Felt Peace

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27, NIV.

Peace and enlightenment to ultimate truth through the elimination of desires is the ultimate goal of a Buddhist monk. Charlie* is a monk studying in Thailand, and he found peace through a most unexpected source. He met a Westerner who had lived in his home country of Cambodia. The foreigner, named Mark, came to his monastery to teach about Christian beliefs and to help those monks who wanted to practice English.

Just before Mark’s friend, John, came to share from the Bible, Charlie developed a tropical boil on the back of his head. He felt weak and sick until John prayed for him. As soon as the John prayed, Charlie felt peace wash over him.

That night Charlie had a dream. In his dream a supernatural being appeared to him and talked to him about many deep and amazing things. The being was not scary like a ghost or evil spirit. Charlie felt a tremendous peace in his dream.

When Charlie shared about his dream with Mark the following week, Mark asked him, “Do you remember what the being said to you?”

“He used very big words, and I don’t remember them, Teacher Mark,” said Charlie. But one thing of which Charlie is sure is that he was immediately healed after John had prayed for him. He said, “As soon as John prayed for me  in the name of Jesus, I felt well and was able to study again.”

Charlie recently returned to Cambodia for a visit. After this visit he confided to Mark that he is considering going back to Cambodia and not finishing his studies. “I didn’t realize how much I missed home until I got back there. I’m not enjoying the international study program as much as I thought I would,” he said. After the healing and dream, it is obvious that God is working in Charlie’s life, but Mark and John are painfully aware that their opportunity to have a direct influence on him may be coming to an end.

*Names changed for security reasons.

Pray that:

God will draw Charlie and the other monks that attend Mark and John’s Bible classes to Himself.

Charlie will continue to have Christians come across his path to share words of truth with Him.

Pacific Rim workers will not become discouraged when the people they care about move on but will have peace that God will bring other believers across their paths to lead them to saving faith.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.