DAWN Fridayfax 1997 #11

DAWN News from Sudan, Switzerland, Thailand, Nepal

Sudan: Martyr's death starts revival

The Sudanese evangelist Benjamini Youhanna, father of two small children, was incredibly enthusiastic about being able to plant new churches in Sudan. Following a pastor's seminar on the subject in summer 1996, he decided to go into the Nuba mountains in Southern Sudan to plant churches. We have just heard that the police there laid a trap for him, and he was killed on 24 December 1996. When the people in the Nuba mountains heard this, many said to themselves "If Youhanna is willing to come a long way and even die for this, we want to continue with what he started." Since then, at least 5 men have decided to follow in his footsteps, and there is revival starting in the area.
Source: name and address withheld.

Switzerland: Moslem sees Christians praying for her in a dream

Quite unexpectedly, an employee went into her Christian boss's office, and said "It is rather embarrassing for me, but my conscience and my husband have been pushing me for the last two weeks to tell you that I saw you very clearly in a dream." Kneeling, with his hands lifted, which she demonstrated in front of him, he had been praying for her and her unborn child. She had no idea what he believed or what it meant. The woman is a Moslem, and has had repeated miscarriages. She is now 39 years old and again pregnant, and told her boss that she and her husband would be grateful if he would pray for her unborn child, which they want so much.
Source: Vreni and Heiner Thur, 9500 Wil, Switzerland, tel. (0041) 071-923 51 81

Thailand: 9 churches planted after deliverance from demons

Soontawn Rawang, a missionary from Buriram Province near Thailand's Khmer border tells of how a demon-possessed girl showed her village the way to the cross: The people in the region are animistic spiritists. One demon was particularly feared, because anyone who joked about him became ill. The missionary fasted and prayed before going to the village to evangelise. During the meeting, the demon spoke through a girl, saying that it did not please him that Christians had come to the area, and that they should be forbidden to preach in the village. However, before the group could do anything against the missionary, he commanded the demon to leave the girl. "All the villagers present stood there, shocked and trembling," says Rawang, "but others from the village soon came and asked that we also pray for them. Inside one month, 9 churches were planted in the district."
Source: Sower's Ministry, Hong Kong, http://www.sowers.org

Thailand: 134 families become Christians as prayer for rain is answered

Lun Poobuanak, a ceaseless Thai missionary among the Buddhists and animists in Thailand's Kalasin Province saw a whole village of 134 families turn to Christ when God answered his prayer for rain. One Sunday morning, during a service for a small number of Christians in the village, the village leader interrupted with an unusual offer: "If you will ask your God for rain this month, all 134 families in the village will worship your God and become Christians." The harvest in the fields was almost ruined, because the monsoon rains had not come. "I started by warning them not to play with God," says Lun, "but they said that they were serious, and swore to become Christians if the prayers were answered, saying 'If we don't, your God can judge us.'" Lun gathered the Christians together to pray and fast for rain for three days. On the fourth day, there was a cloudburst so strong that all the canals and rice fields were flooded. "The rain was so intense," says Lun, "that the villagers came humbly to admit that Jesus is the only true and living God in the universe. All 134 families became Christians. Even now, people in the area are becoming Christians because of this."
Source: Sower's Ministry, Hong Kong, http://www.sowers.org

Nepal: from Saul to Paul

Utter was a very religious Hindu, and proud of his many activities. He was one of the village elders near Banthanti, high in Nepal's Annapurna mountains. He was not pleased that a group of Christians had started the Banthanti Victory Church in a neighbouring village last year, and was even less pleased that they were again evangelising there. He decided to put an end to the evangelisation, and went to one of the meetings. He sat down at the back and waited for a good opportunity to beat up the Christians. Something strange happened, though: before he knew what was happening, the meeting was over and he had listened to the whole sermon, feeling a power in the words which he had never before felt, and it had become clear to him that he was a sinner. Utter went forward at the altar call and decided to become a Christian on the spot. "I actually wanted to knock somebody's teeth out, but now God's word has broken me," he said. Uttar's whole family became Christians as a result of what happened to him, and now also belong to the Banthanti Victory Church. Again, a Saul became a Paul.
Source: Sower's Ministry, Hong Kong, http://www.sowers.org

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