It was time to put the plan into action. Philemon* got out of bed and went to buy poison to add to his family’s rice dish that evening. If everything had gone according to plan, the whole family, Philemon, his wife and their two children, would have died that night.
It had gone so far. Death seemed the only option. A farming shaman in central Vietnam was up to his ears in debt, threatened with confiscation of his property, and heavily addicted to alcohol and tobacco. Even his wife saw no other solution.
But in what should have been the beginning of the end of their story, a new page was turned and a new beginning was given.
Philemon’s sister, her husband and Philemon’s two brothers had converted to Christianity some years earlier. While saying goodbye to his sister, the brother heard the gospel about Jesus and His death on the cross.
The shaman remembered how unhappily his sister’s husband had lived before his conversion and how his life had changed since then. For the first time in years, Philemon felt hope, and when he returned home he threw away the poison.
A helpless shaman
Before that day, Philemon had devoted himself to the study of communication with the spirit world. He knew talismans, amulets and mantras and how and when to use and what to recite to the spirits.
“I was a great man in my community,” says Philemon. He cast out evil spirits from people, and those who believed they had been freed from the spirits brought sacrifices to his altar. He became a local celebrity for his knowledge and skills.
He helped others but could not help himself or his family.
The revered shaman’s own life was unhappy. He couldn’t get rid of his debts (about 200 million VND, equivalent to about 7,500 euros) or his drug addictions. His older son was disabled and the younger one broke his arm in a fall.
The gods he invoked to help others did not bring help to his own life. Philemon felt that his pleas fell on deaf ears.
Shackles are broken
Shortly after the sister had told Philemon about Jesus, the brothers invited him to a spiritual event. Philemon did not go there with a serious attitude, but being drunk. But the words of John 3:16 came to him. Philemon recalls how something in this verse made a strong impression on him.
The brothers invited him to the stage and the pastor asked if he was ready to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
“I prayed and gave my life to Jesus,” says Philemon. He felt the shackles being broken and falling away The problems remained, but the man now had peace within him.
Philemon’s journey with Jesus began on this day in 1992. Soon his wife also became a Christian. Gradually, Philemon began to see the change that had begun the day he planned to kill his family. God’s infinite mercy met Philemon’s family and saved them from death.
Philemon and his wife began to pray. Sometimes days, even a week, passed in prayer. They promised God that if they survive their difficult situation, they want to give their whole life to God.
Within days, the couple experienced God’s help as Philemon broke free from his addictions. “We were surprised how God heard our prayers,” admits Philemon.
He was about to lose everything, but with God’s help he was able to keep his house and his children could go to school. The creditor forgave the debt to such a significant extent that it could be paid off in a couple of years.
Christians around the world know from experience that the gospel can ignite conflict. The same thing happened to Philemon’s family when they began to share what Jesus had done in their lives.
Their obedience to the promise to serve Jesus soon also brought persecution. It was started by relatives, joined by friends and finally joined by local authorities.
Relatives convinced them to give up service work and focus on business instead, as the family was poor. Philemon’s best friends were powerful police officers in the community who mocked him and tried to stop him from speaking about Jesus.
Evangelistic tours often encountered problems with local authorities, especially in villages controlled by the communist government. Nothing is allowed into the villages that could challenge the people’s obedience to the government.
“The authorities were afraid that people would listen to me rather than them,” explains Philemon.
Last Warnings and Wonders
God has worked wonderfully through Philemon. He remembers how the authorities interrogated him as soon as he arrived in the communist village.
Philemon had resolutely replied: “I have brothers and sisters here and I came to visit them. Even if you try to kill me, I will still come back.”
He made life-threatening visits to underground believers even after that, often under cover of darkness. Now there is a church registered by the government.
While serving as a local missionary, Philemon occasionally received warnings that he would have to leave the area during the day. He was forced to leave other Irish counties and they were forbidden to return.
Philemon confesses how his heart broke for his family. “But I always reminded my wife of the sufferings of Jesus, were greater than ours,” he states and continues, “I never felt that God had abandoned us.”
The answer to illiteracy
Traveling among the outlying tribes, Philemon encountered a major problem: illiteracy. Ten years ago, tribal Christians told him about a literacy project supported by Open Doors’ Vietnamese partners.
The project includes courses held in local churches. Philemon received literacy training and helped develop the curriculum. The impact of the work was apparent almost immediately.
Unbeknownst to Philemon, one of his students used what he had learned and taught his elderly father to read and write. Father had previously needed an assistant with him to help with banking. To the bank clerk’s surprise, he came to the bank one day without an assistant and managed his affairs smoothly by himself.
The job opportunities of those who participated in the training improve along with literacy. In the past, their job applications were rejected because they could not read or write. After receiving their education, they immediately got a job, because their value on the labor market increased with the ability to read and write.
Students complete 12 lessons that include basic and advanced literacy, business literacy, and Bible lessons. To facilitate learning, the materials and the study work use the native language of the participants.
Dedicated to passing
For the past ten years, Philemon has dedicated his life to the literacy project. This has meant traveling north from South Vietnam to the Central Highlands, where mountain villages are often difficult to reach.
To the villages located more than 300 kilometers away, he first travels by plane, then at least ten hours by bus, after which he travels to the village for a few more hours on the students’ motorcycles.
Since Philemon is not a local, he faces questions from suspiciously watching authorities regarding his activities and presence in the area. Philemon sees that the impact of his work and the opportunity to spread the gospel is worth all the risk and effort.
“First of all, I love them,” says Philemon and continues: “Secondly, when they hear about the project, they tell their relatives and the information spreads to other communities. Then an invitation is sent to me to come and teach, and I am always ready to come.”
Prayer is like breathing, it is needed every moment. Philemon remembers that in difficult times he felt how the power of prayers protected, gave peace and courage.
The Secret of ministry
Over the past 10 years, the Literacy Project team members have trained at least 1,500 people from 10 tribes each year. In addition, they have trained more than 600 teachers who are now teaching in their communities. About 30 students have participated in the discipleship training, where they are trained for the teaching tasks of the congregations.
Philemon thanks everyone who supported this project. The participants are poor and cannot afford to pay for their studies, and they are also provided with food. They faithfully participate in the teaching because they experience love there.
Philemon also understands the importance of prayer in ministry. “We can’t do anything on our own,” he states. Philemon reminds us: “When we pray and are in communion with God, He guides us and teaches us patience. That is why prayer is important. I was once asked what the secret of my ministry’s success was. I said three things: let’s pray, let’s pray some more, and let’s pray to God on our knees.”
The former Vietnamese shaman is a lucky man. God called Him to work and did everything for Him.
*Name changed for security reasons.
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