The mesmerizing chanting from the restaurant’s audio system dulled our thoughts. A man in his early 20s stood ready to serve us while his father, who looked like a walking amulet display rack, quietly watched. A larger-than-normal shrine occupied the back wall, while the atmosphere in the room was almost oppressive. I thought to myself, “There is a demonic presence here.”

However, that thought was quickly drowned out by the sound system. Vegetarian restaurants devoted to the Chinese mercy goddess, Guanyin, often play mind-numbing chanting on an endless loop. We were keen to make a quick escape from both the sound and the atmosphere. Duang whispered to me, “Let’s have a picnic further down the road.” We ordered our food to go, but before leaving, I handed the young man a copy of The Great Controversy in Thai that I had with me.

“This book tells about how the world will end,” I explained.

“I believe that we are at the end of time,” he answered.

Halfway to our vehicle, he ran out of the restaurant and called after us, “Can I take your picture?” We smiled while he took a selfie with us, The Great Controversy prominently displayed in his hand. And that was the last we saw him, a random man in a random restaurant on a route home from the Adventist University that we usually don’t take.

It started with a simple prayer, “Lord, I have these books. Please lead me to someone so I can share them.” Then I carry a book or a tract with me. Through the combination of prayer and ready preparation, God is supplying opportunities.

“Sow your seed in the morning, and do not rest your hands in the evening, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or if both will equally prosper” (Ecclesiastes 11:6 BSB).

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