Pray for Thailand on Sunday, March 7, 2010
Lectionary Text and Prayers for Thailand: Luke 13:1-9
O creator God, we are grateful for Thailand, for its hospitable people and beautiful land! As it is presently rocked by political rivalries and turmoil, grant reconciliation and stability that peace and justice rule in the kingdom. Continue to bring comfort and healing to people stricken with HIV-AIDS, prosperity to poor farmers in the hinterlands; Grant the king good health and bless his projects to uplift the life of its citizens. And bless the work and ministry of the Church of Christ in Thailand, empower it to be an instrument of truth and justice, righteousness and peace. In name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
(Prayer by Salvador T. Martinez)
Global Ministries International Partners in Thailand:
- McGilvary College of Divinity at Payap University is dedicated to preparing quality leadership for the Christian church in Thailand and in the region with its international program. Payap University is a Christian institution that offers an excellent education and training in a variety of subjects. Both Payap University and McGilvary are attended by students from several nations of Southern Asia in addition to Thailand, including China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Recently, Global Ministries missionary, Salvador T. Martinez, has spent fourteen years teaching at McGilvary and directing the International M. Div. Program.
- The Church of Christ in Thailand has active programs in HIV/AIDS education and prevention. They also are providing vocational training to tribal women in the hope that this will reduce the numbers of women joining the sex industry
- The Thai Burma Border Consortium provides only basic food and shelter for refugee populations, but the need exceeds the available assistance. They have estimated that as many as 600,000 Burmese are internally displaced persons (IDPs) The Burmese Army destroys homes in areas where they have found ethnic resistance and as a result the population flees to resettlement sites. Many of these IDPs are used for forced labor and many flee the country becoming refugees by crossing the border into Thailand. The Consortium has reported that this year has seen the worst human rights abuses across the border since 1997. They are seeking support for their Emergency Rice Assistance Program. Thailand does not wish to accept any more refugees and would like to begin repatriation of those already in Thailand. The situation in Burma (Myanmar) has not substantially improved, however, and although repatriation will be an issue at some point, it does not seem likely to happen soon.
Global Ministries Missionary in Thailand:
Salvador T. Martinez, a member of Silliman University Church of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, has been appointed to serve the Church of Christ in Thailand. He has been teaching ethics, theology, homiletics and church history at McGilvary College of Divinity, Payap University since 1993 and has been directing the International M. Div. Program of the College since 2004. He has also helped in the HIV-AIDS ministry of the Church of Christ in Thailand.