Sarah grew up learning about Jesus in her home and in Sabbath School. She especially loved reading mission story books––some of which had to be kept in plastic bags because they were falling apart from many repeat readings. Just after celebrating her 23rd birthday, Sarah left to volunteer in an orphanage in Cambodia. During that time she became very ill and had to return home for a time to recover. But, as soon as she was well enough, she was back working with other independent ministries in Thailand. God began to build within her a love for the Karen people group. She spent much time in the refugee camps where many thousands of Karen people live out their lives. She noticed that the pastors serving them were mostly of advanced age. Some of them had been trained under Eric B. Hare, one of the missionaries whose books Sarah had grown up loving. She wondered how the Karen Adventist work could survive without young people training to take the place of their elders as they pass off the scene. That's when the dream was born to Sarah of finding funding to help educate Karen young people for ministry. Since then she has been directlng any funds that are donated to her to this ministry.
Sarah is now a student at Asia-Pacific International University near Bangkok, Thailand. Enrolled with her are three Karen siblings (Gan, Aun, and Chat) who are very motivated to receive higher degrees which will enable them to help advance the Adventist work for the Karen people. Money that has been donated to Sarah is helping to accomplish this goal, along with the work opportunities these high-energy young people have found to earn as much as possible toward their expenses.
Another way that Sarah has been working toward her dream is to sponsor worthy young people to the Karen Adventist Seminary to become Bible Workers. She recently had the blessing of attending the graduation of Naw Chaw, a young woman whom she had sponsored with donated funds. While at the seminary, Naw Chaw met another Bible-worker student named Saw Plus. They were married and graduated together with a strong yearning in their hearts to share the "good news." They are now sponsored by the Thailand Adventist Mission as church planters to a village that has needed a pastor for a long time. Thank you to each of you who have donated toward fulfilling Sarah's dream to enlarge the number of Karen Adventist leaders in Thailand. You can follow Sarah here on her webpage ...
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