You Are Needed Here

A letter from Sharon Bryant, serving in Thailand

December 2017

Dear Friends,

One of the most successful partnership ministries of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT) is an international, ecumenical volunteer program that serves the children of Thailand through its many schools: Christian Volunteers in Thailand. In 2018, the program will celebrate 65 years of bringing volunteers to Thailand to minister to the needs of Thai children, particularly in the area of learning the English language. Volunteers come from many nations. The largest number have come from United States of America. Other volunteers have come from Great Britain, Australia, South Korea, India, Germany, and Brazil. They are Presbyterian, Baptist, Lutheran, Disciples of Christ, Church of Christ, Roman Catholic, Christian Missionary Alliance, and Methodist. They are as young as 21 and as old as 77 (so far). They have come to be the one body of Christ in a land where Christians number less than two percent of the population. They have come to share the love and grace of God with Thai children and to help them achieve something that is difficult for them, mastery of another language.

The need is greater than ever. The need is so great that we need you. In December of 2015, Thailand opened its borders to its ASEAN neighbors (countries who are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) to allow the free exchange of both tangible and intangible assets: people, professions, goods, commerce, religion, talent, ideas, business, and so on. The only major obstacle for Thailand was, and still is, its inability to use the English language fluently. Thailand ranks tenth in the 10 member nations of ASEAN in its ability to understand, speak, read, and write English. Our partner, the largest Protestant church in Thailand, cannot find enough English teachers for its 26 private Christian schools. Without help, these children will not be able to learn this language that is so critical to their future and the future of this beautiful kingdom. While the Christian schools are building character, critical thinking, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills, the Thai administrators and teachers in those schools are hard-pressed to help the Thai children learn English, because the Thai administrators and teachers do not speak English very well themselves.

But the children’s future and Thailand’s future as a democracy in this part of the world rests with the ability of the Thai to speak English and fully participate in building a 21st-century Thailand today. Won’t you help?

Christian Volunteers in Thailand at a one-day English Camp.

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What would you be signing up to do? Teach Thai children how to use the English language and be an example of God’s love and grace to each of them. The school will provide housing for you. That housing will include an air-conditioned private bedroom with 24-hour WiFi access. The school will provide classrooms, curriculum, and a hot lunch on school days, as well as funds to purchase groceries or other meals and a stipend that will cover other incidental expenses. Christian Volunteers in Thailand will provide a two-week orientation to Thailand, which includes 20 hours of training in the Thai language and a basic understanding of the Thai culture and customs. The school will provide a care team to help you understand and acclimate to Thailand and the school itself. Care team members all speak English. Finally, Christian Volunteers in Thailand will provide four quarterly retreats in various locations throughout Thailand. These retreats are designed to bring volunteers together from all parts of the country to have fun, build teaching skills, increase knowledge of Thailand and explore what it means to be Christian in a land that is not.

We are looking for Christians, preferably Protestants, as our partner church in Thailand is a Protestant church. We are also looking for university graduates, preferably those with a teaching certificate. Any experience teaching is a plus, as is any certificate course in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). We also need those who can provide us with a clean criminal background check. Is this you? Would you consider devoting the next year or two to the children in Thailand who need you? At the present time, we have 13 volunteers serving in eight schools. We need three times this number to place volunteers in every school and provide the level of teaching and care these Thai children need. We need you … and your spouse … and your best friend.

Thank you for your prayers, your thoughtful emails, your lovely cards, and the dollars you give to support the work of Christian Volunteers in Thailand. All I need now is you, your open mind, your loving heart, and your desire to help these children improve their English skills. And, as we prepare for Christmas, would you consider an extra gift for Christian Volunteers in Thailand? We need you … we need your financial support … all for this ministry that touches the lives of so many Thai children. May God bless you as you thoughtfully consider whether God is calling you to come yourself and share in this ministry.

With joy,

Sharon

Sharon L. Bryant, Mission Co-Worker