Touching The Future
Live Global Team Member | The Ancient Path Project
*the photos included here are not of the individuals mentioned in story*
Time travel has been a feature of countless sci-fi books and movies. We all know it is fiction, but for one man in a remote location in war-torn Myanmar, changing the future is his life’s work. “Tom” * believes that he can transform a pagan, animistic, primitive culture in one generation. How does he plan to accomplish this? Not by time travel. Tom and his wife have opened their home to more than a dozen children from Unreached People Groups (UPGs). The children first learn how to brush their teeth, take a bath, sleep in a bed, and tidy up after themselves. They also learn about the God who created them and how they can be reconciled to Him through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who has power over all spirits. (*Name changed for security reasons.)
Tom says, “We can impact the younger generation and change the future for these UPG groups by giving back educated young people with moral character and the desire to contribute to society. Sowing believing young people back into the villages will eventually reap a harvest for the Kingdom.”
Tom has begun to hold classes for young people from five different language groups. About a dozen elementary age kids are already attending classes in English, Computers, Math, and the Burmese language. A basic understanding of who Jesus is and what it means to be a follower of Christ is also part of the daily lessons. In addition, his wife teaches basic sewing skills to anyone who wants to learn. These young people all come from people groups that are unreached (less than 2% claimed adherence to Christianity). Until our partners started this initiative in this area, these groups were also “unreached.” In a country rife with civil war, a house with four or five ethnicities peacefully living together in close community is winning hearts in the community. Four of these young people were recently baptized.
This month, five boys arrived from a northern district. Their parents, unable to work in the tea field because of fighting in the area, sent them four hours south by car with the local indigenous missionary. They arrived with all their possessions in one garbage bag. The fear of seeing them starve has been used by God to bring them into contact with the gospel.
Most of these children have no knowledge of the Bible, the God of creation, or Jesus Christ. One boy was given a Bible and in the front cover he wrote: “Oh...God. Do I not own my life? I don't mean to be in pride. But I just genuinely believe and practice Buddhism. People are saying I will go to hell because I believe in Buddha and not Jesus. I don't believe in You. Do I sin when I don't believe in You? God . . . if You truly own my life, please take my life within a month." Please pray that this young man will learn that yes, following Jesus will cost him his life (Luke 9:24), but he will not die! In fact, he will live forever.
Each day Tom and his wife see the changes taking place in the minds and hearts of these children. Slowly, they are seeing that the old ways are ways of fear and hopelessness. Tom says, "The future is not spirits and superstition – the future is changing!"
If you would like to “touch the future” of some of the least reached language groups in remote areas, please consider helping these national partners provide an education. You can read about how you can make a difference on the Live Global project page.
The Ancient Path Project is reaching the least reached language groups through strategic partnerships with national believers.
