I have an exciting announcement. For the next six months, with the blessing and approval of International Ministries, my ministry assignment will be to take a sabbatical leave.  This is not a vacation, but rather a time set aside for sabbath rest, attending to my physical health, prayer, spiritual renewal, art, and re-visioning so that I can continue to serve effectively in ministry.

Jesus commanded his disciples to “Come away and rest”

Working on the front lines in cross-cultural ministry with survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and human trafficking is demanding, and few recognize the physical, emotional and spiritual toll that it can take on a global servant. In fact, statistics show that nearly 50% of all missionaries serve five years or less in the field, and 71% of missionaries leave the mission field for preventable reasons including culture shock, language barriers, feeling unsupported by those in their sending country, and burnout. (Koering, J. (2025). 2025 Christian missionary statistics. Nations Outreach. https://nationsoutreach.org/blog/christian-missionary-statistics/).

Serving in cross-cultural ministry can be stressful in any context, but when we are chronically exposed to extreme trauma, it can compound the stress. Jesus commanded his disciples to “come away and rest” (Mark 6:31) as a part of their ministry journey.  I am profoundly grateful that International Ministries offers sabbatical leave to support the health and well-being of our global servants who have served with IM for 10 years or more with fully paid compensation and benefits.  I have served in ministry with IM for over 22 years and this will be my first sabbatical. I am committed to continuing in ministry, but in order to be at my best, I need to take some time away with the Lord.

Transfer of Administrative Responsibilities

I recently transferred my administrative responsibilities to “Bee” Tiemchan Kamonklapachon, the Director of the New Life Center Foundation.  She has been serving at the New Life Center for over 20 years and holds an MBA from Ramkamhaeng University.  Bee is fully committed to the vision of the NLCF, and I have every confidence that the NLCF will continue to deliver the highest quality services, including aftercare for survivors and trafficking prevention programs. My counseling, art therapy, and community training programs will be on hold for the time that I am away.

Availability During Sabbatical

My sabbatical will take place from March 1 until August 31 and I plan to stay in Thailand. Please note that my agreement with IM prohibits me from working during this time (including doing email, social media, videos, or newsletters). This policy exists to ensure that the person on sabbatical can fully rest and not become inadvertently drawn into shouldering work responsibilities during this time

For New Life Center Foundation matters, please get in touch with

Bee at newlifecenterfoundation@gmail.com

If you urgently need to get in contact with me and it cannot wait until September, you may contact my friend, Rev. Susan Rice at sjrdfr@yahoo.com. Susan will be fielding communications, and I will be in touch with her on a regular basis.

Your continued prayers and financial support during this season would be greatly appreciated.

US Assignment October 2025-March 2026

After the sabbatical is over, I will head to the United States to spend six months visiting my supporters to share about the ministries I am involved with in Thailand, and how the financial support we receive is making a positive, life-transforming impact.

Resuming Ministry in Thailand in 2026

When I return to Thailand in the spring of 2026, I will resume my ongoing ministry of providing mental health services.  As you may remember, I completed a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a Specialization in Art Therapy in 2023, and I have a passion to support mental health and resilience for survivors of trauma.  Over the last few years, I have received ever-increasing requests to provide mental health services, workshops, retreats, and trainings for people in our community.  In addition to my administrative work at the New Life Center over the past year, I have delivered over 250 counseling/art therapy sessions and implemented 11 workshops/retreats on topics incuding trauma-informed care, creative arts therapy, Christian spiritual formation, and conflict transformation, reaching over 300 people. This ministry is profoundly life-giving for me and I hope to continue and expand it as God leads!

Please feel free to get in touch with me in the next few weeks if you have any questions or concerns.