This week, Averyl Aeria, the YWAM Thailand Networking Director, came and talked to us about healthy relationships and boundaries. A lot of emphasis was placed on forgiveness and because Jesus’ death and resurrection brought reconciliation with our relationship with Father God, so we should reconcile with others.
We discussed the importance of family relationships and the experiences you have growing up shapes your perspectives of the world around you, and how you view God. (yes, it reminded us of Sozo Inner Healing Prayer!)

Family is the root of culture. This week God was allowing people to open up and forgive others in their families, circles of friends, and their pasts. This step was crucial for our Thai friends who are brought up in a culture of saving face.  To lovingly confront a friend or ask for forgiveness to them means you have to lose face and be genuine to your emotions. While it is easier for Westerners to be direct in our questions and tell it like it is, and ask for forgiveness,it is hard for our new friends. Many had questions of how to honor their parents. In Asian culture, what your parents say goes. End of story.

As their children you are expected in Thailand to buy them a car or build them a house and accept their wisdom and directions. So a lot of our friends are facing rejection and abandonment because they are the only Christians in their families and Im sure it was much harder to communicate, “God is telling me to go learn about the Bible in Chiang Mai and Im leaving my good job and salary to be obedient to Him no matter what.” Yes, we should honor our parents through respect and listen to what they say out of love, but what God is saying is more important.

Sometimes you have to make that decision between obeying God and obeying your parents. We are so thankful to our parents and parental figures in our lives who have loved us and supported us and raised us with Christian morals. Thank you, we mean it more than words can say!