After traveling to new places since January, Thailand is by far the most unique thus far. Just before arriving to Bangkok, we were given new teams.
The cohesiveness is unparalleled. The four ladies are strong women both in truth and grace. Each have great things to bring to the team and my friend Chris is with me again. I’ve loved watching him grow in Christ.
This is the first time I’ve been to a place that 0.01% of the population is Christian. This is harder to swallow, given I can’t communicate with the locals. English is not spoken as much as everywhere else I’ve been. Through the difficulties, the heart of the Thai people is a wonder. The politeness and kindness is heartwarming, but I noticed something else.
My first day in Bangkok, I saw a man sitting outside our training center with tattoos all over. I mean his hands, arms, neck and face covered in a pattern that looked like feathers, but he had a cross on each hand by his thumb. I felt eager to get to hear his story. He had a joy filled smile as he spoke to someone else across from him. As my friend and I sat down to talk to my tattooed friend, the language barrier between us was too thick. I was able to ask him his name, and a prayer request. I got to hear a little about his story but I saw more of was his heart.
As I thought about my encounter with Field Marshall D. Roosevelt, I saw a Christian man that strayed from the church our ministry host held. I believe Roosevelt felt a want to push others away by covering himself in those tattoos, almost as if hiding. Yet he comes back the church day after day. He sits and has small interactions with strangers. I don’t know what he talks about to others, but I picked up that people don’t seeking him out hardly.
People have a way of following what they know is the path to Christ, but at times get distracted by life. Sometimes, our distractions come with a high price that we can’t afford. The consequences or sorrows bring heavy remorse that we rather not talk about it. But we all want to be free. We seek out this freedom through vices that mask our feelings. We search for the freedom already given to us. We just have to remember to accept it and know Jesus already paid our debt.
When I remember my friend Roosevelt, I see a man who knows God has forgiven him and seeks to be accepted by those few who believe in the power of Christ as he does. I think he knows the importance of community and desires to have one. It is the community than that needs to see their own faults, and accept that brokenness looks different. I believe this to be a common problem the church struggles with.
I hope you pray for my friend Roosevelt. I know he’s moved me into the next step Jesus is walking me through. On a different note, my friends and I are coming up on a deadline to raise the support to stay on the field. Please feel free to contact me and/or donate. Thanks again for all the love, God bless.
