The Woman Who Died—And Lived Again

Six Lao believers and twelve Isaan believers went out to share their faith in unchurched villages.

Over and over, they heard the same response:

“*Nangta? Everyone knows her, but she died last year.”

But Nangta didn’t die.

She was once a well-known spirit medium, sought after by villagers for deliverance from demons, physical healing, and blessings in times of trouble. People came from across the district to seek her help, paying for rituals in hopes of securing favor from the spirit world. Yet, like many spirit priests and mediums, Nangta suffered from persistent illness. The spirits she served demanded much. Their toll on her body was heavy and she became gravely ill.

Believing she was nearing death, Nangta had an unexpected encounter. Believers from a house church—one started by our co-worker, *Pastor Mee—visited her village. Rather than inviting people to a distant church building, these Christians engaged in spiritual conversations right where people lived and worked. Nangta heard the gospel in her own home. That day, she made a life-changing decision—she accepted Jesus, renounced her ties to the spirit world, and was miraculously healed. Soon after, a church was planted in her home.

When Nangta heard that Lao believers would be visiting in January, she eagerly opened her doors to host them during the three-day outreach. Mats were laid out, and everyone camped in her home. As pairs of believers ventured into nearby villages searching for “persons of peace,” they repeatedly asked, “Have you heard of a spirit medium named Nangta?”

Each time, the response was the same: “Of course! But she’s dead.”

It made sense. Nangta had been widely known, and when she stopped performing spirit rituals, everyone assumed she had passed away. But during the outreach, her testimony of healing and deliverance spread from house to house, leaving villagers amazed.

At the end of the first day, as the teams debriefed, Nangta laughed.

“They’re right—I did die! I died to myself, and now I live for Jesus.”

Her face radiated with the joy of the Lord.

By the end of the outreach, 172 people had engaged in conversations about Jesus, and 33 expressed a desire to follow Him. Follow-up visits are now underway, and time will reveal who is truly committed. But one man, *Mr. Tongdee, stood out.

The very night he was first contacted, he attended a house church meeting at Nangta’s home. During worship, he listened intently, and at one point, tears streamed down his face. Just days later, he reached out to local believers—asking for help to destroy his Buddhist and spiritist paraphernalia.

A new chapter has begun in these villages. And it all started with a woman whom everyone thought was dead—yet is more alive than ever in Christ.

Here are some ways we can pray for the people in this village:

• Pray many people will come to Nangta’s home asking to hear more about how she left her old life and found new life in Jesus.

• Pray that believers who meet in Nangta’s home will grow in grace and obedience to Jesus. Pray for the follow-up with the 33 new contacts and that at least one new house church will be birthed.

• Pray Tongdee and others in his village will be obedient to the Lord as they go through lessons for new disciples. Ask that Tongdee’s entire household will come to love and serve Jesus.

*pseudonym

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