Thanee

I decided it would be a good thing to introduce a few of the people from the slums ministry that I work closely with. You hear about the team each weekend, but never the people who make up that team.

One of the people I most admire it Thanee (usually referred to as Tony.) Thanee has worked with Vee for many years and helped Vee establish the whole slum ministry. He is an incredible person. A layman, he works through the week as a maintenance man at an international school in Bangkok. He is Immanuel Church's Mr. Fix It. If a drain clogs, call Tony. If the van breaks down, call Tony.

But he is much more, too. Tony has a heart of pure gold and is as full of energy as the Energizer Bunny. He is always on the go, always full of joy and always encouraging. The children just adore him, and he is a master at organizing and running children's games.

Tony came to know Christ after years with a severe alcohol problem. Today, you could never guess that he had that past. Today, he mentors several young men and encourages them to serve and give of themselves to the church.

This weekend, he shared the speaking duties with Vee during the retreat. Tony spoke about being a servant, which was the focus of the weekend. I had tears in my eyes as I heard him close his message Friday with these lines. "I am not on the board of the church, so I am usually not involved in making the big decisions for the church. But I can have a big influence on the lives of the next generation of leaders." I wanted to stand and applaud and say, "This man GETS IT!"