Gò0dNews for Missions
Hope Among Darkness
W
by Faith Hanks
e live in an unreached country with intense spiritual darkness and immense lostness. We are missionaries with the International Mission
Board (IMB), in a country where the predominate religion is Buddhism mixed with Animism. Our Asian people group’s entire religion focuses on fear and merit. It is all about what they can do to earn favor with Buddha or their ancestors. Ultimately, they want this favor for a more comfortable life and afterlife. They are desperately searching for hope in a religion that possesses none. Some will go to the temple and bow down hundreds of times, hoping Buddha or some deity will listen to them. Every home has an ancestor altar. Habitually, they pray and offer sacrifices to their ancestors. If they were to halt this, they are convinced it would bring bad luck. For them, that bad luck could mean terrible accidents, loved ones dying, or maybe it could somehow affect their own fate in the afterlife. It is a massive part of the local culture to follow Buddhism and Animism. Even if they think their practices are hopeless, they are taught to not question their religion. Interestingly, they fear death and hell. Sadly, most have a right to fear because the average person in our country will live their entire lives without ever hearing the gospel. For many, the sole thing they know about Jesus is that
so much that He sent Jesus to Earth. He lived a perfect life—
His mother was named Mary. In our country, around one
and yet died for our sins. Jesus rose to life again and will
percent are born again Christians. There is little access to the
return one day. For those who repent of sin and believe in
gospel, since TV, radio and internet are all monitored by the
Jesus, they can have a relationship with God and an eternity
government—with Christian content largely blocked.
with Him. The believer does not have to fear death. This is
It is heart wrenching and disturbing to see children offering sacrifices on these altars. Because I live near a Buddhist temple, I hear the gongs daily—the drums and
the hope Buddhism will never possess. The darkness shall not overcome. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is crucial to the
the monotone chants from this pagan place. I smell the
IMB. Thanks to the gifts and prayers of Christians like you,
sickening aroma of my neighbor’s incense. It is sorrowful
we (and many others) are able to go and reach the nations
because the darkness is real. These people do not know
who are living in darkness.
Yet, this darkness and lostness are not too big for the gospel. The gospel is changing lives. God loves us sinners
42 // September 2021
About The Author
about Jesus. Faith Hanks is a pen name due to security issues. Faith is a teenager who has grown up on the mission field. The Hanks are missionaries with the IMB. Whenever they are in the USA for a few months, they stay in Southeast Tennessee. Faith believes in the importance of the gospel and of the IMB’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (imb.org).
