Caleb had just come to Bangkok from Myanmar and was looking for work when he had a radical encounter with Jesus. His wife, a devout Buddhist, got angry. His decision to follow Jesus Christ created conflict in their marriage but Caleb, undeterred, continued to pray for her.
The more he grew in his relationship with Christ, the more Caleb felt called to full-time ministry. He wanted to share the hope that he had found. One day as he prayed, God clearly spoke to him and said, “Go to Bang Chalong, and I will show you what to do.”
Stunned, Caleb did not know how to respond. Where on earth is Bang Chalong? he wondered.
Discovering that Bang Chalong was the name of a city in the Samut Prakan province of Thailand, Caleb resolved to go there. His wife was understandably reluctant, but he was determined to be obedient to God and, eventually, persuaded her to go.
Bang Chalong was a city full of immigrants and refugees from his own native Myanmar. With the Spirit guiding him, Caleb met two of our Myanmar church planters, Kyaw Lin and Ma Hnin. Caleb shared his desire to serve the Lord, and they agreed to disciple him, as well as come alongside his wife in her faith journey. “Choosing a life of ministry will mean sacrifice,” Kyaw Lin warned. “You will be trusting God for your next meal.”
Caleb considered this carefully. His father was in jail, his brother embroiled in the military conflict back home and his extended family in desperate need of his financial support. “How will I be able to help my family,” he wrestled, “if I go into ministry? This is a huge price to pay!” But he knew that God had given him a clear call, so he obeyed.
Over time, he was leading a small house church, with seventeen people gathering for worship and Bible study. To his joy, his wife came to faith and was baptized! Embracing their call to ministry she began teaching the children of migrant workers about Jesus.
Because of those who, like Caleb and his wife, count the cost and yet chose to trust God, the kingdom of God is coming to the city of Bang Chalong.
