Esther's Brave Decision

“Is there really such a God like that? It sounds too good to be true!”
This young village woman, who came to babysit our youngest child while we homeschooled our eldest two, was the first Zhuang person whom we led to the Lord. She responded immediately to hearing the gospel.
Since that day, we regularly studied the Bible together with her. Her hunger and desire for the truth grew and in a few months, she made a radical decision to be baptized. We saw how God had already prepared her heart to receive his salvation.
After Esther got baptized, she quit offering sacrifices at the local temple and stopped all forms of ancestral spiritism and any involvement with village witchdoctors. This decision shocked her community. Because of it, she faced immense persecution from her husband, in-laws and other villagers. At one point, a man tried to murder Esther because he resented his wife’s new faith in God and blamed Esther for her conversion. But God spared her life.
Esther continues to stand firm in her faith, being sure of the One she believed in and committed her life to. She reminds us of Queen Esther in the Bible. Not only was she beautiful on the outside, but deep inside was that firm, unwavering faith in God.
Over a period of time Esther faced many challenges and victories, trials and breakthroughs. But through it all, God’s plan for Esther became apparent. He was equipping her to be a faithful leader of the local church in her village. Today, she continues to live out her faith in obedience to the Lord through leading worship, initiating 40-day fasts, and encouraging fellow believers. It has been such an honor and privilege for us to share the gospel with her, to see her grow and to now partner together with her for God’s kingdom among the Zhuang!

And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? -Esther 4:14, ESV

 Ways to pray:

• Lord, we thank you for Esther and her amazing testimony. We pray for her and the local church she is leading, that they will continue to be strong in faith, unity and love for you and each other.
• Lord, we pray for more “Esthers” among the Zhuang, people called for a time like this. We pray for Zhuang believers to be bold and make radical decisions to live only for you, and to reach out to their family, neighbors and people around them.
• Lord, we pray for more workers among the Zhuang, that they will be able to hear the gospel in each of their 16 different main dialects. We pray for your kingdom to come among all Zhuang people.

Click HERE to learn more about the Zhuang people and other unreached minorities in the Mekong region.