A few days after arriving in Khon Kaen, I set out alone to try to find my way to Peace Music Academy, where I would be teaching violin. I headed out to the main road and made my way to a big lake near the community where I was staying. It was a beautiful morning for a walk, sunny and with a comfortable temperature.

I admired the lake as I walked and nearly overlooked a teen girl sitting nearby. She looked upset. My inner introvert led me past her as I convinced myself that my tiny Thai vocabulary would be no match for the kind of conversation she needed. But that still, small Voice asked me to remember why I was in Thailand, and the Youth Sabbath School teacher in me turned around. The teen, whom I will call Jenny, was sobbing by this time.

I did not know what to say or do. Would she become more upset if a non-Thai person approached her to talk? I wondered if the people driving by would be offended by my interference with one of their young people. I decided to go with Job’s friends’ first strategy and quietly sit and pray until I had an idea of what to do.

Finally, I saw a break in the tears and attempted to ask her what was wrong. She understood me and responded that she was okay. She told me her name and apologized for not speaking English well. I quickly apologized for not speaking Thai well. But I grabbed my phone and, using a translation app, asked what had happened.

On her phone, Jenny told me that she had had an accident on the motorcycle she was riding. I saw that her foot was scraped and bleeding. She told me she had wanted to go to the hospital to take care of her foot. But when she had called home, her relative had told her to go alone and had yelled at her for being so careless. My heart went out to Jenny, and I offered to accompany her to the hospital. But she said she was on her way to school and would go to the nurse’s office.

“I stopped by the lake to cry because I was so hurt by how my relative had treated me. No matter what I do, I cannot seem to please him,” Jenny said sorrowfully.
I explained to Jenny something God taught me when I was a teenager. “Sometimes, when people are unhappy with those around them, it is because they are unhappy with themselves.” Oh, how I longed to introduce her to Jesus and the truths of His Word. But I was unsure how that could happen as we were “messaging” each other in the translation app.

Jenny told me she felt better and asked me what I was doing. A wave of awe at God’s timing humbled me as I remembered my hesitation to approach her. I told her I was on a walk to find the academy where I would be a violin teacher.

I encouraged Jenny to go to school and take care of her injury. And I told her, “I want you to know I am a Christian.” I explained that even when others cannot be there for us, God can help us. I did not know if she understood what I had just shared.

Jenny asked me a few more questions and said she just wanted to spend more time sitting at the lake before leaving. I told her that I would wait with her.

As we soaked in the peacefulness of our surroundings, I invited Jenny to the Friday night youth event that young-adult missionaries held at the house where I was staying. I offered to exchange contact information. Jenny hesitated. I chose not to push her. I asked if I could pray for her. And she accepted. God gave me the ability to pray specifically for her needs.

“You are a good person,” Jenny said.

“It is God who is good, and I want to be like Him.”

Suddenly, Jenny asked me if I could be her god. I was so shocked that I was not sure how to reply at first.

“I cannot be your god. I would be a bad god. But you can have God in you to help you and be with you,” I replied. (Later, the career missionary explained that Jenny was asking me to be her spiritual guru or teacher. Guru also is a word for god in Thai. But this detail was lost in the translation app.)

Jenny told me that she was interested in studying different religions. I affirmed her desire to study and encouraged her to read the Bible and discover the truth for herself.

“Do you think I could find a Bible in my school library?” she asked.

“You might be able to. If not, you can also find it online.”

Jenny laughed. “I had not thought about that.”

We spent some more time conversing about Khon Kaen, and then she left for school.

I marveled at the smoothness of our interaction and that I could share through my testimony how God is there for us when no one else can be. My soul was touched in reaching her soul. I am praying to experience more divine appointments in the harvest in Thailand.

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