Part IV of IV
Pim got more and more agitated as the day we were scheduled
to leave drew closer. “Why do you need
to leave?� she asked regularly. “Why
can’t you just stay one week longer? Can’t
you just postpone your flight?� she would say.
to leave drew closer. “Why do you need
to leave?� she asked regularly. “Why
can’t you just stay one week longer? Can’t
you just postpone your flight?� she would say.
“We’ve already bought bus tickets, Pim,� we would say.
“Well, when did you buy them? You get them changed!�
“But we’re meeting some other friends in Cambodia and
they’ll be waiting for us,� we tried to explain.
they’ll be waiting for us,� we tried to explain.
Pim became increasingly jealous of her time with us. She literally asked us to sleep over with her
sometimes; I believe that she sensed the Spirit within us and she felt a small
taste of His peace and hope and she could not get enough of it. It got harder and harder to leave her every
night. She began to order food into the
restaurant so that we would eat dinner with her and she brought us to one of
her friend’s birthday parties, just because she didn’t want to miss any time
with us.
sometimes; I believe that she sensed the Spirit within us and she felt a small
taste of His peace and hope and she could not get enough of it. It got harder and harder to leave her every
night. She began to order food into the
restaurant so that we would eat dinner with her and she brought us to one of
her friend’s birthday parties, just because she didn’t want to miss any time
with us.
Our last day in town was a Sunday and she absolutely
insisted on taking us to a lake. “I just
remember the lake!� she said on Saturday night.
“If you stay longer, I take you to the lake… but we go tomorrow?�
insisted on taking us to a lake. “I just
remember the lake!� she said on Saturday night.
“If you stay longer, I take you to the lake… but we go tomorrow?�
That Sunday was insane.
A few of us got up early to go play with baby tigers [yep], then
Brittany and I rushed to the When Bar to meet Pim for our afternoon
together. We had a dinner date with our
team, then scheduled worship with our sister squad, then a formal debrief of
our month of ministry with the program coordinator. All told, I ended up getting home after
midnight, collecting laundry and packing my bag by two, and got up at six am
the next day to take a ten hour bus to Bangkok.
A few of us got up early to go play with baby tigers [yep], then
Brittany and I rushed to the When Bar to meet Pim for our afternoon
together. We had a dinner date with our
team, then scheduled worship with our sister squad, then a formal debrief of
our month of ministry with the program coordinator. All told, I ended up getting home after
midnight, collecting laundry and packing my bag by two, and got up at six am
the next day to take a ten hour bus to Bangkok.
But even with all of looming over me, our last day with Pim
stands out as one of the most special days of the Race for me. She had her friend, Man, drive us to a lake
nestled between the foothills of Northern Thailand. We sat in picturesque huts off the bank and
she ordered us more food than we could possibly eat. She would alternate between the two of us,
always putting more food on our plates or holding our hands. “You don’t forget me?� she would prompt.
stands out as one of the most special days of the Race for me. She had her friend, Man, drive us to a lake
nestled between the foothills of Northern Thailand. We sat in picturesque huts off the bank and
she ordered us more food than we could possibly eat. She would alternate between the two of us,
always putting more food on our plates or holding our hands. “You don’t forget me?� she would prompt.
“No, Pim. We’ll never
forget you.�
forget you.�
“Because I’m what?�
“You’re easy to love, Pim.�
And the thing is that she was easy to love. High
maintenance and demanding sometimes, but completely easy to love and it was
easy to remind her of that throughout the day.
maintenance and demanding sometimes, but completely easy to love and it was
easy to remind her of that throughout the day.
We had an hour left, so she took us back to the When and
insisted on a last game or two of pool.
She and Brit partnered up against Man and me and every time she took a
shot, she would look at me and say, “Fon.
I love you. But I’m going to beat
you.�
insisted on a last game or two of pool.
She and Brit partnered up against Man and me and every time she took a
shot, she would look at me and say, “Fon.
I love you. But I’m going to beat
you.�
Finally, that time came — Brit and I absolutely had to leave
to meet our team for dinner. Pim shook
her head, tears welling up in her eyes.
“No — no, not yet! You come back
tonight?� When we told her that we
couldn’t, she became quiet. She sat on
one of the couches, pulling each of us down by her sides.
to meet our team for dinner. Pim shook
her head, tears welling up in her eyes.
“No — no, not yet! You come back
tonight?� When we told her that we
couldn’t, she became quiet. She sat on
one of the couches, pulling each of us down by her sides.
“You never forget me,� she said through her tears, now
freely falling. “You email me. You email me and tell me everything — you
tell me about your parents, about when you have boyfriend, about when you don’t
have boyfriend, about when you get married… you come back to Chiang Mai and
come back to the When Bar with your families and you come see me.� She wiped her tears and held each one of us
for an impossibly long time. And then
she said it again. “I am what?�
freely falling. “You email me. You email me and tell me everything — you
tell me about your parents, about when you have boyfriend, about when you don’t
have boyfriend, about when you get married… you come back to Chiang Mai and
come back to the When Bar with your families and you come see me.� She wiped her tears and held each one of us
for an impossibly long time. And then
she said it again. “I am what?�
“Pim, you are easy to love.�
“You email me. You
email me and ask about John and I tell you everything. And then you come back to Chiang Mai… because
I am…?�
email me and ask about John and I tell you everything. And then you come back to Chiang Mai… because
I am…?�
“You’re easy to love, Pim.�
“Okay. Now you pray.�
And so we got to pray, one more time, for Pim and for her
heart and her life.
heart and her life.
Earlier in the month, Pim had said something about meeting
new people. “Why not?� she had
said. “Because then one day you might be
somewhere and see them and then you know them already.�
new people. “Why not?� she had
said. “Because then one day you might be
somewhere and see them and then you know them already.�
When she said that, I immediately had a vision of seeing Pim
in heaven. She was on those streets of
gold, walking towards me, glowing in complete joy and fullness. And in that vision, she was laughing. I fully believed in that moment that it was
prophetic — that the Spirit had met Pim and that He was not leaving until she
recognized Him for Who He is.
in heaven. She was on those streets of
gold, walking towards me, glowing in complete joy and fullness. And in that vision, she was laughing. I fully believed in that moment that it was
prophetic — that the Spirit had met Pim and that He was not leaving until she
recognized Him for Who He is.
On our last day in the bar, I was reminded of that
vision. Rain fell heavily outside, but
then the sun broke through the clouds and I ran away from the pool
game more times than I can count to gape at the sky, searching for the rainbow that I was so sure Jesus was
offering me in that moment. I felt it —
I knew it was there. It had to be there, somewhere.
vision. Rain fell heavily outside, but
then the sun broke through the clouds and I ran away from the pool
game more times than I can count to gape at the sky, searching for the rainbow that I was so sure Jesus was
offering me in that moment. I felt it —
I knew it was there. It had to be there, somewhere.
I never saw the rainbow.
And as much as I wish I could say that Pim asked Jesus into her life on
that last day, I cannot. But much like I
know in my heart that there was a
rainbow somewhere on the horizon, so I can say in complete confidence: Pim’s
salvation is right on the horizon. It is
coming and the Spirit intends to have her as His own — and quickly.
And as much as I wish I could say that Pim asked Jesus into her life on
that last day, I cannot. But much like I
know in my heart that there was a
rainbow somewhere on the horizon, so I can say in complete confidence: Pim’s
salvation is right on the horizon. It is
coming and the Spirit intends to have her as His own — and quickly.
Brittany and I were given a month with an absolutely
extraordinary woman of faith. Pim is
defined by kindness, generosity, faithfulness, and perseverance. How tragic that all of those things are
simply misplaced. How absolutely
heartbreaking that she thinks she has peace and joy, when in reality I could
see how tormented she was.
extraordinary woman of faith. Pim is
defined by kindness, generosity, faithfulness, and perseverance. How tragic that all of those things are
simply misplaced. How absolutely
heartbreaking that she thinks she has peace and joy, when in reality I could
see how tormented she was.
And yet how glorious
is the hope being offered so freely. How
glorious is the God who loves her so
much that He sends two strangers from across the globe to carry His Good News
to her doorstep. How glorious is He who will leave an entire
flock to fetch one lost sheep.
is the hope being offered so freely. How
glorious is the God who loves her so
much that He sends two strangers from across the globe to carry His Good News
to her doorstep. How glorious is He who will leave an entire
flock to fetch one lost sheep.
He is reaching out for Pim, even right this moment. So please come alongside Brittany and I in
our love for Pim and our deep, deep faith that she will be a part of that flock
soon. I know with everything inside of
me that Jesus has plans for that woman and that her name will soon be written
in the Book of Life.
our love for Pim and our deep, deep faith that she will be a part of that flock
soon. I know with everything inside of
me that Jesus has plans for that woman and that her name will soon be written
in the Book of Life.
How glorious and faithful is our God to do what He says He
will do. And how kind is He to include
us in those plans.
will do. And how kind is He to include
us in those plans.
