Thai Journal #7

Today I spent time with the Theology seniors here. What a great bunch. As I entered the classroom they all broke out in singing the “Festival of Faith” (WOP) Theme Song, “Nothing is Impossible.” (Incidentally, the student body is more and more raising the roof as they sing this song each day. Tonight we will reach a grand climax and crescendo when we sing it for the last time in the auditorium.) The theology students’ questions were very insightful. They wanted to know how the church can grow in a strong Buddhist country like Thailand. It is a new generation that is looking to make the church in Asia grow like the church in Africa. They are looking forward to having the strong national leadership in Asia, as the African have on their continent.

I also visited the lovely Mission Health Promotion Center a little ways up the road from campus. If the dorms are full next summer, some of us might have to stay there. I’m afraid that it might be a bit expensive, though. We will cross that bridge when we reach it.

What a great supper I had at the home of Wayne and Sarapee Hamara. Wayne is on the Faculty of the Business, a graduate of PUC, who has been here at MC for 20 years and 10 years before that at CAA. Also at the meal were Pastor Somchai Na-Nakhon who just led an English Camp mission trip to the border of Laos, and Nakhon Kitjaroonchai an English Instructor on the Arts and Humanities Faculty. They all have great plans for our mission trip here next summer. Tomorrow we are going to begin discussions with a lady at the Public School. Already there is a Branch Sabbath School there. I’ll visit there after the potluck. Then I’ll go into a rural area where we may be doing some community service. It will be a full day.

And yes, they really SANG tonight! They lifted the roof with “Nothing is Impossible!” It is fascinating that at the beginning of the week nobody knew this very old song. Now, everywhere you go everybody is singing or humming it. A lady told me tonight that it is like a Mary Poppins song; it has that catchingness to it. But the words are also very powerful: nothing is impossible with God!