The month of May was rather atypical and filled with much travel and activity.  I will begin by apologizing in advance if this Tidbits ends up on the lengthy side.  As I mentioned in the last letter, Cindi went back to America to visit family but has now returned to Thailand after almost a month in the states. While she was away I made a trip down to Bangkok which turned out to be quite productive.  I was able to re-visit one of the language schools that I attended last year; I spent four days attending classes and sharpening my listening skills.  Before I left, I had the opportunity to give each of the teachers a gift bag which contained a copy of the book Steps to Christ in Thai and also a C.D. produced by the Bangkok Thai SDA church choir.  I had wanted to share literature with them before I left last year, but felt somewhat awkward and was unsure of how it would come across; so I (ashamedly) gave into my fears and indecision and left feeling unsatisfied with myself.  However, upon making my return trip I felt the same burden to do something to reach out to my teachers and as I prayed about the matter the Lord impressed me to prepare gift bags for each of them and to include the book along with other little gifts as a way to not only witness, but to also express appreciation to them for helping me to learn Thai.  I pray that the Lord will use these small gifts to plant seeds that will bear fruit in the future.

Koh Tao

Our monk friend Sanga who we have been meeting weekly with since last October recently graduated with a Philosophy degree from one of the most prestigious Buddhist Universities in Thailand.  If I had been in Chiangmai I would have had to drive about six hours to make it to the campus, however since I was already in Bangkok I only had to drive two hours.  I thank God for the providential timing, as I probably would not have attended if I had not already been in Bangkok.  It is very likely that Sanga will now return to his home village which is located three hours north of Chiangmai.  Sadly we will no longer be able to meet together to discuss Thai culture and the Bible.  Please remember to keep Sanga in your prayers as he transitions to a new phase of life; he will most likely be working in the local temple in his village and has a dream of building a new temple there.  Again I pray that the Lord will water the seeds that have been sown.

At a Buddhist University for Graduation

While in Bangkok I was privileged to be able to attend the Ministering to Mourners conference put on by the General Conference’s Center of East Asian Religious Traditions.  Several missionaries, pastors, professors and other church workers located in SE Asia gathered together to discuss, study, and develop more effective means to minister to those who lose loved ones.  Missionaries and pastors in Thailand have realized that funerals offer one of the best ways to come close to families and share Biblical teachings with them.  They have also seen that failure to properly plan funerals and proper burials for deceased church members has caused much ill will and resentment to the families (many of which are Buddhist) of the deceased member.  It was a blessing to be part of this meeting, and I truly sensed the Holy Spirit working by bringing greater understanding to this crucial issue and helping us to develop more effective ministry strategies for the culturally complex environments in which we work in.

Koh Tao

After the meetings concluded Cindi and I headed down to Southern Thailand for a much needed vacation.  We spent a week on the tropical island of Koh Tao and were able to swim, snorkel, and even scuba dive!  Thailand is truly a beautiful country, and I have been awed at how the Lord has given us unexpected blessings and opportunities since coming here that we would not have had otherwise.

The night we left for vacation, there was a military coup and takeover of the government.  As I have mentioned in previous letters, the political situation has been quite tumultuous over the past six months, and the future is still uncertain.  Coups are quite common in Thailand, there have been 12 since 1932, and they are often bloodless.  As a result of the coup, a 10:00 p.m nation-wide curfew was instated, and we actually ended up being out until 11pm that evening as we waited for our overnight tour bus to arrive take us to the island.  The streets were peaceful, but it was quite interesting to see armed soldiers manning many corners.  There were about ten of them right across the street from where we waited for the bus. We do ask that you keep this country in your prayers, as it seeks to work through its many divisions and establish a true democracy. 

Koh Tao

Yesterday after church and potluck Cindi and I had the opportunity to do a Bible study with one of the Thai young ladies of the church.  She had expressed an interest to me in doing Bible studies, and after asking her what kind of questions she had we ended up doing an impromptu Bible study on the sanctuary.  Although our Thai is still somewhat limited, I was surprised by how much we were able to explain to her, however we still have a long way to go.  Thankfully later this month we will begin taking Thai Bible classes at the language school that we attend, and will learn Bible terminology as well as how to tell Bible stories, and write sermons and testimonies.  Please continue to keep our language learning in your prayers.  By God’s grace we will be done with formal schooling by the end of this year!

Koh Tao

As we conclude this letter we again want to thank each of you for your faithful prayers and support, but please do let us know how we can pray for you.  May the Lord bless you all!

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