Hello friends! In the previous episode Tam Ki and the believers experienced amazing adventures with the Holy Spirit resulting in a deeper walk with God. Tam Ki soon realized that Christian worship songs were also important part of worshipping God. In this episode, Tam Ki was determined to make worship more meaningful by producing praise songs in their local K’cho dialect.

During evangelistic visits to Northern Chin State, Tam Ki noticed the local congregations had songbooks in their own dialects. However, in Southern Chin State, they had no worship songs in their own local dialect. That was in 1987. Since literacy rates were low, using songbooks in other dialects was challenging. Believers began to pray earnestly, seeking the Lord’s guidance about this. Quite soon, the Lord spoke to Tam Ki instructing him to translate worship songs into their local K’cho dialect.

Tam Ki had with him at the time a songbook used by the Assemblies of God churches, which gave each song in English and Burmese. Kneeling down, he asked the Lord how to go about translating the songs in this book. The Lord told him to fetch a notebook and pen, but he did not know how to begin. Feeling at a loss, Tam Ki confessed,  “Lord, without you I can do nothing! I do not know any English and my understanding of Burmese is limited. But nothing is impossible for You!”

As he held the pen, he felt the Holy Spirit take his hand as he wrote on the pages. Words in the local dialect began to flow effortlessly as Tam Ki translated the Burmese praise songs. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he translated 155 songs into K’cho dialect within a month. The Lord urged Tam Ki in a dream to publish 1,000 songbooks. But that would cost about 20,000 kyats which he could not find such a large sum of money. The Lord instructed, “Tam Ki, go to Yangon with your translated songs.”

As Tam Ki had no money, not even for the travelling expenses to the city, he hesitated. But the Holy Spirit urged him again and again to go. Tam Ki did not want to ask anyone for money and kept the matter in his heart and prayed instead. But, feeling certain now that it was the Lord’s will for him to publish the songbooks, he took the bold step of setting a date to travel.

As the day of the trip drew closer, Tam Ki wondered how he was to make this 630-mile journey south to the capital with no money. However, he was determined to take the first step of faith by simply walking the 36 miles to Mindat. The day of the journey arrived. Tam Ki said his goodbyes to his family. Just as he was about to leave home, his half-sister, Kee Awi, appeared with 50 kyats for him, which was from the piglet that she sold. Greatly encouraged, Tam Ki set off in good heart.

The believers at Mindat received him warmly. When they learned about his rather ludicrous publishing venture, they got together to pray. Another 50 kyats were collected.

One evening in a dream, the Lord instructed Tam Ki that there was a truck coming from Matupi the next day. He must get on that truck.  True to the Lord’s instructions, the next morning, a truck from Matupi stopped right in front of the house where Tam Ki was lodging. Giving thanks to God, he got on board. Glancing at the other passengers, he saw a familiar face. It was Lawng Thang, an old friend from another village. As they chatted, he soon found out the reason for Tam Ki’s long trip to Yangon. Lawng Thang was also heading there, on a business trip. Without hesitation, Lawng Thang invited Tam Ki to join him for the rest of the 10-day trip – at his expense. Tam Ki did not spend a single kyat during the trip and still had the 100 kyats he had been given. And, to Tam Ki’s surprise, Lawng Thang gave him 2,000 kyats towards his living expenses in Yangon.

The first step Tam Ki needed to take was to get the handwritten lyrics typed before sending the manuscript to a publisher. In Yangon, a godly lady, Daw Ciang Za Dim, introduced him to her relative Pa Pau. This tall, bespectacled man had a little shop with a typewriter, with which he earned his living as a typist. Pa Pau typed the lyrics of all 155 songs, refusing any fee.

Through Pa Pau’s recommendation, Tam Ki met a publisher who quoted 18,000 kyats for 1,000 songbooks. Tam Ki wondered how would he raise this amount of money. He prayed, as did many believers in Yangon. Rev Hau Lian Kham, encouraged Tam Ki, “Since the Lord has brought you to Yangon, I’m sure He will provide the means to get

your songs published.”

One evening on his way to a worship meeting, Tam Ki boarded a bus packed with commuters. As there was standing room only, he stood on the rickety bus with both hands gripping the overhead handrail. The traffic went at a sluggish pace for some time and then came to a halt at some traffic lights. Just then, a stranger ran up to the bus and waved at Tam Ki. The man handed something to Tam Ki through the window and ran off. Tam Ki was bewildered to find his minister’s license and identity card in his hands. He reached inside his sling bag. To his horror, Tam Ki realised that his wallet was missing! The man was a pickpocket. What was astonishing was that, once off the bus, the pickpocket had the good sense to return these two most important documents – Tam Ki’s minister’s license and identity card!

Although that was good news, it quickly dawned on him that all 2,100 kyats that he had in wallet was now gone. Tam Ki was left with just five kyats in change in his shirt pocket. Strangely, he was not discouraged. Tam Ki was confident that the Lord would fight this battle for him.

That night as he slept, the Lord showed Tam Ki in a dream a tall, young man with a fair complexion presenting him with 10,000 kyats.

With this assurance, Tam Ki no longer prayed for money but gave thanks continually to the Lord for His goodness and the fact that there was nothing He could not do. For a week, he stayed at the lodgings, fasting and spending time with the Lord. His host, Daw Ciang Za Dim, also fasted and prayed for him.

Then, Tam Ki got a surprise telephone call from Rev Hau Lian Kham who told him that a friend was willing to loan some money to print songbooks. But he suggested that Tam Ki should reduce the number of copies and also the number of songs. Tam Ki could then repay him after he had sold the songbooks.

“Saya, please thank your kind friend!” Tam Ki replied. “But I would rather not accept his generous offer. The Lord has instructed me to publish no fewer than 1,000 copies. What’s more, these songbooks are intended to be given away freely to the believers back in my

home area. So, I have no thoughts of selling them.”

Rev Hau Lian Kham was rather taken aback by Tam Ki’s response. In fact, he was so impressed with this country bumpkin’s uncompromising obedience to the Lord’s instructions, that, he insisted Tam Ki should share his testimony at his church that Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Lord spoke to Tam Ki through the words of Matthew 6:33, “… seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Tam Ki felt reassured by what the Lord told him not to reduce the number of songbooks. The Lord would surely provide his need for finance.

One Sunday, while the preacher was giving the benediction after the last hymn, Rev Hau Lian Kham led Tam Ki to the door to greet the congregation as they were streaming out. As he stood shaking hands with people, suddenly Tam Ki felt someone pulling his sling bag, which was strapped close to his side. Tam Ki’s immediate reaction was, not another pickpocket!

Grabbing his bag, Tam Ki was surprised to realise that a man was stuffing a bundle into it. This man was tall and with a fair complexion. He signalled that they should talk after Tam Ki had finished exchanging greetings with the congregation.

This young man, Ko Hang Mang, explained, “I was planning to go to another church when the Holy Spirit led me to this one. So I arrived late. When I came in, I saw you and the ministers taking their seats on the podium. I had brought some money to give to the Lord and He urged me repeatedly to give it to you. So I did not put it in the offering bag. I followed you to the door and put it in your bag instead. I am so blessed to have met you. Please come to my home.”

He gave Tam Ki his address and left. Tam Ki was astounded to find 5,000 kyats in 10-kyat notes in his bag. He knew that this man was the same fair-complexioned man he had seen in his dream.

A few days later, Tam Ki visited Ko Hang Mang. He said the Lord spoke to him again. The Lord said that the money he gave to Tam Ki was not enough and urged him to give more. Ko Hang Mang handed another 5,000 kyats without even asking what Tam Ki needed the money for.

From that day, donations started pouring in like showers of rain. By God’s grace, Tam Ki was able to publish 1,000 songbooks in K’cho dialect for free distribution. Hallelujah!

“When we are faithful with what the Lord has blessed us with, without misusing it for our own gains, He always gives us victory. We do not need gold or money to do great things for Him. But when we put our childlike trust in the Lord, who can do all things, we can face the unseen confidently with unwavering faith. He will see us through, no matter how difficult the battle may be. When we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, He will meet all our needs.”

Tam Ki finally finished his task to publish and distribute their first songbook at his home village. What would be his next mission from the Lord? Do listen to our new episode on next Thursday. Stay tune and good bye!

With Courtesy -

Song: Spirit Song