My name is Thaung Myint and I would like to share about our new ministry to the Mon migrant workers in Thailand. The Mon are an ethnic group from Myanmar. Since May 2017 I have travelled to many communities where the Mon are working and living. Many Mon work at the fish market from 1am-7am and then continue to work from 8am-5pm in factories or at construction sites. They work non-stop until they get into an accident or become sick, and often their savings are spent on treating their illness or injury.
A Mon migrant worker – Maung – gave his life to Jesus two years ago. My wife, Yu Mar Lar, and I visited Maung’s family regularly and encouraged his wife who was not yet a Christian. We prayed and shared the Bible with them when we visited. Maung testified to us that he was a drunkard, a smoker and living a loose lifestyle, but after he accepted Jesus Christ, God thoroughly changed his life and he became a new person. He is no longer drinking and smoking or doing any stupid things. Maung’s wife accepted Jesus in October 2017, and her elder sister also committed her life to Jesus in February 2018! We have now shared the gospel with over 200 people in the area.
Yu Mar Lar is very involved with the Mon ministry. She visits 30 Mon migrant workers at a local ice factory, once a month. Yu Mar Lar teaches English, Mon, Burmese and Thai, and runs Bible study and night worship. One of the main struggles for migrant workers at the factory is the spiritual attack on their families. Misunderstandings between young couples lead to breakdowns in their lives. We are praying with them for this issue. Since Yu Mar Lar has been visiting the factory, two women accepted Jesus and were baptised. We shared the gospel at Christmas, and 20 people responded, including Min Ye, a migrant worker who became a Christian after we conducted his wedding ceremony with Ma Khin. Now the couple joins the worship service regularly.
Visiting prisons in Ratchburi and Bangkok gave us the opportunity to fellowship with about 300 prisoners, singing and praising God together with prisoners who are unbelievers. At one prison we had the opportunity to meet about 50 Christian inmates from different countries – most of them from Myanmar, and most of them coming from other religious backgrounds. I shared my testimony, and then opened a chance for them to testify about how the Lord has changed their lives. Two African inmates gave their testimony of how God is with them, and how they have seen the miracle of God through their lives in prison.
Please continue to pray for an effective mission. Please continue praying for those who are in spiritual darkness, especially the inmates and for those who are spiritually hungry.
Prasit Tongtuswattana,
Thailand
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