"Let the Little Children Come to Me" - Northern Thailand Update - May 2, 2026

“Let the Little Children Come to Me.” - A NTIM Field Update -May 02, 2026

 Dear Family, Friends, Partners in Ministry,

God is doing an amazing work in Chiangrai, Thailand.

As I begin writing this update, I am sitting at my desk in Northern Thailand, drinking a cup of coffee, and thinking about the goodness of God and what God might want me to share with you today.

Since you have not heard about our children’s English Outreach in quite a while, let me take just a few moments and walk you through certain things that are going on that will help you know how to pray for us.

Jesus loves children. And children love Jesus. It is amazing how children seem to have this “6^th sense” about people and they respond well to people that they sense are “safe” people.

One of the ways we serve God here in Northern Thailand and reach out into our community is through a partnership with Grace Language School and Baan Athitaan Church where we teach English to children grades 1-6 every Saturday morning from 9:00 to 11:00. It has been my honor a privilege to lead both of these organizations (GLS and BAC) from the time we founded them almost 25 years ago. We have seen hundreds of Thai people from various unreached people groups, Laotian people, and Chinese people come to know Jesus as Savior and many of them become the first person to be a follower of Jesus in their entire family.

*GOD HAS GIVEN US AN AWESOME ESL OUTREACH FOR CHILDREN ON SATURDAYS

Many years ago, we saw the need to open up an ESL outreach to children grades 1-6 in our community. We have always had an ESL outreach to youth and adults for almost 25 years. But this new ESL outreach to children has been a great way for our church – Baan Athitaan Church – and our school – Grace Language School – to work together in reaching these precious Thai children. This is also a time where we get to train and equip some of our university students in teaching as well. Please pray for us as we continue to grow. Please pray for all of us who are involved in the Children’s ESL Outreach program on Saturdays. As I write this update, there are 6 different groups of Children studying English in our – multi-purpose facility called the Lighthouse Learning Center. Our Thai Staff, some of our GLS teachers, along with one of our awesome university students, lead this ESL Children’s outreach. Please also pray for Pat as she helps lead and coordinate our ESL Program on Saturdays. Please pray for Ball, Ja, Jay, Pat, Boom, June, May, Dallas, and Becky as they help with our ESL Outreach to Children.

Here are some pictures from today that I took just a few moments ago as I went to every classroom.  

Many of the people we see come to Christ are the first person in their entire family to become an authentic follower of Jesus Christ. Please keep us in your prayers as we sense a great move of God during this time and as we begin this new term of study.  

* OTHER AREAS OF PRAYER WE WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU

You have heard me say on many occasions, one of the most significant things that I do while serving as God has shaped and gifted me is to faithfully, boldly, gently, and clearly teach God’s truth almost every Sunday morning to our church family that is made up of over 23 different people groups from all over the 10-40 Window and is also a mix of several international groups. Here is a recent message that I shared with our church family that is very relevant in our world today and would ask for each of our family, friends, and supporters to listen to this message I have titled, “7 Types of Toxic Speech Every Follower Of Jesus Should Stop using.” Here is the link to that message which is in English and translated into Thai.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBljDyvPvbo

Our desire here in Chiangrai, Thailand has always been to plant a community purpose driven type church that welcomes every ethnic group of people that comes through our doors and does not segregate their ability to serve based on ethnicity or nationality but based upon gifting, calling, and heart. We are truly becoming a vibrant and active community church and I believe we have the blessing of God upon us at this time …… in this place ….. and for His purposes and His glory and for the advancement of His kingdom.  

Please pray for what God is doing right here in the heart of Southeast Asia. As Henry Blackaby has said many times, God it truly at work all around us and He invites us to join Him in what He is doing. Would you please pray about making a special donation to NTIM on behalf of the ESL work with our children. With your donations, we are able to keep our costs for students studying English with us at very affordable rates which means your giving to NTIM really is making a difference. When you make a donation on our website, If you will click the “general” button it will go toward all of our English teaching work in Chiangrai including our children’s ESL program on Saturdays.

We love you and miss you, yet at the same time, we are very happy to serve our Lord Jesus in this place, among these people, at this season in life, and for God’s redemptive purposes.

May God richly bless you. Thank you for your kindness and generosity and for sending us to Thailand. Any gift you would like to make toward our normal, everyday ministry, no matter how small or how large, helps us reach people who are the first persons in their entire families to know Jesus and most of them from some of the least reached people groups in our world today.

Please also remember to pray for “Project Payao” which I will update you on in a future update.

Until the People in and around Northern Thailand know Him,

Michael for the NTIM team

Vice President and Director of Field Operations

“For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5

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Financial support can be given through NTIM....

Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM), P.O. Box 26115, Birmingham, AL 35260 USA Main Website: www.gontim.org

NTIM is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization based in the USA. We are committed to connecting people in need with people who care and are focused in the heart of Southeast Asia where poverty is high, education is low, needs are great, unreached people groups (UPGs) are all around us, and the love and message of Jesus is needed to transform lives.             

You can send donations to support God’s work to NTIM. All donations made are tax deductible and can be made either online at www.gontim.org or mailed to NTIM, P.O. Box 26115, Birmingham, AL  35260 If made online, you can click the “general” button and these funds are directed to the NTIM team in Chiangrai and overall projects, or you can click the “project Payao” button and these funds are directed to the NTIM team in Payao.

If you would like to get on our email update listing, please send me an email at pray4ntim@gmail.com