So today we went to a Thai church. It seemed like a relatively new church in what looked like an apartment building. I mean the church seemed new, not the building. And by new I mean like maybe 10 or 15 years old. It wasn't a very large congregation and the service was of course in Thai, but we had some people to translate the gist of it for us. The pastor was a woman and I believe she was also the founder of the church and Chinese. Despite all that, I was actually suprised at how normal it was compared to church as I am used to it. It started of with some familiar modern worship songs lead by the young adults. Then there were announcements and prayer then some hymns lead from the piano. Then the sermon, and a standard communion, then prayer for our translator, Eung, and girl who are going off to study abroad. After the service we had lunch with the church and in the afternoon their was a youth program that we stuck around for.
As I mentioned, Eung is going to study abroad. In fact he is going to Kentucky for 6 years. He won't see his family during this whole time. He turns 17 in September. At the end of the youth program his little brother and sister performed a song for him. His brother played guitar and his sister sang. I couldn't understand the song, but it was really touching because she started choking up and everybody helped her out on the chorus. Even the Dad behind the camcorder was wiping his eyes. Their dad, by the way, is the only one of their family who is still Buddhist, but he was at church this day, videotaping everything (Eung also performed some songs during the church service).
Another interesting tidbit about that family is that they are voice actors for dubbing movies into Thai. Eung actually did the voice of Nemo in Finding Nemo when he was younger and some character in the latest Harry Potter movie.
Anyway, it was a good day with a nice family and a nice church. Considering that this was a young church in the middle of a huge city in a heavily Buddhist country on the other side of the world with a family that had only become Christians in the last year or so, the real surprise of the day was how unsurprising it was.
Prayer requests:
- I would just like to prayer for Eung and his family. Specifically that he would handle his 6 years in America well and
- that his father would come to know Jesus like the rest of the family.
3 comments:
Moss - great job with the blog; it is being enjoyed here in North Bend, Oregon! I just read aloud the part of Eung's family being voice actors to my 13-yr-old son Markus whose dream is to become a voice actor! I spent this past June in Finland; when attending a church service in Helsinki, their speaker was from Thailand; great message and a video presentation on children's camp ministry there.
We'll keep you in our prayers.
Your mom's old friend Sirkka Purkey
Hi Moss, I hope you noticed Helena's comment on your blog earlier. I must be the most eager reader of your blogs. I check every day if there is anything new:)
I have been picking blueberries etc. Any interesting fruit or berries there? How is the food on the ship?
Mom
Hello ladies. Sounds like the Finns are avid fans of my blog! ;)
They do have some interesting fruit here. Two similar kinds of fruit that are "like liche/leechee/lichi" apparently but I don't know what that is. They are both roundish and have a white jellyish flesh under an inedible skin and a large seed in the center. Is red and green outside with large hair/tendril things all over it. The other has a dry rough woody coloured skin and is smaller, about the size of a grape. Hard to describe the flavour. They don't taste particularly great.
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