USA, Brazil Work & Witness team serves in Thailand
A combined Work & Witness team from Lubbock, Texas, and São Paulo, Brazil, traveled to Korat, Thailand, to share the love of Christ and assist with the work at Baan Jai Di (House of Good Heart).
The trip was made possible after Jake and Mimi Page had an idea for a joint missions trip. The team members came from diverse backgrounds and ranged in age from 4 to more than 60 years old.
The team shared their testimonies, told of how God brought them to Thailand, and looked to see where God might lead them in the future as they prayed for, served, and loved the local people.
The emphasis of this trip was prayer for the country. They started off their time in Bangkok by conducting a prayer walk through the city and by sharing with anyone who seemed interested.
The group also visited a new church plant in Bangkok that recently found a small house where they can meet together for worship. The team helped renovate the house by demolishing concrete, washing walls, painting, and removing weeds. Afterward, they shared a meal together, and the team also participated in Sunday worship at the church.
After praying over the church, the team moved to the Korat Province several hours east of Bangkok. Here the team worked on a farm, taught English, and served in two schools. They also shared the Word of God with children at Baan Jai Di, a new compassionate ministry center that is bringing hope to one of the poorest and most unreached areas of Thailand.
They ministered there by telling and acting out Bible stories for the children, singing songs, playing games, and, most importantly, by praying over the leaders of the center.
“The presence of this team, and others who have come before, has had a tremendous impact on Korat and on the work at Baan Jai Di,” said Kevin and Jeni Campbell-White, Work & Witness coordinators for the Southeast Asia Field. “Aside from being a source of encouragement to local leadership, who work tirelessly to share Jesus with everyone there, Work & Witness teams help build relationships and open doors to ministry.”
Kevin and Jeni shared the Gospel and healthy parenting methods with the parents and teachers in a local village, while the Work & Witness team played with the children. Many of those in attendance wanted to know more about Christianity, and the team came prepared with Bibles to pass out to attendees.
“When we think about people from all over the world working together, praying together, giving together, coming together to reach out to those in need, to those who don’t know Jesus; when we work in unity in spite of language differences and cultural barriers; our hearts swell with love and pride, and we can’t help but think that perhaps Jesus feels the same way and would proudly say, ‘That’s my Church!’” Jeni said.