On our first day in Thailand, our team visited a nearby village to partner with a local church. We began making balloon animals with the few children who were outside—just three or four at first. But within minutes, nearly 30 kids came running out from every direction!
We laughed, played, and created balloon animals together before gathering the children to share the story of David and Goliath. Our team acted it out, and afterward we prayed with them, shared the Gospel, and spoke a blessing over each child. The church provided food and drinks for everyone, and we ended the afternoon with a joyful game of soccer.
The next day was Sunday, and one of the boys from the outreach showed up at church. No one in the congregation had ever seen him before. He was around 10 years old and lived with his grandmother. He had taken the bus to church all by himself because he wanted to spend more time with our team.
Instead of joining the adult service, the church asked two team members to help with the children’s ministry upstairs. That day’s lesson was about Samuel hearing God’s voice while he slept—a reminder that God still speaks today, and that anyone who listens can hear Him.
After the story, the children were invited into a moment of salvation. As the team prayed for this boy, tears began to roll down his cheeks. One of our leaders gently explained what it means to talk to Jesus and walk with Him—and right there, he made the decision to give his life to Christ.
He removed a Buddhist amulet he had been wearing and joyfully replaced it with a cross necklace the team provided. He also received a youth Bible, and our team wrote encouraging notes inside for him.
For the next three days, he kept returning to the church. The last time we saw him, the pastor was teaching him how to play guitar.
His story is a beautiful reminder of why we go—because one moment of love and one encounter with Jesus can change a life forever.
We laughed, played, and created balloon animals together before gathering the children to share the story of David and Goliath. Our team acted it out, and afterward we prayed with them, shared the Gospel, and spoke a blessing over each child. The church provided food and drinks for everyone, and we ended the afternoon with a joyful game of soccer.
The next day was Sunday, and one of the boys from the outreach showed up at church. No one in the congregation had ever seen him before. He was around 10 years old and lived with his grandmother. He had taken the bus to church all by himself because he wanted to spend more time with our team.
Instead of joining the adult service, the church asked two team members to help with the children’s ministry upstairs. That day’s lesson was about Samuel hearing God’s voice while he slept—a reminder that God still speaks today, and that anyone who listens can hear Him.
After the story, the children were invited into a moment of salvation. As the team prayed for this boy, tears began to roll down his cheeks. One of our leaders gently explained what it means to talk to Jesus and walk with Him—and right there, he made the decision to give his life to Christ.
He removed a Buddhist amulet he had been wearing and joyfully replaced it with a cross necklace the team provided. He also received a youth Bible, and our team wrote encouraging notes inside for him.
For the next three days, he kept returning to the church. The last time we saw him, the pastor was teaching him how to play guitar.
His story is a beautiful reminder of why we go—because one moment of love and one encounter with Jesus can change a life forever.