An Expanding Ministry

A letter from Sharon Bryant serving in Thailand

June 2015

Dear Friends in Christ,

There is joy in my heart as I watch Ken and Martha Anderson and Esther Kim, our three new mission workers with Christian Volunteers in Thailand (CVT), settle into their new homes and begin work here in Thailand. I am grateful to have them. In past letters I have shared with you how the political upheaval in Thailand scared away a number of prospective volunteers. After the coup d’etat last May, we received only two new CVT mission workers last fall and three this spring, while nine CVT mission workers completed their terms of service and returned home. But the interim government in Thailand has worked hard to restore order and keep things calm, and I am delighted to report that we will receive 11 new CVT mission workers over the next six months!

Esther’s Hugs

I am delighted that this past year has seen two former CVT mission workers transition into full-time employment in Thailand: Judith Moore is now a full-time teacher at Prince Royal’s College in Chiang Mai, the Christian school she served as a CVT mission worker, and Rev. James Riggins has been called as a full-time pastor for a newly planted international church in Phitsanulok—a daughter church of the Thai church he attended as a CVT mission worker. Thai Christians in Phitsanulok love to tell the story of how mission work has now come full circle: from international missionaries planting churches for Thai Christians to Thai Christians planting churches for international workers.

By the end of this year we will have 17 CVT mission workers representing five nations and six Christian denominations serving Christ through ministries of our partner church, the Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT). Working in partnership with the ecumenical Protestant church here and alongside this diverse group of mission workers, our CVTs are challenged to think and act ecumenically and multi-culturally every day. While the number of CVT mission workers coming this fall will bring the total number of CVTs to the number we had before the political upheaval began in 2013, we will still be far short of our goal of having a CVT mission worker in every school (28), hospital (8) and church ministry (16) of our partner church. Won’t you think about serving Christ in Thailand for one or two years through the CVT Program?

Presbyterian World Mission, which built many of these private Christian schools and hospitals in the last century and has supported this CVT Program since 1963, is facing a financial crisis today. Due to a shortfall in contributions in 2014, World Mission is facing the prospect of having to recall up to 45 currently serving mission workers (like me) in the next two years. Yet the fruit of this ministry can clearly be seen in the following statistics:

• The majority of the Thai church’s leaders today were educated in one of the schools built by Presbyterian mission workers;
• 80 percent of CVT mission workers who complete a two-year term of service have remained active members of the church when they return to their homes; AND
• One-third of those who served here have subsequently attended seminary and are currently serving the church as pastors or in various roles supporting church ministry and mission.

What other program does so much for so many with so little, building the church in Thailand as well as the church in the U.S.A.? Please consider sending a contribution to Presbyterian World Mission, P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700. To designate your check specifically for this ministry, please write the Extra Commitment Opportunity (ECO) account number E200484 on the memo line of the check. Or, if you prefer the simplicity of contributing online, online gifts can be made at: http://www.presbyterianmission.org/donate/E200484.

James and parishioners celebrate the opening of the new church

I want to close by sharing with you something special that happened at our last CVT Mission Worker Retreat. CVT Mission Workers who attended this retreat in May read Shane Claibourne’s book Irresistible Revolution before they arrived. During the retreat we asked these two questions over and over again: “What makes you different from a good-hearted humanitarian—or, in our case here in Thailand, a faithful Buddhist?” and “How can someone who is on the outside looking in know that you are a Christian?” Our CVTs struggled with the answers. We generally do not talk about our faith at home. We assume that others know that we are Christians. But now we are in a country that is overwhelmingly Buddhist. How can we—how will we—share what is meaningful about our faith with them without showing disrespect for their faith? It was a lively discussion that continued late into the night for many. Out of it came commitments to intentionally seek opportunities to live and share our Christian faith. And we’re not done yet! I suspect this discussion will continue for months to come.

As you fall to your knees in prayer each day, will you please:

• Pray for all our CVT mission workers, past and present and those who are planning to come this fall. God has mysteries and wonders that will be revealed during their time of service here. Pray for strength for the journey and joy in their service.
• Pray for the new leaders of our partner church, the Church of Christ in Thailand. Pray that God will walk with them and give them the wisdom they need to lead this great church.
• Pray that God will open the hearts and minds of those who hear these stories that they, too, might come to serve here, become prayer warriors for our ministry, and/or give generously to support those who are here and those who will come.

Thank you for all that you do to support my work and this ministry. I am deeply indebted to you for this opportunity to serve my Lord in this way.  May God bless you richly this day and always.
Sharon L. Bryant
The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 235