Jewish Contributions to Christmas - Christian and Missionary Alliance

and reached out to Christ in sur-
render.
Through Bible study, worship and
fellowship with other Christians,
Phaitoon matured spiritually. Unable
to contain the love of Christ within
himself, he let it flow out by sharing
the Good News with others. A year
later his wife also opened her heart
to Christ.
(he evening, returning home late
after finishing his studies, he turned
his mind from figures and formulas
to decp soul-searching. "0 God, my
Heavenly Father," he cried out as he
senscd the presence of God envelop-
ing him, "if only I can bring just one
of my countrymen to You, I will be
more than happy to forsake my pur-
suit of a degree and return to Thai-
land now."
The sense of urgency to reach
Thailand for Christ increased. Thus
when Campus Crusade for Christ
asked him to be their pioneer repre-
sentative in Thailand he readily con-
sented, thankful to God for opening
a door. His professors and friends
registered shock and unbelief over his
decision to forsake his former dream
of a Ph.D. degree, hut he did not
falter.
He arrived back in Bangkok late
one evening and very tired. But hc
could not rest until he had told his
wife's family about Jesus. That night
about two in the morning two of his
relatives knelt to receive Christ.
A week later he traveled north to
visit his own family. He spent no
time describing the United States or
the coldness of Minnesota winters.
He spoke only of Christ. That week-
end thirty-one of his family and
friends became subjects of the King.
One who listened to Phaitoon that
weekend was his eighty-four-year-old
grandmother. As a devout Buddhist
she had traveled to all regions of
the country searching, searching for
the way. Through fasting and medi-
tation she had struggled to throw off
the yoke of sin.
"Grandma, have you found the
way yet?" Phaitoon asked. At first
there were only silence and tears.
When she finally replied, her answer
was solemn and devoid of hope.
"No, Son," she said. "I have not
found the way and I am old and
about to die without the truth."
Phaitoon took her hand gently in
his. "I have found thc way, and I
want to share it with you." As Phai-
toon outlined the way of salvation
through Jesus Christ, the old grand-
mother's wrinkled face turned radiant
with peace and joy. She had found
the Way and the Truth-before it
was too late.
The coilegc campus was phi-
toon's second major drive. "Jesus can
he real to today's students," he de-
clares with conviction. He has seen
it happen.
One student, who in cooperation
with a friend had made a productive
living by showing pornographic mov-
ies in the dormitories and hotels, re-
ccivcd Christ as his Saviour. He re-
fused to help his friend show the
movies any longer.
Angry, his friend told him he was
stupid to quit whcn the business was
growing and money was so easy to
make. At the same time the friend
was curious to know why hc had
changed so much.
After Phaitoon shared the four
spiritu31 laws which tell of God's
love, man's sinfulness, Christ's aton-
ing death and man's necd to repent
and to receive Christ personally, he
too confessed his sin and opened his
heart to Christ. Now when people
ask him for movies he tells them he
has something much better and pro-
ceeds to share Christ with them.
Another student destroyed the
spirit house where his family had
worshiped over the years after he and
his family became Christians. Christ
had taken fear of spirits from him.
Phaitoon has also shared his
Saviour with Buddhist monks. When
he and some students could find no
public lodging in the small town
where they had gone for an outing,
the group put up in a local Buddhist
monastery. When the abbot learned
that Phaitoon was a Christian, he in-
vited him to speak to the monks so
that they could acquire knowledge
about this religion.
After speaking for over two hours,
Phaitoon invited all who were inter-
ested to come for a personal inter-
view. Six monks gave their hearts to
Christ.
Later he heard someone reading
thc Bible aloud. Like Philip with the
Ethiopian, he found the monk and
askcd if he undcrstood what he was
reading.
"No," the monk replied, "but I feel
oeace in mv heart whenever I read
it." As Phaitoon explained the gospel,
two other monks came to listen. All
three prayed. One of them went to
another village to share Christ with
his monk friends.
At another time one of the five top
proselyting monks in all Thailand
challcngcd Phaitoon to a debate.
Phaitoon lost the debatc but he won
;. victory. Two months later his dc-
bating partner came to him confess-
ing that he now believcd in Jesus and
wanted to follow Him. Hopefully he
will use his speaking skills, whioh
formerly helpcd to spread Buddhism.
to preach Christ.
Now Phaitoon has heen back in
Thailand for more than a year. He
has remarked that in this year of
ministry he has not seen any lame
made to walk or any blind made to
see. But, even more important, he has
seen lives changed. On record arc
768 decisions for Christ.
Phaitoon prayerfully has laid down
a strategy to reach all of Thailand
for Christ by 1980. That means at
least 36,000,000 people. He has
asked God for 10.000 Thai who arc
totally surrendered to Christ and who
will enlist themselves in Thailand's
Great Commission Army for Christ.
More than a hundred enthusiastic
students are enrolled already.
He look5 to cell groups as the basic
working units. His first target is the
60.000 students on various campuses.
Will Thailand be conquered for
Christ by 1980? Phaitoon believes
so with all his heart. He needs the
prayer backing of Christians who love
Jesus and who desire to see people
won to Jesus Christ.
Faith is the evidence of things not
vet seen. Believe God with Phaitoon
for the harvest.