Upon his return, the young man from the Pa Then ethnic people told no one outside his immediate family, and they warned him to make sure he did not utter Jesus’ name outside their thatched-roof dwelling. They did not want him talking about foreign gods in their own home, either – until they realized the wages of their sin was indeed death as he had told them, and that Christ’s death and resurrection was their only hope of eternal life, the leader of a native ministry said.
Although Tuan had learned about Christ from a friend who was a native Hmong missionary in a predominantly Hmong village, the message of union with the one true God through Christ crossed ethnic lines, and soon other relatives heard and believed. Together they began walking the four hours to the Hmong village every Sunday for worship.
After one year of discipleship under the native missionary in the Hmong village, they had learned how to pray, worship and preach in Sunday services and began worshipping in their own village home, the ministry leader said. It was not long before police officers showed up.
They began worshipping in their own village home. It was not long before police officers showed up.
“The policemen came and said, ‘The Pa Then people have not believed in God for a long time, so you cannot become Christians,’” the ministry leader said. “But the Christian family said, ‘The Hmong people and Lu Mien people have believed in God for such a long time. So why can we Pa Then not believe in God?’ The policemen said, ‘You can believe in God, but you cannot gather to worship the Lord in your house.’”
Tuan’s church continued to grow, however, and before long 121 Pa Then villagers were meeting in his home. Police arrested Tuan several times.
“And he was beaten repeatedly many times,” the leader said. “But God had give him spiritual power, so that he was very faithful and continous to serve God.”
Word about the church spread, and Pa Then residents from a neighboring village came to ask about Christ, he said. In time 98 of them put their faith in Christ, and now there are two Pa Then house churches in the (undislosed) district.
“And there are four young men who offered their life to God, and they are studying in the Bible school,” the leader said. “Halleluja.”
SOURCE: Christian Aid Mission
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