Jesus for Asia: Thailand

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  Ephesians 6:11,12.

I suspect that these are familiar words to all of us that have been Christians for a while.  Unless we have experienced that battlefield, the words and the truth of this statement may lose its significance or relevance to our lives.  If you are going through this experience, or have been wounded in one of its skirmishes, hopefully you have also experienced the promise in John 16:33.  “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”  Simply stated, the battle is not ours but the Lord’s, and by placing our faith and trust in Him, we can be assured of ultimate victory.

Two days ago I left our house to write this newsletter.  I had just started my motor scooter when the most aggressive bees I have ever experienced attacked me. They tangled themselves in my hair and repeatedly stung my head and neck.  I cannot explain the pain, but it felt like a combination of fire and a knife piercing my skin.  We have learned since the experience that the Thai’s call these “tiger hornets.”  They say the sting is similar to a gunshot wound.  People have been known to die with just three or four stings.  I had just experienced between 15 and 30.  Venie heard the commotion and tried to come to my aid, but was stung three times in the process.  One of our team was able to get me to the hospital, and I was soon on an IV and oxygen.  They administered some kind of antidote in my backside and soon the convulsions that my body was experiencing subsided.  I suspect that my body was experiencing some kind of allergic reaction to the toxins.  They suggested that I remain in the hospital for observation for 24 hours, but we declined because of the extra expense.  I could not lay my head on my pillow because of the pain from the stings, so I spent a long time just pacing the floor with my head in a towel.  Finally after about 13 hours the pain began to subside and I was able to get some sleep.  Venie and I are both sore and swollen, but are praising God for His goodness and care.

We know that Satan is angry with us.  Our work here is expanding so rapidly and soon Thailand will no longer be a country in darkness, but will know of the light of God’s love.  Will experiences like the one above happen again?  Probably!  But we have the assurance that God will be with us always.  This story could have ended poorly, but thanks to some generous use of charcoal, a prayer chain in my mother’s home church, a gifted doctor and nurses, and the power of our God, we will live to fight another battle.

 Let me just briefly update you on the progress that is happening in the All-Asia media center.  Our first set is complete, and all of the equipment has been purchased, tested and functioning, as it should.  We have begun production that will begin to be distributed by DVD’s and hopefully soon on television.  Our generous Church family in Kettle Falls who are supporting our work here with their donations made this possible.  We have purchased the cabinets, appliances, lighting, and other necessities for a kitchen set.  A Church family in Orange County made this possible.  We are only weeks away from being able to produce cooking classes and health lectures for the six language groups that we are initially targeting.

Daniel and Tesha Bair and their two children have joined us.  They are a welcome addition to our team.  Tesha will be the girl’s dean at Pastor Phamor’s dormitory, and Daniel will be working with us in the studio.  His skills are exactly what we have needed, and we know that God was responsible for their placement here.

Already on our team is a friend we have known since we arrived in Thailand.  Michael Strack is from Oklahoma and has dedicated his life to the work in Thailand.  He worked at the Christian radio station here on the Chiangmai Adventist Academy campus, and is now in the process of translating an illustrated The Great Controversy on DVD into Thai and Karen.

We are excited about this team, and are all dedicated to the work that needs to be done here.  We have constant reminders, however, that the work will be long and arduous but that God will take matters into His own hands, the work will be finished and we will all go home.  While looking for that blessed hope, we must never, never forget that there are those still dying every day that has never heard the name of Jesus.  The day before the bee incident, Dominic and I had rode into Chiangmai.  On the way home, just a few hundred yards from where we had our accident last November, we saw a lady killed in a motorcycle-car collision.  It was a sobering experience since it was so close to where, if God had not intervened, it could have been us.  But even of more concern to me was the thought that was this lady one of the many, many people of Thailand who have never even heard the name Jesus?  I appeal to you to stay true to the course.  We, too, are the hope for the Southeast Asia people.  Who will tell them if we don’t?

It will be just a few weeks now until we will be coming home for a rest and to renew our visas.  We are looking forward to this so much.  We will be coming with a few battle scars, but with anticipation of the spiritual feast we will experience with our wonderful Church family in Kettle Falls.  I shared this story with you, not for sympathy, but as a reminder that our greatest need here in Thailand is your daily prayers.  We truly are in a raging battle in this late day of this world’s history, but the victory is assured.  Praise God!

Please follow this link to a slideshow that Venie has put together showing our progress.

Production on New Set & Kitchen Construction