by Brian Lindsay, an Alliance international worker serving in Thailand
I first met Mr. Kim on a chaotic Sunday morning. While the adults listened to a sermon upstairs, I was teaching children’s church to a rowdy group of kids. His sister, Noke, and her husband, Roong, previously told me that they had been actively witnessing to him since becoming Christians two years ago.
Surprisingly, when Mr. Kim walked in that Sunday and sat down quietly, the kids were all behaving and working on their crafts. So, I had a rare free moment to talk with him.
He said he was waiting for Noke, who was upstairs. I told Mr. Kim he could go sit with his sister if he wanted to. He smiled and thanked me but remained seated.
It occurred to me that’s not how a Thai would extend an invitation and perhaps Mr. Kim thought I was just being polite. So, I said, “The air conditioning is nice up there and they’ll be done soon, so you should come up,” gesturing for him to follow me. I led him upstairs to a seat near his sister. Then I returned to children’s church.
I don’t know what the pastor preached while I was with the kids, but Mr. Kim began returning to church more frequently.
Outside the Norm
It takes a lot of courage for a Thai person to attend church. Few personally know another Thai national who is a Christian, since less than 1 percent of the population follow Jesus. Statistically, Thailand is the largest Buddhist nation in the world—to be Thai is to be Buddhist. Attending a Christian church service is a big step outside the cultural norm.
But the changed lives of Mr. Kim’s family members and their verbal witness had clearly gotten him thinking about Jesus.
One Sunday after church, Mr. Kim said he wanted to follow Jesus too. So, right there at the table as church members cleaned up from lunch, he prayed to receive Jesus!
My wife, Abby, recently read that 70 percent of Thai Christians say the main influence in their conversion was a personal relationship with another Thai Christian—an average layperson. This has been the case in our church plant.
Praise God that our Thai church members are reaching their family members and friends!
Intercede for Mr. Kim and other young Christ followers in the church. New believers here face many temptations, family pressures, and confusion over the nature of salvation through Christ versus Buddhist idolatry. Pray for us as we continue to disciple them and encourage them to share their faith with others.