 |
The fields are white for the harvest to eternal life
|
Sawatdee (Thai greeting) family and friends!
In a couple days, Lord willing, we will be back home in the United States after spending five months here in Thailand doing what we have been led by the Holy Spirit to do. It’s really nothing different than any follower of Christ has been sent out to do, except that we have the privilege to do it in a different land and culture than our own. Jesus said to His disciples, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (John 20:21) One Bible commentator on this passage says that this greeting of peace on the night of Christ’s resurrection was a complement to Jesus’s words on the cross as He was being crucified, “it is finished”. The meaning here is that the work of Jesus was accomplished so we could receive the forgiveness of our sins, the peace of reconciliation with God, and inherit eternal life. With this understanding, we have gone overseas to bring this amazing message to those who have never heard. Jesus was sent to this world to bring the good news of salvation and continues to do that through His followers who bear witness to the reality of His first coming and promised second coming, when He will judge the world and make all things new.
Our plans to join a short-term medical mission team from the USA in Cambodia abruptly changed for a couple reasons. We felt Lyndell should return to the states for a short time to be of help to our youngest daughter, Moriah, in Arizona who had just gone through a long and difficult labor and delivery of their first child. In addition, there were no native English speakers available for the month of February at our branch of the Santisuk English School. The enrollment of students had gone up considerably from the previous month and they were desperate for native speakers. Therefore, we first flew to Cambodia to meet the team from the U.S. and deliver the medical supplies that we had left over from our previous outreach in western Thailand in January and renew our visas at the same time. Then Lyndell traveled to Arizona for a couple weeks and Gary taught two more classes at the school back in Bangkok for the month of February.
After Lyndell returned, she began to teach again and we had three more classes for the month of March with students not only from Thailand, but also several business age individuals from China, a high school teacher from Korea, and a couple from Iran. Gary was also given the opportunity to preach a couple more times and conducted a baptism class in preparation for baptisms that we held during a weekend overnight camping trip for the students and staff. The men’s startup fellowship group that Gary led was able to continue meeting a couple times in February. We are praying that this ministry will continue after we leave.
We are always thrilled when we get to share the message of Jesus with our students through the course curriculum and the Lord also provided several opportunities to go deeper with different individuals outside of the classroom sessions. One young man from China said that although he was only going to be in Thailand for one month, he believed that God had arranged for him to be here to not only learn to improve his English, but to learn about God. He said that he was sad that he now had to leave and go back to China. Another woman from China, who was working on her PhD in Chinese folkdance, said she was very thankful to now know that there was a God and was planning to return to Santisuk to learn more, after she returned to China for a couple months. She was a bit disappointed after finding out that we wouldn’t be teaching in the summer when she returned. We sensed that the Lord was working in her heart to know more about the God she now knew who had made her and wanted a personal relationship with her.
For many of our students the concept of grace from a Biblical understanding is not known. To receive something beneficial that is not earned, goes contrary to their beliefs that we only get what we deserve. We tell them the parable of Jesus in Matt. 20, when the owner of a vineyard pays some of the workers what they had agreed upon and when they later find out that some who had only worked an hour received the same pay as they did for a full day’s work, they became upset and expected to be paid more. Yet, it was because of the owner’s demonstration of grace that one worker had been paid more than expected, while the owner’s payment for the others had been fair and honest. God demonstrates His grace toward us as sinners, being willing to forgive us for our sins through no work of our own. This forgiveness is based solely on the work and merit of Jesus for us. It’s a concept that takes a person, especially a Buddhist, hearing this good news many times before it seems to be fully understood. Our prayer is that we have helped add to that knowledge of truth to those we were given the opportunity to share these past five months.
After our March teaching session we invited a missionary couple, who are also our friends from northern Thailand, on a 5-day trip to Phuket for some R&R. We had a very restful time there in a very beautiful jungle-like setting on the ocean. It was a bit surreal after having just experienced the earthquake that had created a good deal of fear and apprehension among the people during those frightening moments.
We had the opportunity to share about Christ with a young woman who worked selling memberships at the resort. Later she said that she would probably believe in Jesus if God would give her a sign. We explained that Jesus was given a similar request, and He said that His death and resurrection would be the only sign given. Then we told her that she needed to now consider that sign and the meaning of what Jesus did on the cross for her and God’s offer of the gift of eternal life that would be abundant and filled with peace and joy.
Now we turn our thoughts towards going home to reunite with our family and friends, but our hearts are yearning already to soon return to this land where the field is white unto harvest and laborers are needed to fulfill the plan of God to bring more souls into His kingdom.
Thank you for your support and hopefully you will partner with us when we again return to Bangkok. Have a Blessed Resurrection Day. Let us all be renewed in our amazement for what the reality of Jesus rising from the dead means for all of us who believe.
Blessings in Jesus,
Gary and Lyndell
 |
Level 1 February morning session
Level 2 February afternoon session
|
 |
Group photo after class
|
 |
| The usual class dining out after last class |
 |
Grammy with newest grandchild in Arizona
|
 |
| Our baby girl (Moriah) with her baby boy (Clark) |
 |
| Economy class can be a little tight in SE Asia |
 |
After flying from Thailand we met with Cambodian team leaders
while enjoying a cup of Vietnamese coffee
|
 |
U.S.A. team for medical/dental mission
|
 |
We found an actual white elephant in Phnom Penh
(or at least a facsimile)
|
 |
Cambodia's Royal Palace grounds
|
 |
| Cambodian Royal Palace built around 1860 |
 |
Silver Pagoda on Royal Palace grounds
 | Mandap Hill, a historical landmark said to be
the founding site of Phnom Penh in 1372 |
|
 |
| Meeting with faithful 30 year missionary veteran from Philippines |
 |
Independence Monument of Phnom Penh
|
 |
Tuk tuk riding very fun and economical.
Most rides $1-2.
 | | Sunday worship service in Cambodia |
|
 |
Tried an authentic Cambodian dish
|
 |
It was very delicious
 | | Men's fellowship group |
|
 |
Level 1 March morning class
|
 |
| Level 1 March afternoon class |
 |
Lyndell's Level 2 class March session
 | | Lyndell's Level 1 class session |
 | | Lyndell's Level 2 class final session |
|
 |
| Praising God for new believer |
 |
| Peace of Silom Church |
 |
| Peace of Silom Church |
 |
| Camping trip away from busy Bangkok |
 |
| Three new believers baptized |
 |
| Very special moment indeed |
 |
Scene downtown after earthquake.
Tens of thousands evacuated from buildings.
|
 |
| Park where we held out for several hours |
 |
| Outside cracks in our condo high-rise |
 |
| More evidence of damage |
 |
Supper in our condo with women from
the international church we attend |
 |
| Retreat setting for some R&R with friends |
 |
| Time with our 20 year veteran Thailand missionary couple |
 |
| The lizards grow a bit bigger over here |
 |
| Crossing the river one last time before going home |
"For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord."
(II Cor. 4:5)
 |
Heavenly Father, may you shine the light of your beloved
Son, Jesus Christ, on this land so they may see your glory
and turn to you, the living God for their salvation. |
