Read Time: 3 min 19 sec | Reading Level: 6th Grade

WORLD NEWS

Darkness in Thailand

Right now, there’s a crisis occurring in Thailand. Nearly 700,000 kids have dropped out of school... that's about 28,000 classrooms worth of students.

Why do these children have to stop going to school? Many of them have to get jobs to help their families buy food and other necessities. Some of them have joined gangs. Many have met bad people who pressed them to do things for money, like work in unsafe or inappropriate jobs. Some are forced to live in places they don’t want to. 

New reports show that over 36% (just over ⅓!) of Thai children have met dangerous people online.

This is a lot for Thai youth to face each day... and many of them have never heard of Jesus or the hope He can bring. Only 1.2% of Thailand's entire population is Christian.

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BE DOERS
OneHope is stepping into this digital darkness—sharing gospel truths, engaging lonely teens, and introducing them to the refuge and strength of Christ. Often, it's the first time they’re hearing about Jesus. OneHope has set a goal of reaching 200,000 young people across Thailand and Asia with God’s word.

Every $1 donated touches three lives with the Good News. The Pour Over is matching the first $5,000 given through this link.

“But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves… But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works​—​this person will be blessed in what he does.” 
James 1:22-25 (CSB) (read full passage)

What do I want to make sure my kids know in light of this story?
People are made of both body and soul, so true care means seeing and serving the whole person. 

In places gripped by darkness, like Thailand, meeting physical needs is only part of the healing process. As Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, “Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (CSB). Real transformation comes when the love of God’s people reaches both stomach and spirit—bringing not just temporary blessings like food and economic opportunity but eternal blessings like the hope of Christ.

What response to this story do I want to model for my children?
Taking strategic, Spirit-led action when we hear hard headlines.

The weight of the world’s needs is massive, and we weren’t meant to bear it all. We certainly can’t do everything. But we can pray and do something. 

Jesus was pressed by crowds with endless needs, and He was finite like us… but He wasn’t frazzled or frantic or burnt out. He set his boundaries, prioritized prayer, and knew His mission. You can’t respond to every headline, but you can give your best to a cause that aligns with your mission and then pray for the rest, leaving it in God’s hands.

• Discuss your family’s mission. What is that thing that the Lord has put on your heart, and how can you take action to move it forward?

• Memorize James 1:22, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (CSB).

• Pray for open doors, radical rescues, and for the gospel to be proclaimed and believed in Thailand and across Asia, and pray for the fruitfulness of ministries like OneHope. Pray that your family would discern its mission and impact the world for Christ.

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