NO DOWRY

Sarawat and Asanee are a vibrant couple we met in Han Ka in the Chai-Na Province of Thailand.

Ajun (pastor) Sarawat found us on the internet and invited us through Ajun Somchai Soonthorntoorasuk who interprets for us. We were privileged to visit local schools, besides the church adjacent to his home. We thoroughly enjoyed Sarawat's sense of humor and Asanee's wonderful hospitality.

As usual I asked how they met.

Some years before, Asanee was the secretary of the director of a Buddhist Government  school and also the youth director in her church. She caught Sarawat's eye because she was so committed to serving the Lord. He finally got the courage to ask her on a date. But as they grew to love each other they were concerned about the possibility of marriage.

The fact he was a pastor who did not have a large income was the stumbling block. Both are Chinese and it is expected for a man to give the parents of his intended bride a good DOWRY. They both prayed about this, asking the Lord to make their path clear. However her Christian parents waived this custom because of their respect for his being a pastor.

Now some thirty years later, they are both involved in reaching their area, and Canaan Church has been the spring board to this mission field for the past four years. We were so blessed to become friends with this dedicated couple.