OUR STORY

In December of 2012, I travelled to Bangkok, Thailand, and walked through one of the most well-known red light districts in the world for the first time. What I experienced during that ten day trip both shattered and inspired me. I grew up in Thailand as a missionary kid in a small country town, and while I knew the language and understood much of the culture, I had no idea how bad the problem really was. The reality is that hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children are trapped in Thailand’s sex industry. Some are sold by their families, others are lured away and trafficked, still others turn to selling themselves to support their families due to lack of education, history of abuse, and poor employment opportunities.

At first I felt hopeless. Then, I met Beginnings Foundation and the young women they care for. What I found was a safe place for them to heal, a family environment with stability, and resources including scholarships to go back to school through university. I found hope, and instantly became passionate about doing everything I could to help. I began volunteering at a local anti-trafficking non-profit stuffing envelopes and organizing races; I took pictures and called newspapers to raise awareness; and in 2016, I returned to Thailand for a second time.

This time around, I visited Pattaya, and a renewed sense of hopelessness threatened to creep in. On any given night, upwards of 10,000 people are for sale in Pattaya. But God is good, and faithful, and in His grace, he provided Beginnings Foundation with a new residence and plot of land to build a garden for a farm-to-table restaurant that will provide employment and life skills for the women living there. In 2017, Brian had the opportunity to help build that garden, and when he returned home, we knew. In all these ways and more, God was leading us to move our family to Thailand. We didn’t know exactly when, or what it would look like, or for how long, but we said “yes”.

About two years later, God opened the doors and made a way for us to officially move, and we are so thankful to be here ever since, doing ministry in Pattaya! We are passionate about supporting local ministries, so we volunteer at Beginnings, Palm Center Counseling, CWEFT, local churches, and more, wherever the Lord opens doors for us to get plugged in. We miss our friends and family back in the States so much, but we know that community will stand by us, encourage us, and lift us up from afar!

If you want to know more, check out the FAQ and Get Involved pages, or contact us. Thank you and God bless!

With love,

Libby & Brian Bundrick, and Family