Mr Sir-ri-sak Puche is the pastor of a small congregation in the mountains just south of Chiang Mai. The congregation is small and unable to pay him a living salary. But after years of worshiping without a pastor to teach and guide them, they were hungry for leadership. Sirisak and his wife answered the call. But that decision came after years of doubt.
As a young man, Sirrisak decided to study at Bible College with the idea that he could be a pastor. He enrolled at LTC, but he struggled with doubt as to his value and skill . So, he quit, went home, got married and started farming. But the little church in his home village needed help. Like so many churches scattered throughout SE Asia, there was no leader, no pastor, to teach the Word and help the believers walk their faith through life’s events.
Slowly Sirisak was pulled into ministry. He soon realized that he needed to finish his leadership training. So, he and his wife came back to LTC and he finished his BTh in 2014. After graduation he was invited to pastor another small congregation, the Mae Am Khang Mai Church. There are about 30 members who have remained faithful despite having no pastor. Since the church was planted years ago, there had been no teaching and no evangelistic outreach. The children of the Christians there grew up and moved to the city for work. The parents continued to remain faithful, but they were hungry for more. They needed a leader…. a pastor…to teach, guide, encourage and challenge them to a greater commitment in faith and service. Sirisak and his wife responded to the call.
It has not been easy. The church has little money to pay Sirisak so he has to farm as well as fulfill his responsibilities as a pastor. One of his concerns was how to find open doors into the community for sharing the Gospel. There just never seemed to be enough time. But he continued to pray for the Lord to show him a way. The Lord answered that prayer in a most unexpected way.
You see, Sirisak’s village is the market town for that district. This means the schools for the whole district are located right there. However, the kids must find their own means of transportation to the school. He noticed that some kids had to travel 15 miles to get to school and then home again. It was cost prohibitive for many families, so kids were dropping out at Jr. High. The Puches started to take kids into their home, providing a home and food and parenting while they attended school. Soon, they had 6 teenagers in addition to their own 2 children. It wasn’t long before more families were asking them to take in their kids too.
The Puches decided they needed to add rooms to their house. Without any funding, they started to build; a roof, and then the floor. Slowly they are adding one wall at a time.
In the meantime, Sirisak started teaching guitar and coaching soccer on Saturdays. The teens bring their friends over all the time. The Puches found themselves developing relationships with a whole slew of families in the community. They were no longer the Christian leaders of “that church”, but he was now “our son’s soccer coach.”
Sirisak has not finished the extra rooms and has little income. And his family doubled in size; meaning more food and more utilities to pay. Despite all the obstacles, Sirisak and his wife are excited to see how God will provide.
LTC graduates like Sirisak are scattered all over northern Thailand and Laos, quietly serving and touching lives for Christ.
If you hear God calling you to help Sirisak build his dormitory for village children, we invite you to click here to make a contribution to the LTC Alumni Ministry Fund. This fund is used to encourage and help with ministry projects led by LTC alumni.
As a young man, Sirrisak decided to study at Bible College with the idea that he could be a pastor. He enrolled at LTC, but he struggled with doubt as to his value and skill . So, he quit, went home, got married and started farming. But the little church in his home village needed help. Like so many churches scattered throughout SE Asia, there was no leader, no pastor, to teach the Word and help the believers walk their faith through life’s events.
Slowly Sirisak was pulled into ministry. He soon realized that he needed to finish his leadership training. So, he and his wife came back to LTC and he finished his BTh in 2014. After graduation he was invited to pastor another small congregation, the Mae Am Khang Mai Church. There are about 30 members who have remained faithful despite having no pastor. Since the church was planted years ago, there had been no teaching and no evangelistic outreach. The children of the Christians there grew up and moved to the city for work. The parents continued to remain faithful, but they were hungry for more. They needed a leader…. a pastor…to teach, guide, encourage and challenge them to a greater commitment in faith and service. Sirisak and his wife responded to the call.
It has not been easy. The church has little money to pay Sirisak so he has to farm as well as fulfill his responsibilities as a pastor. One of his concerns was how to find open doors into the community for sharing the Gospel. There just never seemed to be enough time. But he continued to pray for the Lord to show him a way. The Lord answered that prayer in a most unexpected way.
You see, Sirisak’s village is the market town for that district. This means the schools for the whole district are located right there. However, the kids must find their own means of transportation to the school. He noticed that some kids had to travel 15 miles to get to school and then home again. It was cost prohibitive for many families, so kids were dropping out at Jr. High. The Puches started to take kids into their home, providing a home and food and parenting while they attended school. Soon, they had 6 teenagers in addition to their own 2 children. It wasn’t long before more families were asking them to take in their kids too.
The Puches decided they needed to add rooms to their house. Without any funding, they started to build; a roof, and then the floor. Slowly they are adding one wall at a time.
In the meantime, Sirisak started teaching guitar and coaching soccer on Saturdays. The teens bring their friends over all the time. The Puches found themselves developing relationships with a whole slew of families in the community. They were no longer the Christian leaders of “that church”, but he was now “our son’s soccer coach.”
Sirisak has not finished the extra rooms and has little income. And his family doubled in size; meaning more food and more utilities to pay. Despite all the obstacles, Sirisak and his wife are excited to see how God will provide.
LTC graduates like Sirisak are scattered all over northern Thailand and Laos, quietly serving and touching lives for Christ.
If you hear God calling you to help Sirisak build his dormitory for village children, we invite you to click here to make a contribution to the LTC Alumni Ministry Fund. This fund is used to encourage and help with ministry projects led by LTC alumni.
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