Amazing grace

What if your son’s reckless behaviour landed you with a fine that you couldn’t afford? If his drug taking wound him up in jail? If his downward spiral was dragging his brother down with him? What would you do? Probably not organise a worship evening to cover your child in prayer.  

Sarah Brown, a BMS World Mission worker based in northern Thailand, recalls the moment her eyes welled up with tears of joy during an English class at Siloam Bible Institute (SBI). Her student, Htoo Lee, had just shared his testimony, in clearly articulated English, of the events that brought him to faith.

The class had been discussing the salvation of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the fiery furnace, leading Sarah to ask, “What miracles has God done in your life?” Little did she expect the deeply honest, vulnerable answer she received. 

Just two years earlier, Htoo Lee was as far away from a seminary classroom as he could be. Disobedient, sad and fearful, he spent his days hanging around with friends who looked on at life with the same disillusioned anger. There were just two things that helped him calm down: drugs and alcohol. “He didn’t want to listen to his parents; he didn’t want to listen to anyone,” explains Sarah. “That’s how his life went into a downward spiral.”  

Htoo Lee used to sell tomatoes in his local village. One day, he and his brother were transporting their wares via bicycle when they were stopped by the police. It was immediately clear to the officers that the boys needed to take a drugs test. “Htoo Lee knew exactly what result it was going to come back with,” adds Sarah, “and that those results were going to be positive.” 

The test landed Htoo Lee in prison for two nights, with his brother locked up beside him. Because Htoo Lee had been riding his bike under the influence, the police also gave him a fine. It was money he didn’t have, and his parents couldn’t afford it either.

When Htoo Lee’s parents received news of his arrest, it sat heavily with them. Punishing him would have been just. But Htoo Lee’s parents, both Christians, decided that upon his release, they would pray with him instead. In fact, that same night when the brothers came out of prison, they decided to hold a prayer and worship evening. 

It was during the prayer and worship night that Htoo Lee felt a new sensation. It was peace. A family member gently asked him if he wanted to give his life to Christ, and, without hesitation, he said “yes”. “He realised within a matter of weeks that God was calling him to go to Bible school,” Sarah explains. The first Bible school he applied to invited him to interview, and Htoo Lee felt he needed to be open and honest about his past life. “The seminary said no,” explains Sarah. “They didn’t accept him.”  

Htoo Lee was disheartened but not broken. Coming back home, he spoke to a trusted teacher, who recommended he apply to Siloam Bible Institute. In the interview, Htoo Lee trusted the same sense that told him he should be honest about his past. Immediately after speaking, he dropped his head, preparing to hear the news: ‘Not accepted’.

It was in that moment that the Christians around Htoo Lee once again chose to embody mercy. Ajarn Glad, the head of SBI, told Htoo Lee, “It’s okay. Christ has forgiven you and you have been transformed by him. You have changed”. At that point, Htoo Lee realised the seminary had identified the miracle, the transformation and the work that Christ had done in his life.  

Htoo Lee has hopes in the future to go on to become an evangelist. He is in the very early stages of a BA Theology programme, but he hopes he’ll be able to go back to his village to share the good news, and to bring many others to Christ.

Thank you for your support of Paul and Sarah that is allowing them to teach students like Htoo Lee and encourage them in their faith.