Dear Pastors, Brothers, Sisters, Family, Friends and Footwashers,

I just want take a quick breath and say on behalf of all of the Thai and Burmese believers here in Southern Thailand we thank you for your love, prayers of faith, and support for the many divine opportunities God has granted us once again to share the Gospel in this “Christmas season”.

I want to share quickly what Christmas is to us here in South East Asia and encourage you in the Lord to celebrate what Christmas truly means, when God became man to communicate the Truth and provide Himself a sacrifice for all of humanity.

These are things we should not just cherish in Decemeber, which for us is a rough month. The tsunami struck here 3 years ago wiping out over one fourth of the population. Yesterday elections took place and the future looks grim for Thailand, but God is still on the throne.

Christmas is a word in English that we don’t have a translation in Thai or Burmese languages, but we have an explanation. Christmas is not a holiday in Thailand or Burma, people still work, shops stay open, and children still go to school. Christmas is not Santa Claus’ birthday as some think here, nor is it a single day once a year where we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and ask Him to blow out the candles after we try so hard to bake Him a cake that He will like.

Nope. Christmas is when the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, gave up His position in heaven, to come unto His own people to show them the Way. They rejected and crucified Him, but I never have found in the Word yet where Jesus asked His disciples to feel sorry for Him, or in our example of His church in the book of Acts where Peter, or John or Paul gave instruction to throw a Christmas party once a year.

Please correct me if I am wrong, and if I boast it is in the Lord only, but what we are instructed to remember is the bread, a symbol of His body broken for us, and wine (juice, coke, sprite etc) which was the blood that He shed for our sins.

Communion with the Lord, that special fellowship, Koininia, with Him, in Him, and with each other. The fellowship that doesn’t require us to be US citizens, EU members, or an ASEAN nation, but trancends and breaks down all the walls of seperation that we as humans put up between each other.

Praise Him that the only requirement is a broken and contrite heart, believing upon Him with faith that comes through the Word as the Word came from heaven where neither I nor the apostle Paul (2Cor 12:1-4) can express, to this planet corrupted by sin, to provide Himself an offering.

Tonight by the grace of God we are having a Calvary Chapel Family Christmas. For the first time I am told, Burmese, Thai, Karen, Kachin, Malaysian, American, Canadian, Singaporean, Sea Gypsy are getting together as an expression of the joy we have in Jesus. There is a big stage in our backyard here and praise the Lord, He is in control. He didn’t provide for any raffle prizes or material gifts, but He has provided food to nourish our bodies and the milk and meat of His Word to give life to hungering and thirsting souls and that we are most thankful for.

Please rejoice with us, it is my deepest desire that you could be here to witness the power of the Lord breaking down over 1000’s years of hatred, strife and prejudice in just under 3 years. But I know God has given you each a stewardship, and my prayer is that we would be found faithful in whatever we do, wherever we are. God bless you all and merry Christmas everyday to you!

Love in Christ,

James & Bua, Pichai, Pawn, Suwachai, Than Zin, Elkaw, Aung Zoe, P Jum, P Tak, Tah Dee, Aung Ko U, Po Wah, Sein Sein, Kata, P Nan, Loong Jewan and all the rest of the family here in South Thailand