IT IS TOO LITTLE
CFC International Leaders Conference, SMX, Manila (20 January 2024) SHARING Edgar and Moonyeen Dante, Members, Country Governance Team, CFC Thailand My wife, Moonyeen, and I have been members of CFC in Thailand for 32 years. As many of you know, Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country. We are blessed with five children; most were born in Thailand. Today, I wanted to share our experience bringing Thai Buddhists into our community. First, let me quickly give you a snapshot of Christianity in Thailand. Thailand has around 70 million people; 93% are Buddhist, 5% are Muslim, and only 1% are Christian. It is around 700,000 Christians, which is equally shared between Catholics and non-Catholic Christians. This is extremely low, considering the 300 years of Christianity in Thailand. It tells us that evangelization is a huge challenge in the country. Many Thai bishops and priests have called on the laity, including CFC, to participate in sharing the Gospel with the Thai people. Despite the challenge, Thailand is a super welcoming and open country. There is religious freedom. Thai people are generally some of the nicest, most respectful, and peace-loving people you will meet. They are also open to learning about other religions. With this in mind, I will share a CFC experience on evangelizing Thai Buddhists. In 2000, when my wife and I were serving as chapter leaders in Bangkok, Brother Jun and Sis Jean Uriarte were relocated to Bangkok and joined our community. During this period, they passionately shared their vision of evangelizing non-Christians, introducing us to the Catholic Church's Missio Ad Gentes. I shared their vision and believed that God had also called me and my wife to contribute to the mission of evangelizing non-Christians. With Bro Jun and Sis Jean’s leadership, we conducted a CLP specifically tailored for couples in mixed marriages, particularly Buddhist Thai husbands and Catholic Filipina wives. You may know that, in the past, many Thai students came to the Philippines to study. Some of them eventually married Filipina and brought them to Thailand. To prepare for the CLP, we went through the CLP training, spiritual preparation and discussions on how we can effectively support non-Christians attending our CLPs. The CLP successfully attracted couples in mixed marriages. Many of them became members of CFC and continue to do so until today. Now, you might wonder, did they become Catholics? The answer is no. Yet, they participate in our community's prayer and worship activities and sometimes take part in CFC missions to upcountry areas. At this point, I will introduce one active couple, brother Chat and sister Elsie. This couple completed the CLP 20 years ago. Sister Elsie passed away just a few months ago, and the photo on the screen was taken during her wake. While preparing for this sharing, I spoke with brother Chat and asked him how he was doing. I also told him about this conference and that many people here would want to know about his faith. Brothers and sisters, I was amazed by what I heard from him. He shared to me that every day he prays to the two hearts (the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary). He showed me the image of the Two Hearts on his altar (show image of the Two hearts). He said he talks to Jesus and Mary and says I love you, I believe in you, and I trust you. Finally, he said: “Edgar, tell the brothers and sisters in the conference that there is a Buddhist in Thailand who truly loves Jesus and Mama Mary.” He went on to tell me many wonderful stories of faith and even miracles happening in his life. Just three years ago, during the pandemic, we conducted a CLP in northeast Thailand, about 4 hours drive from Bangkok. One of the participants was a young Thai Buddhist married to a Filipina. His name is Brother Ae (show photo of Ae). With his Catholic wife, Brother Ae completed the CLP and became a member of CFC. Moonyeen and I were their household leaders until mid-last year. We witnessed the faith of this young Thai Buddhist. We did not treat him differently when we conducted household meetings. We invited him to pray with us and asked him to share as we normally do. He joined the worship and sometimes played the guitar. In one of our CLPs, he became a service team member responsible for creating communication and video materials. What strikes me about Brother Ae is the simplicity and sincerity of his prayers during our household meetings. Brother Ae and Brother Chat are powerful testimonies of non-Christians who embrace the life of our community and experience authentic conversion from the heart while keeping their religious identity. Although I hope they become Catholics, I believe conversion is a sacred process guided by the Holy Spirit. I see my role as a mere instrument to help them appreciate our faith. Another touching story we encountered involves a Buddhist couple, Brod Prasert and Sis Panida (see photo of Prasert and Panida). Their journey began when their children, who were attending a Catholic school, brought home an image of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Unfamiliar with the image, the couple approached the teacher to learn more. This curiosity led them to attend Catechism and eventually embrace the Catholic faith. They joined the CLP as new converts and shared their inspiring journey with us during their CLP graduation. It's another beautiful example of how God, working through our Mother Mary, draws people from Buddhist backgrounds to the Catholic faith. Finally, we also reached out to Thai Buddhists through youth camps. Catholic schools in Thailand are quite popular. Many Buddhist parents want to send their children to study in Catholic schools. Several years ago, CFC Thailand organized youth camps in Catholic schools, attracting many Buddhist students as participants. Brothers and sisters, I want to end this sharing by highlighting that Missio Ad Gentes has already started in CFC. Non-Christians have joined our CLPs and youth camps and become members of CFC. Although still small, I need to recognize the leading of the Spirit towards this work and be prepared to embrace it. I must open my heart to non-Christians who seek to know and love the Lord. With this, my wife and I thank the organizers for the opportunity to share this experience with all of you. We also praise the Lord and give Glory to God. Thank you. |
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January 2024
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