Stories from ACTI’s Alumni

A GRANDMOTHER MAKING WAVES IN CHIANG RAI, THAILAND

‘In the two-and-a-half years since I came to Chiang Rai, we have baptised 36 people and in August 2018, another five will be baptized,’ Pannee said excitedly.
A Thai married to a Singaporean, Pannee decided to return to her hometown as a missionary after her husband’s death. It is a joy for her to see the amazing transformation in the lives of new believers who are now reaching out to other Thais.

In preparation for being sent out by the Presbyterian church in Singapore, Pannee, already a grandmother, joined ACTI as a trainee in October 2015. After six weeks of training, she was commissioned by her church and travelled to Thailand. She has since started cell groups in her village as well as other villages. Her pastors in Singapore have had the joy of traveling up to Thailand to help baptize Thai believers in partnership with this indigenous mission work. A church movement is beginning in Chiang Rai.

 

MYANMAR – CROSSING CULTURES WITHIN BORDERS

Win and Sang, missions directors for the Myanmar Baptist Convention came to ACTI in the same intake as Pannee in October 2015. Under a special scholarship, both came be equipped to set up a missions program for the 1.6 million strong Myanmar Baptist Convention. Returning to Myanmar, they started the first ever missions training school in the country, with 14 missionary candidates from the many conventions in Myanmar composed of different ethnic groups. The training lasted six months with ACTI staff teaching part of the course. From there the graduates have spread out to many parts of Myanmar, crossing cultures to start missionary work. In August 2018 they will run a 6-week training, with 40 potential missionaries expected to join the training to reach out to the many ethnic groups in Myanmar. So two people who received training are now equipping many in crossing cultures to win others for Christ.

SRI LANKA – LOCAL LEADERSHIP RAISED AND STRENGTHENED

Simon* & Anne* from the USA, joined ACTI in February 2016, taking a break from their work in Sri Lanka. Their goal is to help develop a strong, self-sustaining, and sending body of believers in Sri Lanka. To that end, they have embarked on six strategies to help the local leadership of the church denomination to be self-sufficient as well as to send out believers in evangelism and discipleship. One strategy is helping the churches to develop infrastructure, leadership and training. They also help pastors gain self-sufficiency in finances by helping them find and develop small business opportunities. Steven & Peggy see the raising up and training of leaders as a key strategy in this strongly Buddhist nation and their training at ACTI as vital to help them develop future leaders who can go on to equip others.

SOUTH ASIA – FROM BUSINESS TO TOUCHING LIVES

Cath, a Malaysian working in the corporate world in Singapore, decided to drop her illustrious career to enroll at ACTI in 2017 with the aim of equipping herself to be involved in Business as Missions (BAM) in South Asia. Within six months, she started an enterprise that seeks socio-economic change with a kingdom perspective with 6 businesses providing jobs for 30 locals in that country. The enterprise also equips three pastors with small businesses so that they are able to do ministries while being financially self-supporting. One local pastor who is aiming to reach 400 households in his village, has seen first fruits in April with one household saved. Meanwhile, a salon business is ‘hiring women at risk and those that had been trafficked, rescuing and equipping them with skills and a livelihood.’

 

Louis Lau

Dean,

ACTI June 2018