More Good and Bad News

22 March 2015

Dear Phyllis,

Today I have a very heavy heart. I am absolutely void of the joy of the Lord. But not all is bad. There is some good news and some bad news. Let's have the good news first.

As I have said on several occasions, Paul Almstead is one of the most unusual men I have ever met. He was one of the worst men. He was so bad I said, “Any man like this can forget about getting saved. That just won't happen.” Then – just like Jesus – he got saved – BIG TIME. As bad as he was in one direction, he is off the scale in the positive direction. Let me modify that. Paul isn't that outstanding, but the things that Jesus has done, and is doing, for him is breath-taking.

His family was so bad you would almost have to make a new category for them. His mother must have been demonized. Paul was never sober, and, predictably, his children grew up wild. He hadn't see his mother in 20 years, and didn't know if she was dead or alive. Then about four months ago a lady he had never heard of saw something about him on Facebook and wrote him asking if he knew a Phyllis Almstead. He wrote back saying “That is my mother's name”. The lady contacted Paul again saying “she is my neighbor”. That is how Paul learned where his mother was living. Then a few weeks later, his daughter wrote him saying she and her husband were being transferred to Port Richie, Florida. She had no idea that was where her grandmother was. Someone bought Paul a ticket to go to the states to see his family. Last Tuesday I was going to write his daughter, Erica, encouraging her to open her heart to Jesus, but checked my e-mail first. There was a picture of Paul baptizing his daughter. Oh my goodness, it just doesn't get any better than that. I nearly washed out my computer with tears.

The kindergarten where I teach English every morning has an outstanding drum band. Last week they were selected to be one of 16 schools from all over Thailand to perform in Bangkok. I was blown away Tuesday when Singha told me that they won first place and were the top school in Thailand. They were on national television Wednesday night. What an honor! There are thousands of kindergartens all over Thailand and Nitrahong was selected number one. Singha was very happy and gives God the glory.

Now for the bad news. Yesterday was the graduation for the kindergarten and I was asked to perform again. Unbelievably, three years ago, they asked me to sing a western song and yodel . Before I sang I told everyone (about 400) “If you have to go to the bathroom or make a phone call this would be a good time to do it”. Last year I led the children singing, and this year I was going to teach everyone in the auditorium an English song. Pammy had interpreted for me for the last two years. Singha was going to do it this time but I felt it was important that Pammy be with me. She said she would.

But an hour before we had to leave she changed her mind. I pleaded with her to no avail. She was playing her guitar serving the Lord and writing a new song. I told her, “There are two plans – Plan A and Plan B. Plan A is to obey the Bible, and Plan B is to do your own thing.” But she was too busy serving Jesus to go with me. I told her, “Jesus won't force us to obey Him and neither will I”. I went by myself, but naka naka I flat couldn't find that building at Maejo University. I thought I knew where it was and spent 40 minutes looking at every building on campus and talking to 40 university students, non of which spoke a word of English. In desperation I went home and got Pammy to take me to show me where the graduation ceremony was. May I just say I was not a real happy camper when I went home to get Pammy. Like I was white hot with rage. I was one hour late getting there and everyone was asking, “Where is your wife?”. She was in her room when I got home and we didn't talk until this morning. Needless to say I had to apologize for my horrific furry yesterday. It is highly doubtful that that rage was of the Lord.

It has been four months since Pammy has been having her own worship service here in our house on Sunday. I have finally come around to where I said I would work with her, and she has asked me to be in charge. Today everyone was supposed to go to Mae Tang, which is about 20 km from here, for a combined service with two different minority groups. Pammy said they had asked me to speak.

The first thing this morning I apologized for my heated anger yesterday. Then she said, “Hurry up and get ready to go.” I replied, “I was hoping we could work together, but yesterday you made the decision that you didn't want that”. I told her again there are two plans, A and B. Plan A is to obey the Bible and Plan B is to serve Jesus. I said Plan B is a clean sheet of paper. You can write your own rules. The nice thing about Plan B is that you don't need a Bible. Obeying the Bible is Plan A. Pammy pleaded, “But that was yesterday.” I replied, “Yes today is a new day but what we did yesterday effects toady. If I committed adultery yesterday I would be an adulterer today.” True you can be forgiven. If I killed someone yesterday I could be a forgiven murderer today. The Lord can forgive my sin but that doesn't undo the consequences of my actions. AW Tozer said, “We sow wild oats Monday through Saturday and then we go to church on Sunday and pray for a crop failure.” I am not sure how serious the crop failure will be. God is not mocked. Whatsoever we sow, there is a strong possibility that we might reap. Pammy has come a long ways, but she is very strong that she would rather serve Jesus than obey her husband. I told her that she has made her choice and I release her from any obligation to me whatsoever. She can serve Jesus unhindered now as I will make no request of her to work with me or help me. She is on her own with a clean sheet of paper. She can write her own rules.

Pakistan look increasingly dangerous and yet very appealing. Last week there was a bad terrorist attack on a church in Lahore which is about 100km away from Faisalabad where Pastor Hanook lives. I don't want to endanger him and that is a serious consideration, but personally I really would like to take on the Taliban. That would be a real trophy to win a couple of them to the Lord.

Ya'll pray for us now, heya?

                                                     bill