"We Believe"

By Braden Pewitt

Once there was a 13-year-old boy in a Pnong village who became very sick. His mother and father had just finished clearing a new field by the waterfall. What they didn't know was that a spirit lived near that waterfall. Without realizing it, they cut down the tree that he lived in. The spirit became fearfully angry and through a Jak sent a sickness to the boy. The boy grew worse and worse and his parents felt sure he would die.

The boy's parents called a Pu Mahum to their home. The healer looked into his divining stone and attempted to suck out the "kun" that the Jak had shot at the boy, but after seven days, the boys was still getting worse. So the parents called a Pu Ya-raep to come. He sucked on the boy's neck, but seven days later the boy was still sick. Becoming frantic, the parents called a Pu Phal to come blow on the boy. The healer chewed up some magic herbs and placed them on the boy, but he only got worse. After waiting the seven days the parents realized that again the boy was only getting worse. None of the healers had been able to do anything. Finally the parents took their sick child to the provincial medical clinic and asked for medicine. The doctors there could do nothing to save the boy.

Knowing their son was soon to die, the parents turned to the evil Jak. They knew that he could eat their souls, but they also knew he had great power. They watched as he used his fearful magic herbs. After seven days their son was not better. He stopped eating all together and was barely breathing.

A young Christian man also lived in the village. He was on his way into the provincial center to go to church when he saw the mother and father of the sick boy. They asked the Christian man where he was going. He answered, "I'm going to worship my God." A small spark of hope sprung up in the hearts of the mother and father and they quickly asked, "Can your God heal sick people?" The young Christian replied, "My God can indeed heal the sick."

After hearing the situation, the young man explained that they must believe that His God could heal their son. Then he told them he would go into town and bring some of his Christian friends back to pray over their son. Could their really be a god more powerful than their gods? Maybe there was! They needed to believe!

But as they turned back to their son, their hearts sank. He was gasping for breath, and then there was silence.

Four hours later the parents mournfully watched as the Christian man and his friends pulled up to their home. The parents pointed to their lifeless son lying limp and pale. The Christian man asked, "Do you believe that our God can make your son well again?" The parents looked at each other and both answered, "Yes, we believe!"

That young man and his friends then placed their hands on the boy and asked the Great God, the Creator God, the Savior, to come and heal the boy who had been eaten by the evil spirit. The parents watched in awe as the boy began to breathe again. The young Christians left and the parents began to rejoice. There was truly a Great God who cared for them -- greater than all other gods.

My language helper, Mboon, is the young Christian man who prayed over the boy with his friends.