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Candle in the Dark 06 : Ready For Sacrifice

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SIM East Asia
24 Apr 2024

Ready for Sacrifice

Neiwete Chirhah (Male)

 

Neiwete Chirhah, 58, comes from North East India and had served in South Sudan and Myanmar until God called him back to service in his homeland. He is blessed with a God-fearing and loving wife, Rovino. Their three children – Eliluu, Sesomiso and Micumiso – accompany them on their missionary journeys.

 

My parents were poor and illiterate but God-fearing and prayerful. Their example and Christian beliefs provided the foundation for my own faith in God as a child. My blossoming faith eventually developed into a desire to serve God in the mission field. This desire that took root in my childhood took a firm grip in my adulthood.

I grew up with two brothers and two sisters. My parents struggled to put them through school but finances were so tight that eventually they were unable to continue with their schooling. So, it was nothing short of a miracle that I could make it all the way to university.  But that privilege came with responsibility. I felt the burden to support my family financially after graduation but that desire to serve God in the mission field tugged relentlessly at my heart. For two years, I struggled between seeking a job to support my family and doing part-time Christian ministry and serving God full time. I had no peace in my heart.  I prayed for God’s direction and finally felt my calling confirmed by Jesus’ words, “No one can serve two masters….” (Mathew 6:24, ESV).

In November 1982, I told my parents about my desire to study theology and serve God in full-time ministry. My mother told me that she had often prayed, “Lord, you have chosen this child from my womb to serve you. May my son hear your voice. How can he serve you if he does not hear your voice?”  Soon after my parents gave their blessing, I felt peace and joy in my heart. In the years I served in the mission field, my mother’s prayer would be a constant reminder to me of my calling and to fully depend on Him and follow His ways. God led me to places that I never even dreamt of. It only exemplified how seeking the Lord’s guidance in all things is paramount.

I was led to serve God in South Sudan in my first year as a missionary. One day I fell sick with malaria and stomach flu. For days, I felt drained of all strength and energy. I also experienced a strange hollowness or void in my heart, spirit and body. I thought to myself that perhaps I was dying. I had heard that people on the brink of death sometimes had this strange feeling. My thoughts drifted to where I might be buried. But God had other plans for me. In April 2011 while transiting at Nairobi airport on my flight home, I suddenly felt my heart bursting with joy upon seeing the blazing morning sun. It was as if it had been a long time since I last saw one. I knew then I was miraculously healed. I also suddenly realised that South Sudan was shrouded in darkness and the few missionaries serving there were like bright shining stars. I can see dawn breaking for the Africans one day.

God led me next to the Naga area in Myanmar. We served there for nine years. Villagers in the Naga region endure extreme hardships and sufferings. They also live in constant fear of military skirmishes. On several occasions I was caught in the cross-fires. Each time, God protected me from harm. Facing such life-threatening situations, I could have sought greener pastures for my family. But I had committed my life to God and was prepared to die any day. The local people started noticing this and began talking among themselves, “He loves us and stays with us because he is a missionary of God.” In spite of the dangers, I was not consumed with fear. I was instead a testimony of the living God. I felt like a living burning bush with God speaking to people in and through my life.

I am thankful to be able to partner SIM in working together with churches to fulfil God’s mission locally and globally. Through SIM, many churches in NEI (North East India) are learning the importance of partnership in missions, member care, lifelong learning, thriving, and bearing lasting fruits. It is a joy to see churches sending workers to the field and we rejoice, too, that God’s hand is at work in and through the lives of missionaries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No More Spot

Nokdang Jamir (Male)

 

Nokdang hails from North East India and has been in the mission field for six years. He is currently teaching English at a university in Thailand. He is 52 and married to Amongla.

 

My wife and I taught English to a class of MBA students at a university in Thailand some years ago. It allowed us to not only reach out to the young professionals and intellectuals but also engage with the university staff and professors. We were often presented with opportunities for testifying to God’s power. I recalled one incident where God demonstrated His healing power.

On one clear sunny afternoon, we received news that the Associate Professor of our faculty was rushed to the hospital. We immediately set off for the hospital to visit her. On the way, we managed to get her on the phone to check on her condition. She explained that she had suddenly fainted the previous day and landed on the floor. The doctor did a CT scan of her brain and found a spot there.

When we reached her hospital room, she was preparing for MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). We asked if we could pray for her. She willingly accepted our offer of prayer. She put her palms together in the typical Thai Buddhist fashion when they pray to Buddha. It is called the wai posture. We laid our hands on her and prayed for complete healing of the spot in the name of Jesus, bearing in mind Jeremiah 17:14 (NIV), “Heal me, Lord, and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved, for you are the one I praise.

We left her as she was wheeled to the MRI room for further examination. We were informed the following day that the doctor could not find the spot in her brain at all. When we had a chance to talk to her later, she expressed that she experienced healing as we laid hands on her and prayed. We said we simply asked Jesus to heal her; it was Jesus who had removed the spot in her brain. We wanted her to know that there was nothing that was beyond God’s ability, that her miraculous healing stemmed from His power, that there was no way the human mind could unscramble the divine puzzle. She responded, “I like your teaching, and I am interested to know more about it.” The Bible tells us, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their own craftiness’; and again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile’” (1Cor. 3:19-20, NKJV).

We have now moved on to another city. The last we heard, the Associate Professor is doing well. We do, however, keep in touch on social media. We offer her prayers, share with her Bible verses and Christian songs. This is not the end of our ministry with her. It is only the beginning of a journey we will take together.

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