News from Alumnus in Chiang Mai

Alumnus Park Chun Seek who graduated with a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies in 2010 has been faithfully serving in Chiang Mai with Thailand Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) for the past decade. EAST News recently caught up with him over a short interview below.

1. What kept you busy in terms of ministry, family and church especially in the past year when Covid-19 happened?

My wife and I are currently doing ministry in Chiang Mai, Thailand. After graduating from EAST in 2010 and receiving missionary training in Singapore in 2011, I arrived in Thailand in July, 2011. Currently, I am a part of Leadership Development Human Resource (LDHR) Department in Thailand CCC, doing Leadership Development ministry. Both of my children, Jessica and David, graduated from a high school in Chiang Mai. Jessica studied Music Education and is now working as a music teacher in Grace International School in Chiang Mai where she used to attend. She is a Professional Missionary sent by KCCC. David is currently attending a university in the US, studying Applied Mathematics.

2020 was a very special year for me and my family because of Covid-19. In January, we had three Short-term Mission Project teams, and I had to substitute for our Senior Pastor at our church for a few months. Also, our church started to build a new church building, in which I assisted. In March, while Covid-19 took a hit in Korea, my father-in-law passed away. After attending the funeral in Korea, I returned to Thailand before my wife. She had to wait for almost a year before returning home due to travel restrictions.

Until May, Thailand issued a lock-down, so I had to stay home and all ministries in CCC was put to a stop. The staff could not physically meet in any way, and there was nothing we could do. We were dismayed because we were faced with unexpected hardships that we had not experienced before, so we waited for the Lord’s guidance. During then, the Lord gave me a heart to help my neighbours who needed financial support, so I started to support by providing food packages for the minority tribes’ churches and villages. Starting in May, I resumed a small group Bible study for local staff.. In July, as other ministries started to resume, I also reopened the Staff Development Program. I became even busier as I started teaching an online Bible study group with the Southern campuses.

In Thailand, the pandemic is starting to rise again these days. However, ministries have resumed through online and offline ministries. Last year, I lived alone as my wife was still in Korea. I was concerned about my wife’s travel visa and the health of my family members who were all around the world. However, the only thing I could do was trusting and relying on the Lord. I was able to spend more time with the Lord and to focus more on my physical, spiritual, and especially mental health. I am also grateful that my wife was able to care for her mother after her father passed away because it is hard for missionaries to care for their parents, which is always a burden for them. Covid-19 is still in the air, but I trust in the Lord who will lead our ministry in a new, creative way.

2. Has the political situation/unrest in Thailand affected your ministry in any way?

Last year was a time of political unrest in Thailand. It is a very sensitive issue to reveal one’s personal opinion about politics in Thailand. There were political tensions, but most of them took place in Bangkok, so Chiang Mai, which is far away from Bangkok, was less affected by them. It was the same for our ministries. The political tensions did not spread widely due to Covid-19, but the situation may change at any time, so I constantly pray that the Lord will lead us in a righteous path.

3. What do you look forward to in 2021 as compared to what happened in 2020?

Today, Christians in Thailand are challenged spiritually because of the online ministries. It is impossible to meet the students face-to-face, so discipling students is hard. However, I feel the need to use creative methods such as online evangelism or bible study and a need to adapt to these types of ministries.

This year, Thailand CCC is working with the local churches on a “Hundredfold Movement.” We are planning on producing fruits a hundred times more even in the midst of the Covid-19 situation, so we are planning a congress in the second half of the year. Although we are not able to normally perform ministries, I pray and hope for the growth of the local staff’ and students’ faith as we pray and challenge ourselves.

Prayer requests

1. Pray for me and my family members to have a deeper fellowship with God and to grow closer to God.
2. Give us wisdom from the Lord so that we can work creatively in the Covid-19 situation.
3. Pray for wisdom in translating and publishing Bible Study Guide Book in Thai.