More than a Maid

“Then Mary said, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:38, NKJV.

Since opening the medical clinic, which is now a rural development center in Chiang Klang, Thailand, three household helpers have come to faith in Christ. Pon is one of those new believers.

Pon is Northern Thai. She came to work at the clinic in her early twenties, and spoke only Northern Thai, which made her more difficult to understand than the other helpers. She was shy, and seemed to lack confidence. After coming to know the LORD Pon underwent a marvelous transformation.

She learned Central Thai and went back to school and completed her high school education. When the medical clinic had to close down she initially decided to leave and open a vegetable stand in the market. However, God would not give her peace with that decision and she eventually changed her mind and decided to stay on and be a part of starting a new community development ministry.

Pon suggested using massage as a way to minister to the senior adults in the area. At first this idea seemed outside the box of community development, but later team leader Jeri Whitfield decided to let Pon try her idea. Massage is culturally a very widely accepted form of treatment for aches and pains. Pon went to the hospital and got training in massage. She has been very well received in the neighborhood near the development center.

“This is really a work of God,” said Jeri. “The neighborhood has been very closed to us going and sharing anything about God. They like the free medical care, but they have not been interested in God at all. Pon being able to go and give massages and develop relationships in the neighborhood has been an amazing answer to prayer.”

Pon said, “Most people don’t want to talk about the LORD, but when I’m giving them a massage they can’t go anywhere, and I tell them about Jesus!” At first they did not respond to her sharing, but now they ask her questions about church and what it is like to be a Christian.

“Pon is one of our boldest witnesses,” said Jeri. “She has become a confident communicator. When she goes into a room, in no time she knows everyone’s name, where they are from, and she is accepted across tribes.” This is quite remarkable considering what she was like before coming to know the LORD.

When thinking back on what her life was like before becoming a Christian Pon said, “I didn’t think I could ever be anything but a maid.” Yet God is using His handmaid to impact her community for His glory!

Pray that:

God will call out other people to learn massage as a way to reach out to the villages with the Gospel.

Pon’s witness and ministry will draw many Lua, Hmong, Mien, Akha and Northern Thai to faith in Jesus.

God will give IMB missionaries, like Jeri, the wisdom to think outside the box to start ministries to reach the lost peoples of the Pacific Rim.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.