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The True Meaning of Christmas

Bale, celebrating her first Christmas this year as a believer, was headed down a dark path when she met an Alliance international worker.

By Sue Danneker, an Alliance international worker serving in Thailand

“…you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

“There is a better way,” I told Bale the day I met her at the local market, where she was selling drinks at a fruit-juice stand.

I had just given her stepmom, who was working at the rotisserie chicken stand next to Bale, the Bible she had requested. Bale immediately started asking me questions about the spirit world. Specifically, she was interested in satanic cults.

I didn’t know it at the time, but Bale was seriously considering selling her soul to the devil.

“Actually, I was going to do it that very night!” she told me after she had asked Jesus to be her Savior.

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Bale (on the right) attends the Dannekers’ Wednesday night cell group, where she regularly leads worship. (Photo courtesy of Sue Danneker)

A Powerful Witness

Today, Bale is a bold witness for Jesus. She first shared her faith with her boyfriend, Ahn. He was surprised by the sudden changes in her life and curious about what she’d told him about Jesus. Ahn received Christ about a month after Bale’s dramatic conversion.

A few months ago, Bale’s paternal grandmother, Tong-jera, came to faith in Christ, primarily through Bale’s witness and changed life. Bale has continued to share the good news of Jesus with anyone who comes by her stand to purchase fruit drinks.

Bale also is a regular worship leader at our Wednesday night cell group in Baan Paeo, where my husband, Ed, and I are planting a church. She helps me with the Saturday children’s program as needed. And this year Bale is narrating the Christmas play the children will perform during our community holiday outreach.

Recently, Bale stopped by our house and noticed our Christmas decorations. “This will be the first Christmas I celebrate where I understand the true meaning of [the holiday]!” she exclaimed after I shared some of our family’s Christmas traditions. “Oh, I used to ‘celebrate’ the season—with drinking and partying,” she added. “But I had no idea what it was all about.”

Off with the Old

Bale’s prayer now is for her mother, who lives overseas with her new husband. Her mom is in Thailand for a few weeks over the holidays and has invited Bale to party with her “like the old days.”

“She wants me to go out drinking,” Bale said. “But I don’t do that anymore.” The Lord delivered her of that desire and other vices a few months after she became a Christian. “Pray that I don’t fall into sin. I want to spend time with my mom. I love her, but I don’t love what she does. Pray that I will be strong.”

Please join us in praying for Bale and her entire family—that each member will embrace the true meaning of Christmas as she has.

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