Little Nam watched longingly as foreign missionaries passed her family shop in Tak province, on their way to share the gospel with hill tribespeople. She wished they would stop and talk to her about Jesus. Later, she accessed a postal Bible course, and much later when she was a business-woman selling Thai silk, a client-friend invited her to church, and Nam believed in the Lord.

Years later, in England, the Lord was preparing OMF retirees, David & Mary Robinson, for a new chapter in life. After years in Thailand and Cambodia, they prayed persistently for about a year. Rather than retiring them to put their feet up, the Lord was ‘re-tyring’ them for ‘open roads’ across the UK. One by one, God gave them new links to Thai people. Throughout the UK they were led to start local Thai fellowship groups, which became linked together to form the Network of Thai Christians (NTC). ‘The goal,’ says David, ‘was… to build Thai people up in faith so that they could be more effective members of their local church… and bring Thai friends to the Lord.’*

Growing faith

Piak had moved from Thailand to England aged 12. He had gone to church with his mum who was a devoted Christian, but he himself did not know Jesus. Wanting to understand his Buddhist roots, Piak returned to Thailand to spend a month as a monk. He went to buy some oil paintings for his family and, in Nam’s shop in Chiang Mai, friendship kindled that led to their marriage in 2003. They began life together in England, but Piak still didn’t know the Lord.

Ten years later, Nam returned to Thailand, praying she could lead her terminally ill dad to the Lord before he died. She left an ‘Our Daily Bread’ devotional booklet beside their bed at home and in her absence Piak picked it up. To his astonishment Piak heard God’s voice speaking to him. He phoned Nam, bursting to tell her that he was ready to believe, only to find Nam was bursting to tell him, ‘Dad has trusted the Lord!’. Nam’s dad had woken up from near-death saying he had seen a vision of Jesus, and confessed faith in the Lord! He passed away just three weeks later, but not before Piak again encountered the Lord while driving home from work and also committed his life to Jesus.

Full of gratitude, Nam & Piak wanted to do more than ‘just believe’. They felt God was leading them to sell their business, and begin training to serve him. As part of practical training, they helped organise retreats for NTC, and when they graduated, it was timely that OMF’s work among East Asian returnees was expanding. 

Making connections

In 2019 they joined OMF. Before their current ministry in London began, for about a year, they prayed for Thai students, venues, and welcoming churches where students could grow. The Lord provided both already-believing and seeking Thai students, and the Thai Christian Student Fellowship now has conference days, and a summer camp. Piak & Nam still support several NTC groups, and when students graduate or move location, they can easily connect for fellowship.

Thousands of miles away, returnee Thai Christians and students reconnect with family, take up jobs, settle down. Thai believers in the UK faithfully pray for those who have gone back, and when NTC has UK-wide conferences, they bring pastors from Thailand to speak, so Thai people know pastors and churches they can recommend to friends and family back home. They encourage students going back and forth between the UK and Thailand, and support Thai believers who share the gospel with family who come to visit the UK.

Now Zoom prayer meetings and Bible studies for Thai people take place worldwide, and in the UK, NTC groups meet for online weekly prayer, monthly in-person Bible study and fellowship, conferences and camps. All are encouraged to also be part of local churches, living for Christ in the neighbourhoods God has brought them to.

Someday, a returning Thai believer may be passing the front of a shop where a little ‘Nam’ is watching. She may not have to wait for a passing missionary to stop and tell her the good news. This time, this Thai believer may be the kind friend who shares the good news right away, and leads little ‘Nam’ and her family to him.

Laura Jane Meas

OMF (UK) Intercultural Ministries