Being a Christian in Thailand and England

I have continued to visit churches here and there, and continue to feel quite alone in the church department. It is very difficult to keep bothering when you find nothing that seems to fit. Once upon a time I judged people like me, who do not attend a church 'every' Sunday and are not a member of a church in their local community - well now I understand how you get to that point.

We do not realise how blessed we are to live in a Christian country until we leave it. To have churches on every corner and to have a whole community within a church. But here, and in much of the world it is a different story. Sure there are International churches, but the community is not there. Many of the churches are filled with people passing through the country, or have people from every corner of the city coming together once a week, but meeting other than that can prove difficult for us because of out non-central location. Also the hour trip into the centre in an open air bus with pollution filling your lungs and pores is never very inviting, especially when I am doing it every other day of the week for work!

Then there are the Thai churches of which there are some more locally located. Hayden and I had originally hoped to join a Thai church as we are here to meet and bless Thai people. However, language is obviously always a barrier even though we continue to try and learn. I certainly couldn't follow a sermon in Thai although I have observed Hayden do a pretty excellent job of understanding in the past ;). Thai people are also so giving that they would feel obliged to find a translator for us and their whole service would turn into an effort to meet our needs and not their own. Sometimes it just doesn't seem to work in the Thai churches, and sometimes you just feel like you are not wanted, not in a very negative way but because of the extra hassle you bring with you.

On the other hand, being Christian here can also seem a lot easier than it is in England or other Christian countries. People here have never judged me, people at work do not put me in a box of 'Christian therefore strange'. Thai people are often very interested to hear about what being a Christian means. We are also extremely blessed here because Christians seem to have a good name for themselves. Most Thai people think Christians are here to help, to work with the poor, to assist the needy, they are never put off thinking we are just here to convert them which is what most English people think as soon as you say you are Christian. Some countries are so badly bruised by a history of Christians doing bad things, that they no longer have any respect for us, but Thailand is truly blessed to have such a good record of Christians in their country.

I know that many of you back home struggle with the continued persecution from people in the work place or family, and it is very difficult to say 'I am a Christian' when you are first meeting and making friends. People usually move away pretty fast or stop talking when you are around because they think you will judge them for what they do.

In conclusion, I cannot decide where it would be 'easier' to live as a Christian. All are persecuted, all struggle, all have blessing and curses, all are judged by the world. Yet God is there beside every one of us, wherever in the world that may be - Thailand, Uganda, Israel, Switzerland, France, Australia or England.

All my love, Emily