Yesterday we were
12-13 people who went to a suburb of Ubon called Tha Bor and had a outdoor
Christmas celebrations. Tha Bor was much affected during the flood this fall. Most people had to flee from their homes. They need
material help, but many are poor, sick and discouraged. We have helped but the reconstruction is going slow.
They say, "You are the only ones who came and helped us". And they are so grateful.
More than 95 people came last night. While everything was being prepared, Anna and I
walked around among the homes. Their stories are terrible. And when we said: Can we
pray for you? They said: What is prayer? Who is Jesus? What is
peace? The reason of this was not because we used wrong language.
Most people think that Christmas is the birthday of Santa Claus. And that Christianity is another religion with additional rules and more "must". Now is time to tell them: The meaning of Christmas, about Jesus and about the Gospel of Grace.
In everything it is easy for us all to be caught up inside an institution, inside the Church and even inside a Mission Centre. But Jesus tells us: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations ...... and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
It seemed like most of these 95 people yesterday got the good news about Jesus, salvation and grace, for the first time. The next step is now to build disciples.
Ingvar (Fred)
