I’m a little hard to describe! I have many passions and many interests. In fact, one of the greatest challenges I face in life is deciding. Do I want pizza or a cheeseburger? I don’t know. Should I be an astronaut or an accountant? Not sure. Should I write about God or politics? Hmmmm….maybe both? I am definitely an overthinker and am skilled at thinking of every possible course of action, but an absolute amateur at deciding between them! While this is a definite weakness in some of life’s arenas, the silver lining is that it has enabled me to live outside the box. I don’t just accidently acquire perspectives…I doggedly seek them out, filter them, rethink them, compare them with alternative perspectives, and finally, make them my own.
While I am uncertain about many things, the one thing in life I cannot help but be sure of is Jesus. The bottom line is that he is alive. He is not a theory to be discussed or a historical figure to be admired. He is really real, and He means to be encountered. A split-second encounter with Him back in 2007 irreversibly changed my life, and now I live to embrace all that has so perfectly embraced me.
As a part of discovering Jesus, one passion that has developed in me is to shower love on those society forgets. This includes the poor and disabled, but also those who have made choices or been forced into lifestyles that good, “moral” people despise. I so believe in the worth of all people and am excited to discover it where it is least expected! It was because of this passion that I moved to Pattaya, Thailand in 2011, and have been here ever since. I work with Not Abandoned to help women out of the sex industry, offering training and job opportunities.
Last but not least, there’s my family. My wife Ying is from Thailand (some people think that she was the real reason I moved to Thailand…and they’d be at least partially right!) and is a fireball of energy, passion, interests, action, and energy. Lots of energy. I would probably dedicate my whole life to trying to keep up with her if it wasn’t that one of her passions is to see me accomplish my dreams. Life would be dull without her! Together we have our son, Emmett, who is the cutest child ever to be born on planet earth (or any other planet for that matter), who shares a somewhat complicated introvert personality with me, and has the same boundless energy as his mom. He is the best thing to ever happen to me!
Stephen Fulton 