When Grandma celebrated her eighty-seventh birthday, she didn’t feel so well. One of her daughters decided to bring her to the hospital and, after examining her, the doctor said, “Your mother has cancer. She is dying.”
Grandma was only one of the many sick people in that large hospital room, lying on metal beds with family members sitting on the floor, weary and discouraged. Then, a man walked in, and began to look around. It was Pastor Than Naing, coming to visit a young woman from his church who was sick. Finding this woman, he began to pray for her. The other patients and their family members grew quiet, listening curiously as Than Naing and the woman read from the Bible and prayed together.
Afterward, as he rose to leave, he heard a voice call out, “Wait! Pastor! Would you pray for my mother, too? She is dying.”
Pastor Than Naing turned and went to sit beside the bed of the elderly woman and asked, “Grandma, have you heard about Jesus?”
Grandma replied, “Oh, many times. So what? For fifty years I worshipped the spirits with my husband, a witch doctor. Then, in my middle age, I became interested in Buddhism, so I worship Buddha, too.”
Than Naing nodded. “Before I followed Jesus, I used to worship the same spirits. Grandma, may I ask you a question? Did the spirits ever help you or answer your prayers?”
Grandma thought for a moment. “Actually, no. They never did.”
Then Than Naing made a bold statement. “That’s because only Jesus can save you—from your sins and from death!” After sharing the Good News, Than Naing led the old woman to repent of her sins, and renounce all the spirits she had worshiped. Then he asked the Holy Spirit to fill her.
Startled, Grandma cried out, “What was that? What just happened? I feel a peace I have never experienced before. I feel… free!”
The next day, Pastor Than Naing went back to the hospital to help the family walk their mother home. Grandma said, “Pastor, I don’t know when I am going to die. I want to be baptized! But first I need to tell my eldest daughter that I have become a Christian.”
As the pastor processed his surprise, Grandma called her daughter and announced her conversion. The daughter was furious. “Put that pastor on the phone right now!” she shouted, then began to berate Than Naing on the phone. “I own my mom! You can’t baptize her! Go away!”
Than Naing politely gave the phone back to the Grandma, who said sternly to her daughter, “I have worshiped the spirits my whole life, daughter. And they never helped me. Now Jesus, on the other hand, has forgiven my sins and given me eternal life! I am going to worship him from now on, and I will be baptized!”
It was a long walk back to the village, and the pastor used the time to tell the younger daughter more about Jesus. After a few miles, she burst out that she, too, wanted to be baptized. Arriving at a river, Grandma said, “Look, pastor, I don’t know how much longer I have. Baptize me here, now!”
As they entered the water, the eldest daughter suddenly appeared, speeding towards them on a motorbike. In a strange, low, angry voice she cried out, “Stop! You can’t baptize my mother or my sister! They are mine!”
Recognizing that demons were speaking through the eldest daughter, Than Naing calmly proclaimed again the love and sacrificial death of Jesus, until the woman finally yelled, “I reject you all from my family!” and drove away in disgust. Pastor Than Naing then proceeded to baptize both Grandma and her younger daughter into their new family; the family of the faithful.
Coming out of the water, the Holy Spirit strengthened Grandma’s body long enough to walk the remaining eight kilometers without any help. Pastor Than Naing left her in the village, marveling at her faith. “Now listen,” she told the pastor sternly as he was leaving, “when I die, you lead my funeral!”
One week later, Grandma passed away peacefully. At her funeral, Pastor Than Naing shared Grandma’s testimony and many people in the village put their faith in the Lord Jesus.
