This evening I had to give a document to our landlady who lives next door. As I came close to the door I said hello in Thai & our landlady’s husband came to the door with a huge smile & asked me to come in. He happily introduced me to his mother-in-law. Then our landlady came into the room & was so excited to see me. They then invited me to come in & eat a traditional Thai dinner with them as a family. I politely refused because I had just finished supper at home. We continued to talk for a few minutes in English then I left for them eat their dinner.
I smile even more than ever before these days when I see them. You see our landlady’s husband hated us when we first met him. Our landlady was friendly & polite, but her husband really did not like us. After years of praying to Jesus for him, some community traumas & even though the traumas were fearful for everyone in our community we did not move. I think all of these things together has caused him to have a heart change toward us.
One year our landlady & her husband came over to sign a new lease. When they came in the front door & sat at our kitchen table said this to us. “When we came into your house & we feel this peace that I have not felt before. This is so nice”
“I leave you peace; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don’t let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27
For some Thai people I have experienced they need a reason to come & talk with you. To just come over could or world be very awkward so they just don’t come over. But, now our landlady’s husband looks for opportunities to say hello or come over to our house to talk. Deep down I think he likes it when I tell him there is something that he needs to look at or possibly repair because he can come over to maybe have a chance to talk.
Years ago I was questioned who I was & what I was doing here by a government official who was/is Thai. When I told her who I was & what I was doing here she became very serious & said, “Please give my people peace. We act like we have it on the outside, but we do not have it at all. Please give us peace.”
