A Memorable Day of God's Grace

Yesterday was a day full of God's grace being poured out on me. I went to Din Dang to work on Microfin with Timmy at a coffee shop in the morning and to visit the Thailand Bible Society. Three friends joined Timmy and I at the coffee shop limiting our work productivity, but definitely making the time more enjoyable. After lunch, Timmy, Dwight, and I traveled to the Thai Bible Society where the Bible and Christian literature are translated into English. The building doubles as a Christian book store where I found a manga of the gospels and Acts (A manga is a Japanese graphic novel).

Timmy had some work to do there, so Dwight took me to the Bangkok Refugee Center (BFC). Dwight is an English teacher in Bangkok and has organized and run many philanthropist projects in his spare time. He told me how he has developed relations with many projects in Bangkok and a website where he connects volunteers to those organizations. This only further confirms my suspicions that many Christians do not suffer from an inability to help people but low expectations and apathy. Dwight uses all of his spare time to help people through the skills he knows, and he started by finding those in need. We believe as Christians we should help the poor. When we don't see any poor around us, we say God hasn't put anyone in my life to help. No! That is not the case. The truth is as Christians we have to seek out those in need of help. That is the first instrument of grace you show to those you help: that you sought them out just like God sought us out and saved us.

In any case, Dwight showed me around the center and introduced me to a Sri Lankan refugee who shared with me the hidden life of refugees and asylum seekers. This conversation opened a whole new world to me that I didn't know exists. I will have to do more research on these people. Maybe you too will be moved to do the same. What I found out is that those who have to flee their countries because of persecution are considered illegal aliens in the country they flee too. The UN has a system worked out where refugees can apply for refugee status, which doesn't make them legal in the country they fled to, but does qualify them to receive aid from the UN. That aid includes food, medicine, special skills classes, and access to a social worker. The social worker works with the refugee to help them find a country who will give them legal residency statues. Until a country gives them legal residency status they are illegal aliens in the country they have fled to. They legally can't take a job, and are always in jeopardy of being arrested and deported back to their country. The Sri Lankan man I talked with was the chef at the refugee center. He shared that the people in the most need are the asylum seekers. People can stay in this stage for years because of bureaucracy. Asylum seekers are illegal in the country they are seeking refuge in and are not receiving aid from the UN yet. The Sri Lankan man shared that these people are starving. He gives them the leftovers from his restaurant each day, but it is not enough. He asked Dwight to focus his next project on helping that group of people.

After visiting the refugee center, I went with Timmy to a printing shop where a Christian Thai track Timmy had was printed. We wanted to see if the printing shop had more tracks we could distribute, since their aren't any tracks for sell in Bangkok. The address was all we had to connect with this place. It was hard to find, but we found it. Turns out the printing shop is owned by a Buddhist couple and run by their Christian son. The son (Phom) uses his own money to print the tracks and sells them at cost. When we asked them about the tracks and expressed our desire to have some literature in Thai to give to the Thais round us, he insisted we take a pack of every type of track he has for free. I told him I wanted to pay for them, but he insisted we take them free of charge. As we made our way to leave he asked where we were headed. I told him, and he told me he was going to drive me there. I told him it was no problem for me to walk, but he insisted he would drive me. He asked me where I am from. I told him America. "You have travelled a long way, probably spending lots of your money, to come here to share Jesus with us. Let me do this for you. There will plenty of opportunity for you to walk later." Wow. Please pray a prayer of thanks for this man. His faith and kindness will not go unnoticed by God.

Wow I have so much more to say, and I am realizing how much I have said already; so, I will brief you on the rest:

On the way back I took a motorbike part of the way. The motorbike drivers pegged me as a tourist and asked me for 50 B for the ride. I told them the ride was only worth 20 B and that is what I would pay (I was right. I was not trying to cheat them). The bartering continued until I settled for 25 B. The person who took me volunteered to drive me when I raised my bid. When I arrived at home, I handed him 25 B. He told me no, and handed me 5 B back. Wow. If you know motor bike drivers, you will know how crazy this is. They usually try to rip you off as much as they can. Please pray for this man a prayer of thanks giving, that God saves this man, if He hasn't already, and that God provides for this man's needs.

Later that night I went to Kung's house for dinner. The motorbike driver I used turned out to be a member of Tallia, and was the first motorbike driver to tell me "God bless you." Another amazing blessing from God.

While eating with Kung, I asked him how he became a Christian. He shared how his mom dedicated him to God when he was 10 months old. He had gone to church his whole life, but it was all head knowledge and not reflected in his actions. He had a wife, a street business, was a leader in the Mafia, and was a moneylender who beat his clients (ironic). Four years ago he was arrested, lost his business, and his wife left him. The courts told him he was going to have to go to jail for 7 years. He and the whole Tallia church prayed to God for grace and that he would not have to go. When he went for sentencing he was told he was free to go. No jail at all. He dedicated his life to Christ then and is now training under Tallia's pastor and planting a church in Lummoo. It was amazing to hear what God is doing and has done in his life. It is scary how much of his story reflects that of mine. I have not told him yet, but I think I will soon.

As always, if I can be praying for you in anything please let me know. My heart is with everyone near and far. God bless you for your prayers and encouragement. He is encouraging me.