During the course of my stay here, I have come in contact with many career missionaries, both Baptist and otherwise. They have all been just wonderful folks. One thing that I keep thinking about is that each one of them, at some point in their life, came to a point where they laid their entire lives at the foot of the cross and said, "I give you my life, I give you everything. Use it as you will." I have no words to describe my awe at and appreciation for that kind of commitment.

In many Pac Rim countries, missionaries have to keep their identities and real roles guarded because they are not welcome. Here in Thailand, that is not the case, and in fact each of these folks have blogs, I believe.

Below are David and Claudia Johnson, who work with the International Mission Board of the Baptist church. They have been in Thailand for over twenty years and are truly wonderful people. They are from Alabama, and even had me over for some southern biscuits and gravy and grits last weekend! David will coordinate any short term mission trips involving my home church, Pleasant Valley Baptist, working with Immanuel Baptist in 2009.


Greg and Chris. Greg is new to Thailand, having moved here just a few weeks ago. He works through Pioneers, an interdenominational missions organization. He'll be working in Bangkok, helping plant new churches. He also comes to help the Immanuel Baptist team with the slum ministry at Soi 107. Chris is stationed about three hours west of Bangkok, nearer to Burma. Sent by his home church, a Calvary Chapel church in California, he is pretty much independent, working with villagers and trying to find ways to share Christ. Chris has been in Thailand for two years. When he comes to Bangkok, he heads for Immanuel and considers it sort of his 'home base' here. I appreciate so much that Immanuel welcomes people from other church backgrounds to partner with them in their ministry efforts, and that people like Chris and Greg are eager to do so.