We started our journey this month with launch ( a week of training, worship, and connecting with our squad) from Phuket, Thailand. Our team then traveled to Chiang Mai to meet up with our contact missionaries, Ray and Candice Ward. Ray and Candice head up Outpour Movement where they minster to villages in Northern Thailand, Burmese Children, and provide support to local pastors. Our team was very blessed to serve with the Wards as they challenged us and stretched us to get out of the box and seek what God is saying to us. Through the encouragement and love of the Ward’s, God shaped our team into a unified, unstoppable force, who are not afraid to take on God’s difficult challenges this coming year.
Back Row: Chole Campbell, Justin Warren, Jamie Campbell, Lauren Black, Candice and Ray Ward (awesome missionaries) Front Row: Mark Sratman (Race Alumni), Charity Malik (Outpower Staff), Alicia Jones, Jess Monfort, Mark Norris
The first week of ministry, we traveled to Chiang Rai to minister at a drop in center which serves Burmese street children who beg on the bridge that crosses between Thailand and Burma. Some of the children do not have parents or parents who require them to beg to bring in income for the family and are often tortured if they don’t bring enough money home. The children are at risk for human trafficking and training as child soldiers. The drop in center offers a place where these children can get a good meal and spend the day playing games, doing crafts, learning English, studying the Bible, learning and applying Christian principles. The center also offers a program where the children can go around and pick up recyclable items to exchange for money in lieu of begging.
The Drop in Center in Right of Photo Kids at the Drop in Center
The kids at the drop in center touched my heart. When we pulled up to the center, the children ran out to great us, all with smiles and joy. They started grabbing our bags to help move us in. It did not matter that these children live in horrible living conditions, they are happy and have a joy in them that is very contagious. They are also very content with what they have which is next to nothing. You can see Philippians 4:11 “…be content whatever the circumstances.” Evident in these kids lives. I began examining my own life and found areas I need to be content with or have joy no matter what the circumstances.
At the end of the drop in center week, we served 3 countries in 3 days. The first day we crossed the border to lead worship in an underground Bible Study in Burma. On the second day, we led a big children’s celebration with games, worship, and Bible Study at “Children’s Day,” a Thailand holiday. On the 3rd day, we rode bikes 35 miles, boarded a boat and crossed into Laos were we did a prayer ministry. What a very busy, exciting, and rewarding weekend!
Burma Church Burma Pastors and Teachers
The Burma Bible Study was a very eye opening experience. The people there love God with all their hearts and are not afraid to worship him in a dangerous land. It was a joy to hear them sing to God in their own language, hear them pray powerful prayers, and read the scriptures in their own language. These men and women of God are living Deuteronomy 5:25, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all of your soul and all your strength.”
Arrival al to Laos-many children begging as we Children’s Day Bible Study
got off of the boats.
Our last week in Thailand, we spent ministering to villages in the jungles of Northern Thailand. We were honored to work with Veeraphong , a village pastor who has a heart for all the villages in his area and awesome dreams. His goal is have a youth ministry with 20,000 youth from the villages. I am certain this dream will be come reality after seeing Wilopaun’s faith, vision, and perseverance in action. While working with Veeraphong , we ministered to 4 schools where most of the students are Buddist. We were able to sing worship songs, share testimonies, read and preach from the Bible, and pray. The children were very receptive and excited to learn a couple of worship songs. It was an awesome experience to lead worship at one of the King’s Foundation schools with the brightest children and possible future leaders in Thailand.
Northern Thailand Village Schools
What an amazing ministry in Thailand! God is definately at work through the missionaries and village pastors. They need our prayers and support.
