Sports Friends has ministries in many of the far-flung corners of the world; from Peru, to Nigeria to Thailand. The mental scenes that correspond to those places might be something like a dusty plain with children playing football under a tree with wide, spreading branches. Or a field lined with palm trees, young girls avoiding monsoon-season puddles as they practice volleyball. And sure, these picturesque rural settings really are some of the places where Sports Friends works, but what about sports ministry in an urban context, where fields and courts are not in open spaces, but tucked amidst buildings and side streets?

When Fai* arrived in Thailand as a migrant, she was unwell from HIV. By God’s hand, she connected with the local SIM Hope for Life ministry, through which she got access to treatment. But the COVID-19 restrictions disrupted her medication.

Saaw used to tell fortunes, make holy water for people, and consecrate their spirit shrines. But the spirits only brought her hardship and fear. Learn how she escaped and embraced peace in Christ.

Dtang had to drive past Saaw’s house on her way to the rice field each day. So, she told her about Jesus.

An hour’s drive out from the city of Chiang Mai, behind a few narrow, winding country roads lined with rice paddies, the Good Kids Preschool is tucked away. It is a quiet morning in the village, but the schoolyard is alive with noise and movement. The school seems like any other at first glance: children running haphazardly to and fro and playing before school starts.

Watch this great video which gives you a flavour of what homeschool looks like for mission kids in Thailand. Could you be their next teacher?

Ayutthaya was once a mighty capital. Now it is a forgotten provincial town - and one with scarcely any Christian witness. But a few SIM cross-cultural workers and their local partners see something new happening in Ayutthaya. Watch this video to hear more about their vision.

Accountant Veronica is amazed at how God is using her gifts and skills

The spiritual world was always real for Prang. But it was the world of dark, evil spirits.

The Esan region of northeast Thailand is often described as one of the hardest places to do ministry in Thailand. Christians are few and far between, Buddhism is strong, and drug addiction is widespread.

PbeeMai was like any other twenty-year-old: looking for validation from his peers, wanting to be well-liked and popular. But he saw something different – something perhaps even worthwhile – in the way Brian welcomed students into his home and built relationships with them.

Chris and Rawee are pastors at Grace Community Church (GCC) in Bangkok, and while the people gathering for Sunday service are obviously Christian, most Bangkokians are not, making church planting in the city a venture in reaching the least reached.

Aof had gone to church for many Sundays and had said many “Amens” to the prayers people had prayed for her – but nothing really worked until she challenged God herself.

YooTaa remembers the day God saved his life.

Thailand has a long history with Buddhism. It is thought to have entered the culture long before there was even such a place as Thailand - during the third century BC, when a famous Indian emperor named Asoka was sending Buddhist missionaries into many parts of Asia. It became the official state religion in the thirteen hundreds during the kingdom of Sukkothai. 

Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya occupy opposite ends of Thailand, but they are strung together by a common thread: SIM's Hope for Life Thailand. Now the Faithful Witness initiative is being introduced to the region and joining in their transforming work.

Are we putting missionaries on a pedestal? Mission work isn't unattainable ⁠— find out more about how all Jesus followers can be faithful witnesses.

The Fawcetts were eager to enter ministry. But God called the Fawcetts to wait before they could embark to Ayutthaya.