We are planning a mission trip to Thailand in January 2011. This is the letter we recently sent out:

God has blessed Bui and I with an opportunity to minister to the lost and the church in Thailand. We are planning a trip to Thailand in January 2011. We will be leaving Louisville, Kentucky for Thailand on January 2nd and returning on January 30th.
The purpose of our trip is fourfold:

1. First, we will encourage local Christians in Thailand. Our presence will bolster their spirits and support their work to spread God’s Word. We will visit many small villages and large cities in Thailand where we will develop relationships with the Christians there.

2. Second, this is a “Prayer Journey” which will help us focus our individual prayers by traveling to foreign lands to pray “on-site with insight.” We will pray for the Thai people that God may open their eyes and hearts to the message of Jesus.

3. Third, we will be visiting an “unreached people group” which less than 1% is Christian. We will be working with a number of Thai churches to help them grow in depth in their Christian walk. We will also be revisiting some contacts from when we lived in Thailand and sharing Christ with them.

4. Fourth, we will be visiting a couple of orphanages to encourage the children and help the staff with some of their tasks. An old friend works at an orphanage and he wants me to help him with some computer related tasks.
This will be a whirlwind trip through Thailand so we can strengthen the hands of our brothers and sisters in Christ and help them with their ministry. Christ has called us to “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25) We would like to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ to continue in the gospel and to continue preaching the gospel clearly.

Our trip will focus on the Isaan people of Northeast Thailand and the Thai people of Central Thailand. Bui has ten years of experience working with college students in Northeast Thailand and I worked with college students for two years in Northeast Thailand. We have many contacts and would like to encourage our brothers and sisters to continue in their work. The Isaan people are more than 98% Buddhist.

Bui and I have many friends in Thailand who are not believers. We want to share the gospel with our friends in Northeast Thailand who do not know Christ. Thai people normally come to know Christ through personal relationships; relationships and status in Thai society are of paramount importance. A Thai Buddhist will usually believe in the Christian teaching before he will believe in Jesus Christ. An Isaan Buddhist will usually watch your actions and get to know you for a long time before he believes in Christ.
We are excited about the opportunity and experience that lies ahead, and hope you see the value in the work that we will accomplish. As you can imagine, funding for a trip like this requires financial support from a number of people. We need to raise $4,000 by November 2010.
The task of salvation and fundraising is in God’s hands. It’s our job to go, and to let you know we are going, so that if you would like to support this mission financially you have the opportunity to do so.
When it comes to missions, people can be active in three categories:

1. “Mobilizers” - These are the people who build the fire in their local church, keeping others informed of the needs and opportunities, and helping them get involved.

2. “Goers” - These are the ones who feel called to spend time in another culture, live a different kind of life, and minister face to face with the lost.

3. “Senders” - It’s hard to say that one of these three groups is more important than any other, but without the “senders” not much will happen. They provide the funds–and more importantly–the prayer support. Prayer is the fuel that will allow us to be successful as we follow God’s leading in ministry in these foreign countries.
God has relieved us of the fund raising responsibility; our job is just to let you know about this opportunity. Maybe you haven’t thought of yourself as part of a “mission team” but if you want to become one of the all-important “senders”, you can mail a check to:

Instructions for support through Helping Hands Ministries:
1. Make check payable to “Helping Hands Ministries”
2. One a separate sheet of paper or a sticky note write “This donation is for Matthew Pierce’s Thailand Mission Trip.” Do not write this information in the Memo or For line of your check. This is necessary for the tax-donation.
3. Checks should be mailed to:
Helping Hands Ministries
135 Main Street
PO Box 337
Tallulah Falls, GA 30573

Envelopes are enclosed for your convenience. All donations made through Helping Hands Ministries are tax deductible.
If you can’t be a “sender” financially, that’s OK, but please consider being a “sender” in prayer. In fact, the prayer support is so important to the success of this mission, I would like to know if I can count on you in that area. Please pray that the Lord will help us to preach the gospel clearly as we ought.

Because they have not heard,

Matt & Bui Pierce