CVTs and Their Impact

A letter from Sharon Bryant serving in Thailand

September 2015

Dear Friends,

The leaves are starting to turn in northern places and I am sure that fall will be beautiful in the U.S.A.! I spent a wonderful weekend in retreat at Mo-Ranch in Hunt, Texas, with the congregation of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas.  What a joyful, uplifting time and one that may bring a radical change to my life.  I had the opportunity to share stories of the work that I do for Christian Volunteers in Thailand (CVT) and to meet many members of the congregation on a more personal level. I also heard Dr. Bill Greenway (professor at Austin Seminary) speak on Creation and what we learn about our God from the Creation narratives found in Genesis. As usual, his insight has caused me to rethink aspects of my life in relation to all living things in God’s great creation.

Dr. William Greenway, Professor, Austin Seminary

This fall the CVT Program greets new CVT mission workers from many nations. We greet a young woman from Brazil who is passionate about children and child protection, who will be working at a school in the slums in Bangkok; a young man from Assam in India, who will be teaching English at a school in the Northeast of Thailand; a middle-aged couple from Illinois, who are eager to teach at a school in Northern Thailand; and a young woman from Georgia, who wants to focus on Christian evangelism through drama and dance working with the Christian Communications Institute of Payap University, a Christian university in Northern Thailand.  They will join the CVT mission workers who are already working in Thailand. Once again, we have a mix of nationalities and a mix of denominations, making this program the unique multicultural and ecumenical experience that has made it so successful! If you know of anyone who is looking for a short-term mission experience, please have them contact me.

It is amazing the impact these incredible CVTs can have in just the brief two years that they remain in this program. Schools who have CVTs report a marked increase in the number of students who want to learn English and who want to speak English with the CVTs on campus. In response to the demand, CVTs often take on tutoring assignments or English-language Bible studies to remain engaged with the children and encourage their efforts. All of these things bring hope to those children and put them one step farther away from a life of poverty.

One challenge of this job is helping our volunteers transition out of their short-term mission work experience. You have heard about Rev. James Riggins, the first CVT mission worker I recruited, and his new position as the first called pastor of International Chapel in Phitsanulok—the first international church planted by a Thai Christian congregation. Caren Martin, who taught in Trang last year, is now a grandmother and nanny to the newest addition to her family in the U.S.A. Ben Ewert, who worked in Bangkok and Udonthani last year, is now teaching at a school in China. Adam Royston, who worked in child protection and human trafficking as a CVT, now works with Church World Service, continuing to contribute to the work of the Church worldwide. Judith Moore, who was an early recruit, has been teaching full time at the school where she volunteered.

Sharon recruiting new volunteers wherever she can find them.

I constantly look for new ways to promote our program, for every year we have more openings for volunteers than we have volunteers to fill those positions.  We have new brochures that have been printed and I have been sharing them as I travel. If you would be willing to take a few of our brochures to a nearby university career services office or Christian ministry office, please let me know and we will send you some.  We also have lots of photographs of our CVTs at work in schools and ministry sites throughout Thailand that you can use for bulletin boards or presentations to groups.  I would be happy to send those to you as well or to discuss ways to access those photos online for your use. I will also be in the U.S.A. next year for several months, speaking at various churches. We are putting together the schedule for that trip now, so if your church would like to have me speak, please let me know as soon as possible.

Thank you, again, for all that you do that sustains me in my work here in Thailand.  Your prayers give me energy and focus for the day. Your cards and letters renew my spirit.  Your hard-earned dollars change the lives of every volunteer and Thai person that this program touches. As you know, World Mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is facing challenging times due to reduced contributions to PC(USA) World Mission. My ministry here in Thailand is one of those that is being evaluated. Every dollar that you contribute makes a difference. I hope that you will consider a contribution, or increasing your contribution to my sending and support for 2015, which will in turn support the CVT Program.  You are an integral part of everything that I do!  Thank you so much.

Blessings,
Sharon Bryant

The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 235