“Jay, I think the neighbor is yelling at the
spirits.”
Dear
Friends, Family, and Church Partners,
I (Jenn) have always read about Thai spirit beliefs and seen the wide array of spirit houses and people offering incense at home and at temples, but never have I personally seen someone tormented by spirits. Until our neighbor…
Our Thai neighbor, Grandma “Pat” was talking loudly. I assumed she was speaking to her daughter. I was opening the curtains when I saw the neighbor holding her incense sticks and praying. But it wasn’t the usual, quiet, reverent prayers you would see a Thai person pray in Thailand. She was yelling! Eventually she put the sticks down, but her loud conversation, with no one, continued in her yard. I phoned Jason, “Jay, I think the neighbor is yelling at the spirits.”
Maybe an hour passed and the doorbell rang (yes, we are so fancy in Chiang Mai, we actually have a door bell!). It was Grandma Pat! There were too many mosquitoes outside to sit comfortably, so she insisted on coming inside.
She sat down on the couch and explained to me, “I aborted a baby once. The spirit of that child is at my house.” She believes that this child was able to be born again. There are two others. One of them is called Phii Baap, this is a widely known one in Thailand that they believe sits on people’s chests, allowing some to go into a panic attack. She explained that the spirits (I’m not sure which one or all) come and sit on her head and get into her stomach.
She’s tormented. She’s exhausted. She needs Jesus. The only thing that I knew that could do is pray for her, so we prayed.
Later, Jason had his Bible
prepared and marked with the stories of Jesus casting out demons.
Then a few days later (Jason’s story from here)...
Moriah and I were finishing up homeschool when we heard a big CRASH! Glass had shattered next door. Grandma Pat resumed her yelling. Rya and I stopped what we were doing and started to pray for her. About an hour later, me and the girls took a walk outside. Grandma Pat came out, looking exhausted and pale. “How are you doing?” I asked. She replied, “Tired.”
Pointing to her shoulder, she asks me, “Do you see if there is someone here with me? Is it a boy or a girl?” I saw nothing. She asked me, “Do you see what’s on my back?” I replied, “No, there’s nothing there.” She was surprised that I didn’t see anything.
I told her I had something special at my house that would help her with the spirits. She seemed very eager to receive whatever it was I had for her. I gave her the Bible and we read the marked passages. When we finished, she shot up a little and said that her body felt warm and not cold. I prayed for her. Later when we drove passed her house, she was inside reading the Bible. The next day we talked again and she looked more rested and healthy. I asked her if the Bible reading helped and she said, “it helped a lot.”
Please pray for Grandma Pat. That she would allow Jesus to remove the spirits from her and that she would fall in love with Him and His word.
Thank you for your prayers for the Thai people, our family, and the sacrificial gifts given to keep us on the field.
Blessings,
Then a few days later (Jason’s story from here)...
Moriah and I were finishing up homeschool when we heard a big CRASH! Glass had shattered next door. Grandma Pat resumed her yelling. Rya and I stopped what we were doing and started to pray for her. About an hour later, me and the girls took a walk outside. Grandma Pat came out, looking exhausted and pale. “How are you doing?” I asked. She replied, “Tired.”
Pointing to her shoulder, she asks me, “Do you see if there is someone here with me? Is it a boy or a girl?” I saw nothing. She asked me, “Do you see what’s on my back?” I replied, “No, there’s nothing there.” She was surprised that I didn’t see anything.
I told her I had something special at my house that would help her with the spirits. She seemed very eager to receive whatever it was I had for her. I gave her the Bible and we read the marked passages. When we finished, she shot up a little and said that her body felt warm and not cold. I prayed for her. Later when we drove passed her house, she was inside reading the Bible. The next day we talked again and she looked more rested and healthy. I asked her if the Bible reading helped and she said, “it helped a lot.”
Please pray for Grandma Pat. That she would allow Jesus to remove the spirits from her and that she would fall in love with Him and His word.
Thank you for your prayers for the Thai people, our family, and the sacrificial gifts given to keep us on the field.
Blessings,
-Jason & Jenn Byers
