The Gift of Gift

L to R - Me, Gift, Suradet, Becky

She's been coming for about three months now, hearing about Jesus from Suradet and the family of believers at Hot Springs Church. 

Then on Sunday, something just came together for her.  The message was about the benefits of serving a resurrected Jesus.  One of those benefits:  Salvation that is 'complete' (Hebrews 7:24-25).  Unlike so many belief systems, and perhaps particularly Buddhistm, those who follow Jesus know that His death AND resurrection mean that we now have the opportunity to receive a salvation that does not require our efforts to win the favour of a holy God.  No merit of our own to achieve. 

She wanted that. 

She didn't respond right away, not when Suradet gave the invitation.  She waited.  We'd all left the chapel and were over at the guest house just about to start our lunch when Suradet arrived with her and the friend that first brought her to church.

No need to wait.  Gift comes along for our swim to be baptized.

"She want to receive Jesus Christ," he explains, as he brings out a chair and asks her to sit down.  He hands it over to me. 

Becky is my translator.  I ask her a few brief questions, the first (that I can say without a translator) is what is your name? 

She replies, "Gift".

It's common for Thais to adopt an English word for their nickname.  There's been Milk, and Bee and Bell....like that.  Hers is "Gift".  How appropriate for what's about to happen.

I tell her she can pray her own words to ask for forgiveness and make Jesus the Lord of her life.  She hesitates.  I ask her if she has ever prayed to Jesus before and she says no.  So we help her, Becky, Suradet and I, one at a time translating the prayer that she repeats. 

Tong, another recent Hot Springer, and a new believer, is baptized too.

And when she's done, oh the smile.  The light in her face.  Those amazing dark eyes. The joy around that chair.  I tell her, "Gift, right now in heaven there's a party going on, just because you decided to follow Jesus."  I welcome her to the family.  Big hug.  Hugs all around.

No way!  What just happened?  This is such an unexpected Easter Gift. 

Jesus, Happy Easter, we say.  
We declare that You are beyond understanding in your Resurrected glory.  We are humbled to have been here to be Your spiritual midwives.  We party with You in heaven on this Far East Easter.