Recently, we began taking our IMM students up into the mountains to start getting acquainted with the villagers. There are literally hundreds of small villages dotting the hillsides, far, far from the beaten track. So far, not many people that we have come in contact with had any idea of who Jesus is or what He did for them. Some have never even seen a white person before, and the last thing they expect is for a strange white person to be able to speak to them in their own language!

All of this evangelism is being done using our aging motor bike. On Friday morning, either Jason or Travis pile two students and all their stuff onto the motor bike, and away they go, looking rather crowded for sure, but with big happy grins on their faces. They drive for many hours that way, over bumpy… I mean REALLY bumpy “roads”. (In the western world, they would not warrant the name of “road” at all)

Sometime during the day, they will come across a small village somewhere high up in the mountains, and will stop and gingerly get off the bike. (It is always a miracle to be able to walk after a ride like that, especially if there was a crash or two along the way) They usually look to see where the people are gathered and then go and join them. Karen people love to visit, and the entrance of three strangers just makes their day more interesting. The driver and the students join in whatever activity is going on at the moment and get to know the people. (This weekend, they helped to shuck corn) They are always invited to eat and stay the night, and by the next morning, they have made new friends.

In this area, if you want to reach someone with the gospel, you have to make friends with them first. They have to learn to trust you, or they will never accept your doctrines. So this phase of evangelism is very important to our missionary endeavors.

In the future we hope that these contacts will prove to be the entering wedge for bringing health care and the gospel to these remote places. Please pray for our students and their fearless drivers as they enter new territory for Jesus.