Sunday, January 16, 2011

The Circle of Reaching Out


 "About 9 months ago, I was sitting where you were, in the grass, studying my books.  These people came up to me, just wanting to be my friend, like I'm doing to you now.  Can I tell you what has happened in my life since then?"

On the day I met them, they invited me to English class, their nights of worship, to eat dinner together and just hang out.  They said they were Christians, but I didn't really know what that meant.  I agreed to check out an English class, I needed to improve my English anyway.  

At first I was skeptical, but it didn't take long to realize that these people were genuine, different.  They actually cared about me, and they also cared about their God, Jesus Christ.  They talked about him regularly, spending whole evenings worshiping, praying, and studying the Bible.  I was curious...Who was this god that was so important to them?  I respected them because they respected my Buddhist views.  They didn't pressure me to believe in their God, but allowed me to come alongside them and observe. 

I moved into the dorm last May because I needed to live closer to the university.  To be honest, everything was a little overwhelming at first, but I soon began to enjoy the community I had become a part of.  It was unlike anything I have ever experienced before.

A few months ago, I noticed I was singing worship songs along my friends.  I began appreciating it when they would pray for me and wanting to know more and more about the God they had dedicated their lives to.

A couple weeks ago, their God became my God.  I am filled with more peace and joy than I have ever known.  I know he is the one and only true God.  I am freed from my futile efforts to gain enough merit and please the spirits.  

I now enjoy sitting up on the fifth floor, reading my Bible each morning and going to campus to meet other students like you and like me 9 months ago, when I didn't know Jesus.  I still have so much to learn, but I look forward to it.  And I look forward to seeing more people come to know God for themselves.

"So, would you be interested in joining us for English class or just come play some games in the coffee shop for a while?"


J is a student at the dorm where I live, House of One Heart (BJD).  He told his story to a few students at the university while we were walking around for outreach there. The students he was talking with came back to the dorm coffee shop and hangout for a few hours.  They joined us for dinner and stayed a little while into our night of worship.  The next day they joined us for English class. 

Thank you for praying for these and the other students here in Thailand.

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