I have continued to visit churches here and there, and continue to feel quite alone in the church department. It is very difficult to keep bothering when you find nothing that seems to fit. Once upon a time I judged people like me, who do not 'attend' a church every Sunday and are not a member of a church in their local community - well now I understand how you get to that point.
We do not realise how blessed we are to live in a Christian country until we leave it. To have churches on every corner and to have a whole community within a church. But here, and in much of the world it is a different story. Sure there are International churches, but the community is not there. Many of the churches are filled with people passing through the country, or have people from every corner of the city coming together once a week, but meeting other than that can prove difficult for us because of out non-central location. Also the hour trip into the centre in an open air bus with pollution filling your lungs and pores is never very inviting, especially when I am doing every other day of the week for work!
Then there are the Thai churches of which there are some more locally located. Hayden and I had originally hoped to join a Thai church as we are here to meet and bless Thai people. However, language is obviously always a barrier even though we continue to try and learn. I certainly couldn't follow a sermon in Thai although I have observed Hayden do a pretty excellent job of understanding in the past ;). Thai people are also so giving that they would feel obligued to find a translater for us and their whole service would turn into an effort to meet our needs and not their own. Sometimes it just deosn't seem to work in the Thai churches, and sometimes you just feel like you are not wanted, not in a very negative way but because of the extra hassle you bring with you.
On the other hand, being Christian here can also seem alot easier than it is in England or other Christian countries. People here have never judged me, people at work do not put me in a box of 'Christian therefore strange'. Thai people are often very interested to hear about what being a Christian means. We are alos extremely blessed here because Christina seem to have a good name for themselves. Most Thai people think Christians are here to help, to work with the poor to assist the needy, they are never put off thinking we are just here to convert them which is what most English people think as soon as you say you are Christian. Some countries are so badly bruised by a history of Christians doing bad things, that they no longer have any respect for us, but Thailand is truely blessed to have such a good record of Christians in their country.
I know that many of you back home struggle with the continued persecusion from people in the work place or family, and it is very difficult to say 'I am a Christian' when you are first meeting and making friends. People usually move away pretty fast or stop talking when you are around because they think you will judge them for what they do.
In conclusion, I cannot decide where it would be easier to live as a Christian. All are persecuted, all struggle, all have blessing and curses, all are judged. Yet God is there beside every one of us, wherever in the world that may be - Thailand, Uganda, Israel, Switzerland, France, Australia or anywhere.
One thing I can definately say is this: Kingsland is my home, I love you all so much and feel still a part of you even though I am on a different continent. I am sure many of the other 'Kingslanders around the world' feel the same. It is never easy, life is never easy and I am sure it never will be but I pray God blesses you in abundance! I cannot even express how much you did for me when I moved to your church, and even though I was only there a short time before moving out here with Hayden, the blessings from you continue.
We do not realise how blessed we are to live in a Christian country until we leave it. To have churches on every corner and to have a whole community within a church. But here, and in much of the world it is a different story. Sure there are International churches, but the community is not there. Many of the churches are filled with people passing through the country, or have people from every corner of the city coming together once a week, but meeting other than that can prove difficult for us because of out non-central location. Also the hour trip into the centre in an open air bus with pollution filling your lungs and pores is never very inviting, especially when I am doing every other day of the week for work!
Then there are the Thai churches of which there are some more locally located. Hayden and I had originally hoped to join a Thai church as we are here to meet and bless Thai people. However, language is obviously always a barrier even though we continue to try and learn. I certainly couldn't follow a sermon in Thai although I have observed Hayden do a pretty excellent job of understanding in the past ;). Thai people are also so giving that they would feel obligued to find a translater for us and their whole service would turn into an effort to meet our needs and not their own. Sometimes it just deosn't seem to work in the Thai churches, and sometimes you just feel like you are not wanted, not in a very negative way but because of the extra hassle you bring with you.
On the other hand, being Christian here can also seem alot easier than it is in England or other Christian countries. People here have never judged me, people at work do not put me in a box of 'Christian therefore strange'. Thai people are often very interested to hear about what being a Christian means. We are alos extremely blessed here because Christina seem to have a good name for themselves. Most Thai people think Christians are here to help, to work with the poor to assist the needy, they are never put off thinking we are just here to convert them which is what most English people think as soon as you say you are Christian. Some countries are so badly bruised by a history of Christians doing bad things, that they no longer have any respect for us, but Thailand is truely blessed to have such a good record of Christians in their country.
I know that many of you back home struggle with the continued persecusion from people in the work place or family, and it is very difficult to say 'I am a Christian' when you are first meeting and making friends. People usually move away pretty fast or stop talking when you are around because they think you will judge them for what they do.
In conclusion, I cannot decide where it would be easier to live as a Christian. All are persecuted, all struggle, all have blessing and curses, all are judged. Yet God is there beside every one of us, wherever in the world that may be - Thailand, Uganda, Israel, Switzerland, France, Australia or anywhere.
One thing I can definately say is this: Kingsland is my home, I love you all so much and feel still a part of you even though I am on a different continent. I am sure many of the other 'Kingslanders around the world' feel the same. It is never easy, life is never easy and I am sure it never will be but I pray God blesses you in abundance! I cannot even express how much you did for me when I moved to your church, and even though I was only there a short time before moving out here with Hayden, the blessings from you continue.
All my love, Emily
Bless you Em and Haydn.
Thanks for the blog - it is so good to hear from you - keep on pressing into God and never forget you cannot move far away from God as he is always with you!!
Keith
Posted by: keith | June 18, 2008 at 02:26 PM
Emily
We write what we feel and experience here in Uganda as well. Church is hard, we have to rely on our small international felllowship for 'fellowship' and even then as you say people come and go. Sunday evening we have started a service for some of our team here and that is good but its not the UK.
Be Blessed
Alan
Posted by: Alan | June 29, 2008 at 08:45 AM
We love you Hayden and Emx. Thinking of you often. You got any visitors due or coming back to visit uk?
Posted by: Jo | June 29, 2008 at 08:57 PM