"Third"
- Ends of the Earth Cycling
- Aug 9, 2021
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 28, 2022
Written By: Prosperous Youth Foundation, Thailand
Our team, Prosperous Youth Foundation, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, has been blessed to be the beneficiary of not one but two Key West Bike rides (2014 & 2019). It has had a huge impact on our team. In 2014, when Ends Cycling first rode for us, it was only their 3rd-annual ride, and we were still “baby missionaries.” Being the beneficiary of that ride caused us to dream bigger and allowed us to host an annual youth camp. By the time the second one rolled around in 2019 (maybe pun intended), we weren’t “missionary veterans” by any means, but we had a few more years of experience, more projects and more depth in each of those projects. One challenge, however, is the added complexity makes it harder to share the impact that the financial gift and prayers had.
At first go (2014), the funds launched an annual youth camp that has had over 2,000 youth attend and we are currently planning for year 8. The second was able to invest in the growth that hosting a camp has created. The best way to share this is to tell you the story of one of the youth we’ve been blessed to journey alongside. This youth represents many more. We’ll call him "Third." His story is shared with his permission, but his real name is too hard for English speakers to pronounce without it sounding dirty.
We used the last portion of the KWBR2019 funds to have students in our Student Leadership Group do the StrengthsFinder 2.0 test. They have the resource in Thai already and we were looking for a way to teach this group of nearly 40 students that leadership in Church/Kingdom work often looks different than what is praised as good leadership in our cultural context.
Third attended our 3rd annual youth camp in 2015. Each year camp builds to a moment during the worship service where we offer two invitations. One is to become a Christian and one is to dedicate your life to Kingdom work/church leadership. Those in that second group then get invited into our student leadership group, where they get to plan projects on their own as a group, get opportunities to use their gifts and begin serving and get mentored by our staff. They don’t know all that is coming though, they simply hear a preacher asking if they feel God is calling them to be a Kingdom-worker. That year there was a decent size group of students that gave their life to Jesus and then as the preacher switched focuses, there was a long pause and a room full of students sitting. No one stood up as the worship song played. Then one student toward the back of the room, he stood.
Third bravely stood there all alone for what seemed like a few minutes, until another student finally stood and then another and another, until there were about 20 students. Most of those students joined the student leadership group and journeyed together throughout the year planning a project and serving together. Then at the next year's camp they were invited to serve as camp counselors. The following year, Third started attending a bible college, and those students came and served as camp counselors too. He has been involved in the camp each year and now works with our team to help mentor students that make a decision and become part of our student leadership group.
Third doesn’t know Ends Cycling or anyone who rode on his behalf, but the partnership over the years has lead to a camp that “challenged him to take his relationship with God seriously” and then the development of a student leadership program that gave him a community and a platform to begin “being brave” and using his gifts to serve others. We’ve seen his strengths for awhile, but now he has a common language with a group of peers who can encourage him to use his ideation, includer, woo, adaptability and belief. Thank you Ends Cycling staff, cyclists and support team for helping Third and many others step into the lives that God has for them - Kingdom lives, impacting others thru Kingdom service. To God be the Glory!
[ABOVE - Third is on the left, guy on the right has another fun testimony. He basically snuck into camp one year. His youth home wasn’t able to come so he just showed up on his own. He also made a decision to pursue ministry and has been involved with our YLA program ever since. He and Third are good friends]
This is a rough translation of 'Third' sharing his testimony:
"Hello my name is 'Third.' Since I was young, my family was “sort of” Christian. However, my family had a problem with a pastor and after that they became more animistic [worshiping their ancestor]. We were this way, depending on spirits, until we felt helpless. We had to spend a lot of money for the spirits. [paying for spirit-idols to show them favor or act favorably on their behalf] Because of this, my family decided to become Christians. However, my grandpa died before this.
When I came to study in Chiang Mai, I knew God but only superficially. I wasn’t good at school, and other students were better. I was last in my class. Then one day I decided to pray and ask God to help me. I asked him to give me the wisdom to be able to understand enough and pass. God answered my prayer and I was able read. I could read the Bible too. I felt like God had changed my life.
...But all these things were God’s plan to change my life. If things went as they were I would have grown up to be a troublemaker. Now I am 19, and if I was still in my village I might not know God. I would be married with kids. So this was God’s plan instead.
2 years ago at camp I decided to give my life to serve God then. God gave me the chance to serve him. I started helping lead the students here. This is the 5th year of the camp, and as I have been a student and a leader, this camp has challenged me. It has challenged me to take my relationship with him seriously. I am so thankful for this camp because it has made me more brave and challenged me in my relationship with God. Thanks."
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