FIRE! FIRE!

I was on my way up the mountain to make a phone call when I came to DJ’s house.  I stopped dead in my tracks, because fire was just the other side of his house and he was trying to wet the thatch part of his roof with a tiny trickle of water from a plastic tube.  (This time of year we run out of gravity fed water).  DJ told me he was very frightened because someone had cleared the jungle trees for their new rice field too close to his house.  March is the month each year when they burn.  The wind was blowing in the wrong direction and the flames were leaping up into the air with a dreadful noise and coming closer by the second.  Bamboo is very loud when it burns because the air filled sections in the bamboo explodes loudly.  Quickly I ran back to our house to call Anna and Breck so we could pray together. Already the flames were making a mad dash straight for the house, driven on by an unusual heavy breeze.  As we fell on our knees in the grass by his house I pleaded with God to change the wind and save DJ’s house.  DJ loves the Lord, keeps His commandments and often does the worships and prayers in church and other homes – surely God would save his house.Then the miracle happened!  It was just moments after our prayer the wind changed!  The fire switched directions and went roaring up the mountain side, leaving a tiny line of flames just behind DJ’s banana trees.He was able to beat those flames out with leaf covered tree branches.  The devil was not happy, so he caused the flames to circle and come in on the other side 30 minutes later.  However, as it came close to DJ’s banana trees it stopped.  Consequently DJ’s house, his banana orchard and his pineapple plants were preserved.  Now we can see a burnt area forming a semi circle around his property, proof of God’s protecting power!  DJ expressed gratitude to God and for our prayers that were answered so incredibly that day!“TharaMu,” (Karen word for teacher), DJ said to me, “Thank you!  God made sure you were here today, so you could pray for me, and save my house!  God answered you right away!”Praise the Lord!!  He works these miracles to prove to the people here that He alone is God!!  He is in charge of the wind and the flames.