BletJhaw is so much better now than he has been for the past 6 years! Thank you for your prayers! Now we can return to BYT!
This year, the rainy season brought way less rain than usual; the ground stayed pretty dry right up until the time we were ready to return to BYT. Then it rained hard! A storm had come in from Vietnam, and after that storm passed it just kept raining. But we determined however, that on Thursday, September 24, we would go to BYT no matter what. Wednesday night it rained all night, but after heartfelt prayer the next morning, and under cloudy skies we set out on the motorbike carrying all the food we could manage to load on that bike! The road was slippery and wet, so we put the chain on the back tire and did not wreck one single time, although I abandoned the bike out of necessity and slid down a few steeps on my own a couple of times!
Just after we arrived to our home and stepped inside, the clouds broke loose in a violent downpour and we watched in amazement the wonderful power of God who holds the weather in check for two little medical missionaries returning to their sacred, divinely appointed work in the jungles of NW Thailand! Soon something in the sky caught my attention and caught my breath! There it was – something I had prayed to see this day – something full of reassurance and tender care from my loving Heavenly Father! A rainbow! I saw Jesus smile upon me in that beautiful sight! God always shows me that He remembers me when He sets His bow in the clouds at the most strategic times in my life. I am so in love with Him!
You can imagine the mess that greeted our eyes when we walked into our house after it had sat vacant for 2 months of the rainy season! Mildew and mold, dead bugs and lizards of all sizes and shapes, all the mess they leave behind, spiders and cobwebs. All the clothes in our boxes were moldy and smelly. We set in with a vengeance and disinfected that house from top to bottom. It took us 4 hours of non-stop scrubbing, but so rewarding. I just love being back. I’m singing all the day long!
The next day, Friday was a busy day. Most of the patients had waited 2 months to see us! I pulled out 3 teeth that day, two were easy,
but one lady took me about 30 minutes to pull her tooth! It was a strong upper 2nd molar that had broken in half when she bit into something hard. Therefore it was difficult to get a good grip on it with a cowhorn extraction instrument. She had been in a lot of pain with it, so I knew I must succeed in pulling it out. Very rewarding when finally it came loose and popped out! Three complete roots – nothing broke off! So nice!
My patients are all very thankful and good because they are so happy that I am there and they can get rid of the offending teeth!
Also on that Friday we were asked to have 2 different worships. One was in DJ’s distant rice garden. These rice gardens represent a LOT of hard work. It was a worship of thanksgiving for the lovely family and the good rice crop, which was growing tall and beautiful! I was so happy that BletJhaw was able to hike about an hour one way over a very steep slippery mountainside. It poured with rain while I was leading out the worship in the little rice hut, and continued raining when we ate our food afterwards. This made it extra hard to track out – so steep – so slippery, but what a blessing!
The rice fields are so beautiful this time of year!
After many more patients, BletJhaw conducted Friday evening vespers in the church. I couldn’t stop smiling. I was so happy to meet with the people! Directly after the vespers we went to SiGler’s house in the village because he had requested worship for his family and many church members came along. They have 2 children ages 9 months and 3 years. SiGler had been raised Buddhist. But had been baptized into our SDA church 2 years ago, however he had a hard time letting go of the superstitions and traditions that he grew up with. Last week he told us that he saw a python. This is a bad omen in the Buddhist faith if you have a child under one year old. You can expect something bad to happen to that child after seeing a python. SiGler is afraid and called us to have worship in his home. I am very sad for him because he is still clinging to his old ways. It’s my turn to do this worship and I pray that God spoke to the hearts of this family. Oh may they see the mighty power of God and His love and watch care for them. May they turn their hearts in faith and belief in Him as their personal Saviour. He is all they need. John 8:32 “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free!” Free of superstitions and free of fear!
What a blessed Sabbath! The little children had missed me. They pressed in beside me during the meetings! How I love that! We have three church meetings on Sabbath: Six thirty a.m. worship, nine thirty SS and church, and 5:00pm AY meeting. BletJhaw did the early morning worship, and SS. I did the sermon titled: “Longing for Heaven.” Somehow I feel that most of the congregation is with me when I preach. I experienced the freedom to speak to these beautiful people today. The Holy Spirit is in our midst. Peace and joy flood my heart.
Sunday dawns sunny and bright! It is a church work bee today to cut all the weeds surrounding the church and our house! About 20 people show up, men and women. They are very strong and used to cutting everything with those machetes! Also there were 4 weed eaters at work. We all cut, hoed, and chopped those six foot weeds all morning and into the afternoon. A transformation has taken place. The jungle has been pushed back and now you can see our house and church property once again!
To God be the glory! I am His and He is mine!
Gayle