A new message from Chris

Listen to a new message from Chris about ministry opportunity and how you can activate and get involved...Glonk here.

Thailand audio report

Hey everybody, for an audio report from Jimmy and Aaron about their recent trip to Thailand...Glonk here!

A Thialand story by Jimmy

Ali is a two-year-old boy who runs the streets of Mae Sot, Thailand. He has no father and his mother is very sick, immobilized by an undiagnosed illness. Ali wears a t-shirt with no pants or covering of any kind. He begs for food and money, uses the side of the road as a bathroom, and sometimes sleeps on the street with three other children ranging from 4 to 12 years old. Ali’s mother was in a hospital on the outskirts of town.

After being kicked out her home, and having no legal status or money, a hopelessness that could kill the strongest person was working deep in her heart. I approached her with careful consideration as she was on the hospital bed with her covering removed, exposing what could be left of her dignity. Sia, Tik, Aaron, and I planned to transport her to a clinic a few miles away.

As I lifted her off the hospital bed and into my arms, she grabbed the bed-rail and hung onto it with all her strength. She was terrified. Sia told me that her former husband (who married another woman while she was in the hospital) regularly beat her. I removed her hand from the bed and placed her in the truck. When we arrived at the clinic, I lifted her from the truck and she began trying to roll out of my arms onto the ground, wincing in pain.

As I tried to keep her from falling and keep her covered as she was only wearing a hospital gown, I took her arm that was closest to me and put it around my neck, making her feel snug around me. She turned, locked eyes with me, relaxed her tired muscles, and fell exhausted into my arms. She found no reason to be afraid. I cradled her like a newborn baby and made my way into the clinic whispering into her ear, “Jesus loves you so much.”

This is our only hope.

I was honored and broken to have been given this chance to carry her to rest and safety. Jesus stood humbly before Pontious Pilate, not lifting His voice to defend. He only stood there patiently, gracefully. He told Pilate that His kingdom was not of this world, that He was born into this one to bear witness to the truth. Nothing in this world would triumph over Jesus. He stood with His face resolute, waiting for Pilate to respond. Nothing could distract Him from the torture and death He was about to embrace, nothing would keep Him from laying down His precious life for all Pilate, confused and cornered by gentle majesty asked Jesus, “What is truth?”

Jesus stood in front of him. He looked into his eyes, answering his question with silent presence. Truth. Like a song in my heart it swells to a perfect pitch and rhythm. It lasts as long as I allow. It wants to choke the death out of me, but remains a gentleman. Waiting, holding for the moment to come through, Truth rescues and lifts me up to gaze into His eyes and touch His face. A call for help becomes a call to worship. I fall on my own will into His forever arms, finding no fault in Him. He carries me to rest and safety.