Sharing the Gospel in Thailand's Schools

Wow! It's hard to believe it's only been a month in Thailand—it feels like a lifetime in the most wonderful way. At first, we didn’t have a set schedule and were simply living day by day, seeing where the Lord would lead us. Along the way, we’ve met amazing people from all across Thailand. I’m thrilled to announce that we’ve partnered with Cru AIA Thailand, and it has been such a joy-filled experience!

So far, we’ve been working with two schools alongside AIA: North Chiang Mai University (North CMU) and a public secondary school for grades 7–12. Walking onto these campuses and seeing the prominent spirit houses and offerings, I initially didn’t expect them to be so open to Christianity and American culture. But both schools have truly surprised us.

At North CMU, the sports director was incredibly welcoming. She was excited to meet us and eager to introduce us to the university’s athletes. Although she told us she isn’t a Christian, she expressed how happy she was to have us on campus, saying we were exactly what her students needed. She even invited us to come any evening to play sports with the students and encouraged us to spend as much time with them as possible.

As we toured the campus, we were met with such kindness. Rather than being put off by the fact that we were there to share about Jesus, the students and staff grew more curious. It’s exciting to see their openness. We’ll be working at North CMU every Tuesday and spending evenings on campus playing sports. Right now, there are only two Christian teachers and fewer than ten Christians on the entire campus, but I’m eager to see what God will do through this ministry.

Hang Dong School, the second school we’re partnering with, was another pleasant surprise. On our first day, we met the principal and her supervisor, who warmly welcomed us. After hearing why we wanted to be on their campus, they smiled and asked when we could start. They even offered us our own classroom time—50 minutes per session—with complete freedom to teach and talk about anything we wanted.

As we walked through the school, students watched us curiously, and some were brave enough to greet us and exchange a few words in English. Until we get our own classroom, one of the teachers has graciously “adopted” us into his class, where we’ve been helping teach English. He’s one of the kindest teachers we’ve met, and at the end of each class, he gives us about 10 minutes to share about Jesus or American culture.

One day, Maja shared her testimony with the class, and afterward, the teacher told us how much he needed to hear it. He shared that he had been feeling the same way Maja described before she gave her life to Christ. He shared that he is Buddhist but expressed a genuine interest in learning more about Jesus and even mentioned he might join us for church someday. His openness was incredibly encouraging and gave me a fresh perspective on sharing the gospel—not just with students but also with teachers. We’ll be at Hang Dong every Wednesday, but honestly, one day a week feels far too short. I would love to be there every day, engaging with the students and teachers and building deeper relationships.

On Thursday, we were invited back to Hang Dong for their sports day, and it was such a fun experience! The school was buzzing with activity—soccer, volleyball, and several other games I couldn’t even name were happening all at once. While many students were participating in the games, others were cheering on their classmates from the sidelines.

After watching a few matches, we decided to take a break and play some card games with the students. As soon as we pulled out our cards and started shuffling at a table, we drew a lot of curious glances and quickly found plenty of students eager to join us. Despite the language barrier, we managed to connect through the games, using the little Thai we know and the little English they know to learn more about each other.

Before leaving the school, we took a moment to pray, asking for God’s blessing over the campus and inviting the Holy Spirit to move powerfully there. It was a beautiful way to end the day, and I’m excited to see what doors God will continue to open at Hang Dong.

"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

-Isaiah 9:6

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for Continued team unity.

• Pray for our team as we start to get homesick during the holidays.

• Pray for Thai students that we are sharing the gospel with.

• Pray for Thai AIA staff as they raise support during the holidays.