THAILAND 2011 - Mah Pra Yesu!

Buriram, Thailand
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
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Mah Pra Yesu!

Our team got up and met Roger in front of our hotel at 7:30am. We headed to his orphanage to have breakfast with him and his wife. They are such a neat couple with wonderful hearts. They would love it if IRIS Ministries could set up a permanent work in Northeast Thailand someday. After breakfast we went to the public school and began to set up to show the Jesus film to over 100 students. We led them in some children's songs in Thai while Jesse and others set up the mobile projector and sound system...this would be our first time using this awesome tool that God has blessed our team with. And it all fits into one hiking pack! We tried to show the film outside under the awning but there was still too much light to be able to see the film on the screen. So we took the entire sound system and projector upstairs to try it in a room at the school. It was a little better, but still difficult to see. The funny thing is that our screen was set up literally right next to their Buddhist idols.

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The children were restless and didn't seem too interested in the film. So we fast-forwarded the Jesus film in order to cut it short. Jesse told them about the gospel and his testimony. Kayla also shared with them. Roger was translating. They still seemed distracted. Jesse asked how many of them wanted to receive Jesus. Quite a few of them raised their hands, especially the older children in the back. Not knowing exactly how we could pray with them to receive Christ, since we didn't want anything missed in the translation, I got up in front of the wild group of children and asked their teachers to get them in rows in order of their classes and to quiet them down. They all sat there with their legs crossed and their hands cupped Buddhist-style. I then had them close their eyes in the silence and repeat after me, "Mah Pra Yesu," which means, "Come Lord Jesus." They just repeated this over and over after me with breals in between to meditate on Who they were crying out to. Our team prayed that Jesus would reveal Himself to them in His own special way and enter their lives as they sat there and prayed in unison. "Mah Pra Yesu." It was incredible! I know that it was a heavenly strategy to lead the children to Jesus in a way that was more contextualized to their culture. After we finished praying they shouted with me, "Korp Koon Pra Yesu; Korp Koon Pra Jao," or, "Thank You Lord Jesus; thank You Lord God!"

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We packed up the Jesus film equipment, prayed around the school and met up for lunch with Narin and others from the Pentecostal church where we ministered the night before. Then we drove 70km to the highest mountain which overlooks the entire province. On this mountain is the Hindu temple, Phnom Rung. We heard about the human sacrifices and prostitution that took place in this spiritual stronghold 700 years ago and gathered together to intercede and come against the strongholds, principalities and powers, asking for freedom in Christ for the people of this province. On a side note, it is intersting that most of Thailand's prostitutes come from this Northeast province and on this very mountain in the Northeast province, prostitution was rampant 700 years ago.

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From there we visited Narin's home, church and orphanage, which is nearly completely finished and sustainable. We prayed for Narin and his wife, headed back to Buriram and had an amazing dinner with our new friends. I can't imagine our trip to Buriram going any better or being any more fruitful. After dinner we said goodbyes, got contact information and boarded an overnight bus to Pattaya.

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Christian Young