Gospel to the Karenni

Just got home from Beh Meh's house, in a torrential downpour, where Mary and I have been sharing Bible teaching gospel lessons to Karenni refugees living in Marshalltown. Its a real deluge tonight! Had to navigate the Azera to higher ground to keep the hood of the car above water on the way home. Soaked to the skin, and lost a cover on the undercarriage, but rejoicing in Jesus Christ!

Some of our Karenni friends

Several of the Karenni are professing faith in Jesus Christ, and understand that we come to God only through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ shed for our personal sins against. The Karenni here are predominantly a Buddhist people (with some Animist, some Catholic), and we continue to share the word of God and pray for the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts. Time will tell if they truly understand, but we are thankful to God for the chance to point them to the Lord.

We've been ministering to these dear people over the last year or two, but have only been able to minister to physical needs and to show the love of Jesus Christ by helping them with doctor appointments, visits to the dentist, helping understand bills to pay, and even to bury their dead. This happened on New Year's Eve, and it stirred us to seek the Lord in prayer for some way to communicate the gospel to them.

Mary with young man who did some interpreting

I found a Karenni refugee ministry website that had Bible teaching videos in the Karenni language (Kayah), taught by Karenni men and women. A sister in Christ burned the videos onto a CD, and through the use of my laptop, the church projector, a set of speakers I acquired, and an old projector screen I had at my office,Mary and I have been going every Saturday evening, showing 2-3 Bible teaching videos and asking & answering questions through several of the young guys and gals who speak a little English.

Please pray for these people, for Mary and I, and for this ministry God has blessed us with. Pray for faithful interpreters. We need more teaching resources, so keep that in prayer, too. The video format is perfect, because although we can get New Testaments in the Kayah Li language, some are unable to read in any language. I've been in touch with other missionaries to the Karenni people here in the States, and my hope is that they will be able to provide us with further preaching and teaching resources for the people here.