After giving his life to Christ, the son of Bible translators in Thailand finds healing and purpose.
“Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Cor. 5:17, NLT)
In Thailand, a couple named Tawan and Jum are helping translate God’s Word for speakers of Eastern Lawa. Once estranged, they are now committed to each other, to the Lord and to the work of Bible translation. They’re also grateful for God’s mercy and grace, especially when they recall all their troubles before Jesus changed their lives. In Tawan’s case, life before Christ included a 16-year stint in prison. During that time, Jum, too, was arrested and jailed for 10 years for supplying drugs.
After they started following Christ, they experienced new challenges in the form of rejection and persecution by many of the people in Tawan’s home village. Drawing on God’s strength daily, the couple continued praying for their neighbours and reaching out to them in various ways. At the same time, their hearts ached for their son, Captain (see photo, below).
The years of brokenness and imprisonment in his parents’ story before they became Christians left a deep wound in Captain’s life. Depressed and enslaved by drugs, Captain refused to even talk to them for several years. Tawan and Jum were fearful that their son would take his own life or overdose on drugs, so they asked God to do whatever it might take to save him.
Shortly after they lifted up that desperate prayer, Captain was arrested and jailed for possessing drugs.
After serving a relatively short sentence on a misdemeanour charge, Captain was released. He claimed that he was no longer using drugs, but Tawan and Jum continued praying diligently for their young adult son.
In a 2022 interview with Wycliffe Canada writer Ruth Richert, Jum told Ruth, “This is beyond our capability to fix. . . . I’m still trusting God.”
From trust to transformation
In 2023, Tawan and Jum witnessed a remarkable turnaround in their son’s life. It began when Captain’s health deteriorated, and continued when members of the translation team prayed over him for deliverance and healing.
“In the next month,” said project co-ordinator Greg Blok, “God did some amazing things in his life, including freeing him from depression. He not only got a job after trying for a year without success, he also got a new place to live, and received a scholarship from his university to help him develop a business idea.
“Fast forward to Christmas and he wanted to be baptized, so we were very happy to be part of that!”
Captain’s life has truly been transformed since he surrendered his life to Jesus and was baptized.
“My parents introduced me to God’s love,” says Captain, “and through their guidance, I discovered the joy of loving others.
“Everything began to change when I experienced the love and grace of God for myself.”
The change in Captain is apparent to many, says Greg. “Apparently he talks mostly about God and Jesus, which is a huge difference to before when he mostly spoke very badly to everyone.”
Currently, Captain is teaching the Thai langage to Korean missionaries who are working to establish a ministry centre near Mae Fah Luang University. His main teaching tool is the Thai Bible.
Captain loves serving at the ministry centre, which he describes as a “safe space” and a source of support for students.
“It brings me joy to see young people happy and growing in their own paths, supported by mentors and trusted guides. I want to be that kind of person for them—someone who walks alongside them with care and wisdom.”
The Bible tells us that “anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Cor. 5: 17, NLT). The profound changes taking place in Captain’s life are not only an answer to Tawan and Jum’s prayers, but also a powerful testimony to the people of their village and all who know him.
Captain is indeed a new creation—and the turnaround in his life is turning heads, for the glory of God.
More: Tawan and Jum’s story: Prison, Pigs and God’s Redemptive Love