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January 2003

For when I am weak, then I am strong
2 Cor 12:10

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We were not sure that we could do it. In the beginning of 2002, CFC Bangkok had a membership of only 52 couples, many of whom had been members for barely a year. In all, there were only 167 persons, including SFC, HOLD and SOLD. Was CFC Bangkok ready to host a regional conference? Did we have the needed funds? Was the music ministry ready? What about the accommodation of the participants before and after the conference, did we have enough members to host them? These were just a few of the questions that we asked ourselves, knowing the limitations of the community to organize and host the First CFC Southeast Asian Regional Conference in Bangkok from 6 to 8 December 2002.

But we did it! More accurately, God enabled us to do it! Over 360 participants from eleven countries attended the conference, accompanied by 45 children of varying ages. It was generally agreed that it was CFC’s best-organized regional conference. This was evident from the meeting at the airport, the registration of participants, the plenary and breakout sessions, the cultural presentations and fellowship, the activities for the children, to the adoption by the conference of the Bangkok Resolution on Couples for Christ’s Mission Ad Gentes.

The success of the conference is a clear testimony to the inspired words of St. Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians: For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor 12:10). When one is at his weakest moment, that is when the power of Christ is most strongly manifested. Thus St. Paul also says: I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell in me (2 Cor 12:9).

My brothers and sisters, during that same weekend of the conference, our son, Jon, had to take the SAT exam at the International School Bangkok (ISB) campus. It was scheduled on Saturday, 7 December, from 8:30 in the morning. Thus, although we had a room at Baan Phu Waan (the conference venue, which was over an hour’s drive from Bangkok), Jean and I drove back to Bangkok after the day’s activities at half past ten on Friday evening. We wanted to be with our son (who was left alone in the apartment) that evening to ensure that he would wake up early the following morning. The plan was for us to bring him to ISB (a 20- to 30-minute drive from our apartment) by 7:00 a.m. to enable us to reach Baan Phu Waan in time for the opening of the plenary session where I would be delivering a paper.

Everything went according to plan. We woke up early that Saturday morning despite our late arrival at home the previous evening. We brought Jon to ISB at around 7 a.m., giving us ample time to reach Baan Phu Waan for the opening of the plenary session. At around 7:45 a.m., as we were approaching Sampran (where Baan Phu Waan was located), Jean’s cellphone rang. It was Jon. He was asking for the copy of his permit to take the SAT exam. Because Jean and I were so preoccupied with the preparations and arrangements for the regional conference, we forgot to give Jon the copy of the permit. It was left on top of the desk inside our bedroom.

Jon had only 45 minutes before the start of his exam. We certainly could not go back. There was no more time. And it would mean missing the plenary. Jean was close to tears saying sorry to Jon over the phone. I was praying. I asked the Lord for help. I told Jean to tell Jon to immediately look for a taxi, go back to the apartment to get the permit, ask the taxi to wait for him, and then go back to ISB. Hopefully, he could find a taxi soon enough and the traffic would be light to enable him to return to ISB in time.

I continued to pray. I told God that I felt so helpless. That there was nothing I could do to help Jon. But He was powerful. He alone could help Jon. He could make things happen. At that point, I left everything to the hands of God. Would Jon be able to find a taxi? Would he be able to make it to the apartment and back on time? But even if he were able to make it back in time, would he be able to settle down, compose himself, and be ready to take the test? Or would the tension and pressure be too much for him to be able to focus on the exam and accordingly fail his SAT?

We did not hear from Jon during the next minutes, and he was not answering his phone. He must have been frantically looking for a taxi and rushing to the apartment and back to school. Then just before I delivered my paper, Jean told me that she was able to contact Jon. That Jon made it back in time. He was the last to enter the examination room. From then on, we knew that God was in control. That Jon would pass his SAT. For God does not take care of things halfway. He always completes His work.

My brothers and sisters, Jon passed his SAT! God truly takes care of his people! When we are helpless, that is when God manifests His power. When we are weakest, that is when we are strongest with the power of Christ. As we reflect on what happened, the words of God through the prophet Isaiah resound: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine. When you pass through the water, I will be with you; in the rivers you shall not drown. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned; the flames shall not consume you (Is 43:1-2).

Before delivering my paper at the conference, I related all that happened. I wanted all to know that God was in control. That God was all-powerful. That God’s power had no limits. I wanted, by my sharing, to praise the power of God, as we are reminded in Isaiah: The people whom I formed for myself that they might announce my praise (Is 43:21).

The successful holding of the First CFC Southeast Asian Regional Conference     was a manifestation of God’s power. God had chosen CFC Bangkok to host the conference – a community that was still struggling to fully establish itself: struggling to conduct regular household prayer meetings; struggling to correct the prayer meeting format; struggling to sing the CFC songs the right way; struggling to establish regular tithing among its members – in order that, in the light of the weaknesses of the community, God’s power may be fully revealed.

The singular message of the regional conference is that the time has now come for Couples for Christ to launch its mission ad gentes – to reach out to all non-Christians and bring them the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ. This could be done in at least three ways. First, it should initially focus on the evangelization of non-Christians who are married to Christians. Second, it should gradually expand into the predominantly poor rural and tribal non-Christian communities through, primarily, the social ministries, in particular through Gawad Kalinga. Third, it should include in the long term the area of educating the young, opening up institutions to provide Christian education to young men and women, Christians and non-Christians alike.

Mission ad gentes is not going to be an easy task. In fact, it is an extremely formidable challenge. It will require great dedication and commitment. It will demand enormous resources to bring Gawad Kalinga to the poor rural and tribal communities in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and other predominantly non-Christian countries. And even more resources would be needed to establish educational institutions to provide Christian education to young men and women in these countries.

My brothers and sisters, I feel so helpless just thinking of the enormity of the challenge of mission ad gentes. But then when we are weakest, that is when we are strongest, through the power of Christ. And God has proven it!           .