Towards The Lost In Thailand
An update from one of our SG Missionaries in Thailand…
Our team works in a remote area among an unreached people group in north eastern Thailand. At our core, we desire to see God lead them in “a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known” (Is. 42:16a). We long for God to “turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground” (Is. 42:16b). Currently, the ground is fallow, the darkness thick, and the people blind to the light of Christ.
The journey to Thailand has been a long one: close to a decade since hearing the call to go, and six years since landing here. Over the years, our team has labored in prayer, preparation, language learning, service and sharing. We are waiting for the Lord to move and birth new life in the hearts of our Thai friends.
Cross-cultural work such as this requires a long view and much endurance. The path has been wrought with setbacks and sufferings that come with the territory: language & cultural barriers, isolation, frequent & unexpected changes, various losses, stressful situations and life threatening medical emergencies. It’s hard to describe the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual pressures experienced on the field, but they are palpable and never far away, faithfully revealing our weakness and His resurrection power. The work has caused us in a small way to identify with Paul’s words about “always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies” (2 Cor 4:10). And every single day, He has been our rock, salvation and fortress (Ps 62:2,6-7) holding our hands and granting strength to take the next step of faith even in the darkest of nights.
Through the support and prayers of many in our churches, God has sustained the team and answered prayer. The many churches, pastors and members who have walked with us over the years have been the grace of God to hold the team up through difficult valleys, and we are grateful for you and your sacrifice. The encouragement we’ve received from you has kept us going at times when we thought we couldn’t go any further. We do give thanks to God for you and “the blessing granted us through the prayers of many” (2 Cor 1:11b).
And because of your prayers, God regularly opens doors to talk about Jesus and has even given opportunities to study the Bible with those who are curious. Many have never met a Christian before or had an opportunity to hear the gospel. And though there are only 1-2 believers per 1000 and just a handful of tiny churches in our province, the team has been able to expositionally preach God’s Word at two of the local bodies.
One of the highlights of the year was a Christmas outreach our teammates hosted in a remote village. After months of our teammates weekly building relationships by spending time weaving with grandmas in this village, God opened doors for this special event. The Christmas party drew 50 people who heard the gospel powerfully proclaimed, probably for the first time ever in this town.
It’s a walk of faith to be here, Jesus is worth it, and we’re glad we get to journey together with you. Because He lovingly laid down His life for His elect in this land, we can follow in his footsteps, trusting He will redeem those who are His.
