Reporter: MORE THAN ONE
MILLION PEOPLE LIVE IN AN
AROUND CHANGMI.
STREETS HERE TEAM WITH
COMMERCE, AND TEMPLES
ABOUND, A REMINDER THAT 90%
OF THE PEOPLE ARE
BUDDHISTS.
AMIDST ALL OF THIS, A POWER
CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IS AT
WORK, STRATEGICALLY BUILDING
THE KINGDOM.
* HOW GREAT THOU ART
Reporter: AS MANY AS
2,000 CHRISTIAN WORKS LIVE
OR WORK OUT OF CHANGMI.
AND HUNDREDS OF CHRISTIAN
ORGANIZATIONS HAVE
ESTABLISHED OFFICES HERE.
THAT PUTS THE CITY ON THE
LEVEL OF COLORADO SPRINGS
AND ORLANDO, FLORIDA, TWO
WELL-KNOWN HUBBS FOR
CHRISTIAN MINISTRY.
BUT WHAT SETS IT APART IS
ITS PROXIMITY FOR THE 10-40
WINDOW, THIS CITIES NORTH OF
THE EQUATOR THAT
MISSIONARIES SAY HAVE THE
LEAST ACCESS TO THE GOSPEL.
Reporter: MEDIA
MISSIONARY TOM SILKWOOD HAS
WORKED HERE SINCE THE
1980s.
HE HAS COLLABORATED WITH
CBN, WHICH OPERATES A
PRODUCTION CENTER IN THE
CITY, AND COUNTLESS OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS.
WE HAVE CAMPUS CRUSADE
AND COMPASSION
INTERNATIONAL, WE HAVE WHY
WHIM, AND WICCLIFF.
Reporter: SO HOW DID
THIS ORDINARY ASIAN CITY
GROW TO THIS?
THE ANSWER BEGINS ALMOST 200
YEARS AGO.
THE HISTORY GOING WAY
BACK, TO ABOUT 1828, WHEN
THE FIRST MISSIONARIES CAME
HERE, AND THEY SET UP
SCHOOLS, THEY SET UP
HOSPITALS.
Reporter: YOU DON'T
HAVE TO LOOK FAR IN CHANGMI
TO FIND EVIDENCE OF ITS
MISSION'S ROOTS.
RIGHT BEHIND ME IS THE FIRST
CHURCH FOUNDED BY
MISSIONARIES IN 1868, AND
THERE IS MCCORMICK HOSPITAL,
FOUNDED BY PRESBYTERIAN
MISSIONARIES IN 1888.
AND PRINCE ROYAL COLLEGE, A
PRIVATE K- THROUGH 12
SCHOOL.
BUT DESPITE THESE SERVICES,
LONG-TIMERS, LIKE ESTER
WAKEMAN, SAYS FOR MANY
YEARS, IT REMAINED
RELATIVELY SPARS.
WHEN I CAME TO CHANGMI 33
YEARS AGO, IF YOU WERE A
WESTERNER, LITTLE KIDS WOULD
STILL KIND OF POINT YOU OUT,
THERE IS THE WESTERNER.
Reporter: THEN IN 1987,
THE BRITISH GAVE HONG KONG
BACK TO CHINA.
I THINK A LOT OF
MISSIONARY ORGANIZATIONS
WERE GOING, WHAT'S NEXT?
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO
NOW?
Reporter: THEY SOON
REALIZED THAT THAILAND WOULD
BE THE ANSWER.
THAILAND WAS A FREE
COUNTRY, AND THE GOVERNMENT
OF THAILAND ACTUALLY
SUPPORTED FREE RELIGION.
Reporter: PART OF THE
SUPPORT CAME FROM THE THAI'S
APPRECIATION FOR MISSION
WORK, MEDICAL CARE AND THE
SCHOOLS AND OTHER SOCIAL
SERVICES.
AND THEY HAVE LEARNED THAT
CHANGMI OFFERS A WAY OF LIFE
THAT FACILITATES MINISTRY.
THE COST OF LIVING MAKES
IT EASIER FOR MISSIONARIES
TO BE HERE, AND IT IS ALSO A
VERY SAFE PLACE.
IT IS A REALLY NICE PLACE
TO LIVE.
IT IS LOCATED REALLY
WONDERFULLY IN SOUTHEAST
ASIA, AND WITH ACCESS TO
CHINA, INDIA, ALL OF THESE
NATIONS IN ASIA, VERY EASY
ACCESS.
SO A LOT OF MISSIONARY
ORGANIZATIONS THAT DON'T
EXACTLY WORK IN THAILAND,
BUT WORK IN THE REGION, HAVE
THEIR OFFICES
HERE.
Reporter: OTHER PLUS, A
HOST OF SERVICES IN CHANGMI,
AIMED AT
KEEPING CHRISTIAN
WORKERS ON THE FIELD.
THE WELL AND CORNERSTONE
PROVIDE COUNSELLING, AND THE
JUNIPER TREE PROVIDES
LODGING FOR THOSE IN NEED OF
REST.
SOME MISSIONS RECOMMEND
PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR COUNTRY
EVERY FOUR OR SIX MONTHS TO
GET OUT FROM UNDER THE
PRESSURES THEY'RE UNDER.
Reporter: PERHAPS THE
BIGGER QUESTION RIGHT NOW,
HOWEVER, IS THIS: HOW LONG
WILL CHRISTIANS BE WELCOMED
HERE?
THE CONCERN, THE 85-YEAR-OLD
KING OF THAILAND.
HE HAS RULED THE COUNTRY
SINCE 1946 AND NO ONE KNOWS
WHO WILL SUCCEED HIM.
IT WILL BE A HUGE EVENT
WHEN WE LOSE THE KING.
AND NOBODY IS REALLY SURE
WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER
THAT.
Reporter: FOR NOW,
MISSIONARIES HERE SAY
THEY'RE ENJOYING THE
BENEFITS OF WORKING SIDE BY
SIDE, AND THANKFUL FOR A
CITY THAT MAKES IT
RELATIVELY EASY TO ADVANCE
THE GOSPEL.
REPORTING IN CHANGMI,
HEATHER CELLS, CBN NEWS.
