On My Way - Journey to Thailand

Believers, Unite!

This past Monday, the day after the 4th of July, some friends and I got together for old times' sake. We had all been involved with a not-yet-official organization called Unity--the gathering of youth from various denominations to praise and worship God together. In the past, we have hosted and coordinated a fellowship day, a 3-day camp, and an outreach effort at the Hmong New Year of 2008 in doing skits, praise and worship, and manning our own booth distributing free water.

Anyway, I haven't seen these guys in what seems like FOREVER. So, my sister, Goldshoua, and I dropped by Charlotte on Monday for a quick hangout. Well, I'll tell you one thing--it wasn't quick (lol) but it was definitely worth the 2-hour trip. I was so incredibly encouraged by these guys that it was sad to bid them farewell! :(

From left to right: Joseph Vang, Johnny Kue, Mydur Xiong (me), Ben Vang, Goldshoua Xiong (my sister), Josh Vang

We watched the movie, The Last Airbender, that night and it was just absolutely...uh, well, let's just say we had more fun tearing it apart afterwards! :) We laughed and laughed till our pizza-filled bellies hurt. The rest of the night consisted of exchanging prayer requests, spirit-filled conversations, and a few games of banana grams (it's so fun, I think I'm addicted to that now).

What really touched me that night was how each person in their own unique way contributed well to the fellowship that night. As we exchanged prayer requests, instead of running down a bulleted list, we carefully discussed why our hearts were burdened for such things--and with that, every person offered what was heavy on their heart about it as well. For instance, topics of battling lust, self-esteem in appearance, finding one's calling in life, one's role in edifying the body of Christ as the Church, cultural issues in the Asian vs. Western mindset and how that plays a role in ministry...*sigh* it was all very filling to the soul. :) I love how God works; and I am incredibly blessed and honored to constantly hear about it through the testimonies of His children. That night, though we were all a part of different denominations (Methodist, C&MA, Trinity), we were able to build one another up and encourage one another according to God's command in Ephesians 4:

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

I am continually being reminded that we are the future leaders of our generation (1 Timothy 4:12)--and praise God, I see many already picking up that torch and starting on this race that is marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1).

Unity is an essential issue right now for the Hmong, both in Thailand and the U.S...please keep us constantly in your prayers. Thanks...

The Original Belief of the Hmong--Christianity?

So…I have heard two separate accounts about how the Hmong used to believe in God and worship Him alone. The first was when Pastor Somboon (Kaub) mentioned it to me in the summer of 2008. He mentioned a meeting of many witch doctors that got together and talked about how, in the past, the Hmong indeed worshipped one deity, the one true God, but have now turned aside from Him and unto idols that were given to us by other cultures. The second account was when one of the deacons at my church, Chaneng (Tsav Neej), mentioned how, before the great fall of the Hmong in the war against the Chinese, they worshipped one God and through Him, were successful in battle. However, just like Samson, they were deceived by the beautiful Chinese women and fell away in their faith. They were given over to the worship of meaningless idols, animism, and ancestral spirits. Coincidence? Or truth?

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ--the End Times

I had this dream in Thailand--sometime before my return to the United States in late March. It was in a unique sense, prophetic; I am still trying to figure out the real meaning behind it.

I was walking with a new friend and we came across a forest that seemed more like a battlefield. There were dead bodies lying everywhere...demons and humans were in the middle of combat! Everywhere we looked, the demons seemed to be winning as they beat down every human who crossed their path. "What is this?" My new friend asked. "What's going on here?" "It must be the end times," I answered her, being surprised that those words had escaped my lips at that moment. "Jesus is coming, and the demons know that their time is short. Therefore, they are trying to do all they can before He comes back." I looked up and saw a fenced off area where the demons seemed to be carrying people into captivity. Just then, I saw my father and one of the deacons from my home church approach the gate of the prison. "What are you guys doing?!" I yelled at them. "Don't go in there! You're going to get yourselves killed!" My father answered, "We have to go in there. We have no choice!" I was getting ready to say more when I saw my mother in the corner of my eye with a bushel of twigs, their ends puffing up in smoke. I immediately turned my attention to her. "What?! Mom, what are you doing here?" She goes, "Well, I have to go rescue the captives. If we don't set the captives free, how else are they going to get out?" she asked me. I groaned, knowing that what she said was true, yet I knew she would have to risk her life for such a cause. My mother and one of the women from the church rushed in as my father and the deacon from before came charging out carrying someone on a stretcher.

And then I woke up.

Watched by Angels

When I arrived at the Greyhound station in Milwaukee, I had some time to just sit and think while waiting for Josh Thao, the youth president of TCC Milwaukee, to come pick me up. I sat down and started going through my goodie bags packed by Dora and Pua (you guys are awesome! Thanks^^). Spotting a bag of gummy bears, I pulled it out and thought to myself, Gosh, I really don’t like gummy bears…God, if it’s pleasing to You, let me bless someone tonight with these. Initially, I had thought that I would just give them to someone at the pastor’s house that I would be staying at, perhaps Josh or one of his brothers. Yet, being inspired by Jaeson Ma’s 365 Days of Love project, I secretly asked God to provide an opportunity to do so right then and there at the bus station.

After praying that prayer, I looked up and saw a little girl. She was a toddler and she was crying for her mother’s attention. I stared at them, then looked back down at my bag of gummy bears. Hmm…do I really want to do this? I thought to myself. Then again, who could turn down such an offer? I mean, it’s only a bag of gummy bears! :) What have I to be afraid of, right? So I walked on over and said, “A friend packed these gummy bears for me but I don’t really like them. You can give them to your daughter…I mean, I saw her crying and…” “THANKS!” was the mother’s reply. “That’s very kind of you!” “Oh, it’s no problem,” I said with a smile. “I just didn’t want to waste them.” I went and sat back down. Within a few minutes, the mother and her friend beside her walked back over and thanked me again...and again. They must have really appreciated it.

Another couple of minutes passed by and a man who sat a couple of seats away from me asked if he could use my phone. He said that his minutes were almost out. Being empowered by the gummy bear incident, I almost yelled, “Sure!!” being confident that I was shining like a bright star for God that night. However, this man, while using my phone, kept staring at it suspiciously. He asked to use it several times, and I allowed him to every time. Yet…I kept a close eye on him. Oh God, please don’t let him steal my phone. Please don’t let him steal my phone! I’m traveling and if I have no way of contacting people, I don’t know what I’d do without it! The man gave it back to me and said that he couldn’t contact his ride. He said that she only lived close by…Feeling sorry for the guy, I said that perhaps, if my ride would let, we could drop him off if she wasn’t too far from the station. I then thought, Oh my goodness, Mydur! What are you doing? You don’t know him! You can’t trust him! I then again secretly prayed a prayer that God would keep me, His child, safe and under His care in all circumstances. It was at this time that Josh arrived. I had asked Josh and he said it was fine to drop this man off. However, the man confessed that he didn’t know where her house was. And to that, the only thing I could say was, “Well, I hope you can reach her. I wish we could help. Good luck!” I smiled. I sincerely meant that but I was also relieved that God had taken that responsibility off my shoulders.

As I walked out, I wasn’t sure if I did the right thing or not. Yet, when I passed through sliding doors, a man who sat close-by looked up at me, looked away, and smiled. He had been watching me the whole time. I don't know why, but I smiled too and left with a good feeling.

Psalm 91:1
"For He will order His angels to protect you in all you do"

Give Your Coat Away

The other day on my way back from Milwaukee, I encountered interesting experiences with those on the plane.



The first was with a scientist. It seemed like she wanted to start a conversation with me sometime during the plane flight. However, I was consumed with the book I was reading at that moment entitled, How to Cast Out Demons . I am almost positive that in the corner of my eye, I saw her lean forward to look at the title of the book, made a face, and resumed her normal position. I felt a small blow to my faith at that moment, kind of almost embarrassed that I was publicly reading about such a topic. Yet, a smile crept across my face as I realized that nothing was wrong with what I was reading about. What can people do to me? I am simply equipping myself with the knowledge necessary to perform my job well...right? :) Hey, I don't say anything to those who are reading vampire romance novels. If they have the freedom to do that, why can't I do my own thing?



Second, I had the opportunity to demonstrate Christ's love but failed. My next plane was unusually cold--the staff said something was wrong with the air conditioning system and it was difficult for them to do anything about it. Well, there came a point where it was FREEZING and I grabbed my sweater (always be prepared just in case!). It was then that I noticed the man next to me. He was an African-American in what seemed like his late twenties to early thirties. He broke out into goosebumps and quickly pulled his arms underneath the shelter of his thin red t-shirt. Suddenly, I heard, "Give your coat to him." I thought "...What? You must be joking!" Then I heard it again. "Give your coat to him. How many layers do you have on?" "Three," I answered. I wore a thin tank underneath a white polo tee with the blue knit sweater on top. "How many does he have?" I glanced at the man and reluctantly answered, "One...but God, I don't think you know how cold it is! I get so cold so easily...I mean, it's his fault that he didn't bring a coat of his own!" A few moments passed by, and as it got warmer, I took off my coat and then offered it to the man. He said, "No, it's okay. It's warmer now. I'll be fine." Then I heard God say, Now you offer him the coat? Ouch! That hurt but I needed to hear it. What if that was an angel in disguise? Or what if it was Jesus himself?

Luke 3:11
And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none

Matthew 25:45
"Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'

Disturbing Hmong Shaman Dream

I had such a disturbing dream this morning. I dreamt that the Hmong people were calling shamans and witchdoctors to their houses for healing. In actuality, the shamans and witchdoctors were vessels being used by Satan to deceive the Hmong people to stay under his oppression. I know that because I could feel his dark presence all throughout the dream. He would continue to rule over their homes with deception, darkness, and with fear of the unknown. In my dream, I saw a Hmong man invite an elderly woman shaman into his home where she would conduct her rituals. I did not know what kind of ritual it was, whether it may be for the healing of a child or whether it may be for the family or home in general. I just know that there were at least two instances where I saw these elderly women take up this role, entering into their trance-like states, and carrying out Satan’s plan for the Hmong. Even in the dream, I felt the fear that Satan was using to manipulate the Hmong to be under his control.

When I woke up, my body was trembling and shaking all over as if I had just undergone another one of his demonic attacks. I suddenly felt the urge to get out of bed, kneel on the ground, and cast out his influence over me in the name of Jesus Christ…but I was deathly afraid. I laid there, underneath the blanket covers, still shaking and wondering if I should kneel down that instant. I still felt Satan’s dark presence around me. In my mind, I could see his darkness like that of a cloud creeping up over me on top of the bed. If I get out of bed right now, what if he does something even more drastic? I thought to myself. But you can’t let your fear overtake you, I heard the Spirit say. Resist the devil, and he shall flee from you. If you don’t, he knows that he can control you. Those words gave me amazing strength! I immediately jumped out of bed, knelt on the floor, and, though still scared, prayed for the powers of the shamans and witchdoctors to be rendered useless in the Name of Jesus Christ! I asked the Lord to break away the chains of bondage and oppression that was associated with the traditional religion and for the Hmong to turn away from their sins and unto the God who loves them and made them for Himself. I proclaimed that the powers and authorities of Satan were already overcome when God raised Jesus Christ from the dead! Hallelujah! I felt my entire body heat up as I uttered my last request: Father God, don’t let me be afraid of anything in this world, but instead, let me fear not doing Your will more than anything else. Hallelujah (x infinity)! Amen.

Last time I was under a demonic attack, I received threats that if I kept on seeking the Lord and pursuing His will for me and if I continued praying for the Hmong people from Scripture according to the Spirit’s guidance, I was, in his words, “going to get it.”

[“Well, how did you hear that?” you might ask. Well, it sounded like someone was speaking to me; except instead of hearing it with my ears, I heard it with my heart. I knew it wasn’t me and I knew it was evil—the only logical answer would be that it was the cunning serpent of old who tried to convince me as a young child to commit suicide. His words come to me when I start dwelling on thoughts that may hinder me from doing God’s will. And did he speak to me the same way he did back then, too? Yes. I have no doubt that it’s him. And might I add that a lot of bad happens in this world from people who listen and follow his voice—they just don’t know it’s him. And I’m not talking about only nonbelievers, either].

Well, I didn’t hear Satan say that to me this time, but I think that this was just the thing I needed to let me know that I was headed in the right direction. ;)
May our Father God in heaven, through our Lord Jesus Christ, be given the praise and glory forever and ever. Amen.