From Issan to Seattle

We arrived back yesterday to a gorgeous, sunny Seattle morning and awaiting loved ones!

We were all exhausted from our non stop schedule, jet lag and spiritual roll7er coaster of the past ten days .

Yet, as drained as I may be, I cannot help but reflect on what I saw. And while I saw a lot of evil and the worst that humanity has to offer, I also saw the best of God.

I saw God in a determined, charismatic pastor from Phi Mai named Pauline. Pauline gave up a family business, the promise of a secure future and comfortable life to start the FIRST christian church in a part of Thailand that is 99% Buddhist. This church has grown to over 100 members and has created a "cell group" that evangelizes to small, rural villages, in the middle of rice fields, consisting of rice field laborers that have never heard of Christianity. In one village that we visited, 50% of the residents have given their lives to the lord!

I saw God in the faces of Pattaya church members who shared their testimony of being able to go from the entrapment of sex slavery to business owners. These owners now want to grow their businesses so they can hire women out of the sex trade and show the love of Christ.

I saw God in the faces of the care takers at the Pattaya Orphanage. These care takers work day and night to provide a safe, clean home for 100's of children. Many of the babies are left with them because the women had become pregnant while working in the sex trade and, due to Thailand's poor social services, the women have no choice but to give them up. The Orphanage not only provides a great home, it provides education up though college.

These are just a few examples from the spiritual war taking place in Thailand. The devil may be winning this battle, but God will win the war! I will leave you with a quote from Pastor Pauline

"This is a spiritual war, the people of Thailand worship idols and the devil has a friend with the people of Thailand, but this will change, this is our Thailand, our people and Christ will win". Amen.

Craig Little