Shane & Katy Salmon
“Land of Smiles”
Thailand – the “Land of Smiles” – is a beautiful country full of color that has a population of nearly 70 million. People are friendly and smile often. When in country, try to eat Pad Thai as much as possible, as the stir-fried noodle dish can’t be beat. The country is predominantly Buddhist, a religion claimed by 94% of Thais. Christians account for only about 1% of the population. Though a wonderful place to visit, this country in the Golden Triangle has a tragic history with opium. Some areas are known for human trafficking, which has led to an abundance of orphans, AIDS patients, homelessness, drug addictions, and a terribly high suicide rate. The Gospel is needed to bring about the life transformation desperately needed.
Shane Salmon grew up in Thailand as a missionary kid. He went to the United States for graduate school and met his wife Kayti while they both were studying missions at Baptist Bible College. They married in 2012 and moved to Thailand in 2016. They have two young boys, Judah and Quinn. Shane and Kayti partner with Shane’s parents at Bangjak Baptist Church in Bangkok.
The church that will be partnering with MMO is Surin Baptist Church. This church is located in the northeastern part of Thailand. Surin Baptist was planted by missionary Jim Hayes in 1982 and is now led by Pastor Sadudee. Their church ranges from children to senior citizens in attendance. Surin Baptist, in addition to Sunday services, hosts discipleship programs and the church is located across from the provincial high school and has a youth ministry. They host community outreaches in surrounding villages and communities and also have an expat ministry for the Filipino teachers that are located in the city. When asked about their goal for this week of partnership, the church’s response is: “We are praying that we will see people hear a clear presentation of the Gospel, that people will accept Christ, and that those with physical ailments will receive good care.”
Important information about healthcare and culture from our host missionary:
- Those in the surrounding communities and villages often have trouble with vision, some are in need of wheelchairs, and an overall lack of common medical knowledge.
- The Thai people are welcoming, friendly, and kind. Thailand has a rich culture of traditions, delicious food, and a strong loyalty to family.
Our plan is to offer medical and optical care to this community. If you are a dental or physical therapy professional interested in potentially serving on this team, please fill out an INTEREST FORM to inquire about offering this service. Every patient who receives care will hear the gospel from a member of this local church.
Thankful for the time and hard work from Gabriel Long who just finished up his 4 month internship with us!
BenTai Baptist Church outing! We had such a great time last week with our church going to the Samut Prakan Observation Tower. Not only were the sights amazing but the additional time with our friends was great! Please be praying for our church as it continues to grow and reach more people for Christ!
Last week we had the amazing opportunity along with Surin Baptist Church to host Medical Missions Outreach. The week was a constant reminder that great things can be accomplished for Christ through team work. MMO brought 56 team members and we had over 50 volunteers on the Thailand side serving to make this event possible. Through the course of the week over 1,400 people went through the clinic and heard the Gospel! We are praising the Lord for the 5 that came to Christ and ask that you pray for Surin Baptist as they follow up and continue to serve faithfully in their community.
Such an amazing day celebrating Ben Tai’s first anniversary! We were blessed with many visitors today and a great team serving together to make it happen!
Letter Update:
Summer Fun
We love the summer season in Thailand! Though we really wouldn’t mind if the weather were lower than the typical 100 degree plus, we love the fun holidays and delicious fruits that come during this time of year! March is the beginning of summer here, and in April, the Thai New Year (called Songkran), is always a highlight. Judah loves it because it comes right after his birthday, and we all love that it involves getting together with friends, wearing bright clothes, eating good food, and having a nation-wide water fight! We are thankful for the time we were able to celebrate with friends and church members during Songkran this year.
Bible Study Blessings
We pray for opportunities to witness and to also see growth in new believers, and these past few months have been an encouraging combination of both. Kayti has been doing a Bible study with two high school girls, who are very interested in Christ. This is an answer to the prayer of their mother who was actually one of the first to be saved and baptized at BenTai Baptist.
We have told you before about new believers Ham and Plan, who were baptized on Easter. Pawk, a friend of Ham’s, came to see his baptism, and has been interested in God ever since. Ham invited him to join our weekly Bible study time, and I really enjoy my time with these men! In addition to this, Plawan has been taking to a friend of hers, View, and invited her to study as well, so Kayti and I have been meeting with Plawan and View via Zoom for the past few weeks. She has shown a heart that is really open and that wants to keep learning more. Please pray with us that the teen girls, Pawk, and View will trust Christ soon.
Second Session of English Outreach
In May we started this year’s second session of English courses for kids and adults. The kids’ class meets on Sunday mornings before the worship service, and the adult classes meet on Sunday eventing. We have hit max capacity with our kids’ class and are enjoying the time to get to know the parents. We have also had a great response from our church family to jump in and serve in these classes! Seeing our members grow in their faith and serve is a true answer to prayer. We have also continued to see families stay on after our English class for the worship service! Please pray for these relationships, and that we will see families come to Christ because of this outreach.
Furlough Plans
At the end of this month we will be heading back to the US for a 3-month furlough. We are excited for this time to see family, spend time with our sending church, and to report back to several churches, and at the same time we absolutely love this season of ministry and will miss friends and family here, too! We are so thankful for our teammates, the Cottrell’s, who will be keeping everything on track at the church, while also kicking off a new youth ministry at BenTai! We are also so thankful for several church members who will be stepping up and taking on leadership roles while we are stateside. Please be praying for them! We are so thankful for what God has already been doing this year and cannot wait to see how He continues to work through BenTai Baptist Church!
If you would like to stay updated with the Salmon family or feel led to give to help them on their journey, you can give your donations to Hickory Ridge Baptist Church. You can also stay connected with the Salmon family through their website, Instagram or Facebook. Click the button below.
