One of the most difficult issues in church planting is discipline. People come to the Lord from a non-Christian background. They have areas in their lives where they are not living according to what God tells us in the Bible. The lives of many were characterized by idolatry, debauchery, drunkenness, and dishonesty. Though they have become new creatures in Christ, the old man has not disappeared all of a sudden.

So what do you do when people do not live according to God’s commandments? (more…)

Thai people have beautiful names. Only they are seldomly used. They are written in documents and said at official occasions. But in everyday life, only the nickname is used.

To outsiders, the nicknames can have a funny ring. ‘Bird’ is the most common name, followed by ‘Small one’. From a western perspective, that is quite accurate to describe most Thai, yet something doesn’t seem quite all right when a sturdy guy with a beer belly is called ‘Small one’. Yet it is as common as hearing a teeny-weeny woman being addressed as ‘Fatty’. (more…)

Do you still remember our friend the Tailor?

This group (pii Faay and friends) started to get more body and more and more children were coming to listen to the bible stories and do a craft. They really liked it and were always full (more…)

Waaniet is a joyful man who lives in a small village just outside our little bit bigger village. His wife is a Christian and I think he is as well. I study the chronological bible study with him. He understands lost of things in is own simple way.

Last week we talked about the snake who told Eva to eat the fruit. After the lesson he explained to me that that was the problem of today as well. He said it feels like Satan is constantly talking in my ear and that of the people in the world. But when he has this feeling he prays to God that he can do his will.

I went back home and this time I was the one that learned a lesson!

Remember the tailor who was interested in the gospel? Last week my wife went there again but this time she had bad news. She can not become a Christian because then she is not allowed to go to the Buddhist temple anymore, but my wife was still allowed to come and teach the bible.

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Would you ever have thought it would be possible for a cow to drown in a drum? Neither would I. But it happened. Outside the stable at the farm of a friend’s are a few drums with water for the cows. A young cow enthusiastically put both her  forelegs and her head in the drum- and never got them out again! She drowned while her entire body was out of the water.

So what happened? (more…)

Last week an Isaan Christian I baptized last year died. Until his death he was sharing the Gospel with his relatives. They were listening with interest. He also clearly said he wanted a Christian funeral, and no Buddhist monks present. But after he died, his relatives immediately arranged for a Buddhist funeral. At the same time, they were very happy for the church to take part in the ceremonies as well. After the monks finished their chanting, and just before the body was cremated, a brother of the deceased invited me to the front. “My brother was a Buddhist. But in the last few years, he added a religion. He also believed in Jesus. And therefore we invite a leader of the church to come and share with us.” Right in front of the monks with their sign ‘There is no resurrection’ I shared the Christian hope of eternal life and resurrection. At the end, everybody applauded.

What happened here? (more…)

Getting to know a different culture is difficult. I’m living in Thailand for nine years now, and I still get amazed.

Es, a crippled man from our church, had shared the Gospel by phone with his sister in Japan. She came to the Lord and asked him to visit Deng, a friend of hers, so that she would hear the Good News as well. In times gone by Es had met Deng one or two times, so he was willing to go.

I accompany Es to Deng’s village. When we arrive there, we ask the first person we meet (more…)

Besides all the official preparation, here are some fun things to do to prepare for life in Thailand:

• Eat a sandwich with chopped chillies
• Enjoy a cold shower on a warm day

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Before a missionary is able to share God’s word with the target people, he or she needs to climb the mountain of language study. For us as missionaries in Thailand that means (more…)