After an hour-long travel over bumpy roads, we arrived at a Kemu tribal village. Officially, there are 56 ethnic people groups in China. However, proper estimates raise that number to nearly 500. The Kemu are one of the smallest tribes in China.
As we entered the Kemu village, Lorna saw an old woman sitting by the corner of a stilted house. An elderly man welcomed our visiting American team to join them in his home. We sat on short stools, fanning ourselves because of the humid heat; our hosts offered us bananas and mangoes.
Our local missionaries introduced us to the host family. For a number of years, they have been traveling to kemp villages, sharing the Gospel message with everyone in the village. This unreached tribe heard the story of Jesus for the very first time through the testimonies of our local missionaries. They spend time teaching them the word of God, eating meals with them, working the fields with them, and regularly pray for the sick. Their missionary examples opened the eyes of the locals; they now believe that Jesus’ name has a the power to heal.
As we sat on the outdoor porch of the stilted home, Lorna’s attention fell upon a middle-aged Kemu woman sitting in the corner. She would not join the conversation and did not join us even when our hosts called her to his side. Lorna wondered why. She decided to pull up a short stool and sit beside the woman. She found out that the woman was the host’s older sister. She was only there to visit that day—a perfectly providential moment in time!
Lorna began sharing the Gospel message with her. But she was unresponsive. For nearly two hours, Lorna continued chatting with the woman about everything under the sun. Through the simple conversation, Lorna found out the reason she didn’t want to get up: she could not walk well! Just a few minutes on her feet brought unbearable pain in her knees. She had remained in this physical state for well over a year. She was unable to work in the fields. She could do nothing but sit or lie down. The boredom and pain on her face was evident.
During the drawn out conversation, Lorna learned that was an animist. She feared the spirit world, ever seeking to appease the gods through gifts, incantations, and sacrifices. But of all the gods she knew, she had never heard of Jesus before. Lorna proceeded to tell her the difference between her god and Jesus Christ, challenging her to seek the Truth. Lorna paused and asked the woman if she could pray that Jesus would heal her. She resisted. She explained that she was poor and had no money to pay our team for the prayers.
We came to understand that a number of cults frequented the village, collecting money from those who needed prayer for healing. After much convincing, telling her that our prayers were free and that the name of Jesus truly heals, the woman allowed us to lay hands on her and ask God for healing. Our local missionaries and visiting short-term team gathered round her and joined in prayer.
Immediately after our prayer, the Kemu woman stood to her feet! Lorna asked her to walk from one side of the porch to the other. She did! She gazed back at Lorna, smiled, then let out a joyous laugh. She said “I have no pain!” It was that simple! Jesus showed Himself as the Healer and Savior of the Kemu woman. She told Lorna: “now I believe that Jesus is a true God!”
When signs and wonders come, eyes are opened and hearts are softened! We must be willing vessels, obedient to every opportunity that God presents to us! The harvest is ripe. Will we willfully obey the commands of Christ and be light and salt to those around us?