Greetings from Chiang Mai, Thailand
Well, we have been here for four months and are starting to feel a bit more settled. Thank you for your prayers.
In this email: From SarahIn this email: From David
We have had several answers to prayer that I would like to share with you. We asked you to pray for opportunities to speak about the Lord to English speaking Thais and Westerners and these have been answered.
David has had great opportunities to speak about the Lord with one of his fellow students and this is an ongoing process. He has been using the Creation Science materials and has found them invaluable. This guy is an Australian who has had some input from a Christian before! So continue to pray for him (Stuart) and his salvation. One semester to go!
We also took the Easter celebration (celebrated by Christians over here, not the whole community) as an occasion to pass on some gifts to our local Thai friends. We had been given some audio tapes with the ‘Jesus’ film’ on and some accompanying magazines which explained the message of the gospel. We gave out four to the girls who are teaching the family Thai (more on them later), another to our Songthaew driver and his family and another to a lady who does some ironing for me. We pray that these will plant the seeds of salvation in their hearts for a future reaping unto salvation. The tapes and magazines were both in Thai.
Another answer to a personal prayer was the cooking lessons that I took. David had studied Thai language through cooking for a week and the cooking teacher offered to let me join her cooking class! I went twice a week on the back of a motorbike to the local market and bought the ingredients for the meal chosen. I would then go to the Uni and cook with the aid of the cooking teachers secretary (who also was the motorbike driver). It has been so good to have knowledge of the market and Thai recipes that it has made it easier for me in the kitchen (and cheaper also as local food is quite inexpensive).
The holiday that they do have over this period is the Sonklang festival. It is to celebrate the Asian New Year. It is a water festival that lasts for 3 days (officially) and ends up with everyone getting soaking wet! David and the older children joined right in and have some great photos.
The aforementioned Thai girls who are teaching the family Thai language have been such a blessing to us. They are Masters students at Chiang Mai Uni and come twice a week to instruct us. It has been really beneficial to the older girls and myself as we don’t have contact with the community every day (essential for learning the language). We have been able to bless them back and took them to a waterfall for the day a little while ago as well as teaching them some English.
In May we had a lovely two week visit from my Dad and Step -Mum. We went up north for three days and visited some hill tribe areas which were very interesting. We saw lots of areas that we were keen to visit and they had a great re-union with us.
Just before I finish up, I will mention that Christina has signed up to go on a Mission Trip to a tribal village 5.5 hours north of Chiang Mai. A couple have just started an outreach to this particular tribe. The youth are going to help build a kitchen for the nursery school, teach English to the children and plant rice out in the fields with the locals (as it is planting season). It is a great opportunity for her and we have heard wonderful reports from previous mission trips to other areas that really encouraged us to send her. She is keen also. Please keep Christina in your prayers. I believe this will be a life changing experience!
As Sarah has already mentioned we have now been here in Chiang Mai for 4 months. In this and future newsletters, both Sarah and I will write as I feel it is important for you to hear our perspectives on both life and ministry in Thailand, and will help you to pray effectively for us. We may also include some insights from the children from time to time. From the outset I would like to thank you, our friends, for supporting us in prayer, finance, and encouragement through emails, letters and phone calls. Though we lack for nothing in terms of material needs, we definitely miss friends, family, and the familiar things and surroundings that were part of everyday life in Australia.
I would like to give you some of my impressions about the people here in Northern Thailand as the people are the reason we are here. One cannot talk about the Thai people without talking about the National religion of Buddhism. Approximately 62 million people profess to be Buddhists in Thailand which represents about 95% of the total population! The majority of the remaining population is Moslem, with possibly less than 1 million Christians living here sounds like a good opportunity for evangelism to me. Actually, it appears that many of the Christians are in the various hill tribe groups in border regions as these areas have received the most attention from missionaries. Certainly from my early impressions and contact with other missionaries, it would seem that although there are many missionaries in Thailand, most of them are not reaching out to the majority of the Thai population. The number one reason for this is undoubtedly the religious and cultural significance of Buddhism to the Thai people. In fact, the 3 pillars of Thai society are based upon adherence and respect for the King, the nation, and Buddhism.
To be Thai is to be Buddhist and virtually every area of Thai life and culture is in some way connected to Buddhist teaching and philosophy. I personally believe that Buddhism in the east can be likened to Catholicism in certain European countries and possibly other nations such as The Philippines. Both have tremendous influence and include much ritual and an almost, in some cases actual, deifying of men, whether priests, saints, or those who have supposedly become an embodiment of truth, knowledge and wisdom. Like many Catholics, many Thai’s are not “devout” in their daily practice of Buddhist philosophy, yet have a strong identity with it. Central teachings of Buddhism include doing good which helps one’s “karma” in turn promising a better lot in the next life, or even better, reaching the ultimate state of “nothingness” or “nirvana”. Most Thai’s are quite superstitious believing in lucky dates, numbers, symbols, events, blessings, and various other activities tied in with Buddhist ritual.
Having said this, Thai culture, like many cultures of the modern world has been affected by other influences such as materialism, self-promotion and pleasure-seeking, which to some degree can be seen in the younger generation of Thai’s. In the not too distant past, all young men were required to enter the monk hood for at least a one year period, but with greater pursuit of career’s and an increasing indifference to the value of such service, young men often “get away with” one month’s service or sometimes none at all. A young Thai friend (not yet saved)of mine told me of a “booze-up” he was going to for a friend of his who was about to do his one months monk duty! However, in the final analysis, regardless of the spiritual and cultural strongholds in this nation, Jesus is still calling the Thai people to repentance and salvation and as for me and my family, we are here to be involved in His work, looking to Him for direction and strength.
As anticipated at this early stage, my main focus is on language learning and getting to know Thai culture. I am also meeting other workers and hearing of their trials and triumphs as well as receiving practical advice on living in Chiang Mai. I must confess that I have been feeling bogged down with language studies and frustrated with my progress. Between study and family, my personal walk with the Lord has suffered and I am currently seeking both forgiveness and strength to earnestly seek Him. His word commands us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1b). Please pray specifically for a renewed zeal and the discipline required to fully serve the Lord as many missionaries over here are undergoing trials of faith which again confirms the very real spiritual battle going on for the souls of 65 million Thai’s. “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37).
With regard to our needs, government support together with some financial gifts from friends (particularly a monthly missions offering from our home fellowship) has provided for virtually all of our needs for which we are very grateful. However, in August our government support will be drastically reduced and so I feel to ask those of you who know us and believe in our calling to serve Christ in this land, to prayerfully consider committing to a monthly amount of financial support for our needs and ministry. We would need to know of your commitment for practical budgeting purposes. I could of course, pick up some paid work which I very possibly may do, but my ultimate purpose is to serve full time in the Lord’s work. Thank you again for all of your support and encouragement and please continue to write or email us with your news and prayer requests. During our family devotions we endeavour to pray specifically for two families every day so do send us details of your needs.
Your fellow servant in Christ
David Evans
Don't forget to visit Evans Family on Mission in Thailand web site