Radiant faces. Youthful smiles. Jesus leaking.
That is what I saw and experienced as Tina and I met Emily and Jesse.
This was only my second meeting of our month where we have been charged with the great (and fun!) responsibility of seeking out new partnerships for the World Race. We were looking for UNSUNG HEROES. People living out what we as Christians are called to do, working in ministry that brings the kingdom, and open to partnerships where World Race teams could work alongside them!
Emily and Jesse are perfect potential hosts. They”ve never met a stranger. They ooze personality, hospitality and warmth. It”s the kind of vibe I want to give off to strangers! You just can”t help but want to be their friends, and I know that this is the Jesus in them! They are English teachers, here in Thailand on a work visa, but called here not to simply be teachers but tent-maker missionaries, just as Paul was. As a result, their family has been here in Bangkok for over 8 years, and their time here from beginning to now has told a story of God”s provision. Provision in providing Emily a job at a prestigious British international school, and provision in the losing of her job at the same international school this past summer. You might say, what? How is losing your job an example of God”s provision?
It”s His divine provision because amidst the turmoil and uncertainty that comes with the loss of a job, God has birthed in her”in them” a desire to create a FREE English after-school program for elementary-school-aged youth. Yes, they”ll learn English and as a result create windows of opportunity for their students that will allow them to be a part of the global marketplace, but more than that they will give them an opportunity at eternity. They will share Jesus with them, using Christian curriculum and materials, and also build a learning center at the church they”ve started where the children can come for further learning beyond the after-school classes. What a vision! What a blessing this can be! And none of it could have happened if Emily was still teaching full-time.
We found Emily and Jesse through a google search of international churches here in Bangkok, but it was completely God orchestrated, as the church they have started is a very small community of believers, primarily made up of Filipinos living in the city, primarily working as English teachers. Jesse serves as the pastor, and together they lead Bible studies and a teaching skills class for those in teaching positions. They have two boys at home, one just celebrated his 14th birthday on the 24th, and the other is 20 years old. He is part of the worship team. Jesse got a teaching job this year at a local university, teaching the basics of English to students who are primarily from the more rural areas of Thailand, and for the first time being exposed to English. Beyond his classes, he runs a conversation club that meets weekly on campus, and on Saturdays they teach English at a Thai church. They see every conversation, every class, as an opportunity to be a witness for Christ, and the love they have for the Thai people, particularly students, can be seen and felt when you talk to them!
They are here as missionaries, but not serving underneath a specific church or with a missions organization. They have prayer support from their home church, but no financial support. They were real and raw with us about the struggles of life on the field, but the overwhelming message was that He has provided. They would love to simply have more help, and as a result saw as an answer to prayer, as Jesse has been speaking on and praying for “more laborers in the harvest.” They are super excited about the chance to connect with World Race, and possibly work with teams, as it is an encouragement to them to keep up the fight and finish the race that God has them on.
They are just getting things off the ground with the after school program, but the first school she visited pretty much screamed “YES, we would love you here!” They wanted her to start the very next week, AND wanted her to have classes every day. So interest is great, and the administrator couldn”t get over the fact that Emily wanted to do it for FREE. Emily didn”t beat around the bush, and explained that as a Christian, she has been called to this and wants to teach the classes from a Christian perspective. The administrator had no qualms about it!
So please pray for Emily and Jesse de la Cruz. Please pray for continued blessings and open doors as they get this new ministry off the ground. Pray for helpers RIGHT NOW! Emily could really use hands as she is trying to get things off the ground, helpers who could teach and also native Thai speakers to help with navigating the startup process of this ministry. Please pray for students to be receptive to the Gospel, and that these students will meet Jesus, and share Him with their families.
