A Colourful Quilt
By David & Tina Cannon
They say you’ve truly arrived in a new language when you can understand its jokes. For us in Thailand, sometimes we can grasp the humour, but more often it goes completely over our heads. This challenge is even more evident when we’re together as a team. What do you get when you put 100 cross-cultural workers and 60 missionary kids (TCKs) from 18 different nationalities in one room? It sounds like the beginning of a good joke, but it’s really our annual conference—a beautiful and complex mosaic of people from around the world coming to serve the Thai church.
When the two MCs from the U.S. started the conference with some classic dad jokes, the English speakers in the room laughed at the wordplay, but over half the audience didn’t get it. One of our Korean colleagues later said that he felt left out because he simply didn’t understand the humour. On the other hand, a colleague from India said missing the joke was so absurd that he joined in the laughter anyway. These experiences highlight a crucial truth that cross-cultural awareness isn’t just about sharing the Gospel with the local culture; it’s also about how we serve alongside each other. It’s a privilege to be part of this team, and it requires us to extend grace, learn each other’s communication styles, and stay vulnerable and culturally humble.
As an organisation, we are always changing. When Hudson Taylor started in China in the mid 1800s, our mission (China Inland Mission) had a very British face. Over time, people from places like the U.S. and Australia joined the work. Today, we have a more Asian face, with our General Director from Taiwan and our Thai field leader from Brazil, and we’re even seeing people from Zambia applying to serve. Our diversity also goes beyond nationality to church history and financial wealth. On the local level, the church has matured, and we no longer take the lead but instead work side by side with local Thai leaders.
This isn’t change for the sake of change, but rather to stay relevant for our members and for the people we are reaching. This constant adaptation allows us to remain effective in our ministry and to reflect the beautiful, global body of Christ.
I am reminded of my mother’s almost-lifetime passion of making quilts. At first, I could not understand the desire to cut up perfectly good pieces of fabric only to sew them back together in a painstaking multitude of patterns and designs. However, when I see the beauty and intricacy of the resulting quilts and enjoy them around my home, I truly appreciate all that has gone into making these works of art. It takes an eye for colour, amazing precision, and loads of patience to make one of these beauties. My parents are moving into aged care later this year, and part of the downsizing process has been the distribution of my mum’s many, many quilts to members of the family. It is quite a beautiful legacy that we all appreciate. Our missionary team is like a quilt, formed and designed by an Artist, bringing together colours and patterns that might not usually be put together. Each of us, with our unique cultural backgrounds, personalities and experiences, is a different swatch of colour. Some of us are vibrant and bold, drawing the eye and claiming attention. Others are more subtle and quiet, adding depth and texture from the background. The final design is most beautiful when every single fabric patch is present, seen, and valued.
In our team discussions and meetings, some of us feel very comfortable thinking out loud and sharing ideas freely. This is a gift! It often sparks new ideas and gets the conversation moving. Yet we know that others come from cultures where deep thought and reflection happen quietly. For them, speaking up isn’t the default, and their wisdom is just as valuable—if not more so—because it comes from a place of careful consideration. These differences mean we need to be careful and considerate. We need to create times of pause and ask the quieter ones, “What do you think?” or “Has anyone else had a similar experience?”, giving opportunities for feedback in a variety of ways. By being mindful of these dynamics, we can make sure our team isn’t just a group of individuals but a true community. This intentional effort honours each person as an image-bearer of God and, in doing so, strengthens our unity and our collective witness to the world.
Dawn* is a new missionary in her first term, but she is also an MK who grew up in Thailand, so she is already adept in language and culture. She is quiet, diligent, creative, and focused. When asked to do something, she does it with her whole heart. She lives alone in a little house surrounded by a garden. A few minutes away is the rural church where she serves alongside Pastor Kay*. Their week is full of visitations and prayer for the sick, elderly, and lonely. On weekends, the church building comes alive with children. The children initially came for English and fun activities, but have stayed for Jesus, whose love they have experienced through the thoughtful ways of Dawn as she serves this small community and sees the church grow one dear soul at a time.
Lee* is a 71-year-old powerhouse. After a lifetime of service in Thailand, we keep wondering if he will ever retire! If he’s not running a theological school, he’s making a podcast, teaching a class, preaching a sermon, or swimming laps in the pool while memorising Scripture. Sit down with him for even a minute and he will ask you to test him. He can tell you what happens in any particular chapter in the Bible. Sit next to him on a plane, and a gospel conversation is sure to happen. Lee mentors young Thai leaders and young missionaries from his wealth of experience and models a life lived for Jesus and for Thailand.
Rick* arrived in Thailand from Germany in his early 40s with abundant experience in the hospitality/travel industry. He had recently returned to God after many years the prodigal. Rick does not want to waste any more of his life and has come to Thailand to manage the holiday home on the beach, using his gifts to bring rest and relaxation to tired and stressed cross-cultural workers. He is a real blessing to many, but he also has a heart for the lost Thai around him, so in his spare time, he makes videos on TikTok and now has many followers with whom he shares the gospel. He has also written a book to testify to the work of God in his life, which is being translated into Thai.
Hans and Valerie* are a young couple from the northeast of India. Becoming cross-cultural workers in Thailand has been quite a journey for them, especially navigating the finances to be on the field. Their ability to cross cultures has been amazing to witness. For them, missionary life in Thailand is a gift to be treasured. When their first baby was due, they did not go to the expensive Western-style hospital but gave birth in the hospital closest to their home. Because of this, they built many friendships and contacts in the community and are such a beloved presence in their town.
Perhaps this is just one patchwork square in the colourful quilt of ministry and work in Thailand, as our teams work alongside Thai pastors, evangelists, leaders, and church members to share the good news of Jesus with family and neighbours from pulpits, online, in the market, and in government offices. The bold and bright, the quiet and humble, joined together, committed to loving one another and bearing one another’s burdens for the sake of the gospel and Thai people. Please pray for us as we care for this diverse and beautiful “quilt” of workers, that we also will be humble, sensitive, and have God’s wisdom in our day-to-day interactions.
*names have been changed