Wallice's Pakistani bibles and song books
As the 6 of us sat cross legged on the ground, the sound of hushed praise filled the room. I felt like I was in an underground church. We had to be quite so as not to draw attention to ourselves because this family could be arrested at any moment if discovered. We had no instruments or songs to sing along with. A sound system was no where to be found. But we had something better; we had our own voices to sing with, hands to keep beat, and passion. We had the Holy Spirit.
Where was I? What was I doing? I was spending the night with a family that I met through Life Raft a few months ago and have been helping ever since. *Wallice and his family are the perfect example of what it means to glory in tribulation and trust God with your life. After severe persecution in Pakistan they lost everything and came to Thailand in hopes of finding safety. They had no idea that they would be in danger again.
On Friday I went to stay with this family for the night. We had been talking about having a sleep-over for a while now, and this weekend worked perfectly. At times throughout the evening everything seemed normal. The kids played a game on the computer while the adults chatted. But the sickening reality came rushing back with a knock at the door. Everyone immediately fell silent and all giggling ceased abruptly. Fear and uncertainty hung thick in the air. This night could go really bad really fast if the police were on the other end of that little door (which suddenly seemed incredibly thin and flimsy). We waited silently and held our breaths. When it turned out to be a neighbor everyone was able to exhale and the kids picked up their game where they left off. This is no way to live was all I could think. How do they do this every day?
But their present circumstances don't dampen their faith. They fuel it. This family is SO rich in Spirit and full of hope. "I am praying all the time," said Wallice, "We are all praying so much, and my wife and I are fasting every week. We know that God will provide for us and deliver us. He knows everything that we need....I thank my God because he is so good." And He has been! It blows my mind. They received refugee status in a mere 2 months (compared to the typical 5 or more) and are already receiving support from a family in America which has made a huge difference in their lives, allowing them to eat, pay rent, and go to church. Just last week they had their resettlement interview to begin the next step of their journey: finding a new country.
Although they are quite far in their process with the UN, they are not out of the water until they board the plane. Up until that time they are still in danger of being thrown in the Detention Center or deported back to their country where people have already tried to take their lives. We are continuing to pray for God's favor on this family; that they would be resettled quickly and stay safe during the remainder of their time in Thailand. They have had some close calls (literally running from the police and hiding in a church) but I do not doubt that they will be okay.
This battle is being fought and won in on their knees in prayer.
Where was I? What was I doing? I was spending the night with a family that I met through Life Raft a few months ago and have been helping ever since. *Wallice and his family are the perfect example of what it means to glory in tribulation and trust God with your life. After severe persecution in Pakistan they lost everything and came to Thailand in hopes of finding safety. They had no idea that they would be in danger again.
On Friday I went to stay with this family for the night. We had been talking about having a sleep-over for a while now, and this weekend worked perfectly. At times throughout the evening everything seemed normal. The kids played a game on the computer while the adults chatted. But the sickening reality came rushing back with a knock at the door. Everyone immediately fell silent and all giggling ceased abruptly. Fear and uncertainty hung thick in the air. This night could go really bad really fast if the police were on the other end of that little door (which suddenly seemed incredibly thin and flimsy). We waited silently and held our breaths. When it turned out to be a neighbor everyone was able to exhale and the kids picked up their game where they left off. This is no way to live was all I could think. How do they do this every day?
But their present circumstances don't dampen their faith. They fuel it. This family is SO rich in Spirit and full of hope. "I am praying all the time," said Wallice, "We are all praying so much, and my wife and I are fasting every week. We know that God will provide for us and deliver us. He knows everything that we need....I thank my God because he is so good." And He has been! It blows my mind. They received refugee status in a mere 2 months (compared to the typical 5 or more) and are already receiving support from a family in America which has made a huge difference in their lives, allowing them to eat, pay rent, and go to church. Just last week they had their resettlement interview to begin the next step of their journey: finding a new country.
Although they are quite far in their process with the UN, they are not out of the water until they board the plane. Up until that time they are still in danger of being thrown in the Detention Center or deported back to their country where people have already tried to take their lives. We are continuing to pray for God's favor on this family; that they would be resettled quickly and stay safe during the remainder of their time in Thailand. They have had some close calls (literally running from the police and hiding in a church) but I do not doubt that they will be okay.
This battle is being fought and won in on their knees in prayer.
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