A DECISION IN THAILAND

foreign [Music] and like the stars there are cities which Dazzle the eye and arrest the spirit but there is only one Bangkok [Music] to this Venice of the Orient I came as a missionary many years ago but it is not of myself I would speak let me tell you instead of the fruits of our labor in Christ's name a story of Youth of three Thai young people one of them whose home is a canal junk is called pong pit [Music] pong pit I baptized his father myself he is poor lives a Cooley's life struggling to support his widowed sister and her young children [Music] a fine Christian lad he's too young to have to bear the burden of supporting so many but too good to turn his back on his moral responsibility [Music] somehow pong pit manages to attend the University where he is studying to be an engineer considerable time will pass before he attains his degree for he can afford only a few courses each year but knowing this boy I know he will achieve his dream after his morning study like the thousands of others who live on bangkok's canals he bathes in the only tub he can afford and breakfast always he asked the Lord to bless this food to his use to strengthen him for the Fulfillment of his duties and above all for the service of the Lord this day and always is Lord who is the light of life and the hope of the world [Music] my story is a punk pit but even more so of his friend but not and manot's sister rashani the children of wealthy and Orthodox Buddhist parents this brother and sister are completely devoted to each other often they would leave their magnificent home together sharing a samla so they could enjoy a little more of each other's company as monat went to attend his early class at the University and rashani went into the city to do her errands this morning Menards focused cheerfully and unconcernately as ever he seemed happy as he commented on his medical classes at school on the Intensive study they required and rashadi was sympathetic as always and courage to brother whom she loved they seemed the same this morning as on a hundred similar mornings as unenumerable samla rides together [Music] roshani was a devout Buddhist a regular worshiper at The Splendid temples which embellish Bangkok heart city of the faith Russia need lived her religion and until recently so too had monat but he gave no sign of the conflict within him this morning all the way to the university he gave no sign seemed the same and yet inwardly he was suffering as he had never suffered inwardly he felt the mounting intensity of a crisis that could save or destroy him he was thinking of renouncing the faith of his forefathers yes and of his beloved sister he was thinking of becoming a Christian but he gave no sign [Music] that morning rashani attended a Buddhist ceremony at the home of relatives there were priests present with their traditional yellow robes and shaven heads and holding a prayer thread they chanted in unison [Music] the women of the household participated in silent prayer this ceremony was occurring in the name of the firstborn child of the house and it was a solemn occasion prayed and meditated too laying her spirit also the feet of the Lord Buddha afterwards there was a feast spread by the household for the priests who had come by their presence they had honored this home now the Grateful family endeavored to repay that honor to those who came in the name of Lord Buddha and to the Lord Buddha himself the canals of Bangkok are the veins and arteries through which flow the lifeblood of produce rice fruit and meat for the markets food for the population and the junks sampans and barges which haul the produce are essential to the city's life pong Pit's family for Generations have peddled the canals that lace the city it is a difficult back-breaking trade to which many are born but few Escape often as he worked pong pit would dream of the life that awaited him when he achieved his diploma but today he was thinking of something else today he was thinking not of himself but of his friend manat for he knew manat was suffering and in his heart pong pit suffered for him and with him that evening monat was present at the home of a missionary where a youth meeting was being held he had been attending these weekly Gatherings regularly over the past many months it was pong pit who had first interested him in coming [Music] a struggle occurring within him created a deep need in but not for the sustaining inspiring words of the Gospel he needed the truth as a suffocating man needs air and he needed the warmth of Fellowship desperately for his heart was frozen within him his resolve was chilled at the thought of what his conversion would mean to his future his parents his sister if he did nothing if he closed his heart to the call of Christ what good thing would not be his but then what of himself how could he reject the truth and live at peace with himself in the days that followed but not consciously strove to lose himself in Bangkok immersed himself in the sea of shrines and temples cast himself a drift Among The Splendid symbols of the ancient faith foreign [Music] temple one of the most beautiful in Bangkok he let his eyes roam at will let them drink in the shimmering gold against the deep blue sky the Siamese symbols like restraining fingers pointed upward for his benefit he let his eyes roam and he noticed someone at worship before a shrine suddenly he realized it was roshani it was rashani at prayer beseeching the deity and a flash of intuition told him that her prayer was for him that his sister who knew him so well had read through the Silence of his lips into his heart Russian he knew that he was wavering in his faith and she was praying for him the thought was like a knife in him cut him severed his resolve drove him away in despair as he walked away his thoughts remained behind him with rashani his dear sweet sister she whom he loved most in the world and she was pouring out her heart even at this moment for him how could he turn his back on her and yet how could he live with himself if he did not earlier next morning monat came down to the canal where pong Pit's junk could always be found before the day's work began anchored amidst a swarm of craft of every description [Music] thank you may not sought help from his friend he needed advice from one whose character and judgment he respected and pong pit sensing the depth and urgency of the need did his best to meet it [Music] in his dilemma words did not come easily to Minot but his Christian friend understood pong pit could not answer all the questions that needed answering and so genuine was his concern that he would not try instead he sent manat to that place where the answers he sought could be and would be supplied foreign and yet in spirit he was as young as on the day he himself had made his decision for Christ yes he himself had once been faced with the very dilemma now facing manat and he spoke with the double wisdom that came from personal faith and personal experience [Music] late that day at their lovely home in a suburb of Bangkok the family gathered for the evening meal as was the custom the children greeted their parents with the respect which youth traditionally pays to age in Thailand and as was the custom rashani served the rice [Music] observing them were not reflected on the goodness of his parents both of whom he loved [Music] at night as every night the family made its devotions before retiring using the altar maintained in a special room for just this purpose father was first [Music] mother followed the Master of the House then rashani as devout as firm in her faith as her parents before her foreign as he knelt he saw not the bronzed Buddha but the face of the old pastor and he heard the voice of the man repeating these words from the gospel blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled foreign [Music] for the struggle mounting within him these many months had reached its climax he dreamed helpless before a non-slaught of images across his mind they moved a grim pageant out of the past hideous faces epithets Frozen in stone and flung at him for betraying his heritage bewildered he Whirled beneath the accusing eyes of his tormentors seeking an escape to Freedom rashani praying for him imploring him to return to the benevolent old life the life they had shared together if he did nothing his family's influence assured his future as a surgeon if he did nothing roshani would not suffer and the Monsters would cease their pursuit of him [Music] soaked in perspiration limp and worn by his dream by the whole soul-racking experience of months of introspection self accusal mental and spiritual conflict he suddenly felt closer to the decision he had to make [Music] what a horrible dream what a nightmare to live through and yet he suddenly felt closer to the decision he had to make so close indeed that he could reach out and touch it he heard the pastor's voice again and it said blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven the words brought a sweet calm to his troubled spirit and he knew his decision had already been made in his heart foreign for Christ and shortly thereafter was baptized into the Fellowship of the church a Christian now and forever World Without End thereafter although it wore the same face Bangkok was a changed World from a knot he and roshani moved on the same social schedule attended the annual dance recital at the home of a friend the performances were as fascinating this year as always [Music] thank you [Music] one dance follow the next in the classical repertoire dances for which Thailand is world famous the movements the gestures the grace and Rhythm were as subtle and meaningful as they had always been but if the dancers in their art showed no deviation from the past this could not be said of two of the spectators between rashani and her brother there was a breach so wide and deep that their pain was visible to all who knew them even the brilliant color and movement of the northern dances could not make either Russia new or not forget for a moment the gap between them dude [Music] thank you [Music] no from a not the old life was gone a sister he loved now lived behind a mask the old things he enjoyed had lost their appeal even at this moment he felt the loneliness that is the fate of the isolated and unwanted in the months that followed were not wandered over the face of the city sometimes he would forget that things had changed that his family and friends avoided him that socially he had become unacceptable sometimes he would forget these things only to be sharply reminded [Music] sometimes it seemed to manot that his whole past his Heritage was a living accusation that followed him wherever he turned and not once had he seen in roshani the faintest sign of hope hope that she might understand and forgive [Music] often but not did not come home for dinner he knew his presence was an affrupt to his father and the cause of pain to his mother one day he hoped this would change but for now he thought it best to dine elsewhere [Music] on his 21st birthday manat received very little mail but there was one weighty letter neatly typed and complete in every detail peoples from the family attorney but not had been disinherited not one but of his father's Fortune would be his [Music] but through those terrible months Minot found compensations within him and around him that enabled his Spirit to transcend the troubles that Afflicted him he lost himself in the life of the church and in so doing found himself found new sources of strength on which to draw found evidence on every side to support his convictions and broaden his faith foreign [Music] school this morning manat spoke of a subject very close to his heart he spoke of leprosy and the great physician of Christ's concern for The Afflicted a concern he shared so deeply as there were compensations enough from a knot and even in those early months following his baptism there was the fellowship of other young Christians there was the climate of freedom in which he felt encouraged to be himself foreign ERS who understood and helped and now there was an event ahead which manot could sense would be a most significant experience in his life the event was the annual Christian Youth Work project and this year it was held at the McKean leper colony in North Thailand at Chiang Mai the Makin colony is one of the world's finest leprosy missions and serves a country which suffers dreadfully from this disease Christian Youth from every corner of the land gathered here to work build teach and serve to give of their time their energy and their concern in fellowship with each other and in Christ's name and for his sake [Music] the principal project this year was the building of a home for the well children of leprous parents a place where youngsters could be close to their families and yet reared in safety yes this Youth Work project was an unforgettable experience for me not it enabled him to see beyond his own problems to the problems of others it taught him to see himself in proportion to the world he lived in and it brought him an immeasurable joy to be of service to give rather than to receive to be an instrument of the Lord in the building of a better world [Music] but it was in the realm of Medicine that this medical student felt most at home and most competent to serve he assisted at the examinations of leprous patients people who were blindfolded then tapped because they could not feel the tap on an infected area they could not respond and infected areas were duly noted for subsequent treatment these were gripping experiences which riveted themselves on manat's mind these were experiences he had to share and with the courage that perhaps distance provided he began to share them with rashani he realized that he had never discussed his whole Christian growth with his sister had never opened his Hoover on this one subject and he wondered if it were possible if with God's help she might come to understand why he had to choose for Christ why he could not go on living for himself alone why at the leper colony he was discovering with every passing day his place in God's design [Music] on one occasion the mission doctor asked manat to assist him at an operation they prayed together asking the Lord to be with them in the hour that would follow to guide their hands and hearts that they might serve the human being depending upon them [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] he would be a surgeon as he had always intended but he would dedicate his skills as he had dedicated his soul to Christ he would serve wherever he was needed bringing help to the helpless and sucker to the suffering but even as certainty had come to me not so had uncertainty come to his sister his letters had revealed a courage and serenity that Russia knee had never suspected in him she could not help but be irritated by him and yet she found herself proud of him too and even a little envious what had he found that so transformed him that so endowed him with qualities she could not help but want for herself [Music] at the McKean Colony one morning toward the close of the youth work project pong pit and manot were leading a bible discussion group by those to whom the words of the book have meant new life and New Hope every passage of the Gospel is studied and re-studied discussed and meditated upon intensively [Music] it was pong pit who saw her first rashani she had come all the way to Chiang Mai to visit her brother here to see her brother perhaps to look Beyond her brother to the source that had changed his life [Music] here then is a story of young people in an Old Land here is a story whose end is not an end at all but a beginning but not found God in Christ with the help of pong pit his friend will roshani find God through her brother this I do not know for the story is unfinished here as everywhere even unto the end of the world it is the story of man's hope winding across time and space born by faith directed by God and it cannot end until his kingdom comes until his will be done on Earth as it is in heaven [Music]