Episode 175
Sawat Dasantad is a Missionary to Thailand with a heart to see the Thai people come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. In today’s episode of the Removing Barriers Podcast, we continue our On The Mission Field series and sit down with Sawat to find out more about his upbringing, his conversion, and his current mission to serve the Lord faithfully in Thailand. It is a mission field with unique challenges. The people are kind but wary of foreigners, making relationship building a necessary prerequisite to evangelism. Sawat is Thai himself, but the Christian faith is regarded with much suspicion, fueled by misunderstandings, ignorance, and a fear of (and commitment to) tradition. In spite of this, God has already begun working to open hearts and save souls, so join us on this episode to hear how the barriers are being removed one by one, bit by bit, one person at a time.
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Transcription
Note: This is an automated transcription. It is not perfect but for most part adequate.
You better change. You better come back to Buddhism or don’t call me Dad. So at the time I was like Lord seriously. You turning my dad into my enemy? Because, because I follow you.
[Jay]
hmmm.
[Jay]
Thank you for tuning in to the Removing Barriers podcast. I’m Jay and I’m MCG. And we’re attempting to remove barriers so we can all have a clear view of the cross.
[MCG]
This is episode 175 of the Removing Barriers podcast, and this is the 18th in the series of “On the Mission Field”. And in this episode, we’ll be going on the mission field with missionary Sawat Dasantad to Thailand. Sawat, it is a pleasure to have you and welcome to the Removing Barriers podcast.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Thank you for having me.
[MCG]
Great. We’re glad you were able to place us in your busy schedule.
[Jay]
Hi, this is Jay. MCG and I would like for you to help us remove barriers by going to removingbarriers.net and subscribing to receive all things, Removing Barriers. If you’d like to take your efforts a bit further and help us keep the mics on, consider donating at removing barriers.net/donate. Removing Barriers, a clear view of the cross.
[MCG]
All right, So what? Let’s jump into it. Tell us about yourself, your family, your calling, whatever you feel comfortable sharing.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
All right. My name is Sawat Dasantad, and I am a church planting missionary in Thailand. My wife, Amanda, and I are blessed with four wonderful children. Ali. Three, she’s 13 years old. Lexi. She’s 10. Lucas, seven years old, and Corey, four years old. Our journey here has been one of faith and love and dedication to the Lord’s work. Amanda accepted Christ as her savior when she was seven years old, I guess. And her passion for missions has been a guiding force in our life and my own path to Christ was a little bit different. As I struggled before I come to know the Lord and with many things in alcohol, including in those trouble, and I found salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. By I went to the English class and in that class they, including the Bible story and. They got saved in the year of 2002 and now me and my wife and my family, we are committed to serve. The Lord and the people of Thailand by building connection and creating a welcoming environment where faith can help people to get saved through Jesus Christ.
[Jay]
How long have you been on the mission field?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Ah, let’s say I’ve been surfing. The Lord, as missionary, I would say, 12 years since 2012.
[Jay]
That’s wonderful. That’s wonderful.
[MCG]
MHM. So we’ll dive a little bit more in your testimony where you saved through the effort of a missionary, it seemed like you were at maybe English as a second language class in Thailand or something.
MHM.
[MCG]
Dive a little bit more and tell us exactly how where you save. Was this a missionary or what?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
So at the end of my vocational school. At the end of 2001, I think I received a English flyer. I think that they advertised free English class, so I was like hmm, that’s interesting. So I I went to the church. And then they said, OK, you can start the class for free and we will teach you like 3 hours a week. And but the condition is that you have to stay 30 minutes after the class. So that is like, you know, an hour and a half. So weeks learning the word of God, you know. So I went there and start this. Class and started this class. And I have to say that the first time I heard the truth of the Bible, it was very offensive. And you know from my background as Buddhist, I didn’t like it at all, you know. But I kind of realized that it’s the truth. You know? It just like bothers deep down in my heart that I have to do something with it. And before I know it, I think it took me about almost six months to realize, hey, it’s the truth. And the only way to take care of that trouble in my heart is to get help. And the best way to get help in this. Problem is I need to ask the Lord Jesus Christ to be my Lord and savior. So in May of 2002, I asked Jesus to be my Lord.
[MCG]
Umm.
[Jay]
How did you end up meeting your wife? Was she on a missions trip to Thailand? Or did you meet here in the states? Or how did you end up meeting your wife?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
So I got saved in 2002, right and in 2007? There was. A missionary family. You guys probably know him too, because we were in the same mission conference last year. The Joneses, they came to Thailand in 2007. And because they have little kids, you know, to be able to learn Thai language, they have to have a helper. So they were praying and then asking the Lord to guide them to somebody. That will come with them to Thailand and. Guess what they found Amanda, and they asked Amanda if she was interested in coming with them, and Amanda was, you know, kind of nervous at first because she didn’t know anything about this country. And going out from her own country across the world. Is another thing a lot to think about. So she prayed and then asked the Lord to show her and give her a Peace of Mind. The Lord want her to go with this family and the Lord say yes. And she came with them in 2007, taking care of their kids while they going to a Thai language school for years. That’s what was her plan. And she said OK after one year, I’m going back to America. But she wanted to make sure that’s what the Lord wanted her to do. So she pray again. You know, she said. I have to confess that I didn’t like Thailand at all in the first six months. I wanted to go home. That’s what she. With me, after we get to know one another. But she said she asked the Lord to give her a Peace of Mind, to know that you want her to stay or to go back to the state. And the Lord say stay so she stay another year. So in 2008 that. I think the because I was still in the military and I was still in the Thai military in 2007, I finished my duty in November and I think I met her at the end of 2007 at the Christmas at church, you know, so. Get to know her and then when she decides she wants to stay in Thailand another year, my pastor asked me a missionary who led me to the Lord asks if she want to learn Thai. I know I’m a guy that can teach you Thai. So my pastor introduced her to me and said, hey, maybe what can teach you Thai? So maybe you guys can talk it out and then you know, learn the Thai language and and he would be a good fit, something like that, so. So we started, I started teaching her Thai and that’s how we become friends, get to know each other, and then at the end of 2008, we start dating and then 2009. At the end of 2009, I proposed to her and she said yes. And we got married in 2010. And now we have. Four children.
[MCG]
Man, wonderful. Alright, you mentioned Thailand several times. Where in the world? Is silent. We spend the globe looking for Thailand. Where will we find it?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Oh, it’s very small country. You can ask a man that she was like at first. She was like, where is this country? She could not find it, you know, and well, thank the Lord she find it. And I get to know her. Yeah. Thailand is. Yes. Thailand is located in Southeast Asia.
[Jay]
Sorry.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
It bordered Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and. Malaysia and is known for its rich culture, beautiful landscape, beach mountain, you called it. It’s very beautiful, but it’s warm. Maybe that is underestimated. It’s it’s very hot. And I often told people in the state. And they ask about what’s the temperature like in Thailand, I say, well, there’s three season in Thailand, there’s hot, hotter and hottest. So this year had been very hot. It’s like 115° so.
[Jay]
Ohh wow. Yeah.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Yep, it’s been like that for about four to five months and it just started to cool down one or two months ago and and now it’s very nice, very nice weather. It’s still though, like in, in the 80, you know, 7080. So yeah, it’s very warm country, I would say.
[Jay]
You mentioned that Thailand is very rich culturally. What can you tell us about the capital city, the people, the people groups, the languages? What can you tell us about the culture of Thailand and the people?
[Speaker Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
MHM.
[Jay]
Of Thailand.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
OK, Thailand has about 75 million people right now. They may be 76. The capital city is Bangkok and it’s a busy, busy city. They said that 5% of the country live in Bangkok. So 5% out of that 75 million people. Live in Bangkok about million people, 10,000,000 people or even more than that, the country has a diverse population. And. The majority is being ties the majority, of course, and there are a significant community of Chinese camere which the people from Cambodia you know, and then Malaysia, Malaysian people, you know, they also have a present here too. So and there’s a lot of huge. Pipes in Thailand. So in my regions I grew up in the Essan area, which is the northeast of Thailand. We speak Thai and also the dialect that similar to Leo Ocean. So I speak the ocean, come here and then. I and try to be better in English.
[MCG]
What about the religious breakdown of Thailand? You said you were a former Buddhist. Is that the major religion over there? Are there any minor ones?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Yes, Buddhist is about 95%, so it’s the predominant religions in Thailand. So there’s also a small communities of Muslim and Hindus. In Christianity is less than 1%. They count a few years ago. People who profess as Christian are about 400,000 people out of, you know, 75 million people. So we are less than 1%.
[MCG]
Yeah.
[Jay]
Well, so with the religious breakdown being what it is, over 90% Buddhist and less than 1% Christian was that. What the Lord used to burden you about the souls that are in Thailand? Or was it just a desire to see your own people reached for the gospel? What was it that drew your heart made you realize that God wants you to plant churches in Thailand?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Hmm, it happened the weekend after it got saved in May. I will give you a background a little bit about that in this question. When I got saved. That weekend. So I got saved on Thursday and Friday night. I called my dad and I told him that dad, I am a a Christian now I’m going to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. So I called my dad because at the time I was in Bangkok and my dad is, you know, in my hometown, 9 hours away. Maybe 8 to 9 hours away, so I called him and said dad, I’m a Christian now and he was so mad that he don’t want to talk to me. He was yelling and he, you know, because of the culture, you know, you’re tied right. You should be Buddhist. They. Why are you doing this? You know, it’s like you’re telling him what you have been.
[MCG]
Ohh wow.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Teaching me is wrong, so I understand you know the background of that action of that reaction. So it’s like you better change. You better come back to Buddhism or don’t call me that. So at the time I was like Lord.
[MCG]
Oh.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Seriously, you’re turning my dad into my enemy because because I follow you. You know that question just popped up in my mind, and I was. I don’t know what to do. I was nervous. And you know, my dad’s now angry at me and don’t want me there anymore. Don’t want me to be his son. And as I. The Lord say, hey, you love him, right? He need to know me.
[Jay]
Hmm.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
So that was the question that started in my mind and. I was like, yeah. If I love my dad, who will be the best person to tell this man about God? If not you? So that was my burden. Like, if I love someone, I have to tell them this good news. I have to tell them about my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who saved me from my sin. And I love my dad so much that. If he say no, I have to pray for him and I have to tell this. Man, that he have the opportunity to know the Lord Jesus too. But my dad, you know, at the time, he doesn’t really want to talk to me anymore. So he just hang up and then let me hang in for about 6 months. I was like, OK Lord, well, I told him though that I love him and I want him to know, my Lord. But he doesn’t want to hear anything after I told him that I am a Christian. But I pray and I ask. God, to help him understand and to help me to reach out to him and tell him more about my faith. And I said it took me 6 months because at the end of the year of 2002 he came on. He didn’t care. He sent my mom. To Bangkok to see me. It was Christmas at church. A lot of good things happened during Christmas.
[MCG]
Hmm.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
So. My mom came and she said, hey, I miss you and here are some gifts, some snack from our hometown. She made those snacks and then she’s like, here’s all your favorite. Here, try this and try that. And it’s like and then, you know, I had them, and it was really good. And my mom said. What do you know? All of the snacks that I made for you? Your dad asked me to make it.
[Jay]
Hmm.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
I was like what? He’s not mad at me. Anymore. So I was, you know, thrilled. And I I like, I don’t know what to say. And I asked, it’s like what happened? And my mom said your dad is OK with what you believe now. Then six months ago, he just want to see if somebody tried to brainwash you. Or you made this decision on your own. So when he say something like that, like, oh, I don’t want you to be my son anymore. He just, you know, worry about me and want to know that I really make this decision on my own. So it’s been, you know, six months and he’s like, oh, well, he doesn’t change his mind. So I think he’s serious about this. So I was thrilled beyond measure. I was like Lord, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I think the reason he had that thought because all of my dad’s family kind of say something bad about. Christianity, you know, like, oh, your son going to church now. Oh, they’re gonna brainwash him. They’re gonna give him something to drink, or they’re gonna say things that convince him that he have to change religions. So my dad had all these voices around him. That kind of make him worry about me. So that’s how he reacted that day and that. Hey, I will disown you because of your decision, you know, but that Christmas was. It was the best thing I ever had in my life for a Christmas gift. That was my first Christmas after I got saved and my dad now understand and OK, accept my decision and then we start talking again after that Christmas and you know, I tried to bring Jesus to the conversation. Plot and then he turned it down. He turned it down. He got mad every time he heard the name and it took him. About 11 years, 10:50 year to realize and he got saved in 2013.
[MCG]
Amen. Amen.
[Jay]
Wow.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
So, right before he passed away. So I praise God for that. So I often encourage people like, hey, I know.
[MCG]
Amen.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Answer. It’s not something to intimidate you. It should encourage you to pray more for the person you’re reaching out to and, you know, keep telling them, showing them love, telling them about Jesus, and pray for them. So took my dad 10 years and my mom is even longer than that. But praise the Lord. My mom got saved too.
[MCG]
Amen. Amen. Amazing testimony. Thanks for sharing that. So what? Tell me, what are some of the things that folks will keep in mind if they feel called to serve the Lord in Thailand?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Serving the Lord in Thailand. It requires a deep understanding and I think it’s in other country too, like you have to understand. And also you have to respect for a local culture and trade. Actions you know I’m from, you know, the Buddhist background and I understand very, very little about them and sometime I kind of like, oh, why do they do this? Why do they do that? But it’s come back to our point as to be able to share what you have. They need to open their heart to hear it. Most of the time when they try to tell. My Thai fellow, they often say this kind of phrase like ohh every religions teach you to be good, so I’m OK with what I believe. I’m OK with my faith right now. That means that OK, you need to stop talking about Jesus now. You know, like it’s like a polite way to, like, I don’t want to hear about this. Anymore. But maybe next time you know some people, it’s like, OK, maybe we can talk about that next time, but some people will just shut down and, you know, don’t want to talk about it like my dad when he first hearing about my journey to the Lord through the faith in Jesus Christ. So, understanding try to understand respect the culture and tradition and be patient, humbled and just, you know, trying to build a genuine relationship, you know, and if they realize that, hey, this family, this man’s. Really love us. Then they. Would you know? Open their mind and hear more about what you have to say. And the second one is like language. Of course if you go to the country that don’t understand your language, you have to learn that language, right? So I’m thankful that Amanda can understand Thai, and now she is in the process of learning how to read and write. So pray for her, my wife as she starting. That and so yeah, language learning is important, also important. And because it help you know, connect people and then. Help them understand better. You know in what you have to say because most missionaries came to Thailand, they felt intimidated by the language when they preach, because when they, you know, start teaching in Thai from the Bible. It’s like it take another level of understanding. So. All missionary have to spend their first year learning. I, and thankfully I don’t have to do that, which is something that kind of make me feel hesitated to say. I’m a missionary because I grew up here. I know the language and I don’t have to have trouble, you know, trying to prepare the paperwork for visa, you know, every year, you know, my friends Matt Jones and his family, he have a stack of paperwork. Every year submit to. To the government so they can stay in Thailand another year to serve the Lord. But I don’t have to do all of that, you know? So when people ask, So what kind of missionary are you? So like, I don’t know. I hesitate to say. I am a missionary because of those things that all the missionary have to do when they come to the. Country of Thailand. So.
[Jay]
So you may not have differences culturally with the people of Thailand because you’re Thai yourself, but surely you there are, say differences that come about simply because you’re a Christian. You mentioned how, for example, how the people that were talking in your father’s ear about Christianity at the time.
[MCG]
MHM.
[Jay]
He had this wrong idea about Christianity and so he reacted the way he did when he found out that you were giving your life to the Lord. So I imagine that you probably have a little bit of cultural friction. Perhaps not. When it comes to. Your ethnic background because you’re the same as everyone around you, but because you’re a Christian, how do you handle those differences that come up between you and the people just by nature of your faith in Christ, and how differently you live your life as a result of being saved? How do you handle those cultural differences?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
What I’ve been telling myself all this time when? You know we. Started focusing on really reaching out to the people and then you know. Wanted to share Christ with them. We handle cultural differences by approaching Thai people with respect and home sales like I have to know them better. I have to learn what is their mindset, you know? And I know some because. But I still like all of us like we don’t know. Every. Minutes, every area of people’s life, so we have to try our best to learn their mindset, like why they believe what they believe, and if they do something, why did they do that? You know, try to understand. And I understand Thai value and Thai culture and. You know, but I still have a lot of area that I I really don’t know like why they have to keep doing that you know. So. The way to understand that it’s to put ourselves into the community and, you know, participate in the local events and tradition, and that’s the way you can, you know, at least you know, start the relationship like we went to a coffee shop and we. See this barista every week and he was like, oh, and then we start, you know, getting to know her name. And then, you know, like, get to understand her life a little bit better. We have a bakery store near our house that every week we have to go get eggs and, you know, Butters and. You know all the flowers and bakery stuff that Amanda, you know, with juice. And then I, you know, went there every week and then she started asking like, why do you need a lot of bud? Like I buy a kilo of butter every week, every month, every month and she’s like no more people. Don’t buy this much, you know, it’s like, well, I have 4 kids, so I have to feed them. It seems like I have to buy the whole farm every month to feed these kids. So she’s laughing like so.
[MCG]
Mm-hmm.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Why are you here? See, this is the kind of question that can I open for the information we love to give. And it’s like, why are you here? Are you from here? And I said, well, my problem is about 3-4 hours away from here in my hometown. So I grew up in Seaside. Get 3 hours away from here. But we moved here three months ago, and we are Christian. I am a church planting missionary. This is what we do. So. You know from that you. It’s a fun conversation when somebody they’re the one that asking the question. So I was just sharing, you know, if I have 3 hour, I was staying there and then talk to them, you know, but most of the time they was like, oh, no. OK, I have to go back.
[MCG]
Yep.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
To work now. You know, but yeah, you put yourself in that situation and participate in the events. Or, you know, like even where you often go every week or every month and see the same people. Or I told my family if you see a person more than one time, the Lord want you to do something with that person. The Lord want you to share his message to that person. The Lord want that person to be saved.
[MCG]
How did you help your wife adjust to the Thai culture? I know you were born and raised there, but she came there. To help another missionary didn’t like it, wanted to go back, and then all of a sudden she married to this Thai guy. And in this strange culture, how did he help her adjust and, you know, embrace the Thai culture.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
I have to go back to her story behind that. She told me that what helped her to stay another year is that she fell in love with, you know, Thai people like she’s saw the kids on the street. Ohh, she had the opportunity to work at the Australian School in Bangkok and she started a job as an assistant to. Teacher and she get to work with kids and then every time when she go to work, she would see, you know, Thai people on the street selling food, you know, taking people to work, you know, all those workers that are taxi driver, you know, the buses, the people at the grocery store. And the Lord just put that burden in her heart that say, hey, these people need you. You need to be here. You need. To tell them about me. And she started to love Thai food. She’s comfortable travel on the taxi and on the bus on the sky train. We have like Sky Train in Bangkok so she see a lot of people when she pray the Lord put all of those thoughts in her mind and said hey see. You enjoy living here, so you should stay here. Something like that. So you know when she start to get comfortable with all those things around her, then that is the answer. Like, OK, now I can stay another year, but it’s not like she’d never have thought then that. Ohh. Now I’m going to stay here with this Thai guys and have kids and family here, you know? And you know, I found out a year after we got married that the day she told her mom that she started dating a Thai guy. Her mom cried.
[MCG]
Hmm.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
So I was like ohh no, no wonder why she keeps sending people to Thailand to spy on me. But she said, well, they bring me a good report, so I’m happy now, she said. My mother-in-law, she told me that.
[MCG]
Yeah, well, I know you’re in laws and they’re wonderful people, so you’re just concerned about the one baby girl? Yeah. Would you say the culture in Thailand is more of a acts Chapter 2 culture, where they may have some knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. Or would you say is more of an act of the 17 culture where you may have to start? From creation to come all the way up to Christ.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Yeah, I think many people here are spiritual curious, but lack of. Foundational understanding of Christianity. Mean that we often start by addressing, you know, their existing beliefs like, oh, you’re Buddhist. So here’s what we can, you know, tell you about Jesus. One time I went to a store to get fabric for a they call it backdrop. Right. You put the black fabric in the bag. For the picture photo prop and stuff. So I went to this store to get a fabric a black fabric. And I introduced myself and she asked again, why are you here? You know, I was like, hey, I’m a Christian. This is what we do. So she said, yeah, I don’t stand about you, Christian, you know, trying to gain more people to your religions and, you know, trying to tell them that they need to follow your God. That’s you know what she told me? I believe it was three years ago. Three to four years ago.
[MCG]
Mm-hmm.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
And that means to me, it’s like, OK, I need to turn down. I need to stop. And then you talk about something else now. Because her heart was closed already. So. And then I said, OK, I want this fabric. I want this black 1. So she told me the price I was like, do you have the other one that is cheaper? And she said, Ohh. Here’s another one. That you have like three kinds different price. So in my mind it’s like even the fabrics the same. And it’s fabrics. It’s all fabric, but it’s different in price. What’s the difference? You know, so they think it’s every religion is all the same like this fabric. But it’s not really the same, you know, it’s why people choose this one rather than this one that mean it’s something that is different. Between the two and you know most of the time, people who say that like, ohh, every religions teach you to be good. It’s all the same. You know why you bother telling me to change you know. But at the end of the day, if one of their kids or one of their family change. Is there? Belief change their path and they decide one day they’re going to follow Jesus Christ. Oh, that will make a big trouble in the family, you know. And then if that happened in the family, they would say ohh you should not do that. Say why I thought it’s the same. You know? So they know deep down in their heart it’s not the same.
[MCG]
Hmm.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
But they would politely try to tell you that to just OK, I don’t want to hear about it anymore. Just, you know, stop talking about that so. They know a little bit about Jesus, but they lack the true foundation of our faith and that’s why we have to understand the people around us.
[MCG]
Hmm.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Why? If they don’t know, God, they don’t believe him. That’s the reason they do what they do, and our job is to tell them the difference. But before we can tell them, we have to make sure that their heart really open for it. Because try to tell them when the door is shut. It’s hard. It’s hard for them to understand. And it’s.
[Jay]
MHM.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Make it hard for them to realize that you really love them and you want them. To know the Lord Jesus.
[Jay]
Yeah. What are some of the needs that if they were filled, they would make your task of sharing the gospel in Thailand a lot easier?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Right now we are blessed with many resources like most of the Christian literature. It’s translated to Thai like we have a lot of books that help us understand the Bible, and we have lots of books that help us to defend our faith that translate it from English book. And in the bookstore, Christian bookstore in Thailand, there’s a lot of them, especially in Bangkok, that we can access to these resources and I think with the Internet it make it even easier. You know, now we can encourage someone that we start this relationship with and it’s like, hey, this is our page, this is what we do like I started my Thai podcast, you know, sharing a blessing from the Bible. And then I talked to. Many people, and I said, hey, maybe this will help you. So I sent them the link, you know and I give them the information if they want the Bible, this is where they can get or I have some, you know, this will help you understand. And I think the access to these resources help. And IT support the outreach program, you know, and more worker to join the mission field would be great. You know, we often say ohh Lord send us more Labour. We need more people. When I was serving the Lord in my hometown for three years. Me and Amanda were praying. Lord, send someone. Send a family that we can work with. Send more laborers.
[Jay]
Hmm.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Send them here. Lord people need them. There’s a lot of people. Here and the word answer, and now we’re have another family that we serve alongside, but we feel the need there should be more worker here to reach out to those people. And the Lord have his time and I’m sure he’s still, you know, working in. Many Christians to answer the call and then go where he want them to go.
[MCG]
Yeah, man. Is there anything the church in the US is doing that is making your mission in Thailand just a bit more difficult?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Yep, sometimes well meaning actions can unintentionally create barriers due to cultural misunderstandings. It’s important for the church in the US to understand the local content.
[MCG]
Hmm.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Next, and support missionaries in respectful and effective ways, you know most of people in the state have never been to the mission field. They never experienced the culture. They never see, you know, the people, even the city or the town in the other country. That’s why. I really blessed to have many church come to Thailand, you know, Pastor Abbys came here many time and he’s, you know, to see him here. And he, enjoying every bit of it. And then he pray with us and then, you know, it just bless our heart. It’s a blessing that we want people from the US to see and that, you know, every person that came back to the state chair with me, that wow, that was that was amazing. To see the field and that help them. To pray more for the country, even some people would take another step by hey, I want to be there. I want to be where God wants me to be. But you know when they see the mission, he was like, I think the Lord might call me there. You know, I will start praying about this. So it’s encouraged them when they see, you know. They see the need and they have to. Do something with that call with what God’s put in their mind, and I think that’s what happened. That’s very important things to understand and I think it will be a blessing if they can see the culture, if they can understand the country that a missionary are serving. So when there’s program or there are some trip that you know the church start to like, OK, mission trip to this country, pray about it. And then come, you know, and, you know, we want you guys to see the need here.
[MCG]
Hey man. Alright, you’re listening to the Removing Virus podcast. We’re sitting down with. So what doesn’t it to Thailand? We’ll be right back.
[Jay]
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[MCG]
All right, So what? Let’s jump into a little bit of a fun section and learn some of your favorites. What is your favorite scripture verse?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
There’s many of them. But there’s one that’s easy to memorize, and I can keep saying it over and over to remind myself, is John 330. He must increase, but I must decrease.
[MCG]
Mm-hmm. Hey man.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
You know, when I think of myself too much, everything is around me falling apart. And when I think of the Lord. More. And I should think of him the most. And to give every honor to him, everything’s around me, flourish. And especially serving the Lord here it just, you know, I would say now Thailand is a me culture too, you know, with all the technology and all the Internet and stuff that all people can access to it, they think of themselves too much, that everything’s around them falling apart. So this verse. I have to remind myself I’m not here for myself. I’m here for the Lord. He must increase, but I must decree.
[MCG]
Do us a favor and quote that verse and tie for us.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
I think that’s what it is. I memorize it in English but not in Thai.
[MCG]
Amen.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Hey, give me one second. I should have that memorized in Thai too, right? But I don’t know. But. Married to American wife and have 4 kids speaking English to me all the time. It’s just. Like I should do more Thai actually reading Thai Bible, but I never, you know, trying to memorize that one. I think that’s what it is.
[MCG]
Well, we can’t correct you, so.
[Jay]
What if we say that is absolutely correct?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
I just translated literally word by word. You know from that verse.
[Jay]
OK. Oh. Oh, OK, OK. Gotcha. I thought perhaps you had gotten a Thai Bible and read from it, but you were translating on the spot. See, MCG put you on the spot. I think you’re the first missionary he put on the spot like that. So you did excellent with that. Like he said, we wouldn’t have been able to correct. You anyway so.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Oh Yep.
[Jay]
Yeah. What is your favorite historical biblical account?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
I like Joseph, so his story. He amazes me. You know, his journey from betrayal to redemption and how God uses trials for a greater purpose is incredibly inspiring. For instance, my dad and me story, you know, like I’m losing my dad. He’s now my enemy. Now what am I gonna do, you know? God’s always use trials for a greater. It’s like if that day I said, OK, Dad, I’m not gonna be a Christian anymore. I want to be your son, and I’m going to go back to Buddhism then that’s the end of the journey. It’s like my dad would not have a chance to hear more and to get saved later on. So it’s a big trial. For me, you know from my dad to just disown. Me, you know, and I think that story kind of helped me encourage new Christian here in Thailand too, because, you know, the culture and stuff. So when one come to know the Lord, it seems like their families angry at them and don’t want them in the family anymore. Or like, you know, trying to push them away or, you know. Do something mean to them as I can? All this trial is for a great purpose is for a greater purpose. Wait, you will see. You know what the Lord can do with this. And often I would say every case they came back and said, hey, I thank God. That he didn’t allow me to do this or do that or allow this person to do this to me. And you know, that’s how I got to this point to see this blessing from him.
[MCG]
What would you say is the most convicting scripture passage to you?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Again, there’s a lot of them, but I think this is the famous first Matthew 28, verse 19 to 20. The Great Commission like it’s remind me that hey, that’s why I’m here. I need to do these things because this is what God’s command me to.
[MCG]
MHM.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
2.
[MCG]
Yeah. Yeah, ma’am.
[Jay]
What is the? Most comforting scripture verse for you, and I know you have more than one of those too. But who is the most comforting?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
In Thailand, I call myself, you know, they don’t have the word for Pastor here. So they have this fancy word created for the purpose they call a pastor and tie is Cecilia Pipan Thai. People hear this word and they’re like, what? What is cicia pipan. Is mean to simplify this word is. Liang, Poor Liang means the shepherd, the helper the kinder than the people that guide, you know, gods people. Mm-hmm. So you have pullian and you have look at means, you know, all the sheep, you know, in the church. You know, members of the church we are.
[Jay]
Hmm.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Sheep. And then we have a shepherd, but we have the High Shepherd. Who is Jesus Christ God, and we have a shepherd at church. But we have, you know, been telling people pulling pullian. So my back to my comforting scripture. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.
[MCG]
Amen.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Yeah, if I astray out of the way and need to go back to my shepherd and, you know, ask him to guide me.
[MCG]
Amen. I want to access the code that. Morning Thai.
[Jay]
Ah, see, he was ready for.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
That one, I translated it again to like word by word, so. Alright. Most of the time when I doing it research for the lesson or for the message, you know, read a lot in English and while reading it, what helps me understand quickly is that to read it in Thai accent. So like this word, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. I say the Lord. Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. And then I change the word to Thai word and then you know just, you know, help me understand. So there you go and interpreting the verse on spot. But hey, some Thai people hear this podcast might come back to you guys and say what is that guy talking about?
[MCG]
Hmm.
[Jay]
We’d have to say don’t ask us. We’re not the expert. What is your favorite hymn of the faith?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
I know whom I have believed it.
[Jay]
Ohh, I love that one. That’s a great one.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
I sing that song all the time, especially in the states. It’s powerful. Message of trust. Confident in God’s promises, it just like, you know, we forget his promises all the time.
[MCG]
Yeah.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
And then that discourages. That’s just, you know, drag us down. And but when we go back and say, hey, he promised, has he ever missed his promises? No. So why you, you know, keep worry about these things.
[Jay]
Yeah.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
So go back and count those blessings. His promises that he kept and. You know, know that in the future, he gonna keep his promise. So I know. To him, the whom I have believed it so, I love that I love that him.
[Jay]
That’s a great one. That’s a.
[MCG]
Great. One. Who would you say? Is your favorite giant of the faith from the scripture.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Umm. Many giant. OK, yeah, you know.
[Jay]
Somehow. So I knew you were going to ask for more than one, because for every one of these verses, or for every one of these fun questions, you would say, yeah, I’ve got more than one or I’ve got a lot. Or there’s so many. So when he asked you that question, I said he’s going to have. More than one face, he’s going to have more than one favor. So who are they?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
But for the sake of time, you know, right, I’ll say one. Paul, his dedication, resilience and unwavering faith in the face of enormous challenges that is truly inspired, especially living in this country, you know and everywhere in the world too. As a Christian, it’s.
[MCG]
Hey man.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Challenging. It’s getting bad, you know, like ohh man. Lord, it’s close. You coming soon? And then in the other hand, you have a lot of people that you’ve been reaching out, you praying for them, you want them to get saved. If the Lord come tomorrow, they will not. Be. Ready. So when I pray I have this like Lord coming soon. But wait. Lord, give this person another opportunity. Yeah. And I think the reason he’s wait and it’s not here.
[Jay]
Yeah.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Because of those prayer, those people that we love and we want them to know him, we want another chance for them. And Paul, he go through all of that like you know, I cannot compare my life to him. And I don’t want to go further with Joe’s life, you know? But Paul, he’s just his dedication is so high that I have to think of him when I deal with these challenges.
[MCG]
What would you say are some of the biggest barriers to the people of Thailand from receiving the gospel?
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Cultural and religious traditions and also society, societal pressures and a lack of understanding of Christianity.
[MCG]
MHM.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
They heard about Jesus, but they have this picture portrait. To him, different way or not a completely true about Jesus. So many people in Thailand see Buddhism as a intertwine or it needed to their national identity. Like I said to be Thai. You know if you change to the other belief or. Especially Christian, they would ask, are you not Thai? You know? Why are you Christian? You know, so is Thai to. Identity like OK, your ID card is Thai. You should be Buddhist. You know something like that. So even now, if you go to the government or a bank, you know that you have to show your ID card when they need a copy from that ID card they will cover the religions out. You know so that.
[MCG]
MHM.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
You don’t get offended, you know, by what you believe or something like that. So you know for that thought that it’s, you know, tied to the identity, making it difficult to consider the other faith so.
[MCG]
Yep.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
When somebody said OK, I want Jesus. I want to know him. I want to receive him as my savior. I would often kind of slow the person down a little bit. I I want them to get saved. Don’t get me wrong, but I want them to realize something that this is not just another religions. That you could add to your collection.
[Jay]
Yeah.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
When you receive the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ, ask him to be your Lord and Savior. This can happen. I have to ask him. Hey, take a minute or maybe days to count the. Because it’s going to happen that when you come to know the Lord, this will happen to you. Are you ready for that? I mean, if he is that value to you, Are you ready to sacrifice everything in your life, including your family?
[MCG]
Wow.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Because it’s happened to me. My dad disowned me, so I just, you know, like I want you to get saved today. But I want you to be serious and think about this decision because it’s not like you can give it back tomorrow, you know? So, yeah, the things that make it hard for Thai to come to Jesus is that. And then I see. People come to know the Lord doesn’t matter. You know what will happen. So we are planter. We sold the seed. The Lord is the one that help it grow. So I often tell myself that too. That’s one of the things that’s like. Ohh. I want to see these people get saved. And then a few months later. He passed away. Umm. It just like it broke my heart, but I know that I don’t have the ability to get people safe, you know, I have a blessing to share the good news. The Lord is the one. That will save them.
[Jay]
So. Sawat if you don’t mind, we’ve come to the end of the interview here, and we’d like for you to share with our audience and with us. What is that gospel that you want the Thai people to hear so badly? And how can the barriers that you just described be removed so that they can hear the possible.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
These barriers can be removed through patient, respectful dialogue and leaving out the love of Christ in tangible ways. Building genuine relationships and serving the community can demonstrate the transformative. Power of the. Gospel, you know, sharing personal testimonies and. Showing how faith in Christ bring hope and change can also be impactful. So I think put yourself around people and that’s is the best way to let them see the law. You have in Jesus Christ because if they are not around you, they are not gonna really see the God. They cannot see. And the Bible said the Lord gave us the Holy Spirit and that’s what in US. And he is active. He guide us every day but would not let other people see him if we are not around. Them so invest the time you know and talking on the phone.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Is good but. Still, people can’t see, you know, so it’s make it hard for them to realize. Who are you talking about? You know, where is God? And I can’t even see you here. You know, I sent when I was in the state during the reputation, I sent a the letter. Not letter letter to my aunt in Thailand a few years ago I wrote one page. Of my testimony, you know of how I want her to know the Lord. And it started some thought. But she can’t see. You know, she want to see more people want to see. And I know the Bible said you can’t see God. But you have the Holy Spirit. People can see his people.
[Jay]
Hmm.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
And his people can cheer that the God they have to the people who cannot see God. So invest your time, you know. Talk to people, spend time around them, because that’s how I got saved too. I spent more time with the missionary family many years ago, 22 years ago, and that’s how it break my barriers down because I see these people live what they teach. And what they told me that they love Thai people. They love me. They want me to know their God. But I was offended by the truth. And then to seeing those people live their life according to their word and teaching it to break the barrier downs. And now I want what they have, you know. So I got saved because of those testimony of the peoples around me. So in turn, now I’m trying to reach out to those people.
[Jay]
Hmm.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
And have to do the same and have to be around the people. So I have the opportunity to show them the God they cannot see.
[MCG]
So what it was a pleasure. Thank you for joining us and removing various podcasts.
[Missionary Sawat Dasantad]
Thank you so much for having me.
[Jay]
Hey, thanks so much for listening to the Removing Barriers podcast. Did you know that you could find us on Twitter, Gab Parlor, Facebook and Reddit? Go to removingbarriers.net/contact and like and follow us on social media, removing barriers, a clear view of the cross.
[MCG]
Thank you for listening. To get a hold of us to support this podcast or to learn more about removing barriers. Go to removingbarriers.net. This has been the removing barriers podcast. We attempted to remove barriers so that we all can have a clear view of the cross.
