A Shaman Came for Medicine—but Found a Miracle
by John Press, ASAP Media Coordinator
For years, Mr. Chue (a pseudonym) had been the shaman of his village in northern Thailand—someone others turned to for help and healing. But when sickness came to his own body, no ritual or doctor could bring relief.
By age 70, Mr. Chue could hardly walk. He struggled to breathe at night, weakened by heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. After two weeks in the hospital, doctors gently told him there was no cure. “Go home,” they said. “There’s nothing more we can do.”
But God had another plan.
When Mr. Chue’s children heard about Sunarat (pictured above), an ASAP medical missionary serving at a church in the mountains outside of Chiang Mai, they urged their parents to go see her.
One cool morning, Mr. Chue and his wife made the long journey to the Pha Nok Kok Church. There, Sunarat welcomed them not only with care and treatment—but with prayer, kindness, and the love of Christ. She guided them through a simple, natural health program based on the NEWSTART principles—Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest, and Trust in God. Meals were plant-based, walks were gentle, and each day included prayer and Bible readings.
Slowly, change began to happen. After one month, Mr. Chue and his wife noticed significant improvements in their health. So did their doctor.
“Your heart is better,” he said when they followed up with him after returning home. “Your blood pressure is improved. Everything looks good! What did you do?”
Mr. Chue simply smiled. He knew what had changed. He had met the true Healer.
What began as a search for physical healing has become a journey of spiritual transformation. Mr. Chue's wife, inspired by the change in both her health and her husband’s, has expressed a desire to follow Jesus. And now their children are interested, as well. Please pray for Mr. Chue and his family—that they will continue to grow in faith and fully surrender their hearts to Christ.
Join the Mission
Stories like Mr. Chue’s remind us that God is still at work in the most unlikely places. Through faithful local missionaries like Sunarat, lives are being transformed both physically and spiritually. Her small church clinic in the mountains is more than a place of healing—it’s a place of hope. Each patient who walks through its doors experiences the love of Christ and the truth of His power to restore.
When you support ASAP local missionaries or sponsor one like Sunarat, you become part of stories like this—real lives changed by the love of Jesus. With God's blessing, together we can bring physical healing and the hope of the gospel to those who need it most.
