Ming grew up in the bustling and vibrant heart of Bangkok, Thailand. Every holiday was spent in the familiar surroundings of the Buddhist temple, where her family would kneel before the statues of Buddha to pray and offer alms. This was the only spiritual world Ming knew until an unexpected encounter changed everything.
The Buddhist temple that Ming grew up attending.
One Christmas season, a local church hosted a celebration for the community. Curious, Ming’s family decided to attend. The evening was filled with joyous singing and heartfelt worship, but it was a small gift that would leave the most profound impact. A speaker at the event handed Ming a colorful book covered in cartoons and stories- the Christmas Book of Hope.
Ming receives the Christmas Book of Hope at a local celebration.
Ming was captivated by the illustrations and intrigued by the message. She learned how Jesus was born, and came to bring salvation to the world. This all interested Ming, and she decided to attend the church to discover more. Each visit deepened her understanding and ignited a growing belief in her heart; “The more I learned about God, the more I wanted to believe,” Ming recalls. “So I started to believe.”
Ming’s newfound faith gave her hope and strength, even amidst struggles within her home. Her father had wrestled with alcoholism throughout Ming’s entire childhood, yet she prayed daily with great faith for a miracle. One Sunday, her entire church prayed earnestly for her father and the very next day, her father made the shocking decision to give up drinking.
Ming praying earnestly for her father.
“The love of Jesus really has changed my life. It changed everything.”
As her faith in Jesus increased, Ming began to see her world through a different lens. The statues of Buddha, once at the center of her religion, now appeared as mere carvings.
“We don’t realize that they are just statues,” she explains. “But Jesus was resurrected, and when we pray or do anything He listens to us.” At the root of this revelation was the drastic difference she felt as a follower of Jesus. Her entire understanding of faith had been altered by this love. “We can feel the love of Jesus… and it’s not difficult. You don’t have to pay, it doesn’t cost anything!” Ming proclaims.
Ming’s Christmas Book of Hope.
The small Christmas book catalyzed a remarkable change in Ming’s life. “I changed from being Buddhist because of this book,” she confessed.
Though her family has yet to embrace her faith, Ming remains hopeful and steadfast in her prayers, waiting for the day that they too will come to know the transformative love of Jesus she has experienced.
Ming’s family in their home in Bangkok.
Watch & Share Ming’s Inspiring Story and Pray for others like her around the world waiting to be reached with the gospel.
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