THE FRUIT WILL COME
Many unreached tribes have never heard that God can give them freedom from bondage to the evil spirits that harass them. The traditions passed down from their ancestors have no promise of eternal life. Not knowing that God who created them has provided a way of salvation, they have no peace or joy to make life worth living.

My partner Ursie and I took the good news of salvation to a tribe in L that had no written language and no knowledge of God। We hiked over a mountain with backpacks and then visited about twelve villages where the T people lived. We had phonograph records in their language that had been made by earlier missionaries.

As we left each village I wondered if the seed we had sowed would bring forth fruit। How long would it be until someone would declare their intention of following Jesus? One man told us that he was thrilled to hear that Jesus could release him from his bondage to the spirits। "If a few other families would decide to go the Jesus way, I will join them," he said। "But I’m afraid to be the first one to go on the Jesus path। The spirits would be very angry and might bring sickness to my wife and children," he explained. The same excuse was repeated in other villages. Faith in Jesus was not difficult, but turning away from the old paths was dangerous.

We planned to return to the T people to live among them and learn their language। But later that year the war spilled over from Vietnam। We were not allowed to return to this dangerous area because the people were being forced to help the north Vietnamese soldiers who regularly came through their villages। Years passed with the war continuing, and in 1975 all missionaries had to leave Laos। It seemed unlikely that the T people could ever hear more about the Jesus way। Would there ever be fruit from our visit to their villages? Would they always live in darkness?

God had a plan। We prayed for this tribe during the intervening years, and we influenced many of our friends to pray। This prayer cover was needed before fruit would come। The seed had been planted and would sprout when the time was right. But who could go to them?

Some of the B tribe in south Vietnam began to follow Jesus। Several missionaries had lived among them and had translated part of the Bible into their language, so they understood clearly that there was only one God, the Creator God, and He had much more power than the evil spirits. But the government feared that they would lose power over the people if more became Christians.

When the Vietnamese authorities began to pressure these believers and put them in jail, many crossed over the border into Laos and built new villages। They continued to practice their faith and won many people to Jesus, even some among the T tribe. Many began to follow the Jesus path.

The communist authorities in L became alarmed because Christians were multiplying in the T tribe। Finally they told them, "The Jesus religion is an American religion। We do not want anyone in our country to follow Jesus. You must stop now and return to serving the spirits. If anyone does not stop, we will arrest him on March 30."

That day was a Sunday। The believers decided they would be bold and meet for church as usual। When the Patriotic Front leader came to the village that day, he was astonished to see nearly 200 believers meeting for church, including women and children. He knew the jail could not hold all of them, so he left without arresting anyone.

Boldness is the best response when our faith is attacked। Fruit will come in many places if we are faithful to ask God to bring fruit from the seed that has been sown।

– Rosemary Watson