Phrom Khiri (pronounced Prome Keeree). It’s a beautiful district in the southern Thai province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. It’s made up of five sub-districts and has a population of over 35,000 people. It’s a place full of fruit orchards, including mangosteen and durian. It’s surrounded by beautiful mountains and waterfalls. It’s known for having fresh air and cool weather. And it has become our new home.

But don’t be fooled by the initial description of Phrom Khiri! Even with all the wonderful things that it has, it lacks one thing. It has no church. It has no community of believers who gather to worship the King of kings, to pray in the name of Jesus Christ, to be transformed by the living Word of God, and to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to others. Why did we move to Phrom Khiri then? Because we want to see “biblical, indigenous-led, multiplying churches of disciples making disciples, transforming lives and communities through Jesus Christ.” This is the vision statement that our team came up with, and this is the vision we believe that God has given us for Phrom Khiri.

Choosing a new church plant location can be a stressful task. We spent several hours asking the questions, “Where is the greatest need?” and “Where is the greatest responsiveness?” We spent several hours surveying potential new areas through driving by car and walking around on foot. And we spent several hours praying for God’s leading. The spiritual need is definitely great in Phrom Khiri! Besides not having a church, the name of the district itself alludes to a sense of spiritual darkness. Phrom is the Thai word for the Hindu head deity, Brahma (see photo above). Khiri means mountains. Lost people have always set their eyes high up to worship something besides God. Yet we know that, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).