Turen spoke earnestly as he gestured with his hands. “And I had worms all around in my neck and in my armpits. They were just coming out, and I was pulling them off of me and throwing them away!”

It sounded rather far-fetched to us, so we asked questions, trying to get what Turen was really saying. “Greg, do you remember when you prayed for me when I was very sick? You laid your hand on me and prayed for God to make me better. Well, that night, lots of worms just came right out of my armpits and my neck area—maybe three handfuls!”

We aren’t sure whether Turen’s story is factual or embellished, but we are sure of one thing. Since Greg’s first visit, Turen’s health has been steadily improving. Not only did Greg pray for Turen, but Turen’s young nephew, a student at our school, went on his own initiative to pray for his uncle. Turen has gone from a state of semiconsciousness, totally bedridden and unable to walk, to now walking and coming to church!

As we continued our conversation, Turen shared a scary dream he’d recently had. He dreamed that there was a dead person lying on his bed. Pnong people put a lot of stock in dreams, so Turen had moved his mattress to another part of the room, fearing for his life.

“When you have a scary dream, you can pray and ask Jesus to be with you and keep you safe,” Greg said.

“Oh, I could never do that!” Turen replied, shaking his head. “I don’t know the proper way to pray.”

“You can just talk to God,” I responded. “He loves you very much, and it makes Him happy when you talk to Him. You don’t have to be scared to talk to God.”

Turen was silent, but his eyes looked hopeful.

“Why don’t we pray right now before we leave?” Greg offered.

Turen’s eyes brightened. “Yes, thank you!” he exclaimed as he reverently put his hands together.

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