Before making a one day visa run to Bangkok, I prayed that I would have an opportunity to share Bible stories with the Thai I encountered that day. The first was a retired civil engineer in his early 50s who was going on vacation. The story I told to him was the Tower of Babel with an emphasis on the shoddy construction materials they used and the scattering of the nations.
The next was on the way to the Labour Department with a taxi driver who had never heard about the resurrection of Christ and so I told him both the crucifixion and resurrection account. The return trip gave me an opportunity to share with my 64 year old chauffeur. As often happens when they hear me speak Thai they say, “Oh, so you must have a Thai wife”. I revealed to him that I am a widower and have lived in Thailand for 30 years, and he inexplicably replied, “I had a wife, with also 3 minor wives in the past … but now I’m down to just one.” I ended up telling him the story of David and Bathsheba with all the repercussions that flowed into David’s life afterwards.
Finally, I sat next to a tall 27 year old Chinese/Thai business man named “Boat.” Boat grew up in Bangkok but had studied in China and now ran an export business to China. He showed me pictures of his beautiful Korean girlfriend who he has visited four times a year for the past seven years (he said they communicate in Mandarin). I asked him why he hadn’t gone ahead and married her and went on to show him pictures of my family and a bit about how my children had found their mates. I decided to tell Boat the story of Isaac and Rebecca, because it seems to be the clearest story in the Bible about the “dating” process.
In each meeting with these men, I handed out a gospel tract and encouraged them to pursue more stories and information from the Bible. Some had Christian friends and I urged them to talk directly with those who were believers.
My basic approach is to seek to start a winsome conversation and then insert a Bible story that fits their felt need or situation. Of course, in an hour long conversation we end of talking about lots of things and I am sometimes led to use a more apologetic approach. But mostly I go through my database of Bible stories and ask God for the one that fits best. My goal is not to force the entire gospel message into the conversation, but to at least present the Word of God accurately (which will not come back void…my own words do not have that same guarantee).
Then I pray that the gospel tract I leave with them will be read and they will follow up on my admonition to talk with a Christian they might know, search for information on the internet or attend a church. If I sense genuine interest then I may try to arrange another meeting with those that live near me.
There are many unreached people in Thailand. Telling Bible stories is one way for Thai Buddhists to learn who Jesus is and turn to him in repentance and faith. Many who hear the gospel in story and song then go on to tell others.
