When I came to my present church I discovered we had a large population of doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists eye doctors and many related to the medical field. Plus our church (First Chinese Baptist Church) was an American Baptist Fellowship that had been born out of mission and had always been involved in outreach since 1884. So, it seemed a direction God wanted us to go and honestly just made sense to build our medical mission team. Which is why we had went to China.

Now…our work in China had gone okay…but seemed like we were more involved in helping and teaching the medical people already there and didn’t assist the population we felt called to reach. Honestly the authorities didn’t really need or want us there. Of course spiritually there had been this phenomenal experience which actually stirred me and us forward instead of causing us to feel less energized for the Lord. (Could God have prepared us, delayed us sent all the way to China for just this one experience with Sister Wei Ann-Ru? I don’t know about you but that causes me to pause a lot! With joy, but with some nervousness as well.  To think the God of all creation is that intimately involved in our lives and the life of His church. You might want to seriously think about that possibility right now and then pray “thank you” God for being a part of my life).

Okay but where should we go? I was convinced this was and is the right ministry for FCBC. As we looked and searched Medical International had an opening for a team in Northern Thailand, around the Golden Triangle. Were we interested? After prayer it seemed to be a great option.

Why? As you know I had started working with the Hmong, Mien, Lahu and Laotians in the mid 1970s. Providing resettlement and education all within a Christian context. This was the exact area the people I knew, the people I had worked with and struggled with  had lived, shared, lost, died and sacrificed. God was opening another mysterious and faith building door.

Dear Father give us the power even the audacity to live our lives as though we believe, no, to understand we are Your hands and Your feet in this world. We are the instruments of prayer on this mysterious path…

Amen!