The parable of the mustard seed teaches us that a little faith can accomplish great things.A parallel might be made that things that start small can grow into something big and beneficial, especially when built on a solid foundation, like faith in Christ.These points were recently made as the Chiang Mai International School began to celebrate its 50th anniversary with Founder's Day activities.While a cooperative effort from the beginning, we as Baptists had an early role.Two of the first groups of 8 students were Baptist missionary children.A few years after the school began, Edy McCarty began her missionary career as a teacher there.By then the school had grown to 28 students.At Founder's Day last week, the auditorium was full of some 400 students from about 30 countries as well as many parents.Shannon's 5th grade class did a short play about Edy's time at the school and how she took on many roles to make the school work.It had special meaning for Shannon as she knows Edy.Edy has been out to visit Thailand many times since she's retired and still fills in as needed.Last year while we were in the US, Edy took on our role here in the mission office and stayed in our house. But the school has grown due to the efforts of many throughout the years and has withstood challenges like financial problems and having to rebuild due to a bomb blast in the 1980s.God has taken the efforts of people, blended them together for His purpose and the school has produced people working His will in a variety of ways around the world.It started small like a mustard seed and is still helping lay the foundation of young people's lives.
Most missionaries that worked with the Karen in northern Thailand will know the village of Chaw Ti or Huay Hawm in Thai.For years it was a challenge to reach, pretty much an all up hill walk to get there and all down hill on the way back.When we came on the scene in the mid 1980s getting to Chaw Ti was easier but still involved a rough drive over deeply rutted mountain roads.One of my early memories of Chaw Ti is being lifted off a mountain by a ram we were escorting to the village.I don't know exactly what he did but the result was that I did a less than graceful flip off the side of the mountain and landed on a sharp stump.Along with new understanding about the "gentle" sheep, I had a limp and a numb spot on my leg for months.But in addition to temperamental rams, Chaw Ti had good village leaders, they were receptive of the Gospel, the church became one of the stronger churches in the area and the people accepted other kinds of teaching as well.A spiritual foundation was laid and the village built a solid church and a prosperous life.Coffee was one crop introduced there some years ago and like many things, they did a better job than most of growing and processing the crop.A week or so ago, Starbucks Coffee in Thailand announced that they were initiating a new, Thai grown line of coffee called Muan Jai, which means something like "happiness" in the northern Thai dialect.The coffee is being sold to Starbucks through the Integrated Tribal Development Project, which has been headed by missionary Mike Mann.Chaw Ti participates in this project and is one of the few villages that is able to produce coffee to the quality needed by Starbucks.For now I understand the coffee will only be sold in Thailand.Next year it is hoped it will go international.I think it is fascinating to see how God has taken the efforts of missionaries, village leaders, small farmers and others and woven them together to work His will.The remote village of Chaw Ti is now a player in the international market.A product of a foundation in Christ.
Almost two years ago I stood on the top of a mountain overlooking a broad valley.On most maps the valley is pretty blank since there aren't many roads.But passing through the valley one finds many Karen villages and thousands of people.They have been relatively cut off from the rest of the country until more recent years and there are very few Christians.The Karen Baptist Churches felt a burden to reach out to this area so now there are some 16 part time evangelists circulating among the villages.The seeds of new faith are being planted in the people.Small groups are starting to gather to worship together.Where it will end up we can't say, but we are encouraged by seeing how God has taken the efforts of people, worked according to His time table, and brought change in the hearts and lives of people in other places.We enjoy celebrating things like the 50th anniversary of the school and seeing villages like Chaw Ti achieve something significant.But we're also here to plant new seeds and to lay new foundations.It may well be for others to celebrate the fruit of those efforts but we know that God will work in His own way and in His own time.
We're grateful for the role we have been given to help plant seeds and are grateful to you for helping make it possible for us to be here.Especially this month as many churches receive the World Mission Offering we hope you will prayerfully consider contributing.The funds enable us to do our work and enable many local partners to reach out in Christ's name.
May God continue to bless all your work for Him wherever you are.
Duane & Marcia Binkley