Finding True Happiness and Peace in South Asia
When you land in a certain South Asian country, you feel like you have stepped into a magical and mystical kingdom. The ornate buildings, the quietness, the lush mountains, even the people in their traditional dress of a bygone era. All of it brings a sense of awe. However, with it being a Buddhist kingdom, there are strict laws on evangelism. It is believed that there are only 1-1.5% Christians, which is about 10,000 people.
This country is one of the few monarchies in the world and they are deeply devoted to their king — for good reason. His focus is on the welfare of the people. One of the main tenets of the government is the Gross National Happiness Index (GNH index).
There is freedom for anyone to believe and follow their understanding of faith, however no church buildings are allowed. A believer can practice one’s own religion within the home. Unlike other places in this area of the world, home churches are allowed, as long as the neighbors don’t complain.
There’s freedom for all faiths, but no church buildings are allowed here.
We were able to meet some believers on a recent trip there and hear how God reached them. One young woman told us about how she found a gospel tract. As she read the words, “are you truly happy?” she knew deep down that she wasn’t.
The question was directly challenging the GNH index. At 15 years old she was not happy. A conflict with a nearby country was making her anxious and worried. But the tract explained that the Creator of the world could bring happiness — true happiness.
She read, “If you receive Jesus, if you believe in him, you will have eternal life and peace.” She believed and invited Jesus to live in her heart. The flood of peace came! Even though her family was deeply grieved and upset, this newfound peace remained. Eventually many members of her family saw her faith and came to believe as well, but it took years.
She desired, like many others, to receive biblical training, so she left the country for a short time. But this isn’t an option for many, who can’t leave because of jobs and family.
This is a country that the Lord has put on our hearts. Can you imagine our joy when we were invited to teach a small group in one of the homes of some believers in this country? Their hunger for learning and the joy we saw during those few days filled our hearts with thanksgiving.
It is interesting how the expat community is growing in this South Asian country. There are many people finding jobs advertised on the internet! The need for teachers is great, as most of the schools are in English. Is the Lord leading you to be a Christian teacher in South Asia?
We know without a doubt that God loves this place, and in the short amount of time we’ve spent there, we have come to love it as well. In all of South Asia there are only two countries where we have no work, this being one of them. Pray that the Lord would help us to establish His kingdom there — one more place to know His grace.