“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.”
Matthew 9:37-38
Yesterday we went to a Christian Thai church in the morning. As they sang, just their excitment and energy about singing praises to God got me excited, even if I didn’t have a clue what the words of the song were. They eventually sang a few tunes I recognized and was excited to sing along in English. There were no boundaries, no barriers, just two cultures coming together to praise the same sovereign God. I was encouraged to see other Christians in the country since there are so few and buddha is everywhere.
Afterwards we were served lunch at the church and boy do those Thai people love their spicy foods. I enjoy spicy everyonce in awhile, but my stomach didn’t enjoy it the other night. When served food by a host, it seems to be in polite not to eat most of it, but as soon as you finish everything on your plate or in your bowl they fill it right up again for you. So, I’ve learned to eat most of my place and leave a small pile of rice to let them know they filled me up.
After church, we headed to the Prasat Meung Tam, which is a historical monument and National museum where some ruins of temples from the Hindu religion preside. It was interesting to see the rock and think about the history that lie there with it’s half standing structures. What had that structure gone through? Who had worshiped there and what gods were worshipped? So many people came to see and here of the history within.
We came to bring truth! At the bottom of the hill below the ruins where there were shops of souveniors to buy, we brought boxes of New Testament scripture in the Thai language. We took stacks full and just started handing them out saying, “jack free” which means ‘given free.’ I was blown away by how receptive they were. They wanted them! They didn’t ask questions, they just took them freely. Some wanted two or three or four to give to family and friends. They couldn’t believe that we were handing something out free. There were a few who refused but very few. As we walked around and people saw that they hadn’t gotten one yet and others had, they came up and asked, “Can I have one?” Then they would point at people who hadn’t received one yet so we could give them one. How amazing is that?! Definitely different than the US where everyone seems to have heard about the gospel and it is rejected everywhere, where you have to worry about what you say about God and where you give His word out.
I later learned that most have never heard the good news of Christ dieing on the cross. They have never heard of the Bible. They have never experienced His love. They didn’t know what the New Testament was and were curious. Many Christians have been praying for the land of Thailand for years, even 20 years and God has used it. It has been long awaiting, but these people are open! The harvest is ready!! Everywhere we go, we try and take Bibles because people are ready to receive them everywhere. I am excited that God would choose to use me and allow me to be a part of what He is doing here. It is dark and sad that so many are lost, but the country is free and open to the Gospel right now. God has blessed them with freedom in religion right now in September 2007. I don’t know what will happen in the future, but now is our chance to take God’s word and let the Holy Spirit work.
Please be praying for the people of Thai! Praise God for the opportunities He has given us and other Christians in the country. God is definitely working. Pray for each one who received a Bible yesterday that the Holy Spirit would use it to change lives, to help them experience Christ and His amazing love and then that it will spread like wildfire.
The harvest is plentiful…
