About a year ago at our national winter retreat, five short term teams formed by nationals only went to different minority groups in the southwest with the Gospel. Last week at this year’s retreat, we were very excited to see what has happened within a year.
After coming back from that trip, Climbing decided that after he graduated from college, he will go back to S town, the town that his team visited, live there for sometime and reach the unreached people groups. In July 2016, Climbing went back with only $45 in his pocket (His friend supported him with this money).
“Very soon, I found out that the bus tickets to S town costs $33, that leaves me only $12,” says Climbing. “As soon as I arrived, I called a brother who lives in a nearby town, thinking I could stay with him first. But when we talked over the phone, he shared that recently someone who claims to be a pastor in his village had stolen a cow from someone else, and now the local villagers and the police are both looking for him, it’s not a good time for me to go over as a Gospel sharer. Looking around, I didn’t know what to do. I was scared and wanted to go home. So I started talking to God. I walked twice around the city wall of the old town of S town, asking God to help me. As I arrived at the old town gate again after my second round, I saw a little T-an girl.
She asked me, ‘What are you doing?’
‘I’m talking to my God,’ I said.
‘Who is your God?’
‘My God is Jesus Christ,’ I answered.
‘My God is Buddha,’ she responded. ‘Are you looking for a place to stay?’
‘Yes I am,’ I answered.
‘You can come to my home,’ the girl said, as it is common for the locals to have 2-3 guest rooms always ready for guests.
So I went to her house. That night, as we are sitting down for dinner, a family relative came in and sat with us, saying that he plans to go out and find a job tomorrow. So I offered to talk to God for him to bless him. He agreed. When I was talking to God, I felt very strongly that God wants me to tell him that he will find a job tomorrow. I was very hesitant, because if I share that with him and then he did not end up with a job tomorrow, my time in this place is done; I can’t stay here and witness anymore. But the feeling is so strong that I couldn’t deny it. So I thought to myself, ‘If I die, I die! I’ll share it!’ So I shared it with him and reaffirmed it by a slap on his leg. The next day, I received a phone call around noon, it’s the man I prayed for! With great excitement, he told me that he got a job! He is hired to be a chef at a restaurant, and they will pay him $588 a month (higher than what I was offered before as a college graduate), housing and food are included too! I praised God and told him, ‘My God did this for you!’”
Not long after this has happened, Climbing led this T-an man to give his life to God. People have been trying to reach the peoples in S town for decades without seeing great success, and it’s amazing Climbing got to lead one to Christ in such a short time!
We are so encouraged by Climbing’s story! God is trustworthy, and we can count on Him for all things! At the end of the retreat this year, our churches in different cities have decided to together support Climbing financially, and they also have come up with different plans to support him spiritually and emotionally. And Climbing is committed to go back to the S town area for at least another 6 months.
The rest of the retreat was great; God use Climbing’s story to encourage all of us. Also God really spoke to everyone about our identity as believers and our unique identity in our “dandelion church,” which is the name formally adopted for our national church! Thanks for all your prayers in to this!