Our Story
We are Kennedy & Wendy PAIZs
We are two followers of Christ with burdened hearts for the lost people of Thailand. This Buddhist country has been our field of service for 24 years. We raised our two children in Thailand, who are now adults and working in the U.S. During our years of service we have helped start small groups of believers who meet together all around the country. We have spent our time leading Thai people to Christ through many different ways and methods of doing ministry. We always seek to communicate the Word of God in a meaningful way to the people we are looking to love. One particular method that has been fruitful over the years is communicating the Word of God in an oral way, through Bible storytelling. This is a way to engage lost people in relational conversations about the Word of God. We ask good questions and listen carefully to know how to respond as the Holy Spirit leads and guides.
Our first year in Thailand.
We arrived in Chiang Mai in 1999 and spent over 2 years learning the Thai language and culture. When we were ready to start our first ministry assignment we moved to Wang Aye Poe, Chaiyaphum and worked among rural Thai people. We helped plant a church and start many small groups that met multiple times a week. We used a chronological Bible study while loving people well in friendships. After 2 years in this work the Lord led us to move to Lopburi to improve our Thai language ability. We spent 6 months of intensive Thai study at the Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF) language school. Later OMF provided us with a visa and work permit to do missions work in Thailand.
Early days of Thai language school.
Church in Wang I Po, Chaiyaphum.
Karen and Betty our ministry partners in Wang Aye Poe.
In 2004 a devastating tsunami on the Andaman Ocean hit the Southern Thailand coasts and caused the loss of thousands of lives. Days after the tsunami hit we drove there to help with relief work. Kennedy helped the soldiers and doctors with the bodies, and Wendy helped the survivors fill out paperwork to find their missing loved ones. Burdened by the needs we moved into the area of Thakua Pa in Phang-Nga, for 6 years to do church planting. This natural disaster opened the door for many people to receive Christ and we saw many new churches start.
Thai families we partnered with in Phang-gna, Southern Thailand.
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We started a music and art center in Thakua Pa, Phang-gna with John Arcines from the Philippines.
In 2011 we moved to Chiang Mai to meet needs of our family and education of our kids. In God’s providence we were introduced to many ministry opportunities. Among these The Family Connection Foundation introduced us to Connie’s Home, an orphanage where Wendy discipled the Thai staff. Kennedy became trained in Simply The Story (STS) and did Bible storytelling at Connie’s Home, a ministry to help orphaned Thai children get adopted to good families. We worked with the staff and saw many of them come to faith in Christ. During this time we did outreach using Bible storytelling at local parks and malls. We spent time at the Youth Authority prison sharing the Word of God through Bible storying, using STS.
Ministry at Connie's Home with the women on staff.
Simply The Story Training and Bible story telling.
Once our kids graduated high school and went off to college in the USA, we moved to Nakhon Ratchasima to start a discipleship multiplication movement. This was a good experience and we learned much about needing others in our lives to do ministry and find encouragement. During this time we became the Thailand field leaders for TEAM, and led OMF families locally in Nakhon Ratchasima. After 2 years, we started to experience burnout in our discipleship multiplication efforts. TEAM asked us to move back to Chiang Mai to focus on the role of Ministry Area Leader and engage the TEAM missionaries better, which was exactly what we needed to avoid further burnout. That is where we are now and what we are doing. We see the MAL role as a blessing and we enjoy helping other missionaries with their calling and encouraging them.
People that came to faith in Christ while we worked in Nakhon Ratchasima.
TEAM Thailand. Families we are leading as Ministry Area Leader.
Along with our leadership responsibilities we are helping close Thai friends start a church through a kid’s club and community development. Kennedy uses Bible storying and Wendy teaches English. Just being friends with the kids and with the people there goes a long way too.
Being a part of kids club at our good friends house.
Throughout our time in Thailand, art has also been a focus in our ministry. Kennedy has developed contextualized art to share Christ. He has also helped with and organized art shows, outreach events with other believers using art at local markets, parks, and other venues. He has made meaningful connections with local Thai Buddhist artists. It has been an effective way to build relationships and do incarnational ministry as a friend and fellow artist. Art is something that God has given Kennedy a passion for and it is a wonderful way to connect with Thai people. We have plans to develop more art ministries in Chiang Mai in the near future.
Using art work and art classes as a way to share Christ and connect with the Thai people.
Our Timeline
1999: Arrived in Thailand on Valentines day February 14. Started Thai language school that same week in Chiang Mai.
1999: Our son Jasper was born at Lanna Hospital in Chiang Mai.
1999-2002: Students at Cornerstone Language school for 2 and half years. 790 hours of class room study and many more hours practicing with Thai people outside of class room.
2002: Moved to Wang Aye Poe, Ngaw Khur Tribal village province of Chaiyaphum in Eastern Thailand with our language school teachers to start a church near their hometown. Partnered with Betty Perce and Karen Hubner, who had been there for 20 already.
2004: Volunteers in Takua Pa, Phang-ga after the tsunami hit Southern Thailand coast.
2004: Moved to Lop Buri, Central Thailand to study advanced Thai for 6 Month in the Overseas Missionary Fellowship Language Center.
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2005: Moved to Phang-Nga City in Southern Thailand to be a part of the open door to the gospel after the tsunami. Started many small groups partnering with Thai churches, neighbors, and other missionaries.
2006: Joined TEAM, partnered with OMF for visas.
2006-2012: Worked in Phang-Nga in Ban Sak with local people and Mokklen (Sea Gypsies) starting small chronological Bible studies around the area and doing discipleship with new believers.
2012: Moved to Chiang Mai to be with our daughter while she went to high school. Started to help at Connie’s Home (an orphanage for orphaned children who are eventually adopted through government programs).
2012: First Bible story training, STS. We did discipleship and Bible storying and teaching at Connie’s home and did outreach in the city of Chiang Mai. Help plant a church at Connie’s Home orphanage. Focus on Simply The Story Bible story telling trainings.
2018: Moved to Korat, Thailand to apply and do a discipleship multiplication movement in rural areas of this province. Saw a small group of believers start, all elderly people from 68 to 93 years old, 5 came to faith. Worked closely with the local church and helped lead OMF missionaries in Korat. Became TEAM’s Thailand leader.
2021: Moved back to Chiang Mai to be more effective as the Thailand leader for TEAM. Involved in local ministries and with a Thai church to teach the Bible, do discipleship, and Bible story training (STS).