Hello Friends,
This update is going to be a little different than usual. There are so many things I want to update you on. I had a wonderful trip to Sri Lanka a couple of weeks ago meeting with about twenty pastors. We have had our prayers answered on multiple fronts. Our expat church is moving into a storefront building in a couple weeks and we were also able to rent a house that will serve as our offices, a training center for our Asian Leadership Institute, and living quarters for our interns. We have also seen two Cambodian men who were coming to our Bible study put their faith in Jesus over the last two weeks. It has been an encouraging time in so many ways. It has also been difficult time for some of our friends and partners in ministry.
I believe we have shared about the Pakistani Refugee situation here in Thailand. By God's grace we have been able to befriend and train a small group of these Pakistani's, helping them to start Bible studies in their homes. It has been a joy to get to know them and to partner with them. But their situation is a difficult one. BBC did a short documentary last year, which you can view here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D0LxdA4uhM). I want to tell one of their stories so you can pray with us for these brothers and sisters in Christ. I will use the names "Brother" and "Sister" to refer to our Pakistiani friends and will be changing or concealing most of the details for their protection.
Brother and Sister were very successful in their respected professions in Pakistan. They were both born into Christian families, so when they got married they continued to go to church on a regular basis. Sister had a growing relationship with God and loved to spend time reading the Bible. Brother on the otherhand was, in his words, a nominal Christian. He didn't mind going to church, but he was too busy for God the rest of the week. One day, Sister, a nurse working at a Muslim hospital, was reading the Bible during her lunch break. One of the doctors, a Muslim, saw her and confronted her. He told her she should not be reading the Bible at work because most of the people there were Muslim. Sister said she would never read the Bible when she was on the clock, but that her lunch break was her time. The doctor warned her again about reading the Bible at work.
Some time later Sister was once again reading the Bible during her break. You have to admire how her hunger for God's word was greater than her fear of her coworkers. The same doctor saw this and called her into his office. He pulled out a Quran and told her to put her hand on the Quran, renounce her Christian faith, and to convert to Islam. Of course Sister refused. Soon the doctor became so irate that he through the Quran on the ground. He then gathered some more of the staff into his office. He claimed that sister slapped the Quran out of his hand making it fall to the ground. This is an offense to Allah and Muslims. Sister was beaten in that doctors office by her coworkers. Her injuries included bruised ribs, a concussion, and many small lacerations on her face. Sister laid on the floor unconscious until another nurse came to her aid. The nurse helped her up and snuck her out of the hospital and took her home.
Brother and Sister spent weeks hiding in their pastor's home. Sister's name and picture was put on a flyer that was posted all over the city. They wanted to try her for blasphemy, which is punishable by death in Pakistan. They were told that there only option was to flee the country. They made the arrangements and came to Thailand to seek asylum. Brother and Sister have been in Bangkok for nearly 4 years. They are still waiting for their asylum application to be processed. Every day they live in constant fear that they will be grabbed up by the Immigration Police and placed in the Immigration Detention Center. They live off of $3 a day. Sister suffers from PTSD and anxiety not to mention the many physical ailments that still linger as a result of the trauma she experienced that day in the hospital. But when many would choose despair, Brother and Sister will tell you that this has all happened according to the will of God. Brother is thankful for this persecution because it made him serious about his faith. In Pakistan he was a nominal Christian. Today he is a servant of God leading Bible studies for about 25 people and helping new Pakistani asylum seekers settle into Bangkok when they arrive here. He has even been able to lead two Muslims to faith in Christ since he came to Bangkok.
Would you join me in praying for Brother and Sister? Pray for God to comfort them and give them peace. Pray that the UNHCR would accept their refugee application so they can be relocated to a new country and new home. Pray for God to bring healing to their emotional and physical ailments. And most importantly, pray that God would continue to display his love and glory in and through Brother and Sister as they serve other asylum seekers here in Bangkok.
Would you consider a small financial gift to help Brother and Sister pay for medical treatment? If God lays it on your heart to help you can message me on Facebook or email me for more information on how to do that.
Thank you for partnering with us in prayer, not only for Brother and Sister, but for all the Pakistani Christian asylum seekers in Bangkok.
Grace and Peace,
Carl