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!
Our mission to reach Thailand for Christ continues, step by step, from the North to the South. One of the ways we work toward this goal is “Camp on Wheels,” through which we conduct evangelism and discipleship training to reach children and young adults across Thailand during school breaks. Over the last two months, we held four camps for children and two for youth, covering 2500 km (1553 miles) to reach our station in the South. We witnessed God’s work throughout Thailand!
North: In the North, we served at a children’s home for refugees and children from the Akka tribe in the mountains. “You are the first Christians that came to help us!” they told us. Partnering with a friend from the YMCA, we aim to ensure weekly visits. Our youth, many from broken families who have experienced God’s love and care, now share that love with others. Seeing how God heals broken hearts and uses them to heal others is a joy.
West: Our camp was for refugees from Myanmar, people who came to our country looking for safety and hope for their future. Many children from Muslim and Buddhist families could once again experience God’s love. Their testimonies were very encouraging. Some children from Muslim families are believers and haven’t announced it to their families yet but show their changed lives. Some can’t stay with their families because they believe in Jesus as the Son of God. It was a hot season and the temperature sometimes went up to 42°C-50°C (108°F-122°F). Our team witnessed how God provides strength and makes it possible to be energetic while doing His work! We also thank God for the way He provided finances through His children, allowing us to hold the camp, provide snacks for the children, and take them to the waterfall one day, for which they were so grateful!
South: It was a 3-day trip until we reached our place in the South. Heat, humidity, and mosquitos were the biggest challenges. But it was nothing compared to what God prepared for us there. Muslim families are open to the Gospel! We didn’t face any resistance but even received support when parents let their children join our 5-day camp. Sixty children attended every day, and many of them were from Muslim families. Forty of them came that week on Sunday for Church service. The team from Germany was a big blessing and support. We experienced true teamwork, serving together for God, Thai and German youth learning from each other and hearing how God works in each life. We thank God for the open hearts and pray for the right people to continue the work there.
Moving Forward: As we conclude this season of “Camp on Wheels,” we express our gratitude to God and everyone who prayed, donated, and encouraged us. Please continue to pray for open hearts to grow in their faith and experience God in their lives! Pray for God to send the right people to Thailand so that the Word of God can spread and more people can come to Christ! We are preparing for the next season of camps in October-November. Would you like to join us? Please pray for our “Camp on Wheels” ministry to bring Thailand to Christ, step by step, and while doing this, disciple young people to grow in their faith and reach their generation for Christ!
Grace to you, our dear church, greetings from Thailand!
War is a tough ordeal for people of all ages, from adults to the elderly and even the youngest children. In Myanmar, a neighboring country of Thailand, war has raged for years, displacing countless families. Over 90,000 refugees from Myanmar now seek shelter in Thailand, many confined to refugee camps or limited areas.
Among them are the children of a home we visit monthly. These children are from Myanmar. Some attempted to seek safety in Thailand but were separated from their parents, who were compelled to remain in Myanmar as soldiers. Others fled with their families and now reside along the border. Most of these children see their parents once a year during a school break; some don’t know whether it will happen again. Amidst this tumult, 48 children find refuge in the care of a dedicated couple. They crave love and attention. When we first visited, we felt God’s guidance leading us there. We learned we were the first Christians to visit them. During our visits, together with our youth, we share the gospel, play games, and make crafts, all while showing the love of Jesus. By God’s grace, more than 10 young people have decided to follow Jesus, eager to learn more about Him. We committed to monthly visits, despite the distance, and God’s providence has been evident. Initially, our budget was tight, but a timely donation from a family whose children had been collecting money for missions sustained us for three more months! Praise God! God is great, and if He calls, He provides!
Currently, we face a need for school uniforms and supplies. These items are not just practical; they symbolize hope and dignity for these children.
Our local church is experiencing the special blessing of being a part of God’s work!
Thank you for your prayers and every financial participation! Each contribution is a part of this story, a story of God’s grace and provision in the midst of hardship.
It’s essential to pray to the True God, who hears and answers prayers.” This was our Bible lesson for over 100 students and their teachers in a public school. Yes, you heard it correctly – in a public school! The doors are still open to teach English and share Bible stories with students and teachers. We have a few schools that are asking us to come and teach! Last week, we were talking about Elijah, whose prayer for fire on his offering was answered, unlike the prayers of the false prophets. Teachers and students have shown their interest in these teachings. After class, some boys asked when they could come to church. The following Sunday, seven more boys from this school attended the Sunday service! Please pray for God to send someone long-term to teach English and the Bible in public schools.
We are very grateful for the bakery ministry, which helps us reach adults and provides treats for the outreach ministry, refugee families, orphanages, schools, and children in need. Thank you for your financial support because part of it goes towards providing treats for our outreach ministry! You would see the joy in children’s eyes! Please pray for us as we go to share the Gospel in one of the tribal orphanages this week and organize a children and youth camp at the refugee camp on the border with Myanmar. May God bless you and strengthen you to shine His light on the people around you!
Greetings from our church in Thailand! We pray to the True God because we believe He answers!
It has been more than 10 years since God led us to Thailand. Reflecting on this journey, I have learned several profound lessons. Missionary work is a long-term ministry, where short-term contributions from each one of us wield significant influence in bringing people closer to Christ. Whether engaged in construction, playing with children, offering haircuts, teaching financial principles, sharing Bible stories, or simply visiting homes – each of these small acts can be used by God for His great purposes. The little girl you played with and sang songs to, the boys who seemed disinterested during your English lessons – today, they stand as leaders in children’s and worship ministries within the Church and among their peers!
Last month, alongside our brothers, we had the privilege of visiting our Avoda projects in other locations. Among them were our children from Myanmar, where we conducted children’s programs and taught English many years ago. Familiar faces abounded! A teenage girl approached me with joy and said, “I am so happy today that I can come to church. Yesterday I was sick and very sad that I couldn’t help in the ministry. I prayed, and I feel much better! I am glad to be here and teach children about God!” This girl comes from a strong Muslim family, sharing, “My brother and I are ‘secret believers’; our parents still don’t know that we come to church and do ministry for God.” Over a decade ago, this beautiful girl, like many others, learned on the floor, coloring, drawing, and writing, enjoying being in a safe place without hearing the sounds of war. Today, we witness her and a few others as leaders, sharing the Word of God with little children and teaching them to worship wholeheartedly. A few young believers like her are staying at the pastor’s place and can’t go home.
Praise the Lord for everyone who served these people through being here, through prayers, and through financial support for those who came. We are grateful to all who collected glasses and sent them here; through the ministry with glasses and giving haircuts, we reached people from eight different villages, including tribes residing in the mountains and refugee families from Myanmar. God provided miraculously just in time a donation, and we were able to purchase warm clothes and prepare some gifts for the people we visited! Thank God for His amazing work!
Please continue to pray for our children’s ministry, ministry with ladies through the “5 Loaves” bakery, and ministry with the elderly! Also, please keep us in your prayers as the leaders here, for God’s wisdom and continued guidance!
“Never stop learning because life never stops teaching!” – With these encouraging words, we started our life skills school, where children come to learn life skills that will help them be more independent and also grow in Christ-like character. At this moment, children are learning how to prepare meals using a rice cooker, take care of their bodies and clothes, and also how to manage money, especially when they have only a few coins. There are more than 50 children who come from different backgrounds and family settings. They are happy to spend time together and feel that someone cares. They are also learning that having a good character is very hard on their own, but God is always there to help them!
“Please allow my children to help you in teaching, practicing their skills, and assisting other children.” In other words, “I want my children to be with Christians!” – This was a request from two families whose parents asked us for their teenage daughter and son to join our team. They see the church as a place where their teens can grow, learn, and make friends. Both families’ parents are educated people, with one of them still being a strong Buddhist believer. So now, three young people have joined our team to teach life skills and learn about Christ! We are praying that their parents will join us as well.
One day, a lady from the village (who is not a believer) visited our church. She saw the teens singing and playing musical instruments and, with disappointment, said to her friend, “Why doesn’t my daughter come to church? Look how these young people are singing and seem so happy.” It’s a powerful testimony for people to see that those who do not follow rituals but believe in the Highest God have a better, blessed life!
A few months ago, during a baptism in our church, a young man got baptized, and the non-Christian mom asked her daughter, “Why aren’t you getting baptized as well?” Her daughter was surprised and happy to hear these words. Perhaps her mom could also testify to the changes that happened in their family. A few years ago, Jane* (the name of the girl changed) experienced a lot of pain growing up with her grandma and longing for her parents’ love, as both of them were working in a big city far away from her. Later, she found out that they were not together and were planning on separating. That was an even bigger pain, but she prayed and asked us to pray, holding onto hope that one day their family would be together again. God heard her prayers, He saw her faith! Time passed, and her parents reunited and even moved back to stay with the family. Their family was reunited! God is real! She can testify to how God worked in her life and how life with Him is much better than being on her own. Jane* made a decision to follow Jesus and was baptized last Sunday. We continue to pray for her parents to come to Christ and believe it will happen soon. Thank you for your prayers! These are only a few testimonies of how God is working in people’s hearts. Please pray with us as we strive to reach adults, parents, and grandparents of our children, that they would recognize their personal need for Jesus as well.
Thank you very much for all your prayers and support. May God richly bless every one of you!
