Seminary Student Brother Sriyanont Somchai (Surat Thani Manmin Church for the Hearing-impaired in Thailand)


I was born with hearing impairment to a Chinese father and an Indonesian mother. I had to undergo a lot of hardship growing up as a child of mixed-blood. Moreover, my father was involved with a lot of women and he wouldn't maintain a normal family situation. I had three step mothers and my biological mother was missing.

In such a situation, I didn't have anything to rely on and wandered to find my own shelter. But I ended up being a person just like my father without knowing it. I had attended church since I was 19, but I continued to live such a wild life because I didn't have true faith. I was notorious as a womanizer.

Meantime, I became acquainted with Pastor Jeonghun Ji, Vice Guidance Pastor of the Hearing-impaired Mission in Manmin Central Church and Missionary in Malaysia while working for the Deaf Association in Hat Yai, Thailand. In January, 2010, he talked to me about the holiness gospel and the powerful works that had occurred in Manmin Central Church.

And through Pastor Ji, I came to meet Brother Joseph Limbangpil who, as a seminary student, ministers to Hat Yai Manmin Church for the Hearing-impaired in Thailand. He kept talking to me about Dr. Jaerock Lee's sermons and his powerful works via video chatting. He said people can be healed of their diseases transcending space and time by receiving Dr. Lee's prayer for the sick with faith.

In April, 2010, I met Pastor Ji and Brother Joseph again. Joseph explained about Hell showing me Dr. Lee's book Hell. The book shocked me greatly, and then I cut myself off from fornication and made up my mind to become renewed. I repented of my past wrongdoings praying and fasting for the first time in my life.

Afterwards, I attended the Hat Yai Manmin Church for the Hearing-impaired and gave a-meal fasting every day for two months and tried to live by the Word of God. Reading The Message of the Cross authored by Dr. Lee, I realized the providence embedded in salvation such as 'the reason why God placed the tree of knowledge of good and evil' and 'the reasons why Jesus is our only Savior.' The book brought change to my Christian life. I didn't cease to pray every night and my life, behavior. and words were changed.

In June, 2010 and in May, 2012, Pastor Sooyeol Cho from Manmin Central Church in Korea visited Thailand and preached about the living God with the handkerchief on which Dr. Lee had prayed (Acts 19:11-12). Many people gave glory to God with their healing testimonies. It was a great opportunity to increase my faith and I was led to receive the blessed duty of taking care of souls and spreading the gospel.

On August 3, 2012, I paid a second visit to Korea to participate in Manmin Men's and Women's Missions' Summer Retreat with other hearing-impaired believers from Thailand and Malaysia. On my first visit to Manmin in 2010, I could see at a glance that the church was full of God's power and the Lord's love.

At that time, I met Dr. Jaerock Lee for the first time and in my eyes he was a warm-hearted man with full of love. He was like a gentle father. My emotional pain caused by the fact that I had been abandoned by my parents was melted before him. And I came to be overwhelmed with joy and thanks because I realized God is my Father and I have Dr. Lee who let me feel Him.

The 2012 Summer Retreat was still full of grace and the truth. In particular, I experienced an amazing thing in the Muan Sweet Water Site where the salty seawater was changed into sweet drinkable water just as it had happened at Marah (Exodus 15:25). God opened my spiritual eyes and let me see beautiful jewels in Heaven.

I will go back to my country with the precious jewels in my heart. I will run with hope thinking of my future 'self' that becomes like a beautifully refined jewel in the love of Father God and the Lord. Hallelujah!