A year ago, Scott and Jennie Phillips left their hamlet of Dao believers with mixed feelings.

“Even though we felt that we had prepared them the best that we could to stand on their own spiritually while we were gone,” Scott writes, “it was still an emotional battle to ‘let them go’ and leave them for a time.

“I think it was just as much a step of faith for us to follow the example of Paul and ‘commend them into the Lord’s Hands’ as it was going to be for the Dao people themselves to continue walking in their newfound lives as believers after we were gone.”

Their faith has been well rewarded. They were encouraged to discover that two Dao Bible teachers, Wikipai and Daapoi, have taken it upon themselves to double the lessons due to the distance between two hamlets that require their teaching. Instead of having only one gathering each Sunday, they decided to each teach at one hamlet.

Dividing the teachings allows for the opportunity for more people to hear God’s Word. Those too far from the usual meeting place can now meet at a place closer and more convenient to them.

Wikipai and Daapoi have taken ownership of their teaching role, accepting the responsibility to see as many people taught as they possibly can. They have taken their own semi-nomadic cultural situation and applied it in a way that allows them to effectively teach God’s Word.

Praise God that the Dao believers have continued Bible teaching on their own. Please pray that they will continue to be encouraged to grow in their faith.