“To be Thai is to be Buddhist.” The culture, the traditions, the families everything in Thailand goes along with that saying. Thailand is beautiful. The people are wonderful. But there is also a darkness that is very present because of the past and present choices of the people. But there is a great light rising up in the kids we’ve been working with.
My heart is a sucker for little kids singing about Jesus anyway. It doesn’t matter what kind of mood I am in, if a cute little face willingly goes up to sing praises, my heart melts, and all I can do is smile. But man… When there is such a strong spiritual battle going on, and the little ones start singing praises, watch out! The footholds of satan are shaken, the darkness runs, the enemy hides! And my soul is beyond overjoyed!
A few nights ago, I went to get my camera out of the truck when we were working with the kids. It was dark, but I didn’t think anything about it and went out by myself (it was literally parked right next to the building and there were people outside… Don’t panic! Lol). As I was walking to the truck I heard what I guessed to be someone’s radio playing a little far off coming from the woods. I didn’t think much of it, but I started to feel a bit uneasy. Ill be really honest… In America, I’m not that in tune with the Holy Spirit. I’m from the Bible Belt… We’ve got Jesus everywhere you look… But here, when something is a little off, you can feel it in your spirit and you know. Anyway, I grabbed my camera and went back inside. I later found out that the “radio” sound I had heard were buddhist monks chanting not far away from the home. Yeah, that’s enough to stir up the spirit. I thought to myself that it must be hard for the kids to hear that every day, knowing most of their families are Buddhist… And having to decide if Jesus really is who we say He is or if they should follow tradition and be Buddhist. But tonight I got my answer.
Tonight was the last night for one of the staff here, so before she left the kids all sang for her. I’m no thai expert… but I know “Yesu” when I hear it, and it was beautiful. Tonight the kids sang their song outside. They sang while the monks were chanting. And they drowned out the sound of the chants with their song about “Yesu”! In a land where the chants are ever present… The spirit houses are on every corner… and sexual slavery has a grip on much of the population… These kids drown it out singing songs about Jesus. They really can take Thailand by storm for Jesus. And I’m blessed beyond measure to get to witness it.
