Thai ’09 Journal 21

It was a good morning at church: Carol and Evelyn told the children’s story and taught us all a song of blessings. For the Sabbath School, the majority of the team led out for the song service. Thai people are fairly reserved; but our group (under the energetic direction of Miriama – the Samoan/Alaskan) got them on their feet with some action songs. Our report was a blessing. Wish you were here to hear the testimonies. I’ll say a bit more in my final blog of the trip. It was fun to see some of our students from the Language Center and the Public High School at church in the WWU t-shirts. At the Church’s Fellowship lunch there were visitors from the Southern Philippines Union. Pastor Serrano (the Union President) was in Bangkok this week and I didn’t know. He is one of the best translators that I have ever had. We worked together in both my evangelistic meetings in the Philippines.
After lunch we went to the farm of Uncle Prasan for the weekly Branch Sabbath School. His wife, who is not SDA (she is Buddhist) was in tears as we left. He gave me a Christmas card and a CD of traditional northern Thai music played on an indigenous bamboo instrument. Next year we want to do some outreach in the village across the tracks from where they live (I didn’t know about it until yesterday. There are quite a few kids there I understand).
This evening Dr. Siriporn, the retired President of Mission College took me to a lovely new restaurant not far from the University. It is such a delight to talk to her. She will not admit it, but she is a theologian and missiologist. She has a good grasp of the interplay between Buddhism and Christianity. She is a tough but funny lady. In my opinion, she was a great President. Together we are dreaming some dreams of mission to China that could involve WWU and Portland Adventist Hospital! Tomorrow we are off to Bangkok to see the sights and to shop.