Challenging Her Culture

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2, NKJV.

When Mor started following Jesus her entire life changed. Her feelings of fear and anger were replaced with a sense of peace and happiness. She began to look at her Hmong culture and challenge some of the assumptions that she had always lived with.

In Hmong belief it is unwise to take your child outside of the village because the bad spirit might harm the child. Because of this belief a mother either has to leave her baby under the care of a relative or stay home from working in the fields. Mor decided that she didn’t need to follow that cultural rule anymore, since Jesus was more powerful than the bad spirit. When she took her baby to the fields, her neighbors were shocked.

“Something bad will happen,” said one neighbor woman. But nothing happened.

Another Hmong belief is that washing clothes in the evening will invite bad spirits to harm your family. Again, Mor decided that those spirits had no power over her any longer, so she did her family’s clothes after working in the field one evening.

Many of her neighbors have asked her why she is doing these strange things, and Mor takes the opportunity to tell them about Jesus and how He changed her life. “People keep expecting bad things to happen to our family,” said Mor. “But instead our family is being blessed, and people are beginning to ask us more about being Christian.”

Pray that:

God will continue to bless Mor’s family as a testimony to her neighbors that Jesus is greater than the spirits they fear.

Mor will grow in her understanding of God and will exercise her freedom with love before her community.

Many Hmong will come to faith, and a church will be established in Monie Pruke before the end of 2007.

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