The young woman gingerly crawls off a motor scooter, grateful for the ride. Before, Kalliyan Seng could make the two-mile trek from her home on a bicycle. But now that she’s nine months pregnant and could give birth at any moment, it’s harder to pedal that distance.
The woman steadies herself, then waddles inside for a weekly pregnancy health class. She’s greeted by community health workers and International Mission Board (IMB) missionary Nancy Potter.
Nancy looks around the crowded room and smiles. If someone had told her a few years ago that churches in this part of Southeast Asia would start as a result of pregnant women learning to be healthy, she might have scoffed. Most of these women do not even have a third-grade education. Their families live on less than $1 a day. Yet God uses these women as catalysts for spreading His Word.
“I’m not sure if it started with the women because when you are pregnant it’s nine months of uncertainty or what,” Nancy said. “But if you look at how most of the new village house churches started, it’s through women.”
Newfound faith
As if to accentuate Nancy’s point, Kalliyan scoots across the floor to the missionary nurse from Oklahoma. The reason she came today was really to ask everyone to pray for her husband. She prays that she will deliver a healthy baby and that this will lead her husband to ask questions about her newfound faith.
Like most attending the prenatal classes, Kalliyan did not know anything about Jesus. The former Buddhist came to learn about giving birth and how to take care of her baby. Some of the highest maternal mortality rates are here. Five women die every day during childbirth, according to a 2013 United Nations report. Surviving childbirth isn’t even an end to the fears for these young mothers. For every 1,000 births around 50 children never see their first birthdays.
Nancy and her husband, William, who have medical backgrounds, created a simple curriculum to teach about healthy prenatal and post-pregnancy care.
Local Christians teach the health classes on everything from washing hands to burping babies.
Each lesson ends with a biblical truth and prayer. This approach combines aspects of a discipleship and church-planting program called Training for Trainers (T4T) with human needs.
‘House of peace’
Kalliyan, like most of the new believers, came to faith after the health workers repeatedly visited her home the day after classes as “follow up.” When a “house of peace,” or a family interested in learning Bible stories is found, a small group is formed.
Sovaan and Maly Lim opened their tiny home to a small group when Maly was pregnant. Local Christians came each week to pray, sing praises to God and teach a Bible story. Maly came to Christ one year later. Sovaan remained a drunkard and gambled away the family’s money but he kept watching and listening.
“I didn’t think we’d ever have any men in our small groups,” Nancy said. “But then the husbands saw their wives’ countenance change. They saw healthy babies where in the past there was only death … and that provided a natural presentation of the gospel from their wives.”
Then one-by-one, the men came to Christ — including Sovaan.
“I learned about the words and truths of God,” Sovaan said. “Now it’s our turn to take this lesson and teach to the people in our village … then we will go share in the next village.”
To view a video featuring the Potters, visit vimeo.com/95757581.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Names have been changed for security reasons. (BP)
Share with others: