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A Reflection Upon the Meaning and Purpose of the Partnership This Spiritual Partnership connects we Christians in Pennsylvania with our brothers and sisters of Nan in prayer and spiritual unity. We share joys, embrace each other in times of fear or loss, and reinforce our faith in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. For this lofty concept to have real meaning to the partners in each culture, however, we must know each other as brothers and sisters. And that is one reason for Thai Christians having visited us and for our return visits to Nan. Before addressing other reasons for travel of the partners, however, the unique nature of a Spiritual Partnership leads to the comment that this is not primarily an economic partnership, nor one to promote cultural transfer, per se. Our Presbytery/Pahk partnership is one of many that the Presbyterian Church (USA) actively supports and encourages. Across the United States there have been several partnerships with various Pahks (regions) in Thailand. The partnerships are a natural and appropriate growth of our American Churches which at one time almost exclusively sent missionaries to overseas locations to introduce the Gospel. |
