Sawadee impression

The journey continued. And there you are, with all your belongings, in Madrid’s crowded subway.
It’s amazing how quickly you get used to the quiet and friendly atmosphere of a little village along the Camino. It stood out even more this time that 90% of the people are walking around with a cell phone in their hand, their full attention focused on it. Completely absorbed… And that’s supposed to be normal. Where has human contact gone?
I still remember well how a French woman on the Camino explained why she was walking it for the third time. She felt seen and heard there. How sad, really, that so many people apparently can no longer find this in their own surroundings. But how wonderful that you can then point to the Creator, who does have eyes and attention for everyone and wants to listen and speak to us every day.

Our flight from Madrid took us to Thailand, the Land of Smiles. A country so very different in culture, language, and people from the countries of Europe. Thais are very friendly and humble people. They’re accustomed to bowing with their palms pressed together, and their language sounds very melodious. As a European, you don’t make much sense of the characters, but that doesn’t take away from the fun.

Things are just a little different here. For example, they drive on the left side of the road, and you see mopeds everywhere. On every street corner, you’ll find a food stall with a few plastic chairs next to it where you can eat.
Scattered throughout the city are large Buddhist temples filled with gold, glitter, and bling, and monks in orange robes walk about. People shuffle along the sidewalks with wobbly sewer covers, tuk-tuks race through the streets, and much more.

The first few days, we took some time to rest after our intense stay in Spain. Getting used to the high humidity, acclimating, and tuning in to new adventures.
Old memories from more than two decades ago began to resurface:
Once again, we’re walking as backpackers with our “home” on our backs along the uneven sidewalks, and we’re bumping along in the sidecar of a speeding moped through the crowded streets. In the evening, we’re sitting on plastic chairs under garish fluorescent lights, using chopsticks to eat delicious pad thai noodles or curry’s while our tongues are on fire. Well, it certainly brings a smile to our faces.
It’s no punishment to be dropped off in Thailand by the Lord.

We’ve now arrived in Chiang Mai, the city in northern Thailand that the Lord had spoken about in Spain. Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 and is now a tourist destination, but it’s also a hub in Southeast Asia for many missionaries.

During our world trip more than two decades ago, we also visited this city. It holds a special place in our hearts. We still remember how God also spoke to us in this place through a young Thai woman who approached us on the street and told us about Jesus. It was a seed planted in our lives that ultimately led us to surrender our lives to Jesus.

Through various connections, we’ve come into contact with several people who are doing the Lord’s work here. It’s wonderful to hear their stories and see what God is doing here. We’re going to discover what else comes out of this and the specific purposes God has for us.

But there was at least one meeting we simply had to be here for! Last year, Arjan had linked up with a Dutch expat named Jeroen who was living in Bangkok at the time. He hadn’t been in actual contact with him, but he had a strong sense that this young man needed Jesus because he recognized the restlessness within him. Jeroen had since moved to Vietnam, and Arjan had a feeling he would speak with him someday. Now that the Lord had sent us to Chiang Mai, Thailand, it suddenly occurred to Arjan that Jeroen had recently moved to this city as well.
A good reason to get in touch and ask him to meet up for a Dutch-style cup of coffee in town. The Lord was at work!

A few days ago, it worked out, and they had a brief meeting because Jeroen had another appointment scheduled. During this short conversation, Jeroen specifically asked Arjan if he was a missionary. Arjan confirmed that he was. And then came the story. Jeroen said that he had met two missionaries last week and had told himself, “If I run into a third missionary, I’ll have to do something with it.” And there was Arjan, right in front of him…

Just like with us: The Lord knows how to find and reach you, no matter where you are!

That evening, we had a wonderful conversation with Jeroen; he shared his story, and we were able to answer all sorts of questions. He’s already been to a church twice and is thinking about getting baptized!
Praise God for His work and that we may be a part of drawing people closer to Him! Even if He has to send us to Asia to do so.

Pray for Jeroen, that he will surrender his whole life completely to Jesus, because God loves him so much.