What a Church Service Today, in Three Languages!

We gathered for church this morning at the Kalnin Learning Center. There were the Barefoot Doctor students and instructors, the FLC staff and workers, the children and staff of the Abundant Life Center (children's home and agricultural center), and some of the local Christians who wanted to join us for church. 
As the service began, Jung asked people to stand up by tribe or people group.  When all was said and done, we had eight tribes represented as well as an American and a Brit.  When we sang, the singing was in at least three languages.  When I preached the message, I had to wait each time for Sarep Pung to translate it into Burmese and then into Thai. I've never done that before!  (And to tell the truth, sometimes it would take so long for the two translations I had to stop and think what I had just said the sentence before!)
This worship service was an amazing service of UNITY built around Jesus Christ, and that was such a blessing!  The Barefoot Doctor students shared three special numbers, and the children from the Abundant Life Center shared two. When we got to the time for Communion, we took turns reading Matthew 26:26-28 from the English, Burmese, and Thai Bibles.  Then we all took the bread and juice together, regardless of our nationalities and ethnic groups.  It was truly a foretaste of heaven!

Here is a picture I'm sure you will enjoy!

Please pray tonight for my good friend, Jim Winter.  He and Simon Percy will be traveling to the Hui Bong Village tomorrow to conduct a Pastors Conference there.  Jim has been a valuable part of our teaching team this first week, and I am so grateful he consented to come to Thailand one week earlier than he had planned to.  He is a retired pastor from the U.K. who still preaches almost every Sunday somewhere in England.  Thank you, Jim, and I hope you can return in coming years to help us at the Barefoot Doctors School!

I'll have more pictures from today for you to see on the blog tomorrow.
Thanks for your continued prayers.  Jon