I am excited to share about my work with Ben Kibbe, EFM Thailand, and The Way Foundation, whom I have been working with since September of 2016. The Way Foundation (TWF) is made up of three pillars of ministry. First, is their Bible training and leadership development through a number of programs including their famous, interdenominational Pastor and Evangelist Training (PET), and an extension Bible school program of 10 workbooks. Second, is their church planting ministry. Third, is their development work, using Discipling for Development (the ministry model that I am coaching them in).
MaoPa and his wife Eme have been or are involved in all of these ministry aspects of The Way Foundation. Both of them have been through the PET program and MaoPa has finished all the extension Bible school books. They also helped plant the church in JaSaPa, growing it from a small group with a few believers to now having a locally funded and built church building and a number of families in the village now following Jesus. As well as this he and his village have been chosen as one of the Discipling for Development villages The Way Foundation will be discipling in the next couple years. In the photos below, you will see MaoPa and Eme (on the left) and Yosapa, who works for TWF and has been mentoring and coaching MaoPa for at least six years (on the right with the guitar). I have gotten to work directly with The Way Foundation leaders, including Yosapa who has now become the leader of TWF’s Discipling for Development ministry.
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The following is a great report from The Way Foundation that shows how Yosapa has been mentoring MaoPa and Eme in financially sustaining their family with the resources (tea bushes) they have on their property.
| Organic Agriculture: Sustainable Development Project
The project is a tea business for people in Huai Lu Luang community. The Way Foundation team advised and assisted Mr. Wanchai’s family in starting a Tea business. We provided training in how to grow and sell tea. |
Building the tea roaster |
Roasting the tea |
Make the sealed bag and logo |
Learning about tea |
| A few of the good things that we see from this project are: Villagers learn to plan various events and manage their own, villagers begin to realize the importance of their resources, and they are able to share the word of God.
A few obstacles that we see and are working on are: Villagers are having trouble scheduling an activity, they are having trouble selling their products, and there are limitations with work. |
My prayer is that Yosapa and the other Way Foundation leaders would have all the grace, resources, and empowerment (and great coaching from us) they need to continue discipling MaoPa, Eme and with them the entire village of JaSaPa as they seek to see the kingdom of God rise up in their village transforming all broken areas of life including people’s relationships with God restored, relationships in the community reconciled, drug addictions broken, children and young people protected from trafficking, and families stewarding their resources wisely (including healthier and more sustainable farming practices). I pray that as people visit MaoPa and Eme, and this village of JaSaPa, they would say, “Wow, God is at work! What can we do to be a part of this?” My prayer is also that Yosapa, Solomon, Chalee, Majise and the other Way Foundation Leaders would know from experience what it looks like to disciple a whole community including church planting and the specific biblical teaching needed, and that these seeds of leadership development in them would multiply into their launching multiple whole-life, disciple-making, church-planting, community-transforming movements throughout their Lahu cultures and beyond into other cultures as well.
EFM Thailand’s fundraising status is currently at 61% based on the commitments for monthly/yearly recurring giving that are needed for this ministry to be fully funded. Would you consider partnering with EFM Thailand? You can:
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Would you join me in these prayers and consider financially supporting the work in EFM Thailand? If you would like to continue to receive news and updates about the work in EFM Thailand, please click here.
David Thomas
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