Kit Ripley, Thailand
Hello, friends. Hope your summer is going well, and that you have been able to take some well-needed R&R. The Thai language studies continue - an ongoing prayer request...need I say more!? Things at the New Life Center seem to be going well, so I am thankful to God for his provision there. I have not received any urgent phone calls from them and I hope to go up to visit within the next month or so.
Today I went to visit a Korean student from my language school. He was in a motorcycle accident yesterday morning and they sent him to the hospital. When I got there, he was sitting up and talking clearly - a real blessing. But they said he had some internal injuries to his back and some swelling where he had hit his head on the pavement. He was vomiting yesterday, which leads me to believe he had a concussion. But he seemed to be doing much better today as the swelling had gone down. Please do keep him in your prayers. His name is "Lee, Shin Woo", and he is a Christian (Presbyterian). He is probably about 22 years old. He came here as a missionary. Back and head problems can be so tricky, and this boy's a "football" player (i.e. "soccer" to us). I'm sure it's a real struggle for him, and who knows if he will be able to play again. Thankfully, there are no broken limbs, and no major blood-loss. But it has to be hard as he's so far from home.
The two other Korean women students who were there with Shin Woo are Christian also, and although I don't speak Korean and they don't speak English, we are able to communicate in Thai now. Shin Woo said that he had been the passenger on a motorcycle "taxi", when the motorcycle driver hit a car at full speed. While I was at the hospital, the motorcycle driver (20 years old) showed up with his father. They were deeply apologetic and accepted full responsibility. They even promised to go to Shin Woo's apartment and take care of him and make meals for him after he is released from the hospital.
Next, a hospital employee came in and asked Shin Woo to sign a contract that was written all in Thai! So the Korean women and I pulled out our dictionaries and set to work trying to interpret the thing. It was a release form to give the insurance company permission to pay the hospital. Turns out that the driver's insurance only covers 50% of the hospital bills though, and the driver and family will have to cover the difference. We were wary of what would happen and discussed our concerns with them. This family only makes about $10-$20 a day for parents, several teen kids, and one adult child who's married with little ones. The father was concerned to let us know that he's a good, upstanding guy, works very hard, and teaches his kids to be responsible for their own actions. He said, "My son doesn't do drugs, or drink, or gamble. He's a good kid, and he feels terrible about this. We're both so sorry." And truly, the kid really did look like he would die of shame right there on the spot. They promised they would pay the whole bill, whatever it came to and however long it takes. They were touched that we were concerned that the son might lose his motorcycle because of the bills. He shared the same concern, but said they'd do their best to avoid doing that because he would then lose his ability to contribute to the family income that way.
At the end of our time together, I told the father and son that we were Christians and suggested to them that we would like to pray for them, this money situation, and our friend's health, if the father and son did not mind. They agreed and we all joined hands. I prayed in Thai, and the Koreans prayed in Korean. I think the father and son were touched during this time and left feeling comforted. In fact, the father looked like he was about to cry. After they left, I had a chance to talk some more with one of the Korean women privately, and she suggested that we could explain the situation to other missionaries at school tomorrow, and ask if they would like to help the motorcycle driver with a gift to offset the hospital costs. We discussed the cultural issues of giving a financial gift like that in Asia and decided that if given in the right way, it should be interpreted as an act of kindness, caring and compassion. I think whatever gift we collect will be a tremendous witness to this Buddhist family.
Please pray for Shin Woo's complete healing without complications. And pray that God will use this situation to touch the family of the motorcycle driver and open their hearts to Jesus. Also, please pray that our financial gift will be received well and interpreted, as it's intended, as a symbol of the love of Jesus.
Thank you so much for your kind prayers, encouraging emails, and financial gifts. I deeply appreciate the way you uplift me in my ministry here.
Your Sister in Christ, Kit