Fireballs to Flowers- A Miracle in Myanmar

Ron’s Adventures Podcast

Welcome to Ron’s Adventures, the podcast that highlights the experiences Ron Pearce has had in over 30 years of following God around the world, along with the incredible stories he’s collected along the way. Joining me in the studio today are Ron and Charis Pearce. Welcome back, guys! It’s great to have you.

Ron: We’re going back to Burma one more time, and today we’re talking about something that even surprised me. Every once in a while, you get a story that leaves you saying, ​“Wow, that’s really something.” Well, this is one of those stories.

What happened was that the Jesus film was being used very effectively in Burma. They’d show the film in villages, typically on a sheet in the middle of the village at night. Sometimes even Buddhists would want to see the film and invite the team into the monastery to show it there. On this particular occasion, the team showed the film in the village, surrounded by huts, with several hundred people in attendance.

However, there were many sorcerers, magicians, and witch doctors in the crowd, and they didn’t want this event to happen because they controlled the village. It was also a very strong Buddhist village, with a deep history of that faith. But despite this opposition, the team proceeded with the screening.

At the end of the movie, a 25-year-old pastor stood up and asked, ​“Would any of you like to accept Christ?” To his surprise, the entire village raised their hands. He was taken aback and asked, ​“Are you sure?”

They all responded, ​“Yes, we want to be Christians.”

Joy: It’s not common for a pastor to ask if they’re sure.

Ron: I know, but sometimes you have to be absolutely sure they understand what’s happening. So, the pastor asked, ​“Why? What happened?”

They explained, ​“You didn’t notice, but while you were all at the front watching the Jesus film, the witch doctors and sorcerers were at the back. They conjured fireballs and threw them at you to try to disrupt the film, to hurt you, and to stop this presentation of the Gospel. But as these fireballs flew toward their target, they miraculously transformed into flowers halfway to their target, and they just fell to the ground. God did a miracle!”

When the villagers saw this, they believed that the Christian God was stronger than their gods. They decided, right then and there, to follow Christ. The pastor and the team never saw the fireballs transform, but the villagers explained it to them afterward.

Joy: Okay, let me get this straight. You’re saying witch doctors had fireballs in their hands and threw them, and instead of just burning people, they turned into flowers? This is not something out of a movie; this actually happened?

Ron: Exactly.

Joy: So how are we supposed to believe this? I mean, we haven’t been to Burma, and you’re asking listeners, and me, to believe something this incredible.

Ron: I completely understand. We live in the West, where we don’t often hear stories like this. In Christian circles, we sometimes hear extraordinary stories about miracles, and people often wonder, ​“Is this real? Or is it exaggerated?”

Sometimes, these stories are spun in a way to defend the Bible or make a point. But overseas, especially in places like Burma, we don’t have to embellish these stories.

Charis: Yeah, sometimes people exaggerate for profit — selling books or attracting crowds.

Ron: Exactly. That’s common in the West. But when I hear stories like this from overseas, there’s nothing to gain. This young pastor, 25 years old, told me this story. His supervisor, the leader of the Jesus Film project for Campus Crusade for Christ in Burma, also confirmed it. This man is known as the ​“Billy Graham of Burma.” He’s a man of God with unquestionable integrity.

The entire team confirmed the story, and the entire village accepted Christ. Do you honestly think that a village steeped in Buddhism, with witch doctors and supernatural beliefs, would make up a story like this? No. They experienced a miracle, and they gave their lives to Christ because of it.

Joy: So the fireballs were not just the most unusual thing for them. What really stood out was that they turned into flowers. The power wasn’t in the hands of the witch doctors, but in God’s hands.

Ron: That’s exactly it, Joy. Over there, the supernatural is part of daily life. For us, we’re not used to that. It’s not common in the West to see things like this, but in Burma, it’s a reality. And when God shows His power in that context, it’s undeniable.

Joy: So for the pastor, when he asked if anyone wanted to give their lives to the Lord, I’m guessing he wasn’t expecting the entire village to raise their hands. He might have hoped for a few, but the entire village choosing Christ must have been a huge surprise.

Ron: Yes, and let me add this: I’ve heard of entire villages coming to Christ before. For instance, in Ethiopia, I saw a village come to Christ after the mayor, the witch doctor, and the head of the mosque all had the same dream. The pastor, who had no knowledge of this, explained the dream and told them they needed to accept Christ. When the witch doctor, the head of the mosque, and the mayor of the town all stand up together and say, ​“We’ve accepted Christ, and you should too,” well, that’s when the entire village follows suit. That doesn’t happen without a miracle.

Joy: Wow, I’m speechless. I honestly don’t even know how to respond to this story. It’s just so full of wonder.

Ron: Let me close by saying this: You read about miracles in the Gospels and in Acts — how Jesus performed miracles, and how the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to do the same. The Book of Acts is a record of the Holy Spirit’s activities in the early church. Well, today, that same Holy Spirit is moving in parts of the world where supernatural events are common. The Book of Acts is coming alive again, and people are amazed by what God is doing.

Joy: Especially when they see a God with so much power, and one that is loving, not vengeful.

Ron: Exactly. People don’t want a god that they have to fear, one that they have to sacrifice to in order to keep from being punished. They want a God who loves them, who is coming to break through the natural world and show them His power and love. That’s why miracles like this are happening all around the world.

Joy: That’s fantastic. Thank you both for sharing this amazing story. We’ve been listening to Ron’s Adventures, the podcast that reminds us that we serve a God who can turn fireballs into flowers — the God with the most power.