“Are you a follower of Jesus?” our neighbor, Mrs. Ven, asked in surprise after receiving Steps to Christ and The Great Controversy.
She had noticed the books in our living room and asked about them, so I gratefully used the opportunity to present her with a copy of each. She instantly opened one of the books and started reading.
“Yes, I’m a follower of Jesus.”
Mrs. Ven comes to our house almost every morning, bringing her granddaughter from Khon Kaen to play with our son. While the children play, I try to speak with her in Thai. She patiently helps and teaches me how to pronounce the words correctly.
That morning, Mrs. Ven went home happy, carrying the books under her arm. That Sabbath, I invited her and her granddaughter to attend a simple version of Sabbath School in our house and asked permission to tell the children the story of Christmas.
“Yes, Yes! You can tell the story,” she answered.
What came next was the Christmas story in a beautiful and somewhat humorous blend of Portuguese, English and Thai, with felts of every character to accentuate.
Afterward, our neighbor began asking many questions about what she had heard, then asked, “Is your husband also a follower of Christ?”
“Yes! He is also a follower of Christ.”
“And does your family respect you? They are not ashamed?”
Becoming a Christian in Thailand generally brings a loss of respect from your family as you become a shame to your parents and siblings. You are socially excluded.
“Our parents are very happy and proud that we are followers of Jesus,” I said. After hearing my answer, Mrs. Ven’s face showed confusion as she tried to understand how someone could follow Jesus Christ and not be a social outcast.
The conversation then took a different direction.
“Are you going to do something to celebrate Christmas with your friends?” she asked.
I understood what she was really asking.
“Yes, we are making a special meal for lunch. Do you want to come?”
“Yes,” she answered.
A few days later, it was Christmas. We woke up early to make all the preparations. The morning flew by as we decorated, cooked and prepared for lunch.
Our neighbor came, but not alone, bringing her husband, oldest sister, niece and granddaughter.
They were all well-dressed and curious. Before we started eating, Henrique explained some aspects of Christmas with the help of Google Translate, and we used the opportunity to have a special prayer with them, thanking God for the opportunity to be here and praying that He would make up for our current lack of language fluency.
Christmas lunch was delightful; we pray this was the first of many to come. We felt accepted and welcomed into the community we now consider ours. In Thai culture, the fact that Mrs. Ven brought her husband and oldest sister means that she is not the only one who accepts us, but her entire family is, in their way, welcoming us to their community.
I don’t know if our neighbor is reading the books or how much she understood about the story of Jesus. But I know the Holy Spirit had been working on this lady long before we arrived. Please pray for Mrs. Ven and her family that Jesus may soon be born in their hearts. He is making himself known to these people, which could not be more awesome!
