Good news in Wang Daeng:
five ways your prayers have been answered
You’ve been praying and God has been moving mountains in Wang Daeng.
What does good news look like? It could be as simple as receiving an unexpected phone call from a friend, or perhaps it’s the relief of the kids returning to school!
In the remote village of Wang Daeng in Thailand, we’re talking about good news on a whole other level – life-transforming news with eternal consequences. BMS World Mission church planters Helen and Wit Boondeekhun are showing and telling the good news of Jesus to people who have never heard of him. Last year we asked if you would pray for the spread of the gospel in Wang Daeng, every week, for a year. And those prayers have been answered. For Wang Daeng, this is what good news looks like…
- You prayed for the beginnings of the first church in Wang Daeng
Now four people have asked Jesus into their lives, and dozens of seekers attend a weekly Sunday gathering. Praise God that there is also a Bible study group meeting in the neighbouring village of Chum Song, where Helen and Wit hope another church can be planted one day.
To top it all off, the Thailand Action Team (the BMS gap year for 18 to 23-year-olds) organised a Christmas event which saw an incredible 140 people attending. They also built a friendship with a young girl called Prang. That December, when she heard the good news of Jesus coming to Earth as Saviour, she came forward to declare herself a Christian.
- You prayed for new Christian Suree to grow in her faith
Suree now regularly invites friends to Sunday gatherings. “It’s still difficult for Suree,” says Wit. “She was asked to perform Buddhist rituals and she was ashamed to say no. So I told her to focus on Jesus.” Please continue to pray that she keeps her eyes fixed on Jesus as she lives out her faith.
- You prayed for Ajarn Tah, a Thai Christian who teaches young people football and guitar
Praise God that he has now moved permanently into the village. His guitar students and football team eagerly attend the Sunday gatherings led by Helen and Wit. “They are very enthusiastic in worship,” they report in their latest prayer letter.
- You prayed for God to bless Wang Daeng
“There’s certainly been a new openness to the gospel in the area,” Wit says. The boys at the football club were also blessed by a camp in July. The focus was on learning about God, self-discipline and football skills. It was a whole village affair, with Ajarn Tah’s guitar students and the basket-weaving group that Helen leads organising fun and games, and cooking.
- You prayed for Helen and Wit
``We have absolutely experienced God’s protection and blessing over our lives.``
“We have absolutely experienced God’s protection and blessing over our lives,” says Wit. And God has given in abundance with a new centre for their work: a two-storey building in the heart of the Wang Daeng community. “There is so much space that we won’t be needing a separate location for English classes and church,” say Helen and Wit.
They’ll also be starting a sewing group this month. The hope is, as with the basket-weaving group, more women will come to know Jesus as they develop self-sufficient livelihood skills.
Some BMS supporters have been praying for a year, and it’s been incredible to see those prayers answered, but there are still challenges. Addiction and spirit worship practices remain, and Helen and Wit feel a burden to help those imprisoned by addiction, starting with Suree’s husband, Got. Please continue to pray that he would be set free from alcoholism and continue to ask God to reveal himself in Wang Daeng. When we gather together in God’s name, he moves mountains!
Special thanks to Baptist Insurance for their generous financial support of the church planting project in Wang Daeng.
Words by Melanie Webb. This story first appeared in Engage and has been adapted for web.
