“I DO NOT EASILY GIVE UP!”
Bru Christians gathered together during Sunday worship.
“I received Jesus in 2005. From 2005 to 2017, we were under tremendous pressure and harsh persecution. We were evicted from our village and faced interrogation. Our 4-hectare farming land with rice paddy and banana plantation was confiscated and destroyed. My family and I were rejected by the village authorities for five years. We faced double persecution from villagers and government officers. l was jailed for one month. My wife had a motorbike accident and broke her shoulder bones. Later, she had a severe lung infection and almost died. Then she had a ruptured appendix. We also faced starvation, with no housing, food, or clothing. Bad things were happening one after the other.
All the villagers and neighbors discouraged us, ‘Stop believing in Jesus. Go and find a good job. It will be better for you to go back and join the army and serve there. It will be far better than believing in Jesus. Believing in Jesus, you have got nothing; nothing good. You are a fool and crazy!’ But l said to them, ‘l will surely have peace and joy after this tribulation or suffering.’ l quoted Matthew 6:33 to them, ‘But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’ After hearing the Word, they did not bother me anymore.
I felt lonely and discouraged because of our complicated life; full of hardship and trials. I cried to the Lord, “Oh God, my Father, please help me. I am not able to
stand any more. l don't see anyone besides me. l see only my dying wife lying in bed. May you comfort me, support me, and lift me. Strengthen me that l may be brave and truly believe your promise in Matthew 6:33.
After that, our situation got better. What happened to me and my family taught me to trust the Lord our God more. He is Just, Great, Almighty and always with me.”
Brother James (not his real name), our central coordinator among the Bru tribes in Laos, shared this testimony with us. He has become resilient through all the trials and tests. His love and desire to help his people compel him to improve himself. With the help of sponsors, he finished his Bachelor’s Degree in Church History, a rare opportunity for Bru people; most of whom finish only fifth grade.
“Looking at our situation, I am overwhelmed by so many problems: poverty, illiteracy, drugs, and no schools. We only murmur. We see injustice, but we only blame the situation and not thinking of solving the problem. After I heard about the vision to train the Bru people, my eyes were opened. I have hope. I do not easily give up. I will share this vision with my people until they understand.”
Ethnos Asia Ministries’ three-year Bru @ Highway IX project will start this May. 300 Bru leaders will be trained in discipleship, leadership, and agriculture in three years. The twelve Bru Core team's initial training will be this month. They will help recruit and follow up with potential leaders along Highway 9 in southern Laos. Pray they will not waver in their commitment as they catch the vision for the harvest in this training.
“We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”
