March 3, 2008
by Ian Fallis
God used two pigs to help Tingon want to know Him better and serve Him more.
A few days ago Tingon, a believer in the Tobo tribe of Papua New Guinea, woke up and went outside to a terrible sight. His two pigs were lying on their sides, seriously ill.
“They were on the road to death,” he told missionary Jason Knapp.
For Tingon and his fellow Tobos, pigs are like savings and checking accounts. Picture waking up and discovering your bank accounts were being emptied, and you’ll know how Tingon felt.
He did what little he could, and then he prayed.
“I said, ‘God, you know that this is a big heavy. You gave me these pigs to look out for, and you know … how important they are to me. You also made them, so you care for them. And you care for me. So I am just asking that you will heal these two pigs of mine, so that they will not die.’”
He prayed again later that day, but with little hope.
“I knew that these pigs were going to die. They were on the road to death, and there was nothing I could do for them,” he told Jason.
Nonetheless, he stayed true to his faith in God.
“In the past, I would have called the ‘cold man,’ [the witch doctor], and he would have said some words, poured some special blend of water and blood and herbs over them, and cast out the bad spirit. But I knew that wasn’t the true way. So I waited and prayed.”
As he went to bed, he prayed a third time. And everything changed.
“When I got done praying -- and this is the truth -- I felt a total peace from God,” Tingon told Jason. “I just knew that my pigs were going to be alright. And I lay down and went to sleep.”
The next morning, his pigs were up and eager for the food he had brought for them.
“I tell you the truth, I have never seen anything like this in my whole life! This was impossible! They were as good as dead, but God healed them for me. I thank him for that.”
Tingon now wants to get to know God better by studying His Word more, and he wants to serve Him by teaching from the Word – all out of gratitude.
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