My Thai Family And The Flash Of An Answered Prayer
I want to share my personal learning experience on how God showed His love upon me. See how God uses other people to solve my problem - crucial problem. Indeed, "ignorance of the law excuses no one" and if you’re not careful, even in the slightest negligence, the consequence is unlikely. But God is bigger than my problem. His promises solved mine.
Crucial problem
May 2012, I arrived in Thailand. This incident happened on that same year.
I thought to myself that right after I received my working permit, everything will be okay. So I continued with such presumption, working at ease, until one Sunday morning, I woke up from my folly.
As I talked to my friends, I noticed there’s something different on their passports. Further inquiry led me to realize I’ve got a big problem. I did not appear to the immigration right after I received my working permit! And you know what might it cost? It might cost my job. But what I actually thought that time was, the worst, deportation.
Since nobody told me about this thingy (even the agency who processed my permit), I was that comfy not knowing what danger lies ahead. But my passport already lapsed more than 40 days!
What to do!
Being alone in a foreign country with a foreign language makes “worries” and “what if’s” triple their effect. And I simply don’t know what to do!
When I returned to work the following day, I told my Thai parents* about my problem right away (I already considered them to be my family here).
Telling them my problem might help lessen my burden. I told my principal and other teachers too. But deep in my heart, I know I have no one here to depend except God. I claimed His promise in Jeremiah 33:3 saying “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not”. I really prayed and asked God to help me.
The following day, Wednesday, some of the members of the school administration and my family* decided to go with me to the immigration office.
Everything seems different that time - my mind’s running, and I started to panic. I brought all necessary documents thinking it may help. And so we’re all there. I left to them most of the conversations.
The moment they turned their faces and faced towards me, I know I’m into something big. Really big - the immigration demanded 20,000 baht penalty! And where in the world will I get that amount?
My heart is pounding so fast almost destroying my rib cage.
Anxious and silent
I can’t help but keep imagining the day’s incident in the immigration office. All I have to do is to keep calm trying to hide my obvious fear.
“Take it easy, you have a family here. We’re not used to seeing you too serious” seems to be the only comment I heard from my family during our dinner together. They are not used to seeing me anxious and silent – no, not even myself. Those who knew me, knew me as chatty. But not today.
Answered prayer
Here comes Thursday. I still don’t have the solution in mind. But my parents accompanied me again to the immigration office. I thought they knew what to do - whether they wanted to negotiate again or just lend me cash - I’m so confused and so dared not to ask. I know by heart I’d still have to pay, the most, or the least.
I was so crashed all that time but I never thought that God already prepared the solution for me – and I saw that when my Dad handed the cash to the cashier and he got my passes stamped! Wait what?
On our way home, they told me they already thought of paying it for me and so leaving me of nothing to worry about.
Forever grateful
That’s the flash of an answered prayer! I can't believe it. I really can't. And they didn't ask for any refund nor salary deduction. As if nothing happened. That's it.
I thanked them so much and most of all I thanked God for touching their hearts and for making them means to solve my problem. I'm supposed to be a stranger to them, but they treated me as a daughter.
I have seen God’s work of love through this experience. My problem was solved and I slept soundly the whole night!
During our wedding on April 2018, I invited my whole Thai family. I have spent the best days of my early years in Thailand with them. I can't even equally return the favor. Their presence to our wedding is heartfelt gratitude to their awesome kindness. Me and my husband are forever grateful.
Footnote:
* My stand-in parents in Thailand to whom I lovingly call Mom and Dad.
Crucial problem
May 2012, I arrived in Thailand. This incident happened on that same year.
I thought to myself that right after I received my working permit, everything will be okay. So I continued with such presumption, working at ease, until one Sunday morning, I woke up from my folly.
As I talked to my friends, I noticed there’s something different on their passports. Further inquiry led me to realize I’ve got a big problem. I did not appear to the immigration right after I received my working permit! And you know what might it cost? It might cost my job. But what I actually thought that time was, the worst, deportation.
Since nobody told me about this thingy (even the agency who processed my permit), I was that comfy not knowing what danger lies ahead. But my passport already lapsed more than 40 days!
What to do!
Being alone in a foreign country with a foreign language makes “worries” and “what if’s” triple their effect. And I simply don’t know what to do!
When I returned to work the following day, I told my Thai parents* about my problem right away (I already considered them to be my family here).
Telling them my problem might help lessen my burden. I told my principal and other teachers too. But deep in my heart, I know I have no one here to depend except God. I claimed His promise in Jeremiah 33:3 saying “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not”. I really prayed and asked God to help me.
The following day, Wednesday, some of the members of the school administration and my family* decided to go with me to the immigration office.
Everything seems different that time - my mind’s running, and I started to panic. I brought all necessary documents thinking it may help. And so we’re all there. I left to them most of the conversations.
The moment they turned their faces and faced towards me, I know I’m into something big. Really big - the immigration demanded 20,000 baht penalty! And where in the world will I get that amount?
My heart is pounding so fast almost destroying my rib cage.
Anxious and silent
I can’t help but keep imagining the day’s incident in the immigration office. All I have to do is to keep calm trying to hide my obvious fear.
“Take it easy, you have a family here. We’re not used to seeing you too serious” seems to be the only comment I heard from my family during our dinner together. They are not used to seeing me anxious and silent – no, not even myself. Those who knew me, knew me as chatty. But not today.
Answered prayer
Here comes Thursday. I still don’t have the solution in mind. But my parents accompanied me again to the immigration office. I thought they knew what to do - whether they wanted to negotiate again or just lend me cash - I’m so confused and so dared not to ask. I know by heart I’d still have to pay, the most, or the least.
I was so crashed all that time but I never thought that God already prepared the solution for me – and I saw that when my Dad handed the cash to the cashier and he got my passes stamped! Wait what?
On our way home, they told me they already thought of paying it for me and so leaving me of nothing to worry about.
Forever grateful
That’s the flash of an answered prayer! I can't believe it. I really can't. And they didn't ask for any refund nor salary deduction. As if nothing happened. That's it.
I thanked them so much and most of all I thanked God for touching their hearts and for making them means to solve my problem. I'm supposed to be a stranger to them, but they treated me as a daughter.
I have seen God’s work of love through this experience. My problem was solved and I slept soundly the whole night!
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3
During our wedding on April 2018, I invited my whole Thai family. I have spent the best days of my early years in Thailand with them. I can't even equally return the favor. Their presence to our wedding is heartfelt gratitude to their awesome kindness. Me and my husband are forever grateful.
Footnote:
* My stand-in parents in Thailand to whom I lovingly call Mom and Dad.
