An addition to our "Friends In Mission" list ...

We're making a couple of additions to our "Friends In Mission" list. One of those is Grace Refuge Outreach Worldwide (or GROW), which may be a relatively new friend in mission, but features a longtime friend of West Texas.

G.R.O.W. started in the fall of 2009 with a vision to come alongside two extraordinary women who had taken in at-risk children in Thailand with no means of support or ideas of how to make it happen — other than to pray and trust in God to provide. On a trip to Thailand, Pastor Ivanildo Trindade met Sumitra “Faa” Choemue, and she shared her passion for children who are victims of physical and sexual abuse in Thailand. Later, Faa came to the U.S. and a board of directors who also shared Faa’s passion was assembled. In October of 2009 GROW was formed!

GROW's mission is to rescue at risk children and youth who are targets of the sex trade industry, by supporting, educating, and providing them with a safe place to live, grow, and learn about Christ.

I first met Faa in early 2008, when I was part of the first Thailand mission team from 1st Presbyterian Church of Midland. She was on the staff of the Garden of Hope ministry in Chiang Mai, a major city in northern Thailand, with whom we had been partnering to establish a drop-in center for at-risk children in that city's 'red light' district.

"Sumitra 'Faa' Choemue was born into a destitute family of twelve children in the mountains of northern Thailand. Five of her siblings died before Faa was even born. Faa is from the Akha tribe and like many other minorities in Thailand, she belongs to a class that is despised and rejected by the majority population. Humanly speaking, Faa was destined to a life of crawling, craving and crying with no possibility of redemption."
• CLICK HERE to read the rest of Faa's story

On more than one occasion, Faa has been our guest here, in Midland, in the course of her visits to mission partners across the United States, raising awareness, prayers and funds for her work in Thailand. I am told she may be visiting us once again later this year ... maybe in October ... I'll keep you posted as more details come in.

In the meantime, please keep Faa - and everyone at GROW - in your prayers!