Mission Work in Surin (April 2004)

The sound of bells chimes ten times at 5am. It is the wake up call for the Buddhist monks as they venture out on their morning journeys with their silver bowls to collect their food rations for the day. The villagers have carefully prepared some sticky rice and papaya salad the night before to ensure that their contribution will earn a good portion of merit points for their journey to heaven.

The rooster half-crows at 5:30 am. He’s probably too weak to complete his crow after suffering a belt of bird-flu. He tries again at 6am – an even worst attempt. No chick seems to be interested in this ex-hunk, who’s well passed his used-by date.

The buffalos low as they pull their carts to the market at a quarter-past-six.

At 6:30am you begin to make out the sound of children giggling. They are playing brandy with dead lizards.

It didn’t take me long to realize I was in Thailand again, a rural village on the outskirts of Surin to be exact. I love it and I hate it! I hate the early wake up calls, being rained on through the glassless windows when you slept at night, the sight of creepy insects in mating positions sometimes finding their way into your food, and the feeling of always beings dirty and sweaty, and having only cold water and bucket to wash yourself with.

But I love the squat toilets because at least they don’t splash!

This is where God has called Sharon and I (and now Sammi) to serve him in Thailand!

I am convinced that God really wants this village to know the love of Jesus. I can see it in the children’s eyes as they sing, “David was a mighty King”. It is their favorite song. “But Jesus… he’s the best king of all” they shout. And their mothers smile as they watch them sing it.

I can see it in the reaction of the villagers as they watch Jesus healing the demon-possessed boy on a large white cloth that has been stretched out as a make-shift projected screen. They watch in total silence and awe because they have seen many demon-possessed people before, but none of them ever healed.

I can see it in the village chief who is so excited about our children’s program that he says that when we come again in December he will announce it on the village loud speaker. (I hope it still works because it’s only ever used for emergencies).

And I can also see it in the response of Satan. Look closely and you’ll see there are hardly any boys at the children’s program today. Look! There’s a procession of them walking down the street with their heads shaven and wearing their saffron robes. They are doing their apprenticeships at the monastery. And is it any surprise that the monks are also planning a holiday program for the children?

At 5pm you can see the magnificent tinges of colors in the sky as the sun begins its final descent in the western horizon. The sound of playing children is starting to quite down. At a quarter-past-five the rooster tries his crow again. (He’s figured out that he doesn’t look so old and ugly in the dusty evening light). At half-past you see the first star twinkle in the sky.

Darkness is coming soon. Satan is awakening. He senses his territory has been intruded on. We may not have a long window of opportunity before the darkness comes again. Will you join us in helping these people to know God’s love before it is too late?

Daniel Loo (April 2004)