Team Bangkok Plans

Recently, we have met with a pastor and small groups/church planting leader from a local Thai church here in Bangkok to plan for future partnership opportunities to reach the Thai people for Christ. Much of it involves teaching English at camps and places where this church already has a presence. Many of the team as well as myself have already been teaching English at the local Baptist Student Center, which is run jointly by Thai believers and the IMB. The opportunities we have to be involved further have come from our pastor sharing the vision God has given us as a church to reach the Thai people, but not ourselves- we need to partner with locals to equip others for the task.

Teaching English is not my strong point, and it is not what I had pictured myself doing here when we felt called to Thailand, but I follow Paul's example in

1 Corinthians 9:22-23 when he said- "I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings." I can be all things that I need to be to build relationships that will lead to sharing the Good News that I have to share, and this not for myself, but to glorify Christ. My own thinking and understanding wants to jump right in and start with what I know best- teaching and equipping others with church planting tools and watching the Holy Spirit take hold and start an explosive church planting movement that will build God's kingdom here on earth. But, I wait on the opportunity for this- God is not on my clock, I am on His, and He will use me when it is His time and purpose to do so.

So, this is a time of being patient and waiting. This also is not one of my strong points. It is tough for me, but I wait on the Lord to use me where He will, to bring Him glory, not me.

Wedding Plans

So, as we settle in to life in Thailand, we are privileged to be part of a great team here. And now, that team has grown by one more. Taam, her nickname for us as it is easier to pronounce than her given Thai name, and Seth Hood, the son of our home church Pastor, Pat Hood were married today in a really interesting setting and wedding ceremony. Seth and Taam met soon after Team Bangkok arrived in Thailand and began building relationships with the local Thai people of Bangkok, and from the start it seemed obvious that God had chosen them to be together and glorify Him as a couple. Taam is the only follower of Christ in her family, the rest are all Buddhist. Pat married them in a local church in Chiangmai, which is where we are now, about an hour and a half flight north of Bangkok. Pat did a great job describing how Jesus talks about marriage and how to love each other as husband and wife as Christ loved the church and laid down His life for her. About 40 or 50 Thais heard the Gospel- possibly for the first time and hopefully in a way they had never heard it before. It was a really special moment when Seth and Taam served each other for the first time through the Lord's Supper. Pat and Amy were proud parents as they welcomed a daughter into their family, and Seth and Taam became one flesh to serve and glorify God together the rest of their lives. I was and am proud to be part of this team, even more today as we grew to one more. I can't wait to see how God uses this couple to reach others to glorify himself.