ALISE and MARK serve at the House of Love and the House of Blessing in Chiang Mai, Thailand. These ministries were established by IM missionary Kim Brown to serve tribal women and children coping with problems caused by HIV/AIDS, disabilities, and migration from their rural villages to urban slums. Working through longtime IM partners, Integrated Ministries for the Ethnic Minorities Foundation and the Thailand Karen Baptist Convention, Alise and Mark’s ministry focuses on the discipleship and spiritual development of children and staff, administrative responsibilities, and community development. 

They write – Sa wat dii kha!!! 

Greetings from Thailand! This year (2021) has taken off with a lot of momentum and we finally feel like we are catching up with time and finding a new rhythm! 

We celebrated our one-year anniversary of arriving in Thailand on February 6th! Wow…what a year it has been. I feel like our first morning here was so long ago and so foreign….a strange home, in a strange land, with strange weather, and with some unfamiliar food…Now all those things have become familiar. They are no longer foreign to us but have become part of our life and our home! 

We have been through A LOT of challenges this year…. with numerous transitions and crazy stressors….and yet we have come out stronger, more compassionate, more open to new things, closer as a family, and more reliant on God than ever before. HE is our constant, our foundation, our rock, our shield. We are so thankful for His faithfulness! 

While we don’t have all the answers or full clarity in everything we are doing here, yet; God already knows! He brought us here for such a time as this and He is slowly revealing His plan and purpose for us! We are thankful for developing friendships, both personal and work-related. We are thankful for colleagues, for neighbors, for language helpers/teachers, and for a church community. And we are overly and abundantly thankful for you…we have felt your prayers, your love, and your support from afar. Thank you! Thank you for your faithfulness to support us and walk alongside us and the people of Thailand! 

“From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.” – John 1:16 As challenging as this past year has been for EVERYONE we hope and pray that you can focus on and find the good and abundant grace God has given you in your own life. 

Sending our love and prayers for you from across the seas! 

Alise and Mark Juanes 

[We have been busy compiling videos and memories of our first year here into a short video. We hope that you enjoy this glimpse into our lives on the other side of the world!  

See their recent journal for a video and photos – Reflecting on Our First Year International Ministries ]