About Us
Chang Noi Ministry, with headquarters in Bang Na, Bangkok, Thailand, is committed to serving the Lord through outreach ministries like Abba House and the Nardsoontorn Project. Working through local and international volunteers, Chang Noi participates in church strengthening activities through seminary internships, the teaching of English to Thai national pastors, and church planting.
Chang Noi Ministry, under the direction of Mrs. Lee Davis, partners with Pastor Num Wongthanathikul, the Thai-Chinese national pastor of Promise Baptist Church of Samutprakan, Thailand. Working with the Lord, this ministry offers Jesus Christ to the young residents of the Nardsoontorn slums, the only hope for these children, along with aid for education.
Abba House
Abba House is located in the Nardsoontorn area and serves as an outreach to the children of this community by providing a Saturday children's program with Bible stories, games, songs, English teaching and snacks. There is also a Sunday morning program for the children. The goal of Abba House is to meet the children's emotional, physical, and most importantly, spiritual needs. Maintaining this house costs US$100 a month.
Abba House is partially staffed with seminary students from several of the Bangkok seminaries. Visit the Financial Help page to read more about these students and how you can be involved in their support, both in the seminaries as well as their work with us at Abba House.
Chang Noi operates a nursery for the slum children of ages 3-4 years. The children learn in Thai along with some English activities, however, the most important activity is the sharing of Jesus Christ with the children.
Visit the Financial Help page to read more about this project and find out how you can be involved in the ministry of giving.
Nardsoontorn Project
The Nardsoontorn Project is an outreach ministry of Chang Noi Ministry and Pastor Num of Promise Baptist Church to the slum area of the same name. In this community, jerrybuilt houses stand in rice paddy fields and stagnant, green water. Most of these houses are sparsely furnished with a ragged mattress that lie on the floor and are covered by mosquito netting. The families of Nardsoontorn are very transient and many of the families have traveled from Northern Thailand to this area in search of better jobs. Often, the children of these families are abandoned here with friends or grandparents when the family moves on.
Because of their transient circumstances, many of these children do not have parents with a Thai ID card. Without this card the children cannot be educated in the public school system; therefore, many of the children have never attended school.
The Nardsoontorn project desires to help to educate these children and to prevent them from perpetuating the slum life of drugs, alcoholism, and prostitution. Chang Noi Ministry, working with Pastor Num, is helping to change the values of the children in the Nardsoontorn area through the sharing of the gospel and through education (the only real answers to the needs of this area). For US$10 a month, an overseas sponsor can provide enough money to allow a Nardsoontorn child to be educated in a Thai government school and have their minor medical and dental needs met.
The hope for these children is reflected in this quote by Ezra Taft Benson, the US Secretary of Agriculture under President D. Eisenhower:
I moved to Bangkok, Thailand in July of 1997 after teaching in Texas for thirty years. Following my retirement I came to Bangkok to teach in a private Christian International School, (ICS). During this time I began teaching English on Saturdays at my new church home, Calvary Baptist Church. Teaching English was an outreach ministry of the Thai congregation of Calvary.
While teaching at Calvary I had a young Thai seminary intern from Thailand Baptist Theological Seminary, Thanu (Num) Wongthanathikul, helping me on Saturdays. Num was a MDiv student and was assigned to the Thai congregation as an intern. While teaching at Calvary Num would invite me to come teach at his home church someday, Promise Baptist Church, in the Samutprakan Province.
On Saturdays while at Calvary I would sometimes help Num with his assignments as all of his textbooks were written in English and he was not fluent in English. Num asked if he could take private English lessons with me when he graduated from the seminary and I told him that he could. Following his MDiv graduation (2000) he became my private student. I was still teaching at ICS and Num would come weekly after I had my last class and we would work 3-4 hours. He made good progress.
He also continued to invite me to come teach English at his church and in the beginning I was still teaching at Calvary on Saturdays. Not long after he became my student we closed the program at Calvary so I had free time to help him with English at Promise Baptist Church.
I began going out to Promise teaching English to the children and Num would take me into Nardsoontorn, the slum area where many of these children lived. Sometimes on Saturday afternoons we would go into Nardsoontorn and spend time with the children with games, songs, sharing the gospel and snacks.
Num had begun the work in Nardsoontorn at the request of a lady in that area. She had called asking for help as there were children who were not in school, some with no parents and food and others needing medical attention. Num, through Promise Church and the Compassion Program he helped to establish at Promise, began working toward helping to meet the physical and spiritual needs of this slum area. Getting the children into school and keeping there was of utmost importance.
In the beginning Num, with help from his church, would take the children from the Nardsoontorn slum to Promise for a Saturday morning program; sharing of the Gospel, games, tutoring in math, English and a health program where the children would have their hair treated for lice infestation, nails cleaned and clipped etc. If the children had sores or wounds, they would be taken to the nearby clinic for treatment. Twice a year Num would take the children for a dental check-up.
In the Nardsoontorn area, the Saturday afternoon program would be given on the dirt soi, (street) as there was no place to get the kids out of the heat or the rain during Thailand�s rainy season. After a time Num�s church provided the finances for a small framed in �school house� to be built in Nardsoontorn so the children could be in out of the weather on Saturdays. A man from the slums helped Num and others build the little �school house�.
During this time Num continued to come to me for his weekly English class and we began involving others in the Saturday morning program at Promise. Soon I was taking teachers from ICS and workers from Calvary Church out to help on Saturdays. Students at ICS got involved in the work at Promise and planned a Christmas Field Day at ICS, complete with games, lunch and Christmas gifts for the kids.
Teachers and students at ICS began making money donations so Num would have the finances to get the children into school, buy uniforms, pay school fees, books and lunches. We both knew that only an education would get these kids out of the slums. We also knew that only Jesus Christ could take the slums out of their hearts.
In teaching English to Num and working/spending time with him on Saturdays I began to realize how intelligent he was but it was locked away behind the closed doors of the language. I also saw the potential in Num as he began to take over the leadership at Promise. Upon Num�s graduation from the seminary he had become the second pastor at Promise, his father, founder of the church, was senior pastor. I knew Num was dedicated to the Lord and had given his heart to Him in fulltime service after his graduation from Kasetsart University with a Bachelor�s Degree in Psychology.
While working with Num I learned that he was the youngest child of Chinese parents, he was Thai because he was born in Thailand. His grandmother was still living with Num�s family. She and her husband, both Christians, had immigrated to Thailand from China as a young married couple. They brought their Christian heritage with them. The grandmother was 95 years old when I met her at Promise Church.
Num�s grandfather had died on board ship while working on the ships between Thailand and China and that left Num�s grandmother in Bangkok to raise two young children, Num�s father (Supachai) and his older sister. His grandmother took in laundry in order to support the family and raised the children in the largest Chinese Christian church in Bangkok. The family was very poor and going to church at this rich Chinese church was very difficult for the family. Many times as Num�s father and his sister left for school they had to share one very small banana for breakfast and there was no money for lunch at school.
Num�s aunt left school early to help his grandmother with the laundry. Num�s father also left school without finishing his education and soon involvement in the Chinese gangs left the father with no desire for church. One night Num�s father came home late and found his mother praying���� Father, my son is not a good son, he is not obedient to me nor to you. If he does not want to be a good son and be obedient to you then I want you to take him HOME�! Num�s father knew she meant business, this was no idle prayer on her part.
Supachai left the gangs, got his life straightened out with the Lord and enrolled in Bible College at Thailand Baptist theological Seminary. After graduation and marriage, Supachai moved to Samutprakan province, Pak Nam, and began missionary work in that area. With help from American missionaries and local Bangkok churches, Supachai offered English classes as an incentive to get to meet people and share the gospel with them.
Immanuel Baptist Church, the oldest Thai Baptist Church in Thailand, became the mother church for the mission work. They helped Promise to build a church building as well as a house for Supachai and his family. After five years Immanuel dropped Promise as a mission. Supachai continued as fulltime pastor for several years but needed more income for both his family and for support of the church. He went to work at a rice export warehouse across the Chao Prayo River and continues to go to work daily some 35 plus years later. He remains senior pastor of Promise Church.
As Num continued to make progress in his English studies we began praying about sending him to America for an ESL program. With his responsibilities as pastor there were days when there was not time to study English. With Num living in the church with his family he belonged to the church 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
As I made plans to go to the States for my summer vacation, 2002, I began making plans to visit with a church that I hoped would be interested in offering Num an internship where he could learn more about the workings of a church and also be able to practice his English. If I planned to share about Num, then I would also share about Nardsoontorn and the needs there as it was a big part of Num�s life and ministry in Pak Nam. I had an appointment to meet with a church in Texas that was interested in offering an internship to Num to serve in their church for the summer of 2003.
Temple Bible Church and their mission committee was very receptive to the idea of hosting Num for an internship. We began making plans for him to be with TBC in the summer of 2003. But God had other plans.
In May 2003 Num�s visa was denied!!!!!
I already had plans to go to the States. I told Num I felt like God knew what was best and that He had an even better plan for him that we knew nothing about. Num was mad and TBC was disappointed.
I went back to TBC again, this time with a different plan. Maybe we could bring Num to the States, have TBC provide a host family for him and enroll Num in the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor as an ESL student. Could this be better for him? After meeting Num�s host family, the family who had prayed for him since 2002, also meeting with the Director of Missions, the director of the ESL program at the college and finally the president of the college, God showed us His plan for Num. Num was given a full academic scholarship for one term of ESL at the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor in Belton, TX. Plans were made for him to attend the 2004 spring session.
After ICS began the 2001-2002 school year, Num and I began praying about the possibility of beginning a fulltime ministry as the work with the Nardsoontorn project was growing. Teaching school was a fulltime job and so was the ministry we were developing. After much prayer I decided to retire from teaching AGAIN and help to develop our new ministry, Chang Noi Ministry. I was the director for the ministry and Num, as partner, was pastor of Chang Noi Ministry. Chang Noi means �baby or little elephant�. Chang Noi Ministry was definitely a ministry in the baby stage, a very little ministry with 3 workers, Num, our Abba and me.
Start small���.we were definitely doing that.
I retired in June 2003.
The next decision concerned language school. I knew I could go to language school for a couple of years and MAYBE someday be able to lead one lost Thai person to the Lord. The better option was for me to take my time, talent, gifts, experience, resources and money and pour it all into one Thai pastor, Num. He in turn leads a church and mentors other young Thai pastors. I was a math teacher and I understood the principle of multiplication. I made the decision not to go to language school.
Because of the difficulties of trying to minister to the children of Nardsoontorn as this area was about 5 kilometers from Promise Baptist Church, Num and I had begun praying for a townhouse where we could meet with the children on Saturdays and have time and space to develop a children�s program. We would call this place Abba House because we wanted the children to have a safe place to come and learn about their Father and how much He loves them, a place where they could come into their Abba�s arms.
While I was in the States in the summer of 2003 making arrangements for Num�s 2004 ESL program, he rented a two-storey townhouse in the Nardsoontorn area, right outside of the slum area where we were serving. He was elated, I was surprised. We now had Abba�s House, I had retired and my partner was going to Texas in the spring of 2004.
After much renovation on Abba House, we had our first Christmas party there on December 13, 2003 with over 50 children in attendance. On December 14 we dedicated Abba House to the glory of the Lord and His work in Nardsoontorn.
And Num left for Texas on January 6, 2004.
Before leaving, Num had told me that I would have a young Thai seminary student on the week ends to help with the work. I was so grateful because at that point I knew without Num I would need lots of help. Supachai came along beside me and worked for the Lord.
The children�s program, under the direction of Sue Haney, would consist of songs, games, activities, snacks but most importantly, the gospel would be given out. Sue had Kae, a young Thai nurse from ICS, to help her with the activities and in interpreting as Sue was still not Thai fluent as this time. She had taken Thai language lessons but was not confident in the language. What a blessing Kae was to Sue and the two of them to the ministry. And what a blessing Supachai was to all of us. He loved the Lord, taught Bible stories, played the guitar, had a great sense of humor and loved the children.
God sent others to minister at Abba House, some have been local Thai Christians and others have been volunteers from other countries.
Chang Noi Ministry is still a small ministry, we are continuing to grow and we are learning from our mistakes. And we give our Abba the glory.
Chang Noi Ministry, under the direction of Mrs. Lee Davis, partners with Pastor Num Wongthanathikul, the Thai-Chinese national pastor of Promise Baptist Church of Samutprakan, Thailand. Working with the Lord, this ministry offers Jesus Christ to the young residents of the Nardsoontorn slums, the only hope for these children, along with aid for education.
Abba House
Abba House is located in the Nardsoontorn area and serves as an outreach to the children of this community by providing a Saturday children's program with Bible stories, games, songs, English teaching and snacks. There is also a Sunday morning program for the children. The goal of Abba House is to meet the children's emotional, physical, and most importantly, spiritual needs. Maintaining this house costs US$100 a month.
Abba House is partially staffed with seminary students from several of the Bangkok seminaries. Visit the Financial Help page to read more about these students and how you can be involved in their support, both in the seminaries as well as their work with us at Abba House.
Chang Noi operates a nursery for the slum children of ages 3-4 years. The children learn in Thai along with some English activities, however, the most important activity is the sharing of Jesus Christ with the children.
Visit the Financial Help page to read more about this project and find out how you can be involved in the ministry of giving.
Nardsoontorn Project
The Nardsoontorn Project is an outreach ministry of Chang Noi Ministry and Pastor Num of Promise Baptist Church to the slum area of the same name. In this community, jerrybuilt houses stand in rice paddy fields and stagnant, green water. Most of these houses are sparsely furnished with a ragged mattress that lie on the floor and are covered by mosquito netting. The families of Nardsoontorn are very transient and many of the families have traveled from Northern Thailand to this area in search of better jobs. Often, the children of these families are abandoned here with friends or grandparents when the family moves on.
Because of their transient circumstances, many of these children do not have parents with a Thai ID card. Without this card the children cannot be educated in the public school system; therefore, many of the children have never attended school.
The Nardsoontorn project desires to help to educate these children and to prevent them from perpetuating the slum life of drugs, alcoholism, and prostitution. Chang Noi Ministry, working with Pastor Num, is helping to change the values of the children in the Nardsoontorn area through the sharing of the gospel and through education (the only real answers to the needs of this area). For US$10 a month, an overseas sponsor can provide enough money to allow a Nardsoontorn child to be educated in a Thai government school and have their minor medical and dental needs met.
The hope for these children is reflected in this quote by Ezra Taft Benson, the US Secretary of Agriculture under President D. Eisenhower:
"the Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums, Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mould men by changing their environment. Christ changes men who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior but Christ can change human behavior."Our history
"Start small... learn from your mistakes... and give God the glory."May 29, 2002 and the birth of Chang Noi Ministry. How did I get from being a retired math teacher to director of a ministry in a country where I could not even communicate in the language of the country?
- Charles Spurgeon
I moved to Bangkok, Thailand in July of 1997 after teaching in Texas for thirty years. Following my retirement I came to Bangkok to teach in a private Christian International School, (ICS). During this time I began teaching English on Saturdays at my new church home, Calvary Baptist Church. Teaching English was an outreach ministry of the Thai congregation of Calvary.
While teaching at Calvary I had a young Thai seminary intern from Thailand Baptist Theological Seminary, Thanu (Num) Wongthanathikul, helping me on Saturdays. Num was a MDiv student and was assigned to the Thai congregation as an intern. While teaching at Calvary Num would invite me to come teach at his home church someday, Promise Baptist Church, in the Samutprakan Province.
On Saturdays while at Calvary I would sometimes help Num with his assignments as all of his textbooks were written in English and he was not fluent in English. Num asked if he could take private English lessons with me when he graduated from the seminary and I told him that he could. Following his MDiv graduation (2000) he became my private student. I was still teaching at ICS and Num would come weekly after I had my last class and we would work 3-4 hours. He made good progress.
He also continued to invite me to come teach English at his church and in the beginning I was still teaching at Calvary on Saturdays. Not long after he became my student we closed the program at Calvary so I had free time to help him with English at Promise Baptist Church.
I began going out to Promise teaching English to the children and Num would take me into Nardsoontorn, the slum area where many of these children lived. Sometimes on Saturday afternoons we would go into Nardsoontorn and spend time with the children with games, songs, sharing the gospel and snacks.
Num had begun the work in Nardsoontorn at the request of a lady in that area. She had called asking for help as there were children who were not in school, some with no parents and food and others needing medical attention. Num, through Promise Church and the Compassion Program he helped to establish at Promise, began working toward helping to meet the physical and spiritual needs of this slum area. Getting the children into school and keeping there was of utmost importance.
In the beginning Num, with help from his church, would take the children from the Nardsoontorn slum to Promise for a Saturday morning program; sharing of the Gospel, games, tutoring in math, English and a health program where the children would have their hair treated for lice infestation, nails cleaned and clipped etc. If the children had sores or wounds, they would be taken to the nearby clinic for treatment. Twice a year Num would take the children for a dental check-up.
In the Nardsoontorn area, the Saturday afternoon program would be given on the dirt soi, (street) as there was no place to get the kids out of the heat or the rain during Thailand�s rainy season. After a time Num�s church provided the finances for a small framed in �school house� to be built in Nardsoontorn so the children could be in out of the weather on Saturdays. A man from the slums helped Num and others build the little �school house�.
During this time Num continued to come to me for his weekly English class and we began involving others in the Saturday morning program at Promise. Soon I was taking teachers from ICS and workers from Calvary Church out to help on Saturdays. Students at ICS got involved in the work at Promise and planned a Christmas Field Day at ICS, complete with games, lunch and Christmas gifts for the kids.
Teachers and students at ICS began making money donations so Num would have the finances to get the children into school, buy uniforms, pay school fees, books and lunches. We both knew that only an education would get these kids out of the slums. We also knew that only Jesus Christ could take the slums out of their hearts.
In teaching English to Num and working/spending time with him on Saturdays I began to realize how intelligent he was but it was locked away behind the closed doors of the language. I also saw the potential in Num as he began to take over the leadership at Promise. Upon Num�s graduation from the seminary he had become the second pastor at Promise, his father, founder of the church, was senior pastor. I knew Num was dedicated to the Lord and had given his heart to Him in fulltime service after his graduation from Kasetsart University with a Bachelor�s Degree in Psychology.
While working with Num I learned that he was the youngest child of Chinese parents, he was Thai because he was born in Thailand. His grandmother was still living with Num�s family. She and her husband, both Christians, had immigrated to Thailand from China as a young married couple. They brought their Christian heritage with them. The grandmother was 95 years old when I met her at Promise Church.
Num�s grandfather had died on board ship while working on the ships between Thailand and China and that left Num�s grandmother in Bangkok to raise two young children, Num�s father (Supachai) and his older sister. His grandmother took in laundry in order to support the family and raised the children in the largest Chinese Christian church in Bangkok. The family was very poor and going to church at this rich Chinese church was very difficult for the family. Many times as Num�s father and his sister left for school they had to share one very small banana for breakfast and there was no money for lunch at school.
Num�s aunt left school early to help his grandmother with the laundry. Num�s father also left school without finishing his education and soon involvement in the Chinese gangs left the father with no desire for church. One night Num�s father came home late and found his mother praying���� Father, my son is not a good son, he is not obedient to me nor to you. If he does not want to be a good son and be obedient to you then I want you to take him HOME�! Num�s father knew she meant business, this was no idle prayer on her part.
Supachai left the gangs, got his life straightened out with the Lord and enrolled in Bible College at Thailand Baptist theological Seminary. After graduation and marriage, Supachai moved to Samutprakan province, Pak Nam, and began missionary work in that area. With help from American missionaries and local Bangkok churches, Supachai offered English classes as an incentive to get to meet people and share the gospel with them.
Immanuel Baptist Church, the oldest Thai Baptist Church in Thailand, became the mother church for the mission work. They helped Promise to build a church building as well as a house for Supachai and his family. After five years Immanuel dropped Promise as a mission. Supachai continued as fulltime pastor for several years but needed more income for both his family and for support of the church. He went to work at a rice export warehouse across the Chao Prayo River and continues to go to work daily some 35 plus years later. He remains senior pastor of Promise Church.
As Num continued to make progress in his English studies we began praying about sending him to America for an ESL program. With his responsibilities as pastor there were days when there was not time to study English. With Num living in the church with his family he belonged to the church 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
As I made plans to go to the States for my summer vacation, 2002, I began making plans to visit with a church that I hoped would be interested in offering Num an internship where he could learn more about the workings of a church and also be able to practice his English. If I planned to share about Num, then I would also share about Nardsoontorn and the needs there as it was a big part of Num�s life and ministry in Pak Nam. I had an appointment to meet with a church in Texas that was interested in offering an internship to Num to serve in their church for the summer of 2003.
Temple Bible Church and their mission committee was very receptive to the idea of hosting Num for an internship. We began making plans for him to be with TBC in the summer of 2003. But God had other plans.
In May 2003 Num�s visa was denied!!!!!
I already had plans to go to the States. I told Num I felt like God knew what was best and that He had an even better plan for him that we knew nothing about. Num was mad and TBC was disappointed.
I went back to TBC again, this time with a different plan. Maybe we could bring Num to the States, have TBC provide a host family for him and enroll Num in the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor as an ESL student. Could this be better for him? After meeting Num�s host family, the family who had prayed for him since 2002, also meeting with the Director of Missions, the director of the ESL program at the college and finally the president of the college, God showed us His plan for Num. Num was given a full academic scholarship for one term of ESL at the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor in Belton, TX. Plans were made for him to attend the 2004 spring session.
After ICS began the 2001-2002 school year, Num and I began praying about the possibility of beginning a fulltime ministry as the work with the Nardsoontorn project was growing. Teaching school was a fulltime job and so was the ministry we were developing. After much prayer I decided to retire from teaching AGAIN and help to develop our new ministry, Chang Noi Ministry. I was the director for the ministry and Num, as partner, was pastor of Chang Noi Ministry. Chang Noi means �baby or little elephant�. Chang Noi Ministry was definitely a ministry in the baby stage, a very little ministry with 3 workers, Num, our Abba and me.
Start small���.we were definitely doing that.
I retired in June 2003.
The next decision concerned language school. I knew I could go to language school for a couple of years and MAYBE someday be able to lead one lost Thai person to the Lord. The better option was for me to take my time, talent, gifts, experience, resources and money and pour it all into one Thai pastor, Num. He in turn leads a church and mentors other young Thai pastors. I was a math teacher and I understood the principle of multiplication. I made the decision not to go to language school.
Because of the difficulties of trying to minister to the children of Nardsoontorn as this area was about 5 kilometers from Promise Baptist Church, Num and I had begun praying for a townhouse where we could meet with the children on Saturdays and have time and space to develop a children�s program. We would call this place Abba House because we wanted the children to have a safe place to come and learn about their Father and how much He loves them, a place where they could come into their Abba�s arms.
While I was in the States in the summer of 2003 making arrangements for Num�s 2004 ESL program, he rented a two-storey townhouse in the Nardsoontorn area, right outside of the slum area where we were serving. He was elated, I was surprised. We now had Abba�s House, I had retired and my partner was going to Texas in the spring of 2004.
After much renovation on Abba House, we had our first Christmas party there on December 13, 2003 with over 50 children in attendance. On December 14 we dedicated Abba House to the glory of the Lord and His work in Nardsoontorn.
And Num left for Texas on January 6, 2004.
Before leaving, Num had told me that I would have a young Thai seminary student on the week ends to help with the work. I was so grateful because at that point I knew without Num I would need lots of help. Supachai came along beside me and worked for the Lord.
The children�s program, under the direction of Sue Haney, would consist of songs, games, activities, snacks but most importantly, the gospel would be given out. Sue had Kae, a young Thai nurse from ICS, to help her with the activities and in interpreting as Sue was still not Thai fluent as this time. She had taken Thai language lessons but was not confident in the language. What a blessing Kae was to Sue and the two of them to the ministry. And what a blessing Supachai was to all of us. He loved the Lord, taught Bible stories, played the guitar, had a great sense of humor and loved the children.
God sent others to minister at Abba House, some have been local Thai Christians and others have been volunteers from other countries.
Chang Noi Ministry is still a small ministry, we are continuing to grow and we are learning from our mistakes. And we give our Abba the glory.
...and by Him we cry, "Abba, Father"
(Romans 8:15 NIV)
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