Huay Khoi

Outreach Location

Location

Along Highway 1155 from Chiang Khong to Wiang Kaen, in Chiang Rai, Huay Khoi is a small Khmu village straddling either side of the small highway. It is along the Ing River, a distributary of the Mekhong River.

Farmland surrounds the village, rice fields and rubber trees bring greenery and evidence of an agricultural village. Houses are a mixture of traditional stilted wooden houses and modern cinder block houses.

Planters- Mueang and Ban Panloetpanya

Mueang and Ban were commissioned to "re-plant" a church in Huay Khoi in January 2026. As a couple they had previously mentored and discipled a young Mae Chan church in it's early stages when they were without a pastor.

Mueang and Ban live in Mae Phrao, roughly 4 hours away from Huay Khoi, therefore they travel a few times a month and stay for a couple of days with people of the congregation while evangelizing, discipling, and teaching the young believers how to fellowship, gather around God's Word, and worship together.

They have 4 children, Sky, Golf, Gan, and Lydia. Often they are found ministering together as a family, having their children join them as they go!

The "Church"

Huay Khoi is a very young church plant, if not an outreach location. With a handful of believers in the first year, they are a great witness of love in their community. Many people of the community are fishermen, farmers, or labourers as the village is rural and alongside the Mekhong river.

Huay Khoi is a village comprised of mainly Khmu people, and so, the early believers of this church are Khmu. As they gather they will speak Khmu, northern Thai, or central Thai, often switching back and forth depending on who is joining them.

History

Context

Worship Services

Tia Saenwinchai planted a church in Huay Khoi in the 1980's when he first came to believe in Jesus. Huay Khoi had the first Khmu church in all of Thailand. Not many years after beginning the church, he was pushed out of the church by another leader. Years later that leader would sell the church building and abandon the village to go start a church in another village.

Tia and his family still have hope that Jesus intends for Huay Khoi to have a church. Tia's son, Chaloerm, cast a vision to see our group of ministers to send Mueang and Ban to re-plant in this village in early 2026. Nearly 40 years after their family moved away, they are committed to being faithful to what God is doing in Huay Khoi, and to see a church exist there again!

In a small Khmu village, a young church brings the hope of Christ to a people that are traditionally animists. Animal sacrifices to appease spirits and rituals to protect or bring prosperity are common. Therefore, spiritual warfare is a heavy task for a young church and their leaders.

As well, with no church building, the young church gathers in homes and does house visitations for evangelism and outreach. Evangelism is the major emphasis of this young church, to share the love of Christ with many who don't know about Jesus, or who knew of His name once. . . decades ago.

Meeting in homes, worship services include rich times of fellowship around food and invitation of friends who have never participated in worship before. They will take time to explain who Jesus is if new people are in their midst.

As well, Mueang and Ban invite the new believers to practice giving praise to God for things he is doing in their lives. It is a great discipleship tool of worship to help grow in evangelism.

A single guitar with songs in Khmu. God's Word predominantly centering around the life of Christ. Worship services in a young church plant are simple, small, and have the feel of a family gathering.