Wednesday, January 1, 2014

My two cents-by Rafa

I guess its my turn to write something...so here it goes(please take into consideration who is writing this, as there will be a significant contrast between this post and the ones that have preceeded it(less descriptive i guess haha)).

So thailand...you know i think there are two major things ive been able to take from this trip. Not that i didnt know or feel them before but they have hit very deep. First of all, being here in a congregation  with so many cultures and languages working together to bring glory to Jehovahs name, there can be no doubt this truly is his organization. Not that there was any before, but you really get to see how his spirit flows in places like this. Why? Well let me show you an example. Two hours from Pattaya you find the capitol of Thailand, and one of the largest cities on earth, Bangkok. These past few weeks it has been all over the news because of the hundreds of thousands people that are protesting and the riots against the prime minister. When we visited we passed some goverment buildings and barricades backed by large groups of police in case anything went out of hand. It was calm then. Now several people have died and parliament has been dissolved. Even after the calls for peace and unity from the revered King of Thailand, things are only getting worse in Bangkok, it is a very difficult time in this country and its sad there is so much division within its people. And yet, when you visit our congregation, you see Thai, Russian, Canadian, Korean, American, Austrian, Australian, Swiss, English, Irish, etc. all working together hand in hand for a greater purpose. We might not be able to comunicate with each other(a few times weve gone to service with brothers were all we would do is point at this or that because it was our only way to communicate). But we try, and we are bound together by a bond that no single culture or nationality will ever enjoy as a whole. Only Jehovahs spirit can accomplish that.

The second thing ive been grateful to experience is the need for the truth here. Sometimes its easy to get a little discouraged, back home(spanish) we're used to having actual conversations in the ministry, our lack of any sort of fluency in thai makes it hard to do more than place a tract. Yet, its amazing how when were walking back to our bikes after that mornings service you will see many reading the tracts that were left with them. I dont remember the last time I saw that back home. Last week I went by a store where I had left a tract with a Nepalese man a couple of weeks before. Honestly, i wasnt expecting much. But you cant imagine how suprised I was when he did not only recognize me, but told me he read the whole Truth tract and then each one of his family members went ahead and read it. He said he enjoyed it very much and it answered many of his questions. I was able to place a Bible Teach book and Kit is going to return to start a study since we will be heading home next week. We invited him to the meeting and even though he works 12 hours a day/7 days a week, he said he was going to try and have his brother go with him. Even with customers going in and out of the store he was never distracted from our conversation and when i asked him if he wanted to go see if they needed anything he just looked behind him and said "theyre ok" and continued talking with us. Just that one experience made the whole trip worth it, you never know how many of the seeds we planted Jehovah will make fruitful in the future. Its been a great experience in so many ways, and for anyone thinking of going where the need is great, i promise you wont regret it.

Bankok protests

Pattaya congregation soccer game

Half of that days service group

Even the monks receive our literature

Our Korean brothers with their new bibles

5 comments:

  1. Great to read your story, thanks for sharing

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  2. Rafa: That was wonderful. You should have written before! How great to hear your experiences -- so encouraging!!!

    Deborah Stone, Petaluma East Cong (friend of Stiles & Troups)

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  3. Thank, Rafa, for this encouraging blog and pictures! What an amazing experience you are having serving Jehovah there in Thailand!

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  4. Thanks Rafa! I enjoyed your write and picture also :)

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  5. Hi Guys

    Loving the blog. Do you have any contacts in the Phuket (English speaking) cong? We are heading out on holiday soon and would love to meet up with the Brothers?


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