She’d heard the gospel, but it wasn’t until COVID that she believed
By a SEND worker in Thailand —
Not very long before Christmas 2019, I was chatting at church with a teacher who I heard could possibly give me a language refresher course. Though she wasn’t able to help me, she did something that eventually proved even more important. She introduced me to her niece, Yingtai*.
Yingtai moved to Thailand just a few weeks before me to study English at a local university. Besides Yingtai and I both being new to Thailand, we had another thing in common: she was from the same province in another Asian country that I had most recently lived in!
Because this was Yingtai’s first time to ever visit a church, I asked her if she wanted to go out to lunch to talk about her experience. Over lunch we chatted about how she didn’t understand very much of the service—she doesn’t speak much English, and almost no Thai. Even though I could tell she wasn’t ready to accept Jesus at that time, I took the opportunity to share the gospel with her.
The following week, I sat with her during the church service and translated for her. I gave her a Bible and offered to help her understand it, and I also invited her to two Christmas outreach parties that I was involved with. She was excited to attend the parties because she had never celebrated Christmas before. The carols and gifts were the most intriguing to her, and this gave me the opportunity to share with her that Jesus was the greatest gift of all.
After Christmas, I didn’t see much of Yingtai. She was busy with her studies and wasn’t coming to church regularly. Though this time, I kept praying for her and asking others to pray as well.
Then COVID-19 hit, and we were all required to stay at home. Because of this isolation, Yingtai was bored. I asked if she would like to study English with me online, and she agreed even after I told her that we would use the Bible as a part of our English study.
As we met online one day, we went through Psalm 91. Yingtai asked me what she should do—she had something burdening her heart that she had never shared with anyone before. I told her that God already knew what it was and that she could talk to him about it. I went on to say that if she wanted the peace and protection that God promises, she needed to open her heart to Jesus.
After this conversation, I didn’t hear from her much, but I kept praying. I also shared Bible verses with her and sent her an evangelistic video in her heart language.
Just over three weeks later, I received a message from her. She said that she realized her shortcomings and asked me if God could help her overcome them. I shared the gospel with her again and asked if she was ready to accept Jesus. She said, “maybe.”
We continued to talk—she asked questions and I tried to make sure she really understood everything. And, praise God, Yingtai accepted Jesus!
I am still sending her verses each day and praying for her, but I am looking forward to a time when we can meet together in person for discipleship and mentoring. Please pray for Yingtai and me as we begin this journey together!
Additional Posts

Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?



