On Tuesday, November 15th, 16 members of a Caring Partners mission team returned to the U.S.A. from serving the Lord in the country of Thailand. Working alongside three Thai pastors and their church congregations in three separate regions of Thailand, the team was blessed to see the Holy Spirit move in amazing ways!
Sadly, two weeks before the team left the U.S.A., the King of Thailand passed away. King Bhumibol was beloved by the people of his country, and as a result of his death, the country announced a 30 day period of mourning, during which the entire country was asked to wear black clothing, and refrain from excessive celebrations or entertainment. Our medical clinics were allowed to proceed, but out of our respect and love for the Thai people, our mission team also wore black during our time in Thailand.
The week before we arrived, our national partner, Pastor Ronaldo Gutlay, conducted a prayer meeting at his church plant in Bangkok. There, he and Pastor Pran Pradit led a Prayer Conference, which included specific prayers for our upcoming medical mission. One prayer was that the Holy Spirit would move among the hearts of our Thai patients, and our team would be blessed to see 500 souls make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, which would have been a record harvest for any one Caring Partners healthcare clinic. And God answered these prayers in a miraculous way!
Our clinics began at the Bangkok church on Sunday, November 6th, then moved to a local secondary school the next day. The Bangkok church had never been able to conduct an outreach at the school, less than a mile from their own property, but did receive official permission to bring the medical team for wellness checks for the school's students. Of the 1,400 students, the mission team examined more than 700, providing medical care, chiropractic, and eyeglass testing. And each student was presented with a clear presentation of the Gospel message by a Thai member of the mission team. The principal of the school was our first patient, and she was so excited from the results, she asked for the team to return again next year! She also gave permission for the Bangkok church to begin a sports outreach to her students.
The Caring Partners clinics then moved to the eastern region of Korat. There the team partnered with Pastor Santisuk and his local church. The Pastor and his congregation had purchased some land just outside of Korat city, and the team was blessed to serve in an open-air recreational building owned by a local school, close to the church's new property. Pastor Santisuk & his church had canvassed four local villages and invited the people to the clinic, and the crowds came, including several Buddhist monks from the local temple. How exciting it was for our team to be a part of this new work in an unreached area in Thailand!
The team then traveled almost 500 miles to the northernmost regions of Thailand, to the city of Chiang Rai, to serve with Pastor Jay & Rochelle Orata. Pastor Jay and his church just celebrated their first anniversary this past summer, and only two months ago, moved into a larger facility; a storefront building in a small strip mall on the edge of Chiang Rai, bordering several large subdivisions of homes and apartments. Pastor Jay was so excited for the medical mission to be held at his new church, because he told us "As a church, we have been praying to reach our neighborhood for Christ, and now with the medical clinic, our neighbors are coming to us!"
God's Word tells us in Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him". What an honor and a privilege it was for our team to come alongside our Thai church partners, to minister together to the people of Thailand, and to see the Lord answer prayers in a miraculous way. Because we did not witness 500 souls coming to a saving knowledge of Christ, but 1,106 who made a profession of faith in our Lord Jesus - to God be the glory, great things He has done!
