We are very happy to report that two more young people from our training center have become members of the Church and have publicly decided to follow Jesus! We are located in a mountain village where many children grow up without parents, as their parents work in large cities. This is the story of Fai and Art.
Fai grew up with her foster grandmother, learning to cook over an open fire, sew by hand, and bathe in a bucket of water. From a young age, she attended our training center, acquiring life skills, shaping her character, and learning about Jesus. Around the age of 12, she began helping younger children at the center. After finishing high school, she moved to the big city to live with her parents and continue her education.
“In the city, everything was completely different,” Fai shared. “I couldn’t go to church and wondered how I could stay close to God. But I saw how He cared for me. He even sent a Christian classmate who invited me to her church. Looking back, I see God’s hand in my life from the very beginning. I want to follow Him and share His love with others.”
We continue our weekly online Bible studies with Fai, Art, and other young believers to support and strengthen them in their faith! Thank you for your prayers!
Recently, two young people decided to follow Jesus and publicly declared their faith through baptism. One of them shared:
“My parents separated when I was little. In my father’s new family, I didn’t feel accepted, so I moved to live with my grandfather, a well-known shaman in our village. New friends invited me to church. I liked studying English and life skills there. I started playing the piano and learned how to pray. When I refused to participate in the family’s pagan ritual, my grandfather said, ‘You can leave and see how you survive without us!’ I was shocked. I cried all night. When I shared my difficulties at church, I was advised to show love to my grandmother and grandfather.
I began to help with the household chores. Over time, my faith grew stronger, and their attitude toward me softened. One day, I told them that I couldn’t accept their rituals, but I deeply loved them. To my surprise, they didn’t get angry and even allowed my sister to go with me to church. God answered my prayers! Now I continue to pray for my family to know God. I believe He has a plan for our family.”
Thank you all for supporting our ministry in Thailand!
The journey we were privileged to undertake, spreading the Word of God, took us to remote areas of Thailand and Myanmar, where tribes and families have endured the pain of conflict and loss during the war. In these villages, children held a Bible in their native language for the first time.
Along with the Bibles, we provided food aid, staying true to the belief that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
Parents and children were deeply moved! Above all, the Bible captured their hearts. Reading about God’s love and promises in their native tongue is a gift that brings enduring hope.
Meet Win and Switch, two of over 2,000 children who received the Word of God. Win shared: “This book has given me tremendous strength. I realize how much God loves me and how He has saved me. After reading, I feel a deep desire to learn more and seek forgiveness.”
Switch said: “This is my first Bible. It feels wonderful to learn these stories for the first time in a way I can understand.”
Their joy as they held this precious gift reminded us of the honor of being part of this mission. Praise God for this incredible teamwork!
We believe that by reaching one generation for Christ and teaching them to do the same, we can change the entire history of a nation that has long worshiped ancestral spirits. God’s work is visible worldwide, and we are honored to witness His power among people who have yet to know Him. Many of those who have come to Christ are the first generation in their families to follow Him. They are at different stages in life — some in their golden years, but many are very young.
As they grow in faith, they face immense challenges, often from family members who remain devoted to ancestral worship. But amid these challenges, we see God’s hand guiding them, teaching them to look beyond their personal struggles and serve others. Through serving, they experience God’s faithfulness and love firsthand.
Our focus goes beyond spreading the Gospel; it is about living a Christ-centered life and supporting those who have responded to His call. This is a journey of both spiritual and practical learning. Our youth find their footing in Christ and learn to walk with Him daily.
I feel powerless as I witness many of the surviving refugees, children growing up without parents, and orphans in our village. Recently, when the director of the orphanage we visit monthly asked for help to buy plates for the children, I found myself asking, “God, do You really want us to do this?” We prayed about it with our children and covered the cost of the plates. Now, 120 children have new plates! God once again showed His power and reminded us that He provides and sometimes chooses to do so through us. We should be grateful for the opportunity to witness His miracles.
Can God bless others through me? Help comes from the Lord, and He decides how, when, and through whom it will come. We witnessed a miracle through a prayer that was answered. Visiting the orphanage with our family and seeing the joy on the children’s faces served as a powerful reminder that we should bring all our needs to God. Whether it’s refugees needing food, children needing a camp program, or people suffering from dengue fever, we must trust God to perform miracles.
Please join us in prayer for all these needs! May God bless each of you and provide for all your needs.
We have witnessed an amazing transformation. A woman who was once strongly opposed to Christians, even demanding back everything she had ever given to those who became Christians, has started attending our Bible study. Remarkably, she and her husband have decided to follow Jesus and have stopped worshiping spirits.
We now hold Bible study sessions at their home, where they are eagerly learning how to pray and study the Word of God together. This is a significant change and a serious decision for them, especially since many of their family members are not yet followers of Christ.
Please join us in praying for this couple and for a few other families who are open to learning more about Jesus—some have even started coming to church! We are also thankful to God for the elderly couple who have joined us in serving. They have been a tremendous blessing, especially in reaching out to the elderly in our community.
1,000 Reasons to Be Thankful
As I wrote before, there has been a war in our neighboring country for many years. Last week, we had the opportunity to visit refugee children in schools and camps. Most of these children have lost their parents and the places they once called “home.” Now, they live in huts, tents, or even under the open sky, holding onto hope for a better future.
One of the places we visited shelters 500 children who are clinging to God for their daily food. Most of these children are aged three and up, with only a few adults to care for them. Despite the extreme heat, lack of fans, and visible hunger and fatigue, the children were singing:
“Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One, give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son!…”
In moments like these, it’s hard to find any words to say, except to join them in prayer to our Heavenly Father, asking Him to provide for their needs, and reminding myself of 1,000, and even more, reasons I can be thankful to God!
With God’s help and the support of Christians like you, Avoda was able to send food aid to these children. Ladies from our church baked 600 cookies to bring some joy to them. God is good!
We are deeply grateful for your financial support, which helped us send cookies to these children. We invite you to be part of this important work in Thailand:
1. Pray: Ask God to send more partners to provide food aid for children in desperate need.
2. Participate: Join a team to run children’s programs in the refugee camps, share the Gospel, and bring joy and hope.
3. Donate: Contribute to providing nutritious cookies for the children, and witness the joy it brings them.
4. Spread the Word: Tell others about this ministry and how they can be part of it.
We are preparing, by God’s grace, to visit again in August. Please pray for the right people to join our team!
We are very grateful for you. May God richly bless each of you, provide for all your needs, and remind you of the 1,000 reasons you can be thankful!
