Staff

I would like to introduce myself to everyone. My name is Malisa Wathaniyamintra. You might know me as Molly. I’m 22 years old now. I was born on June 19, 2003. I came to live with Grandpa and Grandma (Paul and Susan Brown) when I was nine years old. I was the first child they took in when they came to Thailand.

I was baptized on November 25, 2013 when I was 13 years old. Before I was saved, I had heard stories about God often, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t interested. Then I had problems in my life. My heart was restless. I didn’t have peace. I often asked, “What is wrong? Why am I not happy?” I had a good home with good food, a warm place to live, and a family who loved me. Since I lived with Grandma and Grandpa, everything I needed was given to me. Yet, I felt like I was missing something. Then one evening Jesus worked in my heart. I saw that I didn’t deserve His mercy and forgiveness. I cried and asked him to forgive me. I told Him I would rely on His guidance for everything. After that I felt relieved, comfortable as never before.

I grew up in a very bad children’s home. The man who ran it was cruel to the children and hit us when we didn’t do things like he wanted. He beat us with coat hangers and did many other harmful things to us.

He tried to keep us from going to live with Grandpa and Grandma by telling us lies. He said they would be mean to us and would even sell us in America. I was afraid, not knowing who to believe. At last, I decided to go with Grandpa and Grandma.

My life was changed. I never thought that I would have a such a loving and caring family. They gave me what I needed and was looking for. I thank God for putting them in my life.

I am thankful to all the people who supported me through the years by giving to this ministry. Without all of you, my life would have been very different.

God is so merciful to me. I want to serve God and care for these children like He took care of me. I’m a housemother now. I have been taking care of these boys and girls. I’m so glad that I have this opportunity to serve Him in this ministry. I will do my best to help these kids and to care for each one of them.

My name is Moses or Wutthichai Wattaniyamintra. I am 24 years old. I have known Grandpa (Paul Brown) and Grandma (Susan Brown) since May 3, 2017. I became a part of their family. I have been here for seven years now. I have been working with the mission for more than five years.

When I was 17 years old, I came to live with Grandpa and Grandma. They taught me the Bible every day. I came to know about God more and more. I thank God for using my parents and Grandpa and Grandma to show me my need for God. That light showed me my sin. When I saw my sin, I knew that I needed to repent of my sin. I deserved God’s wrath. But God is merciful and kind. God sent His only begotten Son to die for my sin. I trusted Him as my Lord and my Savior. On February 10, 2019, I was baptized because the word of God shines in my heart.

I would like to talk about Grandpa’s life. He was a good example. He loved God more then any things. He loved others like he loved himself and he always helped others. He spent almost seven years of his life to teach me, and I will use what he taught me to teach others. But now he has gone to heaven. Grandma is a faithful woman and loves God. I thank God for using Grandma to teach me the Bible and English. She is a strong woman even though she’s in grief. But she still serves God and is here for the children, the hill tribes and those who need help. I respect both of them and love them as my parents.

For many years I worked with Grandpa as his interpreter. But I never thought about being a pastor. After Grandpa went to heaven, my heart was changed. I want to tell others the true Gospel. I know that God called me and changed my heart. I will be faithful to serve the Lord all my life.

They’ve always been my heroes – the men and women who left home and comfort behind to spread the Gospel throughout the world. I often told the well-loved missionary stories to my church kids in America. Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, Ann and Adoniram Judson and many others lived the kind of life I yearned to live. Their example was a blessing to me and, I hope, to the children I taught.

But God’s plan for me was one of staying behind and being a behind-the-scenes support in the church where Paul pastored for nearly 40 years. I raised kids, taught Sunday School, and did whatever I could to be a “missionary” in my own field — southwest Oklahoma City. It’s certainly true that wherever God places you is a mission field for Him.

Then the day came when God called us to Northern Thailand. It was a wrench leaving our family, particularly our grandchildren, but all the other things didn’t matter. God called us and we were happy to go.

We had lots of trials and troubles once we got here in 2013. But God blessed. Even the trials turned out to be for our benefit (and trials usually are!). The LaHu people saw Paul’s fight for them against unscrupulous people and loved him for it. They saw he was determined to stay and serve them no matter what and they followed him.

As usual, my personal ministry involved children. When we worked to close down a children’s home where the children were abused, we took in a group of them who had no place to go. They were the first of the many children we have raised over the last 12 years.

Paul taught the pastors in his once-a-month Preachers’ Training and visited in the villages to encourage the pastors and the churches. We reached out to help the poor and the needy. There are plenty of those here! And always there were children. Some grew up and are serving with us still. Others are married with children of their own. Most of them are serving in the churches. Two are pastoring.

Now we have an official children’s home with 18 children living with us. What a blessing – and challenge – they are.

Since Paul’s death when his motorcycle collided with a truck on a dangerous mountain road, we have had many struggles. All four of our children offered me a home in America, but for now I know this is where God wants me to be.

Our new church, The Grace and Peace Baptist Church of Mae Ai, has taken on all the ministries that Paul and I started. Wichai preaches each Sunday and heads up the many church ministries. The Preachers’ Training is carried on by guest speakers now. Moses, our associate pastor and evangelist, continues the outreach to the villages. And everyone contributes to the job of raising 18 kids!

My part? I teach English to three different classes during the week, including one attended by kids from our community. Friday night is my turn for evening devotions and I’m telling the missionary stories that my Sunday School kids in America would recognize. On Saturday it’s English classes again. And on Sunday it’s Bible teaching time in Sunday School.

I’m planning for my next visa to be a retirement visa, as the volunteer visas are getting progressively harder to obtain. But I have no plans to retire. As long as I can serve and am needed here, this is where I’ll be. It’s not easy, particularly as I am getting older – and it shows! But it’s a privilege to serve the Lord here and I thank Him for giving me the desire of my heart, to serve Him on the foreign mission field.

I would like to greet all the supporters. Because of your support, we are able to carry out God’s missions, both for the children living here in our place and for our brethren in various churches. My name is Wichai Jalor, I am 27 years old. I have known Grandpa Paul (Paul Brown) and Grandma Susan (Susan Brown) since I was a child. On July 5, 2014, God led me to become a member of their children’s home. Moreover, I have been working with the foundation for more than two years now.

I have been raised by my grandparents since birth. I always thank God for both of them. My grandmother was always someone who loved, believed in, and trusted God. She taught me to know God since I was a child, sending me to Sunday School every Sunday, even though I didn’t know why I had to go or what for. But now I know. I thank God that He used my grandmother’s life to help me know Him. On April 15, 2010, I was baptized because I had accepted that I was a sinner and deserved to be sent to hell. But by God’s grace and mercy, He sent His only Son to die to redeem a sinner like me and grant me salvation.

If I were to talk about Grandpa Paul and Grandma Susan, I respect and love them both as if they were my own parents, and the same goes for many others. Grandpa Paul’s life was the best example a father could set. He loved God more than anything else and always loved others more than himself. He sacrificed many things to help others, even if it meant he had to endure hardship. Although it is sad and painful, we thank God that He has taken Grandpa Paul back to Heaven. And Grandma Susan is the strongest woman I have ever met. Despite losing someone she had been with for more than half her life, she continues to stand firm in doing God’s work in Thailand. Many of her friends and family encouraged her to return to America to be with her children, but with her strong desire to continue God’s work for the children here, she stays with us. She is another great example of faithfulness to God and will always be. We love her as if she were our own mother (and we truly mean that).

I believe that every Christian receives different gifts. When I was a child, I was determined that when I grew up, I would serve in a children’s ministry. But recently, I felt that God is calling me. So, I prayed to God, “If serving You as a pastor is pleasing to You, I’ll live for Your name, glory, and honor. I will serve You with all my heart and dedicate my life to You until the last day of my life.”

Therefore, I want to thank God because, while I was studying in my third and fourth years of university, I had the opportunity to study the Bible for two years at Grace Baptist Bible Institute. After I graduated, I came to work and learn many things from Grandpa Paul.

So, I believe that God prepared me for His calling, and I thank God that I can serve as both a pastor and in the children’s ministry at the same time.

Lastly, I want to thank God and many people for their support over the past 10 years from the bottom of my heart. I grew up with the ministry that Grandpa Paul and Grandma Susan started, and I want to continue this ministry so that people may receive salvation and God’s name be glorified.