Faith and Durian

     For one of our days of ministry, we are working with a pastor and his wife who are trying to start a church in a community that is half Muslim and half Buddhist.  There are barely any Christians in the entire community.  Now, by "barely any Christians" I don't mean like a city in America that has only two churches instead of five.  I mean that he is starting a church where there aren't any Christian churches.  There are only mosques and temple houses.  I don't know how many Christians are even in the town, but considering that not even 1 percent of Thai people are Christians and considering what I've seen in the town, I would say there are close to none.  That's not a light task.

     Yet Pastor Den and his wife Boi are two of the most optimistic people I have ever met.  They have been meeting at someone's home in the community for services for about three months now and have not yet seen a huge success in the community.  Yet I have not once seen Pastor Den even look like he might be discouraged.  In fact, I've seen the exact opposite.  He is encouraging and energetic about what is happening.  He's moving forward in what he knows God desires to do in this community.

     In part of moving forward, he has been desiring to rent a building in the community in order to have services in a building of their own, instead of a home, and to start more ministries during the week for the people of the community.  He has been communicating with the owner of the building and the owner has given him a price for the building.  However, Pastor Den didn't have support from anyone.  He's not going out with the support of another church or of members of the community.  He's just going out as God has told him to.  Therefore, we have been praying for God's provision for this building for the church, and in the meantime, have been going through the community and getting to know people.

     Well, weeks had gone by with prayer for this building, but nothing had happened.  Many would've given up long before this, but Pastor Den did not.  He kept strong in what he believed God wanted from him and for this community, and that perseverance paid off.  Last week, Pastor Den told us that, from many different various people, the first month's rent has been paid for.  The church can move into the building and will be starting services there.

Tomorrow we will be meeting Pastor Den at the church to plan our English class.  Before, we didn't have a place to teach English.  However, we won't be teaching in the church building.  God has provided for us to teach English in a different place in the community.  Two weeks ago, as we were walking around the town, praying and meeting people, Ciara and I got distracted by someone selling durian in the back of their truck.  We stopped because we wanted to get some, and Pastor Den started talking to a lady who was also there buying fruit.  While we were waiting and they were talking, Pastor Den turned to us and mouthed for us to pray.  A little bit later, he tells us we are to follow him, and his wife and he got into the lady's car.  We pull up to a home and get out.  As it turns out, this lady has two houses (one in Bangkok and one in this community) and she would like us to use it for free to teach English.  She also has a daughter, so she knows a lot of kids who would be interested in learning English in the community.  She is not a Christian, but she said that her daughter used to go to a church with her teacher, and she saw a difference in her daughter, and want her to start attending the church.  She has also said we can teach whatever we want and we can talk about the Bible to the children in our class.

     Now think about these things that have happened.  They took a lot of praying and preparation to get to this point.  At first, this looked impossible.  The community is Muslim and Buddhist, there was no support for the church, and they didn't have a building or even a place to teach English.  What would've happened if Pastor Den and Boi would've decided it was too hard.  What if they would've decided that they weren't getting the results they wanted, so they didn't want to keep going?  There would be no church, and there would be no hope.

     We need to have faith like that.  We need to have faith that when God calls us to do something, that He will provide.  It may not be quite as easy as we may have hoped, but He will provide.  Now, the church only has the first month's rent paid.  They don't have any monthly support coming in as of now.  That may sound like a bad financial decision, but Pastor Den knows the calling of God.  He knows that God has called him to this place and has provided this building for this purpose.  Because of that, he won't back down.  We need to not back down on the things God has called us to do.

     If God has called us to a job, He will provide.  He will give us what we need in the strangest ways.  He didn't call us to the easy road, He called us to Him.  All we can do is have faith in Him and know He will provide.  God doesn't set us somewhere and forget us.  He calls us, guides us, and goes before us.  Watching all of this is unfold is such a privilege and is completely terrifying at the same time.  But I know God is going to provide.  And all I can do is thank God for faith and durian.

Four Weeks!

So Thailand!

     I know, I know, it's been a while.  But I'm in Thailand.  I'm here for 16 weeks (15 weeks and 6 days to be exact) and I have no idea why!  I mean, I know how I got here.  I'm here through SAGU, and I'm here for a semester abroad and to do missions.  But why I decided to come, I'm not really sure.  I guess I've just always loved going and helping.  I've always loved being in the ministry (well.. overall I've loved it).  It's something we're commanded to do, so why not just go all out?

     So I'm in Thailand now.  I've been here for four weeks, and I'm loving it!  It's hot and humid here, but you get used to it.  You get used to the communication barriers, and you get used to eating the food (actually, that's one of the best parts- can't get a good dinner in America for less than $2!).  You get used to the schedule and the classes online.  You get used to the time change and you get used to the currency change.

     What you don't get used to is the lostness of this place.  You don't get used to walking past the spirit houses.  You don't get used to realizing that most of the people in this country don't have the saving grace that you do.  You don't get used to the slums and the way that they live.  You don't get used to the way they smile, when you know there's so much hurt underneath.  You don't get used to the stories of children who grow up pressured into selling themselves for money.  You don't get used to hearing about people trying to become the opposite sex to ease their parents' disappointment of not having the gender of a child they wanted.  It's just not something you get used to.

     There's so much pain and hurt in this country.  And yet, there's a Hope that can heal all.  People are so concerned here with appearances and with the way they look outwardly.  And yet they don't understand that someone created that appearance.  And that same One who created the outside, also created the inside, and cares about both.

     There is a little girl from the slums who has captured my heart automatically.  She is the sweetest little girl, and I believe she has accepted Jesus as her Savior.  She lives in the slums with her grandmother, but walks to church every Sunday.  This Sunday she stood by me and worshipped.  It was one of the most precious things I have seen.  I desire that for the people of Thailand.  I especially desire that for the children of Thailand.  I want these people to know, as little Ging knows, that they are "beautiful in the eyes of Jesus."

     I promise, I'm going to try to keep all my posts from being quite so long and serious. :) But even if we spent every day doing fun activities and experiencing the fun times of Thailand, there is no way to forget the need here in Thailand.  Please pray that the people of Thailand will realize the unconditional love of God and understand the grace He has given us.  Only with Christ's love can this nation be changed.