“Lord, I have enough words prepared just to launch this boat,” I prayed as I stood to speak at the funeral service. “After that, I have no idea where we are going. Please help me.”

The phone call leading up to my prayer came earlier in the day. Fellow AFM missionary Christopher Sorensen had just been informed of the death of a Filipino teacher with Adventist heritage (see “Life From Death,” page 24). The family requested an Adventist element at the funeral, which was to be held in the evening in the same town where Uncle Somneuk lives. Chris asked if I could speak. He would take care of the music.

With little time to prepare, when we arrived at the venue, I only had the first few sentences hammered down. As the program began, a new problem appeared. Half of the congregation were Thai, colleagues of the deceased with his students and their parents. The other half were English-speaking friends, mostly from the extensive Filipino expat community. There was no translation. Each presenter spoke in their comfort language, whether Thai or English. What language should I speak? I pondered.

Finally, it was my turn. “Lord help me,” I breathed. I spoke in Thai. God gave me clear words and a straight path to the finish line, with distinct points and illustrations.

Chris then got up and gave a powerful rendition of “Jesus Loves Me.” Praise the Lord for answered prayer. But it was not just my prayers that God answered. It was the prayers of our sponsors and prayer partners who pray for us every day. Thank you!

Afterward, we handed copies of the Thai translation of Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, which I had brought with me, to the senior pastor of another denomination, two immigration officers whom I recognized and nearly twenty other individuals. May God bless the proclamation and circulation of His word.

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