Peng's Belief

From SPARK

Impact Story

Brief Summary

How can a life-long believer in evil spirits change his beliefs and place his trust for safety in Jesus Christ? Peng thought that a good spirit must exist as he saw the world around him so he followed up on a rumor that missionaries in his area knew about a good spirit. God gave him the courage to trust in Jesus and the opportunity to study the Bible.

Introduction

“Lord God, please send to us a courageous person – one who will follow You and become a light to this dark area when we leave.”

That was the prayer of John and Dorothy Davis, OMF missionaries to Laos. Dorothy and John were leaving for a home assignment in the USA, as Dorothy was having chest pains. A few people had professed faith in Christ as the Davises had preached God’s Word. But those few had soon fallen back into their traditional evil spirit appeasement.

Unknown to this discouraged couple, Peng lived in their area. “Somewhere a Good Spirit must exist,” Peng had concluded as he worked his fields. “Sunshine and rain make our rice grow. And the world is so beautiful. Did this all just happen? Or is there someone who caused it to happen?”

Peng’s father, a shaman, had spent his life appeasing evil spirits and Peng was slated to follow in his father’s footsteps. But Peng had heard a rumor: “The white people in town claim they know something about a Good Spirit who can deliver from the evil ones’ power.” Is this really true? His wondering led him to the door of the Davises the same week they had prayed for God to send to them “a courageous person.”

What was done

The Davises explained the Gospel carefully to Peng. When he heard that Jesus was the Son of the living God who had broken the power of evil spirits, he cried out, “That’s the One I want to follow!”

John noted the strings around Peng’s wrists. “If you want to follow Jesus, you must cut off your ‘spirit strings’,” he said. “You cannot serve the spirits and follow Jesus at the same time.”

“But how can I get home safely if I cut them off?” Peng countered. “Let me live here with you, then I’ll cut them off.”

John laid his pocketknife on the chair beside Peng. “Jesus is more powerful than the spirits. He will go with you and protect you if you will trust Him,” John patiently explained.

Minutes ticked by. Sweat broke out on Peng’s forehead. Finally, he reached for the knife… Looking down at the crumpled strands, he prayed, “Oh, Jesus, this man says that you are greater than the evil spirits. Please chase them out of my life. Protect me and forgive my sins.” Then with a great sigh of relief, he threw the strings onto the floor – behind him.

Results

A friend helped Peng learn to read. He avidly read leaflets the Davises left him. Near the end of the rainy season, women missionaries arrived in the town near his village. Rosemary Watson says, “Peng visited often and began to study God’s Word with us.” Though the Bible used in that Bible study was the Laotian one, the women gave him gospel records in his own language. During the dry season Peng attended a Bible camp for teenagers. The next wet season, rice planting time, Peng’s father allotted him five rice fields to plant on his own. He was permitted to commit these to Jesus’ protection instead of making a sacrifice to evil spirits. God kept his rice fields from damage by a storm and gave sunshine and rain to produce an abundant harvest.

By Aretta Loving