God on YouTube

Mexican Food Night at UniteBKK

13 year old Uarn sat down at the table after our Friday night event with a big smile.  "I got into the high school I wanted!"  She announced.  Uarn is younger than most of our University student friends who come to UnteBKK, but she is excited to be there each week. 

As she jabbered away about school she played with Taam's iPad.  Uarn opened up the YouTube application and switched the keyboard to English.  Handing it to me, she said, "I want to see God."  My face must have communicated my confusion because she tried again, speaking slowly and as clearly as possible in English.  "I want to see God...Ggoodd." 

We didn't cover this one in Missionary Training School.  Here's to improvising!   

As I took the thin machine, Uarn looking at me expectantly, my mind raced through my options.  Do I explain how very few people have ever seen even glimpses of God, or just say that he can't be found on YouTube? 

Curious myself about what would come up, I typed "God" into the search bar and pressed enter.  Uarn stared at the screen.  As expected, I needed to scroll through the first few options, Jesus hanging on the cross, famous preachers with their hands extended.  Finally I clicked on one titled, God of Wonders.  As we watched the video's beautiful images of stars, mountains, rivers, and delicate flowers, we talked about how God created everything in the universe, from the planets to the oceans to "Me!" Uarn said. 

"Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?"  The bright, inquisitive young girl asked once the video was over.   I shared the entire magnificent story of creation, sin, separation, forgiveness, and ultimate love with her.   In a God's-perfect-timing way, just as we began to get to questions and answers on the outside of my Thai vocabulary, Taam came over and joined us. 

This wasn't the first time Uarn had heard these stories.  She had obviously been mulling over these ideas for a while.  And God was obviously speaking back to her. "I believe in God...When I think about God before I sleep, I have good dreams.  If I think about Buddhist ideas, I don't sleep well."

What a privilege it is to see and be a part of God working in the hearts and lives of Thai people!