April-17-153Y

In those days, the global community didn’t fully understand HIV, medication
was still being developed and people were dying daily. Daeng was compelled by the
injustice of the unfolding situation and started to care for people, little by little turning
his life around so that today he and Ann lead SIM’s Hope for AIDS ministry in Thailand
through the Radical Grace Project.
K
enneth Fleck came to Thailand looking for where God was working there, having
done a thesis on culture gaps in HIV care. He met the Dechaboons in 2010 - the
SIM missionary with dreadlocks meeting the couple with big hearts for the
HIV community. For a year, they got together all
day every Friday, simply talking about their vision
for what became Radical Grace. Daeng and Ann
already worked free-lance with sex workers, drug
users, migrants and refugees. They worked hard to
access treatment and to understand how to fight
the stigma and discrimination. Daeng was putting
programmes together and writing manuals; Ann was
translating for Joyce Meyers broadcasts in Thailand,
from which they had learned a passion for global
mission. All the time they were building their faith in
God, as the elders and spiritual leaders of a church.
Living by faith. Every day somebody would turn up
and share food.
Daeng says, “In the past I wasn’t sure of God’s
plan for my life - why have I had these struggles?
Why didn’t I get to go to a high theological university,
just a small Bible college? Looking back it was
the plan of God.” Now he knows he has forged his
theology alongside real people at the grassroots, and
Ann planting beans with a
community member
both Daeng and Ann are at peace with the knowledge
that God is using their pasts to create better futures for
others. They have opportunities now: Daeng is doing a
Master of Divinity; Ann a degree in Theology. And leading Project Radical Grace they are
impacting the lives of many with a wholistic gospel. God’s deep grace means they are
born again to love and understand the people they minister to. %
A word from Kenneth Fleck
We’re thankful for a wonderful time in New Zealand with Ann and Daeng;
connecting Radical Grace’s heart to supporters in
New Zealand was amazing.
The challenge going forward is how can we increase radical grace
connections to the New Zealand churches so that we - the NZ church - can be
responsive to the needs of our own community in a radical way. Please pray.
We are preparing a short-term team to go to Thailand in
January, 2018.
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