In Thailand we support the ministry of Jim and Barbara Arnold, working with Discipleship Ministry Training International – DMTI. Jim formerly pastored Heart Ministries here in Sacramento, and our relationship with the Arnolds came out of joint ministries our churches shared together. Evangelism is a big part of missions in a country that is 95% Buddhist. Jim is also involved in discipling new believers, and teaching leadership. The Arnolds have six children. The Arnolds have worked in Thailand since 1993. Jim pastored in the States for 11 years. Barb directed children’s ministries for 8 years and was a missionary in Asia for over 2 years. Their first assignment was in Pak Chong (Northeast Siam), where Jim was privileged to teach in a Bible School for 2 semesters, through interpreters. Most of their students were from the hill tribes in northern Thailand – the Karen, Akha, Lisu and Lahu people. During that time, they taught an English class in their home to neighbors, and Jim was also blessed to teach a weekly English class (along with the gospel!) in a Buddhist middle school. Afterwards they moved to Bangkok to attend language school. During that time Jim also accepted an interim pastorate at an international Church in Bangkok. They then set up their base in Hua Hin, located in the southern peninsula of Thailand. In Summer 2007 the Arnolds moved north to Chaing Mai, Thailand’s second largest city.
Besides evangelism – with the Thai, Burmese, and Nepali – and one on one discipleship, they have also been involved in writing discipleship and leadership curriculum and gospel tracts for Discipleship Ministry Training Intl. In addition, Jim has also taught leadership training conferences in Myanmar (Burma), India and the Philippines Jim and Barb are also teaching Sunday School and preaching God’s Word to the local church in their town. Barb is busy as a domestic engineer, home-schooling the children and loving the neighbors.
Tour of Thailand
Thailand is about the size of Texas. It’s border-neighbors are Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. About 95% of Thailand’s 60 million people are Buddhist. Buddhism is the state religion, 4% are Muslim. SIAM (as it was called until 1939), is the only Southeast Asian country never ruled by a Western nation. King Rama IX’s picture is posted everywhere. In this “Land of the Free”, the aver age yearly income per person is only $1,170.00 (5.5% of USA). About 8 million people live in the capital of Bangkok. Though 84% are literate, Thai children are only required to complete 6 years of school and only about 1 of 10 graduate from high school. About 3 of every 4 Thai’s are farmers; only about 10% work in manufacturing jobs. The exchange rate is now about 24 Thai baht to one US dollar.
National Items For Prayer
After 160 years of mission work, only 0.3% of the 60 million people are Christian! As in many nations, the tribes are respond ing to the gospel, but the Thai nationals still remain unresponsive. Between 16 and 34 language groups still have no Scripture in their tongue. The people have been under a powerful demonic spell for centuries, disguising itself as culture, spirit appeasement, occult practices and Buddhism. Corrupt leaders have protected the large sex industry, drug networks, and crime syndicates. Siam has an estimated 100,000 male and 700,000 female prostitutes! At least 500,000 were infected with AIDS in 1992, a projected 6 million (1 of 10) by A.D. 2000! Death and displacement ravages the Karen tribe from the fighting on the Thailand-Myanmar border. Over 200,000 refugees suffer in our borders! Within the church there is a low level of holiness that tolerates sin and fails to discipline those who err. There is a desperate need for a new translation of the Bible. The language used is so high that the majority of the population cannot understand it! Of the 2,500,000 Muslims here, 90% are Malays. This is one of the largest reachable Muslim communities in the world! Thank God right now all religions are protected under the constitutional monarchy, but there are limits on mission work as each organization is restricted to a quota number of visas. Ask the Lord of the harvest to stir up more laborers for the field!
A Testimony
It is sad to admit, but many of us have not believed these exciting words of our Lord. We would like to share just one testimony to prove that these words are true, right now in our world!
Just a few days after we arrived to our new home here in Hua Hin, we attended the small church here. There we met our new brothers and sisters, but also were quietly told, “that man is not a Christian, please talk with him.” In our first conversation, he divulged that he had been a Buddhist monk only 4 years prior and that the only reason he was at church was to appease his wife.
Over the next few weeks we had a few conversations about Jesus and true Christianity. In less than a month, he told us that he had become a Christian. It happened so suddenly we had a hard time be lieving it. He said he wanted to get together more to study the Bible. When we asked, “How often?” He replied, “How about 5 days a week?”
Within 3 months, of his own initiative, he sold his business and his home so that he would have a simpler life and more time to study the Bible! In his 6th month he shared that he would like to go to Bible School and prepare for full-time ministry! Jesus was right! There are people out there primed and ready to be saved! But for millions in Asia there is just no one to explain to them what their soul is reaching for! “How shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard?” (Rom 10:1 4b) Friends, the time is now! Join in the joy of the harvest! Pray! Give! Go!
Personal Prayer Requests
- Salvation of our children.
- Health and safety in a chaotic society.
- Preservation of our daily devotions.
- Wisdom in home schooling the youngest children.
- Continued acquisition of the Thai language.
- Continued favor with the government (missionary visas, freedom to evangelize).
- Effectiveness to win millions of souls.
- Power to disciple believers to maturity and train key church leaders in Asia.
- Ability to write plain and life-changing leadership materials and gospel tracts
- Wisdom to know the extent of ministry within Siam and to the surrounding nations.
Contact Information
Home Address:
Jim & Barb Arnold
124/262 Moo 7, T. Nong Pa Khrang
A. Muang CHIANGMAI 50000
THAILAND
Stateside Address:
DMT International
c/o Jason Rippetoe
2868 Hyannis Way
Sacramento, CA 95827 USA
email: DMTI1@aol.com.
Discipleship Ministry Training Intl. is an inter-denominational ministry dedicated to helping Christians grow and equipping God’s servants for ministry – for the purpose of world evangelization. Their vision is to see every local church making disciples of every member, and for every local church to provide a ministry-training Bible School for every aspiring member. Their teaching materials are available on disk and offered free of charge to all pastors, evangelists, missionaries and Bible School directors.
Philippines Missionaries to Thailand
In addition to supporting the Arnolds, we are blessed to support Filipino interns and Bible School graduates serving as missionaries in Thailand. They come from the Calvary Chapel Bible College located in Dumaguete City, Philippines.
We are currently supporting Mira Luna (on the right in the above photo). She is ministering in Sukhothai province in Northern Thailand.
