Part of our ministry in Thailand has been to visit school
and university campuses to invite them to YWAM events. Last week, we visited
Khon Kaen University to invite students to a Christian Camp. This is by far is my
least favorite thing to do. I don’t like walking up to complete strangers,
especially those that don’t speak English, and trying to either engage them in
a conversation or hand them a piece of paper. It’s just awkward! But this is
what was asked of us and I constantly had to remind myself that God never said
we would always like the work he has asked us to but to just do it. So with
that said we broke up into teams and walked the campus.
I first spotted Sax in the cafeteria/food court area. There
was something about her; I just knew I had to invite her. She spoke decent
English and was so excited to get to know who we were, where we were from and
what we were doing here. At the end of the conversation she said, “Oh, I have
just one question. I’m Buddhist, is that okay? Can I still come?” With a smile
on my face I said, “Absolutely.”
Saxophone with Crystal and I at the Christian Camp
The rest of that day I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I
knew God had a plan and purpose for us meeting. I really wasn’t sure she would
come but I prayed that she would. There was just something about her that
touched me. Maybe it was her joy, her openness. I don’t know.
Come Friday night,
our contact Yung said, “Your girl is here. The one from the University.” I was
elated! She came, she actually came. Unfortunately because of the ministry my
team had been doing we would not be attending the Christian camp until Saturday
night and it would only be for a few hours.
Upon arriving to the camp Saturday night, she found us. I
actually got a chance to sit down and talk with her. She said she had fun and
enjoyed meeting new people especially foreigners (there were Americans and
Koreans at the camp too). I asked her how it felt to be Buddhist surrounded by
Christians and she said she was okay with it because she liked meeting new
people. She was open. Then she said something that she really didn’t have to
share with me. She said she was open to Christians just like she was open to
lesbians and gays. She said she doesn’t really talk about this much especially
with people she just met but there was something different about me.
Something different about me? Is this good? Is this bad?
What does this mean?
In this very moment of conversation my head was spinning a
hundred miles per hour! What do I say? Do I say thank you? Do I condemn her and
tell her that her lifestyle choice is wrong, that she should listen to what God
says? Do cram God down her throat and beginning spitting out verses to back
myself up? Do I say nothing and just listen? In this very moment, all I could
do was pray. Pray that God would give me the words to say and no more. Pray
that her heart would remain open to those words and she would receive them.
So, our conversation continued. She shared what she thought
about God and Jesus and I listened, responding where appropriate and trying to
clarify any misunderstandings she may have had or said. I knew from this
conversation that she wasn’t ready to accept Christ, and pushing the topic
would only hinder her, but she was at least willing to listen and converse
about it.
Unfortunately because my team had to leave I don’t know what
happened the rest of the camp. I heard that at least 10 people stood up to
accept Christ but more might come out in the coming weeks (because of Thai
culture it is not acceptable to stand up or stand out so many do not stand up
when the invitation is given but will do so more quietly among their friends
that brought them or through the people who contact them to do a follow up). I
can only pray that God continues to work on Sax. I feel as though he is
knocking at her door, wanting in. Please pray with me that God will continue to
work on her, to soften her heart, to take the blinders off her eyes, to free
her from the bondage of Buddhism and sin. Pray for her salvation.
And as a side note, I learned through this that no matter
how awful I might think the task is God has a reason for it. I could have
chosen not to go. I could have chosen to not hand out the papers or try to
converse with the students. I could have chosen to stay in my comfort zone or
sit on my bucket. But I didn’t! And because I didn’t, I met Sax and because I
met Sax she came to meet people who love God. And even if she wasn’t ready to
accept Christ, he won’t give up on her. So no matter how boring the task is or
how much you don’t like doing it, if God calls you to do it, you better do it
especially since he sees a bigger picture than you or I do.
