It all started at breakfast. This concept of intentionally ministering wherever you’re at, because that’s what Jesus does – He meets us where we’re at. So our team divided up to prayer walk, visit the sick and serve our squad.
God put it on my heart the day before to prayer walk the city, but I didn’t know where to start. Pamela felt called to the temples. We’d been to two temples before but I felt led to a new temple. So, the four of us headed out in prayer. We saw two temples and because there was too much traffic to cross the street to one, the decision was made for us. Sneaky Jesus!
As we walked up the stairs, a woman was telling us “no.” How discouraging (nice try, Satan!) We asked if we were allowed to enter and a kind man with a smile said, “yes, of course.” We walked in and took in the sights –red carpet, ornate gold walls and statues of Buddha and the Thai King, figurines and framed pictures, paintings on the ceiling and perfectly placed rugs – all so beautiful, but all so empty, so dead. As we gawked, we prayed individually. We were completely alone in the temple so we came together for prayer. Anika felt like we should sit down so we did. Another gentleman came in and turned on a fan for us. Then, the kind man with a smile joked, “1 baht for 1 minute fan.” We all giggled and joked back. He was captivated and came in to sit with us.
We openly asked questions about Buddhism, his life, family and work. He was open and honest and real. We learned that he is Buddhist but is searching for “the way.” I told him that one of the names of Jesus is “The Way.” We asked him more about his beliefs and shared ours with him. We found out that he has a Bible and that his Slovene missionary friend has been reaching out to him for ten years. At a young age, he came to live at the temple and served as a monk for six months. Years later (minus a 14 year travel break), he still sleeps at the temple and is a temple volunteer to the chief monk of the province. As we learned more and more about his faith, he told us that he doesn’t know that he’s doing the right thing and he doesn’t believe that Buddha hears his prayers. He doesn’t understand God because he can’t comprehend something that is unseen. He doesn’t have a frame of reference or an identity for God. Pamela shared the gospel and the freedom and forgiveness that our faith is built on and for the first time, I felt life in that temple. The presence of God, though always with us, was tangible in those moments that followed.
The sharing and laughing and loving continued for almost THREE HOURS. We left with a new friend. His name is Toi. We walked around the temple courtyard for a while longer and marveled at the gardening and grafting that Toi had done. The work of his hands was beautiful and reminded me of my Creator’s craftsmanship of Toi and the beautiful spirit that he placed inside him. Jesus loves Toi. As we talked about the experience, we each shared how we individually felt or heard that Toi was not coming to the Lord today, but that he would be coming. HolyConfirmationBatman!
We’ve been back to visit every day and have learned more of his family and the chief monk. The chief monk is 86 years old and desires that Toi take his place when he passes. The chief monk is over 1300+ temples and 3000+ monks in Chiang Mai Province. I cannot help but think of Mordecai’s words to Esther.
“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.” Esther 4:14
Toi isn’t converting today, but how SWEET it will be when he does accept Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior! How SWEET it will be when his influence changes the lives of the Thai people! God is so good!
We are believing God for the impossible. We are praying that God reveals himself to Toi in a supernatural way, that He comes to him in his dreams or in visions or confirming words from family and friends. We are believing that Toi will come to know Jesus and will effect a generation of Thai people. We are believing that the Holy Spirit will move in that temple. We are believing that someday Bible studies will happen there. We are proclaiming that the idols will be destroyed. We also know that we may never see this or even hear about it, but God is good and faithful and Toi is receptive and seeking.
So this living intentionally thing, this living and loving like Jesus, this loving the one in front of me…it’s my new thing. This is sustainable. This is way better than being assigned to a ministry contact and everything going perfectly according to plan. This is something I can do for the rest of my life – I can ask God to show me who to love and what to say. I don’t have to go overseas or work for a nonprofit, I just have to be willing to be right in the center of God’s will. It’s a wonderfully uncomfortable and beautifully messy place to be! I think I’ll stay!
Jenn Dannelley
