Mourning a Friend

August 2022

Our dear Canadian friend Marnie, who courageously served the oppressed peoples of Burma for nearly a decade was tragically killed in a road accident.  It's been hard but I, Nicole, know where she is. At her funeral, there were many people from all walks of life. Thai, Burmese, and Westerners from all over. What stuck out to me is the fact that many Buddhists were there knowing that Marnie was a follower of Jesus.

They got to hear God's message during the funeral in 3 different languages. A few days after the funeral, a young Thai lady, named Toey contacted Me and expressed interest to learn more about Jesus. She was impressed by the love shown by Christians. We were all sad but celebrating Marie and it was. eye-opening that there was laughter and little excessive mourning. 

In Buddhism, no one sings at funerals because there is no hope.  She couldn't get answers in Buddhism and I reached out to her to have coffee. We spoke about Jesus. I shared how He's changed my life. I shared why Marnie's family was so strong and how we are all leaning on Jesus through all of this. She said she wanted to be a part of this Jesus family and wanted to be baptized. We made our way back to our house and we got it set up for baptism. I prayed over her and we spoke a bit more. We will be meeting up every week to study the Bible together. She was one of the seeds planted and now about to blossom. 

I'm still sad and have moments of anger and heartbreak but feel peace knowing my dear friend is in His arms. I knew something good from this tragedy would happen. Keep Marnie's family in prayer. They are strong but still going through the grieving process. Keep our young friend in prayer as she learns more about God and that she shares with others.

Nicole & Justin Lovan
Obedience Thailand