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You will often hear fellow believers say “God will provide” as you take that first step of obedience to God’s call to cross-cultural ministry. But until you experience it first-hand, you may never fully understand the depth of His faithfulness. 1Thessalonians 5:24 (NIV) sums up my experience of a Provider God in all my years of service and is embedded in my heart: “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” From the moment I committed to serving God as a missionary, I have personally witnessed and experienced God’s provision every step of the way. Providing for our children’s education is just one of many examples of God’s overwhelming faithfulness as He journeyed with me and my husband to foreign lands.
We had arrived in Bangkok, Thailand on 3 March, 1989 by train from Singapore. Our son Khup was five years old and our daughter Nem, three years old. Since Khup was ready for Chefoo School the following year, we knew that we had to prepare him for it since he spoke little English. Chefoo School is an OMF school that caters for missionaries’ kids and is located at Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. We thought enrolling him in an English-speaking kindergarten in Thailand in the meantime was an ideal solution. Unfortunately, all the English kindergartens in Bangkok were privately-run and thus expensive. Government schools were more affordable but classes were conducted in Thai. We had no choice but to enrol him at a private school. We were told to pay the fees upfront to ensure him a place. Since our coffers were empty, we turned to God for help.
One afternoon, on our way to a prayer meeting at the Mission Home with Ron, our missionary friend from Canada, Thang was surprised when Ron suddenly asked, “Do you need money?” Thang answered, “Sure I need it because I need to admit my son to a kindergarten.” When they arrived at the Mission Home, Ron pulled out some cash from his pocket and handed it to Thang. The amount was 5,000 baht which was exactly what was needed for Khup’s admission to the kindergarten. Ron did not know how much we needed, but God had prepared him to give this amount for our son’s schooling. Indeed, God who calls us is faithful.
The year after, it was Nem’s turn for admission to the kindergarten. The lower admission fees of 4,000 baht were a discounted rate for a second child to the same school. Needless to say, we were short of funds. We asked God to provide once again. One morning, Thang was at the Mission Home to collect mail. (In those days communication was by snail mail.) In an envelope addressed to us was a love gift of 4,000 baht from an unknown donor. It was again the exact sum we needed for our daughter’s admission to the kindergarten. The One who called us met our need once more in a timely manner.
In August, 1990, Khup was ready for boarding school in Malaysia. We took a train from Bangkok to get there. At the Thai border, some uniformed personnel boarded the train to explain that Indian citizens crossing the Thai border were required to pay US$500. If we were to refuse, we would be barred from crossing the border despite our Malaysian visas. We did not have US$500 on hand and prayed that God would help us resolve the matter. When we were asked to meet the official at the border office, we became anxious because the train was about to depart within a few minutes. Still, we reckoned we would be able to make it back on time if we were to hurry. But taking our two young children and luggage with us would definitely slow us down. Noticing our dilemma, two Buddhist priests who sat opposite us said, “You go meet the official. We will take care of your luggage and your kids.” We thanked them before hurrying off and were relieved when the officer released us briskly without imposing any fines. God provided two Buddhist priests to take care of our kids and ensured that we crossed the Thai border safely without further incident.
When our children were ready for college education, God opened the door for them to attend Biola University in the USA. Although we would have liked for them to enrol at Indian colleges, the different educational system they underwent in high school at the Faith Academy in the Philippines where we were serving made that impossible. But we did not have the means to support them for a tertiary education in the States. Yet God provided them both with college scholarships, jobs at the University library and love gifts from churches and individuals. Both finished their college degrees without the burden of hefty loans. People have often expressed surprise that we could afford their college education in the United States. Little did they know we were just as amazed at how God had provided and relieved us of any financial anxiety.
God who calls us is faithful in providing for our children’s education. And not just their basic education. Our children also finished their MA Degrees in the USA. Indeed, our God is faithful. And His faithfulness is as steadfast today as it was in all those years that we spent in the field serving Him.