For Maria, the first person in her village to believe in Jesus, faith is tangible. Faith is a part of her everyday life and part of the social challenge of living in Myanmar, while miracles are the way of seeing God’s love in the life of her family. In 2012, as part of her parents’ […]

For Maria, the first person in her village to believe in Jesus, faith is tangible. Faith is a part of her everyday life and part of the social challenge of living in Myanmar, while miracles are the way of seeing God’s love in the life of her family.

In 2012, as part of her parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, her dad Abraham was baptised. He chose the anniversary time as it would also be a witness to his relatives and his community of his love for Jesus.

Recently, at the age of 103, Maria’s father Abraham died.

But Maria’s faith story doesn’t begin with Abraham nor her mother Sarah.

As Maria gave her testimony, Sarah and her two sisters, Mary and Sophia were present.

“I was born a Hindu. Our family was very rich and had a lot of land in the surrounding villages. My father was uneducated. He took out a loan and the interest was so high that we could not repay the debt. We lost our property and could not pay for food, so my older sister went to work in Yangon.

At this time my mum had troubles with her eyes and her stomach. She had to go to hospital and I had to care for her. After the hospital bill was paid for, we didn’t have the money for even one meal at home.

Although the youngest, and our culture doesn’t encourage me to work, I went to Yangon city to work as a house help. By God’s grace, he sent me to a Christian home where they shared Jesus’ love with me. I told them I was born Hindu and I don’t worship other gods.

My health had always been very good. However when I reached Yangon, I started having nose bleeds. I prayed to other gods for healing, but no one answered. I challenged the family – “I will pray to your God, and if the nose bleeding stops, I will believe in Jesus Christ.” That night, while sleeping, I had a dream about a man in a white gown. He was laying his hand on my nose and telling me I would be healed. I went to the doctor the next day and the nose bleeds had stopped.

In my heart I was already changing too.

I told the pastor who came to visit that I wanted to accept the Lord Jesus Christ. He invited me to his church and I was baptised.

When I went back to the village, there was a Hindu festival happening and my family were celebrating in the traditional way of dress and colouring on their foreheads. I tried to escape this for three days as I had not yet told them I was baptised. My mother was very ill again, so I invited my pastor to come visit and pray for her. After I accepted Jesus Christ, he continued to bring healing and blessing to our home. God always answers our prayer every time we pray. No other gods have done that.

All the things we need – God has provided when the time is right.

By 2015 we had repaid all our debts and the Lord provided a husband for me. I now have a family and we live in Yangon. We fear and believe in this God who is living and who answers our prayers.

In the past we prayed, prayed, and prayed for many things to the Hindu gods but never received any answer. But Jesus Christ, the living God, always listens to his children when we cry out… and he answers.

My two sisters are Christian but my brothers are not.”

The first baptism in the village was in 2010 when Sarah (Maria’s mother) was baptised. She had to be carried because she could not walk. She could walk again after she was baptised. At that time Maria’s sisters and five others were also baptised.

“When my father passed away many of my relatives did not go to the funeral. Some of my uncles threw a separate Hindi memorial because they thought that what the family did, was not good enough for Abraham.”

Miracles happen, love flows and challenges still continue.

Please pray for Maria’s mum Sarah -for her health and for the women of the family who no longer have their father to look after them. Please also pray for the building of an evangelism shelter.

Many of our partner churches are working in new territory for the kingdom of God; therefore, spiritual attack is their everyday reality. As a member of a congregation, school, or family, or a couple or individual, you are invited to commit to praying for our partners in mission. For regular prayer point updates, go to www.lca.org.au/international-mission/act-now/pray

Read more stories about our partner churches in Myanmar at https://www.lcamission.org.au/category/stories/international-partners/myanmar/