Does God Still Work in Chaos? – Bailak’s Story

As we close out this series about how God still works in chaos, we want to share one final story with you about Bailak.* She is from the T. people in North Asia. She recently made a choice that would forever change her life. Here is her story retold by a fieldworker that knows her best.

I still remember opening the door and meeting Bailak. for the first time.

We had finally learned the language of the T. people to a high enough level and were starting to teach the narrative story of the Bible to a small group who were interested in hearing how the world had come to be and what God wanted from them.

Bailak had missed the first few lessons, but she just sort of showed up one day. Most of the people coming were adults; while she was only 16, she didn’t shy away from asking questions. It was apparent that she had been drawn by something, Someone, moving deep within her.

I found out later that her father had forbidden her to attend. She would sneak out of the house, catch a ride, and show up at our apartment week after week to hear the stories. Stories about a God who had made the world, about how humans had brought a curse into it through their sin, and about how God rescued them.

By the time we got to the story of Jesus and His death on the cross, Bailak was the first to receive Christ. When the new believers began studying the book of Acts, she quickly saw the necessity of baptism, but there was a problem. When she told her father that she was going to be baptized as a Christian, he forbade it. Publicly identifying herself as a Christian was a step he was not prepared to allow!

“What would God do?” we worried. “Will Bailak remain faithful to Him?” This was hard because my wife and I were 7000 miles away, unable to return to our beloved home in central Asia due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All we could do was text the brothers and sisters there, including Bailak, and pray that God would continue the work, even in our absence.

Last month, one of the brothers sent me some pictures of the church’s baptism service. In the middle of the new T. believers who were publicly committing themselves to follow Jesus, there was our dear friend Bailak, her face shining with joy. I was worried it would be a bittersweet moment for her, knowing that her decision would end her relationship with her parents. Indeed, her father had disowned her and kicked her out of the house when she told him of her decision. However, like Moses, she “chose rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.” (Heb. 11:25)

“So, what was it like?” I asked one of the elders. “Was it hard for her to do, knowing that she was giving up her family?”

“On the contrary,” he replied. “I’ve never seen anyone so happy! People were saying she looked like a bride on her wedding day.”

It’s hard for field workers not to be present in times of personal crisis like Bailak’s. She is no longer a statistic on a mission website, but a dear friend and sister in Christ. And yet, we rejoice to see the church rally around her and be the family she needs, even giving her a place to stay. God is continuing His work. Let’s praise Him.

*Name changed for safety

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