EDante, AIT home, 10 April 2021
In March 2020, when the corona virus just emerged in Thailand, I got a distress email from an unknown woman living in Europe (not her real location for confidentiality). She sought help for a young foreign man and his six year old nephew who was hospitalized in Bangkok to find a suitable apartment and do some chores. I responded immediately. I learned later that the woman named Mary (not her real name) searched google for several Christian groups in Bangkok for assistance and got one response. The child was diagnosed with “severe immunodeficiency” resulting in a weak immune system that is unable to fight off even mild infections. It is a serious disease and it came when the whole world was facing risk of corona virus infection. At that time, they thought that the child would be discharged by mid-April. While at the hospital, they needed someone to buy diapers and cereals for the child. I accepted to do that. After several weeks, the child’s condition remained fragile and hope for a quick recovery faded. On top of that, Thailand shut its borders and halted international travels due to the pandemic. Both were to remain in Bangkok for a long, long time. The hospital bill surged to at least Baht 200,000 (US$ 6,600) per month. My added task was to receive money and deliver it to the hospital. My family also helped in some chores for them. The child’s mother named Martha (not her real name) was a refugee and a recent convert to Christianity. She and her child left her country to Thailand to escape from her abusive father and deadly treats from her in-laws. Martha was a victim of a forced marriage to a rich man. After her husband’s death, she suffered torture from her in-laws. While in Thailand, she managed to get her documents to travel to Europe as a refugee but had to leave her child. So Martha’s young brother who was living in Indonesia (not the real location) came to Bangkok to take care of the child while she was in Europe to work out the papers for the child to join her. The entire process was so long and painful. I often got updates late at night of her agony and torture of being away from her child and of her great pain to complete all documents and fight oppositions from immigration officials. As a recent convert, she poured all her troubles to God and wrote asking me to join her in praying, “In the name of Jesus, we come together and pray for strength to stand firm and trust Him. Jesus will be with me, I had faith. Faith in Jesus is the only hope for deliverance.” Receiving money from Europe also became a challenge. Following several rounds, the money transfer agent blocked me from receiving funds due to the unusually large amount involved. Another option was to transfer direct to my bank account. This worried me thinking that I should at least know the source of funds. I wondered how Martha, a refugee, could sustain the flow of funds. Because of my doubts, Mary was obliged to tell me something that both Martha and her brother were not able to tell me about as they were strictly sworn to secrecy. Mary revealed that the funds used for the hospital and all their other expenses came from her retirement funds. She said she was led by the Lord to make such decision, even with the future financial risks it involves, and to totally trust in Him alone for her future. Mary met Martha at her church and immediately became involved in a team of people who organized many different types of assistance required to support her. Again, with the leading of the Lord, she ended up inviting Martha to live with her at her apartment. She said that this was a wonderful arrangement and that she considered Martha, her child and the brother as family members and gifts from God. She wrote: “It has been very, very difficult in so many ways to be part of their journey, however, even in the darkest times the Lord has blessed us in ways that could never have happened apart from His leading us to become so close. May we never forget the dark times that the Lord miraculously brought them through! We wait in HOPE for God’s merciful deliverance to FREEDOM for each of them!” I was so inspired by her story and responded: “What you are doing for them is incredible and extraordinary. It reminds me of the story of the rich young man in the Gospel of Matthew whom Jesus told "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven." The Gospel story did not end well as the young man did not accept Jesus' challenge and thus "became very sad because he was very wealthy". I believe you don't consider yourself wealthy, yet you gave everything you had and rely on God's provision for your future. Therefore, you possess both perfection and treasure in heaven that Jesus promised to those who obey to sell possessions and give them to the poor. To cut the long story short, exactly one year after I received Mary distress email, the child got his travel papers and went through a difficult flight from Bangkok to Europe accompanied by a Thai nurse. Finally, the mother and the child got reunited and delivered from their painful journey. Few days after that, Moonyeen and I sent off the uncle to the airport to return to his home country. He arrived safely and informed us that her mother was in critical condition. Martha’s in-laws continued to abuse her mother physically and mentally torture her to the extent that the mother was scared and shivering of fear. The uncle was into another mission but this time with resilience and great courage. He wrote “I have a strong belief that one day I will be free from all these problems and all of your prayers are like a strong shield for me to protect from evil”. This is an incredible story of suffering and pain. Who brought this sorrow to innocent people like Martha and her child and brother? It was not God but the evil act of people around them and the instigation of the devil. These people were so corrupt that they tried to increase the suffering of others for self-serving reasons. But the hand of God was there to protect and comfort those who suffer. God inspired many people to help, comfort and pray with them. All I heard from Mary and Martha were words of faith. They went through a long process and waited patiently the deliverance promised by God without losing hope. And they were rewarded tremendously. Through their suffering, they learned how to truly love God because they realized that everything is sorrow in this world, except God. Sorrow is a cross, but it is also a wing. Blessed indeed are those who mourn without complaining because the Lord himself comfort them. I prayed that someday we shall meet with them again to praise and celebrate together God's mercy and kindness. |
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