Message Magazine Online - Vol. 53, No. 03, Winter 2005

In This Issue

• Think Outside the Box
  By Donna Messenger
• Missions Outside the Box
  By Michael G. Loftis, President
• Opening the Box
  By Bill Commons
• Three-Door Evangelism
  By John and Jean Peterson, Brazil
• Reaching CANS - Creative Access Nations
  By the ABWE Executive Administrator Muslim Ministries
• The Effectiveness of Sports
  By Bruce W. McDonald, International Director of Sports
• Greetings from Camp
  By Leon Duell, Russia
• Creation Science Evangelism: Reaching Students and Educators with the Gospel
  By Jerry and Donna Layton, Philippines
• The Greenhouse that is Growing a Church
  By Rick Ferrari, Ukraine
• The World at My Yard Sale
  By Ann DenUyl, USA
• Indy International
  By Joanna Stuckey, USA MK
• Disaster Church Planting
  By Annie Langston, Thailand
• We Were Strangers
  By Jim Ruff
• Giving Outside the Box
  By Don Davis & Spencer Jackson
• The Missionary Family
  By Russell E. Ebersole, Jr.
  

Disaster Church Planting

By Annie Langston, Thailand

“Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice!” Psalm 130:1-2

This verse describes Payao ten years ago as she realized her need for salvation in Jesus Christ. Hearing God’s plan of salvation in her Bangkok prison cell, she too, like the psalmist, cried out to God from the depths of her despair. God wondrously saved Payao. She did not realize at that time, that God had His hand on her even while she was in prison, and that He was working out His plan through her. Payao comes from the southern part of Thailand and is currently enrolled in the Romprakhun Baptist Bible Institute in Bangkok. She says, “I had been praying for an opportunity to serve God back down south in my home territory.” God works in mysterious ways, and for Payao, He used a major catastrophe to take her back home to serve Him.

On December 26, 2004, parts of southern Thailand were devastated by the tsunami that affected other Asian nations as well. The hearts of Thai believers and PABWE missionaries immediately went out to these needy people who lost family, friends, homes, and means of livelihood. Meeting together in Bangkok to discuss how to best make use of this opportunity God placed in their laps, these Thai Christians and Filipino missionaries felt God leading them to strategize how to most effectively be a light in an area with only one evangelical church for over 200,000 people. From this discussion, the seed was planted for Romprakhun Baptist Center (Romprakhun means “under grace” in the Thai language). The purpose of the center was to be a haven for hurting people: a center for grief counseling, English lessons (to secure better jobs), and ministry to young people, children, and families. The ultimate goal is to build a church from this center.

Since disaster church planting has never been done by ABWE-Thailand or PABWE, this was new ground. But all those involved in the discussion felt God had placed them here “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). So by faith, they moved ahead, trusting God to lead them. They visited the southern province to determine the most needy location, then targeted a specific town and rented a building. Next came intensive training in the form of a week-long counseling seminar headed by US pastors. At the conclusion of the seminar, these pastors, the trainees, and the newly-chosen coordinator of the center, Pearl Inion, went down to open the center. On April 1, 2005, they opened the doors of RBC, hung its sign, and began work to make the center usable. Pearl is a Filipino missionary kid who was born and raised in Thailand. She speaks fluent Thai, English, and her Filipino dialect, and has a university degree in psychology and training in biblical counseling.

“I kept trying to leave Thailand,” Pearl says, “thinking that I only wanted to be there because it was familiar and comfortable to me.” But twice she left, and twice God brought her back with ministry opportunities. At the suggestion of her parents, she returned to Bangkok from the Philippines after the tsunami to see if she could be of help. Pearl has already proven to be an asset at the center. With her knowledge of the language and culture of the Thai people, she is able to effectively minister to hurting people.

But, as is true in all countries, differences do exist between people from different areas of the same country. Having lived all her life in northern and central Thailand, Pearl felt the need for someone to help her who could more readily fit in with the people of the south. And so, the plan of God unfolds.  When approached by the PABWE leadership, Payao was thrilled to join Pearl. As a Thai, she has an even better knowledge of the language and the culture, especially in her home region. Once a prisoner herself, Payao can readily identify with the fear that is imprisoning her people since the tsunami wreaked havoc in their lives.

In a Buddhist country, where genuine converts do not come easily or quickly, Payao and Pearl are excited about their first convert. He was the van driver for the many trips made by short-term workers between the center and the Phuket airport, about one hour away. Life-style evangelism, Christian kindness, and the tsunami tract given to him were what initially attracted the driver, and finally, God’s message of love and hope drew him to God in salvation. The RBC staff is praying that as the center moves ahead in its unique ministry, God will continue to bless and ultimately build His church from this “disaster church plant.” All glory and praise to God who works for good, even through catastrophes.