The story of Aba, the young man who came from Burma.  If you want to know the kind of situations I run into when I am in villages then this is a typical one.  Aba is 27 years old and he came across the border from Burma three years ago to this Akha village looking for a better life, because of the conditions in a country with a military dictatorship.  He had a relative in this village on the Thai side.  He came over from Burma through the jungle and at night.

Upon settling in Mehter, he then met his wife, married and now has two children; a boy and a girl.  All the while his brother-in-law was a helper to him as he was now in a new land and a new culture, at least outside the village.  If he would go to work in the tea fields for Chinese landowners then he would have to gradually learn the Thai language.

When he came to the new Akha village in Doi Mae Salong, this was now the first time to hear about the person of Jesus.  Previously, he had heard about God but now he started to hear the stories of Jesus.  He began to notice a big difference between Christian Akha and non-Christian.  The Christians sing!  Sing songs of joy about God.  He was introduced to an Akha song book. 

Previously, I had noticed him in the village, but now I had the opportunity to hear his story.  His situation came to light because he had a motorcycle accident and his heel was injured.  He uses a piece of bamboo as a walking stick.  I saw him limping and so I asked about his situation.  Aba's goal is that he wants to be baptized when he is 30, as I mentioned he is 27.  Because of his injury, he is not able to work so through the help of American Baptist Churches, I gave him a sack of rice and some fertilizer for his coffee garden.  He was delighted.

Let us pray for Aba such that his motorcycle injury will heal.  Using herbs from the forest is not always the best solution.  Then let us pray that his enthusiasm for Jesus will not diminish and he will get baptized.  God's Word continues to spread in the hills of northern Thailand among the Akha.

Blessings,

Chuck Fox