Lutheran Hour Ministries has often featured the school outreach programs conducted by its LHM—Thailand ministry center. The center's presentations about holidays such as Christmas and Valentine's Day offer opportunities for the ministry staff to share the Gospel while teaching Thai youth about Western culture.
Another kind of witnessing event led by LHM—Thailand that you might know less about is no less powerful a tool for connecting and building relationships with youth: camps.
In March of this year, LHM—Thailand partnered with Thailand Concordia Lutheran Church (TCLC) to present a youth camp in the northern province of Chiangmai. The goal of the camp was to help prepare its 50 young attendees for energetic service in their churches and communities. The LHM staff led worship, singing and fun activities while also working to train a select group of young people to be able to take the lead in future events.
The camp's 50 participants included five youth who were not Christian—one of whom was Gaew. "I am not a Christian yet," she says, "but [at the camp] I learned many things which helped me know more about God. When I returned home I started reading the Bible regularly." The LHM—Thailand team invited Gaew to enroll in its Bible Correspondence Courses and has been working with the local pastor and Gaew's Christian friends to help her grow spiritually.
Back home in Bangkok, the LHM—Thailand staff helped lead two camps in April—both of them having English as a focus. In partnership with Concordia Into Light Lutheran Church and two American volunteers, the team led a fun and intensive five-day workshop in practical English for a group of 16 eager young adults. Later in April, the team worked with LMCS Missionary Dennis Denow to conduct a day of intensive English learning as part of a three-day camp for the children of Army battalion families at a local military facility.
"The colonel of the battalion told us that he has a strong desire for the soldiers under his command to be able to improve their English ability," says LHM—Thailand Director Monta (Boom) Denow. "We discussed the possibility of Missionary Denow and LHMT offering English classes for some battalion soldiers."
As so often happens, opportunities to share the Gospel arise both at camps led by Lutheran Hour Ministries—Thailand—and because of them.
For more information about the exciting Gospel outreach of LHM—Thailand, visit lhmthailand.wordpress.com.