After the craziest (and first) tuk tuk ride of my life, I’ve arrived at Khaosan Road–aka Chauncey Street–with some amazing sisters. We grab a quick bite to eat of only the finest Thai cuisine (Chicken McNuggets and Fries) and in walks a woman carrying a really amazing shopping bag with mustaches on it. I immediately wanted to go to the store it came from, knowing I would love whatever was in that store. I debated asking but changed my mind, figuring it was a small area and I’d more than likely find it.
As we wandered the booths that all appeared to carry mostly the ”same same but different” products and the heat and humidity just kept getting stronger, I completely forgot about the mustache bag – God must have planned to “shave” that memory for later. We arrived at one booth and Julie asked, “how much?” to which George* replied “290 baht” in English with no Thai accent. I immediately asked where he was from which piqued his curiosity. I’m sure he wondered why these three women had any interest in him or his story. We found out he was living in Bangkok to make money because his father had passed away and he didn’t have any siblings. He sent his earnings home to his mother in Myanmar. He didn’t feel at home in Bangkok and really wanted to move back to Myanmar. We talked for a good five or ten minutes about his life and I gave him a bracelet. His face immediately lit up and expression totally changed. He genuinely felt loved; he even thanked us for our kindness.
As Julie made her purchase, he handed her her new favorite blouse in no other than a bag covered with mustaches. Maybe other booths did have mustache bags but when I remembered that I had said I needed to go there, it was like God and I shared our own little *ah ha!* moment- which was very special to me.
As the three of us left, we all knew that was a divine appointment. We were blessed and fortunate to be reminded of the difference we can make here, on this planet, in others’ lives. Please pray for our friend George that the seed we planted with the sharing of the Gospel through a bit of a language/cultural barrier will continue to grow.
As of right now, the plan is for a couple of us to return, give him a Bible, and see if he will let us pray with him or share anything else. Friends and family back home and all over the globe, please remember George in your prayers.
*name changed
**Photo by Connie Rock.
