I’m not sure how many times we have asked God for confirmation, not so much out of doubt as out of an urgent desire to know that we are really following His leading.
I still remember team building with the Tumbergs at the AFM training center before our departure for Thailand. As we prayed and wrestled with our calling and the logistics and strategies surrounding it, we came to accept the call to join God in starting a movement for Him—a movement that would not be contained in Khon Kaen, but, empowered by the Holy Spirit, would have an impact all over Thailand. Laurence Burn encapsulated the idea with a visual image that continues to motivate me. Referencing the animated movie Finding Nemo, and the East Australian Current that swiftly carried a father fish down the coast of Australia in search of his lost son, Laurence urged us to look for the societal currents that would carry the Gospel efficiently and naturally to the hearts of those who are waiting to be found.
God-ordained movements are not the result of human innovation, and we were not so presumptuous as to believe we had the answer to starting the work in Khon Kaen, a city that has remained closed to Adventist evangelistic efforts for more than twelve years. The larger context is even more sobering; from the first documented missionaries’ arrival in the early 1500s until now, a mere 1 percent of the population has embraced Christianity. There is freedom of religion here, and missionaries are generally accepted as people who help to improve society, but the Thai culture has absorbed certain aspects of Christianity without any transformation or change to a biblical worldview. Nevertheless, we were certain that if God was preparing the way for a movement and calling us to join Him, we could confidently move forward in faith.
Shortly after our team building, we learned that Daniëlle K. would be joining us. Already God was providing. With a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology, Daniëlle’s commitment to sharing Jesus with the unreached is informed by the insights and knowledge of a person trained to study culture and worldview.
While the Tumbergs and Daniëlle finished their fundraising, we moved to Bangkok for language studies. It was there that one seemingly insignificant decision would greatly impact our strategy for beginning the work in Khon Kaen. We took our son, Daniel, to a violin group at the Thai Adventist church, and Ricardo ended up becoming very involved in helping this music group. We were astounded at the opportunities that opened up for these kids, including playing at the Royal Thai Government House. We watched music open doors and saw parents and children engaging in ways that provided relational infrastructure for sharing the Gospel.
“I think we need to start a music school,” Ricardo told me. It seemed natural to share this idea with Chris Sorensen who was ministering in Surin. Chris has used music in his ministry and has also worked with an Adventist Thai musician to produce music. As Ricardo and Chris brainstormed about a music school, using music in evangelism, developing contextualized music for Thai worship, and equipping Thai believers in leadership, they grew excited at the possibility of working more closely together.
It has been a year since Laurence met with our team and the Sorensen and Doss families to explore how we could best work together for more effective and far-reaching ministry in Thailand. As we evaluated each person’s gifts, we were amazed at how complementary they were and at how these gifts might be used to lay the foundation for a center of influence that would touch many aspects of Thai society, starting with music and including health ministry. We dreamed of how God might use such an infrastructure to connect us with a broad range of people at different socioeconomic levels and how this could help provide future leaders for the ministry. We talked about eventually having a training program through which believers could be discipled and trained for leadership.
Our family returned to Khon Kaen and, along with our Thai team member, Pastor Wanlop, began looking for a place to start teaching music. It was a long process. More than once we believed we had found the place, only to have the owner change the price or rent the place out to someone else. Around that time, God led us to Danny and Sheany Pung, a couple who have used music education as a form of ministry very effectively for more than 30 years, in places that include the Royal Palace School. It is remarkable to look back and see how God worked to bring them to Khon Kaen. Their connections and experience as Thai nationals and their commitment to ministry have greatly speeded up the process and proved invaluable.
We have face many challenges. Sometimes I feel I am in the pages of a mission story not unlike those I grew up reading, only we don’t know the outcome yet. I cannot skip to the end and see how it all turns out. But as God shines a light on each step forward, we take that step and develop a deeper sense for how He is leading us. I can think of numerous times God has graciously confirmed His call. Three different times when Ricardo prayed very specifically for confirmation, the answer was immediate. Once it came in an email, once in a telephone call seconds after his prayer, and another time in the form of a donation. Now that our team is finally united in Khon Kaen (except for the Tumbergs who are finishing language study), we have seen more of God’s blessing and provision as each family has found affordable housing in strategic locations near the music school.
Please join us in praying that God’s perfect plan will be established and that we will see a movement for Him spread across Thailand. Pray for the music school, those who are attending, and the unfolding of plans for the center of influence.
