A Radical Experiment in Faith

A family moves to Thailand in 2010 to serve others with $900.

Steve, Lynette, Elyssa, and Micah Rawlings

The faith experience continues today.

In 2010, our family decided to try an extreme experiment of faith. We had read,

“If families would locate in the dark places of the earth, places where the people are enshrouded in spiritual gloom, and let the light of Christ’s life shine out through them, a great work might be accomplished.” The Adventist Home, 489.

Challenged by this quote, we decided to find out what “great work” could be accomplished if our family made the move. Calculating that $3,000 would be enough to establish a home in Thailand, we began sharing our plans with friends and family. As we stepped forward in faith, God began to work. Leading to the Light, our nonprofit ministry, was founded. Friends began to respond.

One friend said, “We will pay for your family’s one-year visas.” Another said, “We will rent you a car to take from your home in Idaho to the airport in Seattle.” This was a very exciting and amazing time for our family. God seemed to be confirming our conviction!”

Then a friend said, “We will pay for one-way tickets.”

“One-way tickets!” my wife exclaimed. “Aren’t we only going for a year? How will we get back?” Still, we believed God must have it all worked out, so we continued forward.

One morning a few weeks before departure, I knelt in prayer. “Lord, You have opened the way for this experiment to happen. I just want to remind You that we are leaving in one month and have only $400 in our bank account. Remember that we were thinking it would take $3,000 to establish a home in Thailand?”

As I continued to tell God how to fix this financial problem, a strong thought interrupted my prayer. Read Mathew 10. Still kneeling, I opened my Bible. Matthew 10:9 seemed to glow: “Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses.”

“Lord? Are You telling me to go to Thailand with only $400? What will my family think? They are already way out of their comfort zones with the one-way tickets! This is too much. It’s way further than You have ever asked me to go!”

Yet as I thought about all of the times God had led Lynette and me in the past, I realized that I had only two choices. “OK, Lord,” I relented. “How can I turn back now? We will go with whatever amount of money You decide to send us with.”

On November 27, 2010, with $900 and one-way tickets, we left our home in Idaho and moved to Thailand. Only the hotel shuttle driver welcomed us at the Chiang Mai International Airport. We were jobless, homeless and way out of our comfort zone. God had our full attention.

Little did we know that our one-year faith experiment begun in 2010 would still be growing today. Our experiment has taught us that when we follow Biblical principles like seeking first the Kingdom of God and considering the poor, the widow and the fatherless, God takes care of the details.

Today Leading to the Light partners with local workers and a Thai foundation named Education Opportunity Foundation. Together, we:

• Protect orphans and children at risk from human trafficking.
• Give hope to impoverished families through education and community service.
• Provide safe, clean dormitories, Christian schools and student sponsorship programs.
• Supply teachers in remote jungle villages with the tools they need to inspire the next generation.

Our radical experiment continues. We still live by faith, and that’s just fine. We’ve learned that God is faithful and His promises can be trusted.

AUTHOR

Steve Rawlings

Learn more about the Rawlings and the ever-expanding work
of Leading to the Light at www.leadingtothelight.org.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Pray for the vulnerable, impoverished souls served by Leading to the Light, that they may be led to the one true Light! John 1:9.

Donate. Neither Leading to the Light or the Rawlings family are financially compensated by the Education Opportunity Foundation. Donate online at www.leadingtothelight.org/donate-now or send to 26710 N. Yale Rd. #18, Chattaroy, WA 99003.

THANK YOU!

Your support is invaluable in maintaining these worthwhile projects and is truly appreciated!