2006-11-18

An Encouraging Testimony from a Dong Believer

It is wonderful when we are able to share in praising God when he brings about growth in the lives of fellow believers. And when there are so few Dong believers, watching them and praying for them as they grow is a special joy.

This lady's testimony of God's leading and faithfulness was related to DongTeam and can be an encouragement for those of us who are praying to know that God is indeed answering our prayers. Here is her story:

"I knew the job opportunity was God's provision. My husband and I were really struggling financially and did not know what to do. We had a lengthy conversation about our troubles, but could not find any possible solution, especially in the winter when there are no crops to sell.

"The next day, I received a call with a job opportunity in the town thirty minutes away. I had inquired for a job there before, but there were no openings. And right when we needed it most, we received the call with the new opening.

"It had to be God. So, my husband and I went into town to nail down the job opportunity. I mentioned to him that I really wish we could find our Christian friends who live in town, but I do not know where they are right now or how to find them. I went into my meeting with the trainers for the job, and my husband went to take care of some business around town.

"When I came out of my meeting, my husband said he had run into our Christian brother and sister and they were waiting for us to go to their house where they had prepared lunch! And that is not all, as I look for an apartment to stay in the town, I did not really know whether to travel back and forth from the village or to try to stay the night in the town with the expense of staying at a guest house. Without me saying anything, our friends offered a place at their home till I found an apartment.

"It is still a trying time: till our ducks are sold off soon, my husband and daughter will need to stay in the village, not to mention the financial pressure which is still on us. It is encouraging to know that God is taking care of us and providing for us."

Amen! Let us rejoice in God's provision for our Dong sister and continue to pray for her that God will use this financial struggle to bring glory to his name again.
Lord Jesus, we thank you for leaving your Holy Spirit to comfort us and intercede for us. We thank you that the inner longings of our heart are made clear to the Father even if we ourselves do not know how to pray. We thank not only for providing for our Dong sister, but also helping her to see in these two instances of how you are providing for her and her family instead of missing the blessing.
They still have struggles ahead and we ask that you would continue to give them wisdom, especially with her in town and her husband and daughter back in the village. Please give your encouragement to them both and help them to seek your will and to learn to trust everything you say.

1 comment:

  1. Well, though this may have been encouraging to read, the situation has already changed. DongTeam just received word that this sister lost her job. This is going to be a very rough time for her and her husband, and instead of being discouraged after such a wonderful praise, we should keep focused on one core issue in this praise: following God's guidance.
    She assumed this was God's will based on the thought of how good a situation this was. As we pray for her, we should keep a few questions in mind. How can we pray for God to use this situation to help her grow? Was it his will and she actually disobeyed in some other way? How can she learn to discern his will without just trying to put God's stamp of approval on her own plans?
    It is hard to say for those of us not intimately informed of the details, but we can still pray. Let us pray for her and her husband. Let's pray that God will use this to teach her how to follow his will and discern whether it is his will or just her own idea.

    ReplyDelete