Thailand Adventures: Overwhelming Perspective

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

9:07 pm

So, I've been pretty lazy on the blogging. I've been back in the office and super busy the past couple weeks. Since then, we've added two more student missionaries to the H4BKK team: Nicole from PUC, and Sandrina from Germany. Nicole is here working at TAM doing graphic design. We picked up Sandrina from the airport today and took her to the church plant in Thonburi, where she will be teaching English. On the way to Thonburi, Pastor Doug decided to make a pit stop and finally take us to Baiyoke Sky Tower, the tallest building in Bangkok. After reaching the 80-somethingth floor, we spent a good 45 minutes to an hour staring out at the enormous city. I knew Bangkok was big, because I have commuted all over the place, but from the ground and on the maps it's hard to really understand how big the city actually is. All of us were in awe as we studied the buildings and watched the traffic below. It all looked like a little toy city that never ended. The crazy traffic that we were so used to now seemed calm and passive. Trying to imagine myself somewhere on the ground, I couldn't help but feel microscopic. Pastor Doug asked each one of us if we thought we could make a difference. We couldn't confidently say yes. Never before have I felt so in over my head. He continued to share that less than one percent of the population below us claims Christ as their savior. That hit me pretty hard. For the first time I could actually see the need in perspective. It's up to us on the little compound and at the tiny church plants to spread the message of hope in Christ... our little team for this enormous city.

I don't believe any of us can make a difference. How is a video, or a poster, or an English lesson going to affect any more than a fraction of this immense population? It's not... not by itself. With God it can. Slowly but surely I remember how I have seen God working through the people here. The places where people are truly coming to know Jesus are the church plants. That's where it's really happening. It's slow and it's frustrating, but since Thai society is built on relationships, it's only through their own communities that the Thai can really be reached. I'm so excited that this weekend I will get to see Soo and her daughter's (two of the people I met at the Bangkok Noi church plant) baptism! Their story is so incredible and their faith is unshakeable and I am honored that I will get to witness this incredible moment in their lives!

Nearly as much as I have seen God's hand at work here in Bangkok, I have also seen Satan's. He's working desperately to slow us down and keep people distracted and mislead. He's even gotten to me quite a bit lately. I've noticed that my pessimistic nature is starting to emerge full force. I listen to myself sometimes as I'm talking and realize that nearly all I've been saying is one complaint after another. Things are really going great here, even though there are frustrations and annoyances, but why must I make a point to single every one of them out and make them known? Why do I get so stressed when things get hard? Did I really think it would be a walk in the park? Why can't I just suck it up, shut my mouth, and deal with it?

A passage popped out in my devotions tonight that seemed too relevant not to share. Paul and Barnabus were in Lystra and healed a cripple. The people thought they were Hermes and Zeus, so they tried to make sacrifices to Paul and Barnabus. Paul and Barnabus immediately tried to explain that they had come on the behalf of the Lord who had really healed the cripple.

"Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them. Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day, he and Barnabus left for Derbe." - Acts 14:18-20

Why can't I be like Paul? He was stoned until he appeared to be dead and was dragged out of the city. What does he do next? He goes right back into the city and continues on his way the next day to witness in another city. He is nearly killed, yet he continues his campaign for Christ as scheduled. I want courage, determination, and commitment like Paul's. I really want to stop complaining and train my mind to focus on how to deal with all the things I want to complain about.

Please keep H4BKK, TAM, and the people of Thailand in your prayers.