In the heart of a slum community in Bangkok, mission partners Elise and Jon are walking alongside families to break the cycles of poverty, proving that those pushed to the margins are at the very centre of God’s story.

by Elise and Jon Fletcher in Thailand

We have been living in Khlong Toei, Bangkok’s biggest slum community, since 2014. Living alongside people like Praew,* we help to run the Keeping Families Together (KFT) programme – an 18-month programme designed to strengthen families to prevent separation. We support families with income generation training, education opportunities and health access, helping adults to improve the lives of children in their care. 

Praew, 48, moved to the slum community one year ago when her husband died of a stroke and she was unable to pay rent and provide for her 12-year-old daughter. The only option was to move in with her adult daughter and family who rent a single room. Praew quickly found herself caring for three grandchildren whilst suffering from chronic ill health. The only income in the home was from selling drugs and life was highly chaotic.

When our KFT caseworker first visited, Praew was feeling overwhelmed. None of the grandchildren were attending school and the bureaucracy involved in arranging a school transfer for her daughter was too much. We were able to negotiate with the local Catholic school to waive fees and accept all four children immediately. With weekly home visiting, we’ve slowly seen Praew come out of her shell. She’s been able to articulate some dreams and commit to working towards small goals.

Families join the KFT programme for a period of 18 months. Every situation is different but the families are supported to do their own work to improve long term outcomes for their children. Progress is often slow but support from caseworkers and peers can make all the difference. We cover nine modules, the first focuses on the importance of attachment and belonging. Soon we will move to a module on ‘child protection’; knowing the risks and how to guard against abuse is crucial. Most adult participants carry their own trauma related to abuse, so breaking the cycle is key. 

We alternate between monthly training days and family fun days – we recently went to the beach! For many of the kids, it was their first experience of the sea. It was a privilege to see families enjoying time together in nature, away from daily concerns. Playing, eating yummy food and swimming in crystal clear water.

Change doesn’t happen overnight

The children in Praew’s care are now attending school irregularly and their KFT caseworker is working closely with them to incentivise attendance and change habits. There are many pressures working against the very poorest families. Even in slum communities, hierarchy pushes people to the edges. 

In a few months, the KFT families will learn to track income and outgoings. They will work on business and debt repayment plans, and will receive income generation grants to begin working towards financial stability. Praew is a good cook and she hopes to set up a food stall outside her house. It is easy to recognise the image of God in Praew as she comforts a child or sweeps the small home. Our prayer is that she comes to recognise this innate worth in herself and impart that to her family and wider community. 

God at the edges 

Our God consistently upholds the cause of the marginalised, even entering into the physical life of the poor through the person of Jesus Christ. Those seemingly pushed to the edges are actually at the centre of God’s story. As Gustavo Gutiérrez writes, “the preferential option for the poor is not optional; it is rooted in God’s gratuitous love.” That Praew is blessed and bears God’s favour, is a truth that stands regardless of her own profession of faith. 

We hope that one day she will know Jesus as friend and liberator but for now, God is here in the joys and the sorrows, the crowding and the daily injustices of slum life. God does not turn his face from human sin and suffering waiting for us to change, but dwells in our midst – Emmanuel, God with us.

*Name changed to protect privacy

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The post Breaking the cycle of poverty in Bangkok’s largest slum  appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Thailand: strengthening families

Please pray for mission partners Elise and Jon Fletcher, based in Bangkok and their involvement with the ‘ethical engagement campaign’, which educates international schools in Thailand on the harms of institutionalised care for children and encourages engagement with family strengthening work. Pray for a great turnout at the launch event on 22 May and for Jon as he coordinates the event. Pray that there will be a great interest and uptake from schools. 

Please also pray that Jon’s three-month visa, due for renewal this month, is approved.

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Please pray for Jason and Tracy Day as they prepare to return to the UK from Chiang Mai and finish serving as CMS mission partners. Pray for good handover of jobs and ministries, for them to end well after many years working in Thailand and for them as they settle into life in the UK this summer.

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Thailand: stability for families in the slum

Mission partners Elise and Jon Fletcher are immersed in the life of the Khlong Toei slum in Bangkok. They support local families in a number of ways, including through an 18-month programme called Keeping Families Together (KFT), which helps people work towards financial stability. Pray that current KFT participants will be empowered to build more stable lives for themselves and their families and for God to work powerfully in the life of each family represented in the programme.  

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Thailand: protection of children’s rights

Elise and Jon Fletcher live and work in Khlong Toei, a slum community in Bangkok, where they share Jesus’ love and support local families to stay together despite the pressures of living in the slum. As Jon attends the regional conference for the Global network of Religions for Children, pray that it will be a great opportunity for dialogue and increased partnership in the work of protecting the rights of children in Thailand. 

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A Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire was agreed at the end of December, ending weeks of border clashes that forced nearly one million people from their homes. Praise God that the ceasefire is still in place. Please pray for lasting peace between the two countries and for civilians to be able to safely return to their homes.

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Thailand: Keeping Families Together

At the end of January, partners Elise and Jon Fletcher began a Keeping Families Together programme with 12 families in the Khlong Toei slum community in Bangkok where they live and work. Part of Elise and Jon’s role of sharing Jesus’ love with people through both presence and project-based support, the programme aims to give families practical tools to help them stay living together despite the pressures of living in the slum. Give thanks for these 12 families and pray for Elise and Jon and case workers as they come alongside them and share Jesus’ love.

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Thailand: Catholic connection

Praise God for an unexpected opportunity for mission partner Jon and his colleagues to meet with the Archbishop of the Catholic Church in Thailand. They were able to present the case for children growing up in families rather than orphanages and discuss ways to work together. The archbishop was encouragingly engaged and sympathetic. Please pray that this initial conversation will lead to further partnership and positive outcomes for Thai children.

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Please continue to pray for all those affected by serious natural disasters in Asia, from floods in Thailand and Indonesia to the effects of Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka. May God provide for all their needs.

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Thailand: motorbike accident

Mission partners Elise and Jon Fletcher are immersed in the life of a slum community in Bangkok, where they share Jesus’ love with their neighbours and through various advocacy and training projects.

As information on the harm of orphanages is distributed to 200 international schools across Thailand, pray for people to take notice so that more children can grow up in loving homes.

Please also pray for Elise and Jon’s family as they recover from a recent motorbike accident in which their youngest child’s ankle was broken. Pray for healing and for comfort as she copes with the disappointment of missing out on dancing and skateboarding.

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Thailand: new case worker helping families to stay together

Mission partners Elise and Jon Fletcher live in the vibrant slum community, Khlong Toei, and share Jesus’ love with people in a number of ways, including through the Keeping Families Together programme (KFT). Elise and Jon write that their next-door neighbour Ora has started working for KFT as a part-time case worker to support families in their community. Give thanks for Ora’s local insight and experience, which will benefit the team greatly, and pray for many more families to be strengthened through her support.

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