I truly don’t know where to begin. I have only been in Thailand for two weeks and yet it feels like I have been here months. The nation is beautiful in so many respects. The ocean, which is about two football fields away from me, is stunning every day. At this very moment I am sitting at a coffeeshop on the ocean. The waves are lapping as low tide is beginning. The sun is setting behind Monkey Mountain and the sea breeze is perfect. Thai fishing boats litter the shoreline as everyone is done fishing for the day.
The people, hospitable. And the children; I cannot even begin to explain their shear adorableness. Let’s just say that they are so cute that the Thai language has created a word to explain how cute they are. The literal definition: “So cute you could just eat them up.”
We went to a big worship event in a town nearby which helped shed light on the darker aspects of the culture. Pattaya, a center for prostitution and brothels, shows the true decline in sexual morality, fueled by western money and nationals. The city is littered with neon lights and subtle explanations of what lies within the doors. It broke our hearts, truly, as we saw so many white men with young Thai girls.
Even though the darkness of Buddhism surrounds us down every Soi we still see the Kingdom moving. Just last night we walked down the pier around midnight and prayed through fear with a young boy. We are discipling new believers and breaking ground in new areas. God is here and God is moving.
We spend time praying every day, learning Thai, teaching English, baking, and tutoring. I never would have thought teaching English would be as much fun as it is and would break into the Kingdom as often as it does. Baking is a new concept for many people here because most don’t have ovens. We don’t have most of the ingredients we would normally use so we make up recipes and eat whatever results.
We’ve already done dramas in front of people, started a slum ministry, and experimented with foods we never thought we would eat. It turns out, I don’t mind Mussles, squid is good as I remembered, and the hotdogs in the market are questionable. But through the newness of squatty potties and bucket showers God is at work. He is speaking to us as ministry is underway. Issues that God and I are working on are progressing, difficult but progressing nonetheless. We see vision and a future what God is doing here in Thailand. I’m so thankful for the ability to see God at work, because in such a dark place hope is needed.
By no means is the Gospel advancing slowly here, but through such overwhelming odds it is easy to get discouraged. God offers us his vision as a grace for us. This way we see the hope that is had through partnering with God. There is one phrase that was constantly said to me by God over training, “Just let me do the work.” I see more and more, every day, that by my strength will nothing be accomplished here. I can learn the language and share the Gospel with as many people as I would like, but without God there is nobody there to save. It is by God’s strength we are saved; that people are saved. This, just one of the many reminders I have every day.
Pray for Thailand. Pray that veils would be lifted, hearts softened, and families mended through Christ. Pray that strongholds would be busted and houses built on rocks would be constructed over the rubble.
–Thomas
