Thailand: upcoming travel

Mission partners Elise and Jon Fletcher are immersed in the life of a slum community in Khlong Toei, Bangkok, where they support families to stay together despite living in poverty and other pressures of slum life. Elise and Jon are preparing to travel to the UK in July with one of their Thai colleagues/neighbours, but her first UK visa attempt was rejected. Pray that her visa is granted and for the trip to be meaningful and a blessing to her and Elise, Jon and their family.

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Thailand: culture shift

“Please pray for hidden victims of abuse in our community and in Thailand,” write partners Elise and Jon Fletcher, who share Jesus’ love with people in the slum community they live in in Bangkok and advocate for systemic change to improve family life. “Pray for culture change, for more brave people to tell their stories, and for abusers to be brought to justice. Pray that we can train on this topic in a way that is sensitive and relevant to context. Pray for wisdom for us and for our colleagues to spot early warning signs and intervene in ways that make things better rather than worse.”

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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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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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Cambodia, Thailand: border dispute

Please pray for a resolution to the ongoing border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand. This week, Cambodia failed to open the Khlong Luek checkpoint as agreed, leaving 600 Thai nationals stranded on the Cambodian side of the border. Pray for an agreement to be reached so that these Thai nationals and others can return home and for the overall dispute to be resolved.

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Thailand: coming to the end of service with CMS

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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South East Asia: ceasefire

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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Asia: Flood survivors

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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