“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings good tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation…” Isaiah 52:7

“Amazing Thailand”, so the tourism promotion goes, and indeed most visitors would agree as they step into modern day Thailand. The word “thai” means free, Thailand is thus, the land of the free.
Today there are some 43 ACM-trained missionary workers in Thailand who report that spiritually there are great opportunities and openness to present the gospel. Its 62 million population is largely Buddhist at 93.4% and Muslim at 4%, but there is freedom to belong to other religions. Of the 76 provinces, 14 have fewer than 1,000 Christians (OMF report).

Despite the economic crisis of the mid-1990’s, Thailand now has a growing and vibrant economy which is also changing people’s lives. An official mission report notes that people are drifting to the cities and materialism is growing. With this growth however, comes the problem of the dynamic epidemic of HIV/AIDS. In the just concluded XV International AIDS conference in Bangkok this July 11 to 16, 2004, the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS reports that one in 60 people of the 62 million Thai are infected with HIV. AIDS has become the leading cause of death in Thailand. While the government has achieved considerable prevention successes, the missionaries recognize this as a wonderful opening to declare the love of Jesus Christ in word and in deed.

Last April, a four-member ACM Missionary Care team with Meg Alag,Missionary Care director, N.O. staffers Dolly Santos and Vangie Chio and volunteer Magoo del Mundo, flew to Thailand to bring encouragement to our missionary brothers and sisters and their children. They witnessed how the missionaries are reaping the harvest for God’s kingdom. They observed that most of the workers are now in strategic ministries after a difficult start up season and dryness.

They are reaching the displaced (Burmese refugees), the rejected (prisoners), the unacceptable (HIV/AIDS victims), the orphans and widows, the poor and powerless (tribes),abused children, an the proud ethnic Thais, through various ministries such as English language centers, tribal children homes/hostels, prison ministries, church planting and campus ministries. What follows are some wonderful stories showing how God’s hand has been truly working through the missionaries in Thailand.