Saved and Dry

“Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, ‘This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.’ They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.” Acts 8:9-13, NIV.

Udom was a respected, sought-after Lua witch doctor. When it came to social status in the Lua village, Udom was on top. Like many Lua men, Udom struggled with an addiction to alcohol. His addiction was destroying his health.

After so many years of alcoholism, Udom’s health failed and he ended up in the hospital. IMB missionary to the Lua Brooks Harrell visited Udom in the hospital. He prayed for Jesus to heal Udom of his addiction.

God answered Brooks’s prayer. After getting out of the hospital, Udom no longer had any desire to drink, and he knew that it was not the spirits he used to heal people that had made him well. He knew Jesus had healed him, and he committed his life to follow Christ.

It has been four years since Udom made his commitment to follow Christ. He has not gone back to alcohol since Brooks prayed for him in the hospital. Udom continues to grow in his relationship with Christ. Recently he traveled to two other Lua villages and gave his salvation testimony. His willingness to share is unusual within his tribal culture, but it clearly shows the work of God in his life.

Because Udom used to be a witch doctor, his testimony carries great weight in the villages. His background gives him immediate relevance to his audience. When he shares, people listen; he is using his influence to point people to a personal relationship with Jesus.

Pray that:

God will bless Udom and his family as they share the Gospel with the Lua people.

Udom’s prayers for a church in his village of Nong Plaa will be answered before the end of 2008.

God will gloriously save more witchdoctors from among the Northern Hill Tribes of Thailand.

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