Learning Thai

Last Friday evening we had a special worship service to say goodbye to two young men who have been an important part of our fellowship. Pon (from Laos) and Piak (from northeastern Thailand) are returning to their respective homes to continue their university educations. For the past number of months I've had the privilege of meeting with them for a weekly Bible study. It's been a blessing for all three of us to study and pray together and I'm really going to miss them. But we are also happy for them - that they have this chance to study, that they will be able to reconnect with old friends, and that they will be able to share about their faith in those settings. Both of them have wonderful testimonies of what God has done in their lives and it will be very exciting to see how he uses them. And we hope to see them back in Bangkok occasionally.

We realize that the area where we've chosen to live and work is one that is filled with people in transition. Many people come to Bangkok to find jobs and almost all of them are determined to leave again as soon as they've achieved their financial goals. Of course that makes discipleship more difficult - but it also presents us with a great opportunity. As these new believers go back to their homes they will be taking the Holy Spirit with them. And that is exciting!

Here are a few pictures from our "sending ceremony."

Silas is becoming continually more social and he was in rare form that night. Here he shows off some dance moves.

And shares a hilarious joke with Tukdaa.

We did the string-tying ceremony for Pon and Piak - reminding them that they are still a part of our group, that we're bound together by God's love, and that we will continue to support and pray for them.

Pon (left) and Piak (right)

-Tom