A Christian Gang
28/02/2011 6:48 am OMF Thailand <th-itSPAMFILTER@omf.net>
Therefore confess your sins to each other, and pray for each other so that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man (...especially a mother) is powerful and affective. James 5,16
Phon is a 10-year-old boy who is very imaginative, bold, and a gifted story teller. Unfortunately, Phon used to follow instructions very unwillingly and was extremely difficult to motivate. Each Sunday school I had to spend lots of energy to motivate Phon to take part. If he felt like eating a snack, he would just get up und go buy something, regardless of the Sunday school program. He usually took at least one more child with him.
In October 2010 Phon and his parents went to the Thai Believers Conference in Yala. Phon took part in the children's program. Afterwards he told his mum, "God has punished me." "Hm, what do you mean?" she wanted to know. "I had to cry lots, because I sinned lots," was Phon's explanation.
In the following months, I noticed a change in Phon's life. In January I encouraged the children to tell a friend what they've experienced with Jesus. Phon's Mum came at the end of the week to tell us that Phon had founded a gang in his school. There are five members, all children whose parent became Christians after the Tsunami. Their motto is: we are holding together; we won't take revenge because this is God's job; we don't mix with outsiders and we meet four days a week on school grounds to tell each other what God is doing.
Since then the Christian gang has accepted a new member. The children thought up several test questions for the new members, for example, "Who created the world?" After the fourth question Phon realized that this new member always gave the answer, "GOD". Should one accept a new member like this into the new Christian gang? I am excited about the initiative of these children. (Elke Hain, church-planting, South Thailand)
Please pray for:
- Gang members to be good examples amongst their Buddhist school mates and to encourage each other to grow in understanding of spiritual things.
- The teachers at Phon's school are very anti-Christian, forcing the children to participate in Bhuddist rituals and teachings.