God has been up to some crazy things lately! You may have heard that He has called my good friend Dave Voetberg and I to Thailand for somewhat long-term mission work. I am so excited to be a part of reaching the lost with the glorious light of Jesus Christ! Praise the Lord for this opportunity. We will be heading to northern Thailand to a city called Chiang Mai. The need for Christ there is dire (I suppose as dire as anywhere)—around 97% of the nation of Thailand is enveloped in Theravada Buddhism. The rest (around 2%) have barely even heard about Jesus Christ, about salvation, about redemption, about true freedom.  The proverbial fields are cloud-white for the harvest. But the laborers are few! As I began to pray about mission, as the Lord has put this on my heart very strongly, I was confronted with the possibility of bringing our Jesus to Thailand. I prayed about this, sought answers of the Lord, and awaited His response. By His grace, the doors were opened and I have committed to serve Him and the Thai people specifically for this next season of life. As He would have it, nothing here is tying me down (house payment, job, girlfriend/wife, etc) and I rejoice to be able to give all my attention to this task He has called me to. The task is a huge one, as Thailand is a dark nation and in desperate need of the light of Christ. The way will be beset with trial and difficulty, but I know and do believe that the impact Christ will have on the Thai people will far outweigh the difficulty of the labor of love He has called us to. On that note, Dave and I rejoice to say that Lord willing, we will be devoting much of our time not just to converting people, but to discipling them and helping to plant churches in the city we’re going to. Our goal, our hope is to make His name famous, to bring Him glory, to magnify Him above all else, sharing the testimony of His goodness and omnipotence with everyone we encounter. For, as Acts chapter two has shown, people are moved to repentance upon hearing of the greatness of our King. So to break this down specifically, here is what this trip will look like: we will be gone for a year, beginning at the end of February. The first couple months, Dave and I will be working with an American church in Chiang Mai, working on language studies, kids ministry, and Spirit-led evangelism. After that, the two of us will be moving to a town a little bit south of Chiang Mai, where we will be partnering with each other (much as the disciples were sent out in twos) to bring Him glory and share the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ day in and day out. I beseech you for continued prayer on our behalf as we delve into the work the Lord has called us to. In addition, we are both left to raise support for this trip on our own. Since we are not going with a group or represented by an organization, there are some practical matters we must attend to. On my end, I still have some ground to cover. Basically, covering cost of living, transportation, insurance, airfare, etc, I am looking at needing roughly $14,000 to make this trip a reality. I have been working hard to make this happen as the Lord leads. Unfortunately, working in Thailand would be entirely impractical—an average day of work gets you around seven dollars, not to mention work/visa issues etc. Therefore, I am working hard here in the states, picking up random shifts at the coffee shop, selling items on craigslist, and of course, asking for funding. I know the Lord will provide, and I feel He is calling me to do all I can to be faithful in this mission, including the uncomfortable area of asking for support. So I am asking you to prayerfully consider supporting this mission, not for my well-being or comfort but for the glory and fame of Christ our King, as well as the salvation of souls in a nation that has not even heard of Jesus Christ but desperately needs Him. I am so blessed to know that you are even right now considering this, praying about it. I encourage you, do not give out of compulsion, do not give out of appearance, give simply if the Lord has put this on your heart. I know the Lord is blessed as His saints come together for the furtherance of His kingdom, for the spreading of salvation, and it is on this basis that I ask you to consider giving to this cause. I thank you for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to updating you on what God is doing in Thailand. It is through the Body’s dedicated prayer, financial support, and heart for the Lord that missions such as these become realities. Pray for Thailand, pray for Dave and me, pray for boldness on our part, pray for a direct and open path to bring Jesus Christ to the Thai people. Keep your eyes upon Jesus, I will be in touch.

In Him, for His glory,

Derrick Vachon