Ways to Serve on a Short-Term Mission Trip
Whatever your gift and your calling, there is a place for you on a SeaOps short-term mission trip to Thailand or Laos. Below are the main short-term mission opportunities we coordinate. SeaOps stays flexible to how long your trip is and what your team feels led to do, according to God’s leading through prayer.
Sharing the Gospel
Sharing can be done in either Laos or Thailand, but primarily focuses on Laos. This is a wonderful opportunity for people who aren’t afraid to take a little bit of a risk and encounter the people of Southeast Asia in a personal and bold way. This work looks like distributing materials, such as Bibles and disks, to the people of Laos or Thailand and starting discussions with locals. It is best done by people who are more outgoing, but most importantly have a heart for those who have never heard the name of Jesus to hear the Good News. We also need people who are flexible and willing to travel across the country to distribute and share wherever God is leading through team prayer. If you are the adventurous type, pray about this being the opportunity for you. We can’t promise what will happen or who you will meet, but we can promise that God will move in incredible ways and you will connect with locals through Jesus Christ. What can be better than that?
Teaching English
Education is deeply needed everywhere. The Thai and Lao people’s thirst for knowledge is a way to get into the schools, build relationships, and share Jesus. If you have interest or experience in teaching, we will coordinate different schools or areas where you can teach.
The biggest need we can meet is teaching English. Because Thai and Lao people all want to learn English, it is a much-needed and useful skill that we can offer for free to locals. In doing so, we show the love of God. This is a fun, relational, and wonderful way to serve Southeast Asian people, and it is a great platform for sharing Christ. If you are interested in a teaching English mission trip in Thailand or Laos, contact us and pray about what school, village, or learning center God will put you in.
Prayer and Prayer Walking
Southeast Asia Opportunities (SeaOps) and its leadership believe in the power of prayer. Someone has said: “Prayer is the work.” If you feel led to pray for the countries of Laos or Thailand, then seize this opportunity to travel to some of the most spiritually dark places on earth and see it first-hand. There is simply nothing like prayer walking and/or praying with local believers and encountering Jesus in that moment.
When you come, you will travel to different places and interact with people who may have never heard the name of Jesus before in their lives! There are chances to bike and prayer walk through different villages, towns and cities, wherever the Lord leads you and/or the team. We are completely open to the Holy Spirit’s leading in this regard (John 3:8). It can be simply walking and praying in places like temples, schools, hospitals, homes, and restaurants — wherever! And most importantly, it will be your taking the Name of Jesus to encounter the people you will meet there. Prayer is the only weapon we have been given to pierce the darkness and change the world. Please, won’t you come join us and pray for the lost peoples of Southeast Asia?
Hands-On Service Projects
We have found that doing hands-on service projects is one of the best ways to do a mission trip. Service projects are just that — serving others in the Name of Jesus and allowing His love to flow through that service. When we use our hands and feet to serve others, we show Christ’s love by giving and working. “Giving,” because your team will be called upon to purchase materials, equipment, and other needed items as part of the project. “Working,” because it will entail work — sometimes easy work, sometimes difficult work — in order to meet the felt needs of these lost peoples.
Some examples of previous projects are building small wooden houses for widows, building latrines for families who have none, providing materials for a suspension bridge, medical teams, and re-roofing a porch — again, the opportunities are endless! Just let us know what you would like to do, or if you are simply willing to do whatever is needed. Then we will help coordinate the service project based on the needs of local people, keeping in mind what you are willing to do, where help is most needed, and what is culturally appropriate. Your service projects help build the relationship bridges needed to take the Gospel into these villages and the lives of the people who live there.
Vacation Bible School & Backyard Bible Clubs
Thailand is very open to Vacation Bible School. So if you have a passion for teaching Bible stories and love kids, games, and lots of fun, pray about leading and coordinating VBS in Thailand for local children. This is a great way to teach the young generation and impact them with your love, your story, and your service. This opportunity includes lots of games, laughter, crafts, and Bible stories. Contact us if this is the role for you.
Training Seminars for Local Believers
Are you a pastor, Bible teacher, ministry leader, worship leader, professor, or do you just have a passion to train local national believers in other countries and cultures? Then the area of Training Seminars is for you! There is a deep need in both Laos and Thailand for training believers in leadership, discipleship, local church ministries, evangelism, and missions. God may want you to use His gifts and talents to build up the Body of Christ here in Southeast Asia.
We in America have been blessed with so much and so many resources. The Bible teaches that to the one much is given, much is required. So if you are sensing a leading to be part of training local believers to be missionaries, better ministers of the Gospel, and to grow the Kingdom of God in Southeast Asia, then please contact us about leading a training seminar. We are completely open to however the Lord is leading you in terms of what to teach, using the teaching areas familiar to you. The setting will be very low-key, very relational, and you will have the chance to build friendships and fellowship that will last a lifetime. And translators will be provided — no problem!
Ready to Find Your Place to Serve?
Tell us how God is leading you and we’ll help you plan a short-term mission trip that fits your gifts and calling.
Contact SeaOps to Get Started