How One Church Is Winning the Fight Against the Sex Trade in Thailand With Soccer
At all hours of the day or night, young boys will exchange their lunch money for time in front of a computer. Captivated by the online games, they are not unlike addicts — unable and unwilling to cut the ties to the only escape they have from their challenging lives in the slums. But the game parlors hide a sinister and dangerous secret. These always-open, unsupervised establishments full of impoverished children make prime target areas for recruiters looking to pull boys and young men into the sex trade.
Continue Reading ›A Bible = Changed Lives
The children looked longingly at the colorful stacks of Bibles in front of them and could hardly wait to lay their hands on one. The noises gradually fell to soft whispers when the first name was called out.
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It’s Called “Walking” Street!
Walking Street is a place in Chiang Mai where local vendors hawk their wares. My family and I thought we would take a few hours, see what it was all about and then head to church. We were wrong.
Mai Pen Rai! Enjoying Thailand’s Loy Krathong Festival
What’s worse than a traffic jam after a professional sporting event? A people jam after Loy Krathong!
“You Give Meaning to My Life So I Want to Give You a Better Life”
At the age of 84, Richard had to move to a retirement village where there are people who can assist him. He had to leave his cats and his familiar life behind, so the only thing he had left was his sponsored child. Richard longs to receive letters from his “grandson.”
How I Came to Christ
Fourteen registered children, three Child Survival Program (CSP) mothers and one CSP father from the Rom–Prakun Child Development Center were recently baptized.
“I Felt Like Ruth in the Bible”
“I felt so lonely in this village. I did not know anyone and I did not have any friends due to the language barrier. My family who I can count on is in another country so they could not help me. I was so hopeless. I felt like Ruth in the Bible who lives in a country that is not her own with her husband’s family and faces hardships,” says Sudaphorn.
Christian Warrior
Photos by Ratchana Suksabye.
It was night at the Chiang Mai 700 Year Stadium, and the quiet evening was disrupted by a loud voice coming from the tae kwon do gym.
The spokesman announced the names of the new northern region competitors for the final round of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s cup.
There were many people shouting and cheering in celebration of the finalists who had been announced. Amidst the storm of voices, finalist Siriporn stood still.
She did not hear a single word from the crowd, but was focused on her whisper to God. She silently prayed, “May this competition glorify your Name.”
As she opened her eyes, she was ready for the last battle in the spotlight.
Siriporn is a young girl from Thai Chareuntham Child Development Center, located in the rural area of northern Thailand. While she walked onto the floor, all she was thinking about was that the day she had been waiting and training for had arrived. (more…)
