“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Pastor Yam felt the call of Acts 1:8 strongly in his heart when he first became a Christian. However, he felt before he could reach the ends of the earth with the good news of Christ, he needed to start in “Jerusalem;” he needed to share the Gospel with his own immediate family members. So Yam began his journey there.
Yam’s father and uncle had long been devout animists – believing in the existence of individual spirits that inhabit natural objects and phenomena. They regularly worshiped idols and prayed to their ancestors. When Yam shared his belief in Christ, they refused to listen to him out of fear of their society’s rejection of Christians. Yam tried again and again to reach his family members with the Gospel but met closed doors at every turn.
Recently, after several years of pushing ahead in this way, Yam’s father suddenly became ill with inexplicable seizures. He would experience sudden bouts of unconsciousness that were very dangerous due to their unpredictable nature. No treatment could be found at hospitals. Yam’s father finally was without excuses to refuse the possibility that Yam’s beliefs could help him. He asked Yam to pray for his healing. Yam prayed fervently over his father, and he received the healing they asked for. Yam’s father and uncle were amazed, and both immediately prayed for Christ’s forgiveness and acceptance. They have since become active members of the body of Christ in Yam’s area.
Yam sees this as a direct answer to his prayers, and a fulfillment of the first part of God’s calling on his life. He says, “This is the greatest joy in my life, to see my dad coming to faith in Jesus Christ… The Lord really answered my prayers.” Yam’s journey will continue as he and his family reach out to more and more people in their area, winning new members for the family of God, but this victory has brought new life to his mission. Please pray for Yam and our other pastors as they face great opposition with resilience and passion to spread the Gospel.