The end of September the Vegetarian Festival began. This festival is a clear demonstration of the animistic and demonic forces among our people group, especially those with Chinese ancestry.
The festival begins and is centered around local Chinese temples. To begin the festival, they erect bamboo poles for the gods to descend from heaven. They believe these gods (sons of the Chinese Queen of Heaven) oversee, protect and bless the event. All participants wear white and eat only vegetables in order to cleanse themselves. Participants are expected to go to the temple daily to make merit and to receive good fortune.
The most disturbing aspect of the festival are the scores of people (men, women and children) that open themselves up to be possessed by evil spirits. Each day parades, which last for hours, march through city streets and are filled with those who claim to be possessed by these spirits. They file through the streets shaking their heads side to side and with their eyes rolled back into their head. Many of them pierce themselves with knives, swords, poles, picks, etc., usually through both sides of the face in order to demonstrate to the crowd that the power of the gods is able to protect them.
Please join us in prayer for the hearts of these people. Our desire is that the Southern Thai would cast off their fear of spirits and submit themselves to the one true God who has power over all. May the Lord reign among the Southern Thai!
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