Christmas Events a Decade Apart

They had never heard the name of Jesus...

When we arrived in this remote city in the mountains of Southeast Asia, we started working with a group of 100 students at a ministry center. They came daily to have hot, nutritious meals and receive needed school supplies. Years of compassion work in the area paved the way for us to be the first cross-cultural workers to live long-term on the mountain.

Spending time with these precious students was a joy, but we longed to share the message of Jesus with them! The government constantly and highly restricted our gospel sharing, and we waited almost a full year before we saw an opportunity.

We threw a Christmas party for our students, and they heard the name of Jesus for the first time. Planting those first seeds in their hearts was a miracle: we had no interruptions and no government officials showing up to surprise us and “inspect” the activity! It was certainly a God-ordained moment.

The students listened intently—yet having never heard of Jesus, they did not fully understand or believe immediately. From that day, though, we shared in any and every way we could. It was slow going, telling parts of Jesus’ story at events throughout the year and even doing a small group study with high school students.

Ten years later, our Christmas celebration looks quite different: students sing carols with joy and laughter, and pray at the end of the story. There was never a big crusade where 100 students gave their lives to Jesus, but one by one they have come to faith. Some came in secret, not ready to tell their Buddhist parents and family for fear of isolation and persecution. Often the work felt slow, but God has done more than we could imagine in these ten years. I’m reminded that this is God’s work, not mine, and He is always at work to build His church in every corner of the Buddhist world!