passed out copies of The Book of Hope to her students.
Thailand 3 Now all four of them hop on the motorcycle to ride to church.