Sunday back in the slum I

Today, Vee decided we would visit a slum area I had not yet seen. This is not far from the church, and, according to Vee, is an area well known for drug addiction and prostitution. We visited the home of a very elderly woman church member and then stopped to talk with another lady who had visited the church on the way back out. Here, Vee speaks with the second lady in front of her home. The young man in the foreground is Naf, who just became a Christian this morning at church!


On the way out, Tony, one of the key members of the slum ministry team spotted a group of kids near a broken down swingset. In not time, he had herded them and others together and got them ready to play a game. Tony is full of energy, has a hilarious sense of humor, and is very gifted at just this sort of thing. After the game, Vee got out his guitar and led the kids in a Christian children's song.

Before we sang, Vee slipped over to me and said he wanted me to tell the children a short Bible story and have Pai translate it into Thai. Talk about last minute! All I could think of was the story of Zacheus climbing the sycamore tree to see Jesus. The kids seemed to really enjoy it, and they seemed to get the message that Jesus is looking for them and wants to be their friend, too. Pai had never been to Immanuel Baptist Church, but he has been deeply interested in the slum ministry after hearing me talk about it. I believe his heart was deeply touched and I know he had a wonderful time. Later, he shared his story with a family in the slums. He told me it was the first time he had ever shared his testimony with a stranger and that it had made him feel wonderful inside. I am sure he will be back. This stuff is so powerful!