Thailand
Small but vibrant pockets of church growth have been occurring amongst the Shan in the Mae Hong Son province of Thailand. One such church is in the village of Fishfields where a 25 plus member congregation brings light to a population of about six hundred. The vast majority of believers are first generation, that is, the first in their families to turn from generations of practicing Shan Buddhism to Christ. Each of the testimonies given were unique and powerful descriptions of God’s faithfulness, whether through miraculous healing, the fulfillment of needs that were not met through traditional beliefs, dreams, witnessing of powerful transformations in others, and so on.
Though few in number, God’s grace is abundantly evident in these congregations, and it is clear that He is raising up leaders through discipleship. Many are also growing in conviction for evangelism and missions. The obstacle, as one leader of the church stated, is lack of boldness. But, once overcome, the few who have captured God’s vision for their people have been producing a multitude of fruit.