Isaan Outreach

Isaan Outreach

God is gloriously intruding into Isaan

At first sight you would not expect dynamic things to happen in the Northeast of Thailand, better known as Isaan. It is the most laid back part of Thailand, where the pace of life is slow and the majority of people are rice farmers. But since November 2006 a small band of OMF-missionaries has started church planting ministry. This small team is about to grow into a dynamic team of missionaries who long to see the Isaan people reached for God and the Lord Jesus. Right now we are present with two Dutch families and a South-African. Five more families are in language study, preparing for ministry in Isaan.

Isaan is steeped in Buddhism with Buddhist temples present in every small village. Village life centers around the temple and the monks. Merit making is deeply rooted in the minds and hearts of the Isaan people as the only way to give life its meaning. But God is making majestic inroads into these Buddhist communities. Many Isaan people travel to big cities or other countries in search for jobs. In those foreign places they meet with Christians and are attracted to the person of Jesus Christ. On coming back in their village, they share the Good News with their relatives.

It is through family relationships that we seek to reach people with the Gospel. We endeavour to let new believers play a key part in the outreach to their relatives. One of the best ways to do this is planting simple churches in as many places as possible, so believers do not need to travel long distances to church, but can walk to it. And when they can walk to church, so can their relatives; the church is part of the community.

In our church planting strategy, we are committed to evangelistic house groups, held at the houses of believers or those who show interest in the Gospel. We are committed to discipling new believers into mature Christians, with a passion for evangelism. We encourage believers to have an active part in church life and ministry, with the missionary in the background as much as possible. We give a substantial amount of our energy to children’s ministry because kids are so easy to attract and they so need the love of Jesus. We welcome ways of giving practical help to villagers, like giving out wheelchairs or reading glasses. We long to see families and individuals transformed by the glorious Person of Jesus Christ.

A lot still needs to be done in this relatively poor area of Thailand. We see much brokenness, especially in families and marriages. It is a brokenness that can only be healed by God. And although shunned by the majority of tourists, Isaan is a very attractive place to live. But the most important thing about this region is God’s love for it.

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