Tom Xaymongkhonh
When God takes control of my life and His Holy Spirit lives inside of me, I feel called to be His servant. God has opened the door for me to serve Him through the Lao Worshipping Community. It all began in January 1998 when my pastor asked me to help with the youth Sunday school. Then in February 2005, I learned how to play the keyboard and began helping with the music in worship. Currently, I’am leading Sunday worship and giving the sermons for the Lao Worshipping Community when our pastor is not available
I was born in Champassak, Laos in 1972 as the 11th child in a family of 12 (six boys and six girls). My parents were deeply rooted in the Buddhist religious tradition. We immigrated to Houston, Texas, and we became permanent residents in August 1981. In 1985, our family moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. This is where my faith began to develop as well as my understanding of what God wants me to do with my life. I realized that the very least I could do is offer my life in service to God.
After graduating from high school, I really wanted to go to a Christian college. I was not able to convince my parents about this choice. Instead, I attended Emporia State University where I earned my BS degree in business, majoring in computer information systems. During my college years, I got married, and we had our first child. With four boys (Jordan, Jake, Jaye, and James) now, my desire to serve God is still active and alive. I know that if God still wants me to have a Bible education, He will find a way. After being a part of the Lao Worshipping Community, I was encouraged to become part of the PMA program.
God uses me in so many ways … not just within the local church but within the Laotian community as well. I visit and pray with the sick. I am there to listen when someone needs to talk. There are challenges and obstacles in being God’s disciple, but His grace is sufficient for me. God continues to make and mold me into the man that He wants me to be.
Some of my favorite Bible verses / stories include the one about a widow who challenged Jesus’ boundary of the heart when she asked for her daughter to be healed. And, another is about the unjust judge who granted a widow her wishes for her persistence in asking for justice (Luke 18:1-8)
Another of my favorites is from John 15:15, “I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” (NRSV) This verse really opened my heart and mind to a new way of thinking. As God’s disciple or believer in Jesus Christ, I am no longer just his servant but his friend. There is no limit to what God can do whether it’s in Laotian ministry, praying for the sick, or being a missionary: God can do all things.
Outside of church, I enjoy computer programming, video photography, and tennis.
To learn more about the Lao Worshiping Community go to www.xaytha.com/llwc