The White Temple – Chiang Rai, Thailand
• 94% of Northern Thai people are Buddhist – nearly all are Theravada Buddhist
• Though Buddhist, they’ve mixed in animism, demonism, Hinduism, and sometimes ancestral worship.
• Less than .5% are evangelical
• The majority are unreached and/or unengaged
Greetings from Chiang Rai, Thailand in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom we are indebted because of His sacrificial love for us.
How thankful we are to have this opportunity to take a more in-depth look at the area and people to whom God is calling us. It’s been sobering to walk through the city, visit temples, and learn more about these gracious yet hard to reach people from our new team mates and leaders.
Buddhism is a works-based religion holding to the Noble Eightfold Path, which has the elements of "right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration." This is all done by man's achievement, i.e., "doing things right" in order to reach Nirvana. While we as Christians have similar goals, our motivation for our works and behavior is vastly different. There’s much for us to learn about this place and these people. Watching people at the temple was especially difficult. So many prayers and acts of worship. Yet all are in vain. Praise the Lord that our love for others is a manifestation of God's love. Therefore, the love of God compels us to share the gospel with those who’ve never heard. 2
Pray:
• That the peoples of Northern Thailand may come to know Jesus as the light of the world, not walking in darkness, but having the light of life. • For the remainder of our time here. Additional in-country travel and meetings with other IMB leaders. • For our separation from our children who are missing us and we them.
That All May Hear
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