A step deeper into culture.

"Every religion is built on beliefs and miracles."

This was the sentence that our neighbor repeated several times throughout the course of our conversation as we sat outside in blue plastic chairs, grilling pork. We are gaining more insight into how the Thai people view religion and the role it plays in their life. The specific neighbor we were talking with this night always wears a heavy necklace of Buddhist amulets around his neck, and frequents the temple to make merit. After Ryan shared some of his testimony with him and we shared a simple version of the gospel with him in very imperfect Thai, he continued to share some of his personal story with us. He had almost died as a young boy, but he believed his life was saved by the spirits, and so he needs to honor them through regular merit-making. 

The spiritual world is very real in the lives and minds of the Thai people. Fear of the spirits is woven into the deepest fabric of their culture. For example, all Thai people have a nickname that they use instead of their given name. At first, we just thought it was a quirk of the culture, but we eventually learned that they adopt nicknames so that they are less easily recognized by spirits that may be seeking them. There is even a traditional belief that if you give your child a beautiful nickname, they may be a target for jealous spirits, so it is better to give them unflattering nicknames (like "Uan," which means "fat"). 

(Jesus calms the storm. A glimpse into Thai language homework!)

I think that our neighbor's statement about "beliefs and miracles" actually gave us some profound insight into what we should be praying for specifically in the lives of our Thai friends. They are not convinced merely by a set of beliefs and logic as may hold more weight for the western mind. Personal experience of power in the spiritual realm is most convincing for them. Father God, reveal Your power and worthiness to be feared and worshipped to the Thai people! Receive the glory that is due Your Name in this land.

There is a sweet mechanic family that we have enjoyed building relationship with over the past few months. They have helped us with our motorbike on several occasions, which has turned into sharing Thai or American desserts or food, and just stopping in to chat every once in a while. They are very warm and such a lovable family! The mom and daughters invited us to go get lunch together one day this month, and it was a fun experience. 

We followed them to a tucked away little noodle shop that we would have never found on our own, and we enjoyed getting to share a meal with them.

Another memorable experience this month was getting to go on a day trip with some new Thai friends! There are some small waterfalls in the next province over, so we loaded up into their truck on our off-day and headed that way! We are learning to let go of our desire to run by a set schedule and do things as efficiently as possible. Our trip to and from the waterfall included many little stops along the way, and went much longer than we thought it would, and we returned exhausted from the language barrier and convicted about our frustrations with cultural differences. But ultimately, we are so thankful that God continues to provide Thai friends who are incredibly hospitable and we are humbled by His grace, especially when we're keenly aware of our failings.

Of course, there was delicious food. ;)

There was even some opportunity for gospel conversations on the way home from the waterfall, praise God! The husband in this family is from the Middle East and is Muslim and the wife is Buddhist, so it was interesting to converse about religions and their differences. Once again, we found ourselves so eager to be better at understanding and communicating in Thai, but we trust that God will use our feeble efforts to share Jesus Christ by the power of His Spirit.

As we approach the last 2 months of language learning, we are starting to shift gears and focus more on what life after language school will look like! We will be staying in the Lopburi area for the foreseeable future, as it is one of the top 5 least-reached provinces in Thailand, with only 0.09% of the population professing believers. We have hit a few bumps in the road regarding future ministry, but God is faithful and we will share more specifics shortly!

PRAISES & PRAYER REQUESTS:

- praise that God has provided increasingly more relationships with Thais!

- pray for God's guidance regarding the specifics of future ministry.

- pray that we would have wisdom and guidance from the Lord on choosing our next home. We have begun house hunting a little bit in the area and are excited to see where God leads us!

- pray for holiness in the Thai church. Our hearts have been burdened on this point specifically recently and would love for you to join us in praying!

“Someone asked, 'will the heathen who have never heard the gospel be saved?' It is more a question with me whether we — who have the gospel and fail to give it to those who have not — can be saved.” (Charles Spurgeon)