Most people live in fear of something. Fear of death, fear of heights, fear of spiders. I have a fear of strange dogs. I was attacked years ago, and since then I have distrusted dogs I don’t know.

In our immediate neighborhood of six or seven houses, there are no dogs. However, to go for a good walk, we must exit our small, safe neighborhood, go around a corner and pass several houses with barking dogs. Most of these dogs are behind fences, but their barks sometimes attract other dogs that are not behind fences. These are the ones I don’t want to meet up with.

I would love to take our girls for walks. I imagine going down the road and around the corner and meeting our neighbors. I imagine practicing our Thai as we take our walks in our neighborhood. Then, sometimes I imagine those free-running dogs and what could happen to our girls if one of them is aggressive.

I know I am not the only one in this village who fears something. I know that my neighbors and those around the corner live in fear. They live in fear of spirits and supernatural forces that can do them harm. My fear is nothing compared to theirs.

For both of our fears, though, there is one solution. The difference is that I know Who the solution is, and they do not. I know that with the Lord’s help I can overcome my fear of strange dogs. I know that with His help I am able to take our girls for walks and visit our neighbors without fearing a dog attack. I know that the Lord is able to protect Hope, Haven and me from harm.

Our neighbors don’t yet know the power and love of Jesus. They live in fear of the spirits and don’t have any way to overcome their fear by themselves. They need to know that the God of heaven is more powerful than the spirits. They need to know that the God of love is willing and desiring to help them conquer their fear. My desire is that with God’s help I can conquer my fear and be able to share with our neighbors about Jesus so that they can have victory over their fear as well.

I love Lamentations 3:57: “You came near when I called you, and you said, ‘Do not fear.’”I praise the Lord for His help in overcoming my fears. I desire the same for our Thai and Japanese neighbors. Please pray for us as we reach out to the Thai and Japanese village we live in and seek to share with them the love of Jesus and his power to help us overcome our fears. Thank you for your prayers and support of our vehicle fund as well. —

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