Jason and Angie Bechtel Bringing Hope to Unreached People Groups 
Last week, fellow Canadian New Tribers, Derek and Sarah Grant were able to give a wonderful report to their co-workers, Scott and Jennie Phillips, about the state of the church in the Dao tribe.
Not only are the Dao believers continuing to meet as a local body, but onlookers are taking notice, and asking for Bible teaching.
Here is part of an update from Scott and Jennie:
“The Grants who are presently about three fourths of the way through the process of studying and learning the Dao language told us that this last Sundays gathering of the Dao believers was the best, most spiritually solid, sincere and encouraging service that had happened in the Dao valley since our departure nearly four months ago.
They said, "It was such a good, Christ centered time of fellowship that it made us not want to go out on our break at all!" (Which is a big thing for someone that has been stuck in a small hole in the jungle with nearly no fellowship with other westerners for months on end)
But not only is God working in the hearts of the Dao believers that we have left behind, there are neat things starting to happen even on into the neighbouring areas and valleys because of the testimony of the growing faith and passion that God is giving these Dao believers for hearing and teaching His Word!
We were also told that just recently one of the most important big men and leaders of a yet unreached area two to three days hike to the southeast of us sent a very important message to us and the Dao Bible teachers.
His name is Ekapitaa and the main part of the message he sent was passed down from person to person through the valley and various hamlets in between his territory and the place where we minister.
When it finally reached our hamlet, the words of Ekapitaa were delivered to say something like this:
"Please tell Degapiyaa (Scott’s tribal name) that we want to hear this Creators talk!We want it so much that we are waiting for the time that you along with the Dao Bible teachers will bring it to us!
When the time comes that you are ready to tell us of the Creators message just send us word and we will come. We will gather everybody from our area, We will all hike the trails all the way down to where you are and we will live in your area for as long as two moons (Months). We will do this all just so that we can hear the Creator’s message. If you would rather hike to our territory and tell us in our own houses we will wait for you here. When you come we will provide everything you need including food so that you can live among us. We will provide for you so that you can stay and we can finally hear this big message. We want to hear this message and we even now wait for the day you can teach it to us! These are the words of Ekapitaa."
When we hear these things from the Grants and we think about the way that God is giving the Dao believers the desire to continue to cling to His message and then we think about the fact the at the same time, God is using the testimony of the Dao people to speak to the neighbouring people groups as well, we can’t help but feel the same as Paul! We just want to grab the closest people to us (In the case the Grants) and give them a big hug and say with Paul "WOW! We truly have no greater joy than this! Than to hear our children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:3-4)
