By Doug H. a member of SEND’s Thailand | Asia team

On is a young woman from a Thai ethnic group called the Isaan. The Isaan people are among the least-reached people group in all of Asia. That means most Isaan people have never met a Christian, and have never heard the good news of Jesus Christ.   
 
Arnie, a SEND worker from the Philippines who serves on one of our teams, came to Thailand to make her home among the Isaan people. She met On at the university where On was studying to become a school teacher. They built a strong friendship, and Arnie introduced On to the stories of the Bible. After a long period of time, On placed her faith in Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord. But that is just the beginning of the story. 
 
As Arnie discipled On, she taught her not only how to follow Jesus, but instilled in her a passion to share her faith with her own people. On has since graduated from university, and is now teaching in an Isaan town in another province.  But her great desire is to love her co-teachers and her students the way Arnie loved her.  Not only that, but to introduce them to Jesus Christ, who gave his life for all ethnic peoples, including the Isaan. 
 
Recently On invited Arnie to come visit the classroom where she teaches, along with the other staff. On has won favor with her principal, who gladly gave permission for her to pass out needed school supplies along with animated Bible storybooks. 
 
So what is our vision? It is to obey the commission of our Lord, to go and make disciples of Jesus Christ where he is not yet known. Our role is to clear a pathway for the 25 workers that serve with us in Thailand, so that they can make disciples among the unreached Isaan and Shan peoples.  But it can't stop there. Our longing is to see Isaan and Shan Christ-followers reaching their own people with the gospel. When they are making disciples within their own culture, there will be the potential for a disciple-making movement to sweep through towns and villages where Christ is not yet known. 
 
And that is why we are so thrilled at what God is doing in the life of On. There are 134 students in the school where she teaches, and she is likely the only Christian they have ever met.

Learn more about SEND’s teams in Asia!