Couple prays for harvest as they sow seeds of faith in Thailand

A handbag with the words, “You reap what you sow,” sparked a gospel opportunity for Brooke Jackson among Buddhists in Thailand. 

Thais who know English can read the words, but she wondered if they realized God was speaking. She wanted them to grasp the Biblical meaning of that sentence. Therefore, that unexpected sight on a bag gave Jackson a natural entry point into gospel conversations. 

“That was God,” Jackson said, creating opportunities in the nation of nearly 70 million Buddhists. She and her husband, Cory, and their daughters moved to Udon Thani in August 2022.  

Relationships and learning together with Thais establish the ministry

They’ve since joined a church for children, led by a Thai couple, who teach English and offer worship on Sundays for children. They sing songs, read Scripture, hear a sermon and build relationships through discussion about the gospel and God’s word. 

“We can learn from Thai believers who are already in ministry,” Brooke Jackson said. 

Related: Partnerships in Thailand are creating new outreaches. 

Cory said they’ve recognized how important relationships are to ministry in Thailand. The Thai people value friendships. Therefore, a woman offered to help the Jacksons’ children learn Thai.  

A little boy offered to help Cory learn about food. So, when they see each other, the Minnesota native names a food and the little Thai boy says ‘delicious’ or ‘not delicious’ in Thai. He loves helping Cory know what to eat, at least from a little boy’s perspective. 

“We’re seeing some really good indications that a relationship’s forming,” he said. 

Converge’s Thailand Initiative is asking God for a gospel movement among every least-reached people group in Thailand in our generation. Ninety-eight or 99 percent of the nation’s people identify as Buddhist. 

A heart for those who have never heard

Sharing the gospel has been their heart since Cory and Brooke met while she studied at Bethel University, which is affiliated with Converge. As a student several years ago, she came across a map showing all the churches in the area. 

As she stared at red dots around the school’s location, she grasped the world’s disparity in gospel access. Seeing the numerous churches contrasted with the spiritual landscape she saw while serving in another Asian country. 

“It’s amazing that so many Minnesotans can hear the gospel and have been hearing the gospel,” she said.  

But she still remembers meeting students at university campuses in an Asian country who’d never heard of the Son of God. 

“They didn’t know who Jesus was,” she said. “They had never heard. That struck my heart.” 

That’s the reality in many parts of the world where most people haven’t heard of Jesus’ first coming, much less his second.  

So the Jacksons continue to build relationships and stay open to surprises, like the handbag with a Bible reference. They know God is answering prayers so that many of the world’s people hear his life-changing message. 

“We want to see gospel movements happen,” Cory Jackson said. 

Converge is asking God for a gospel movement among every least-reached people group – in our generation. Learn how we are playing a role in accomplishing the Great Commission and how you can be involved.