House of Grace and Use of Talents

What do you think about the church in Thailand opening up to the local community by running the House of Grace?

House of Grace in Bangkok, Thailand supplies young mothers and women who do not have a safe place to live, a place of respite. For over 30 years, House of Grace has provided women support and career education. Financial support from abroad has gradually declined in recent years. Instead of cutting down on activities, employees have used their talents and creativity to find new sources of income.

Two of House of Grace’s employees, Pisara and Nipaporn, grew up in the countryside and helped their parents grow crops on the land. The lack of fertilizer forced them to experiment with organic farming. Now they have adopted the knowledge at House of Grace where they grow organic vegetables, herbs, and fruit. They began in a small corner of the garden, and today they have ten different varieties of vegetables and six types of fruit. They are also actively working to share their knowledge with those who live at House of Grace. What is grown is used at House of Grace or sold to others. Neighbors have discovered that the products are both safe and fresh. Thus, the revenue for the operation of the center has also increased.

One day, they became aware that a hydroponic growth system (a shelf system in which the plants grow in water) was no longer used by the local church. They asked to take over this. Then they acquired knowledge via the internet and set about producing lettuce. The results after the first harvest are already both eaten and sold! Organically grown vegetables are very popular in Bangkok.

House of Grace has also started its own soap production. A company donated a soap machine as well as equipment to clean the soap and supplied training on how to recycle soap pieces into beautiful new soap products. They get used soap from a five-star hotel in

Bangkok. This is a win-win situation. The hotel receives help in reducing the amount of waste, and The Grace Home receives raw materials for a production they make money from. House of Grace has also started its own local recycling store where different groups work together to keep operations running. These include two international schools and a women’s group from Bangkok’s immigration community. The staff at House of Grace discovered that it was easy to get used goods from international schools and the immigration club. Today, House of Grace has good access to used clothes and other items, and not least, volunteers with many different talents and time to spare. Talents in design, advertising, and sales, as well as photography, come in handy. The recycling shop is run by volunteers, but both the girls who live at the center and the employees help to work in the store. There are also regular flea markets. In addition, House of Grace runs a small coffee shop called Garden Café. All this raises both income for the center and is good work training for those who live at House of Grace. Pisara and Nipaporn and the other employees at House of Grace, as well as the many volunteers from different countries, make a positive force for change by using, sharing, and developing their talents.

READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE CHURCHES IN MACEDONIA AS ROLE MODELS:

2 CORINTHIAN 8:1-15

7 You have an abundance of everything: of faith and speech, of knowledge and zeal, and of the love you have from us. Then with this gift you must also show your abundance! 8 I’m not saying this as a commandment, but I mention the zeal of the others to try to see if love is real with you. 9 You know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ: Even though he was rich, he became poor for your sake, that ye would become rich by His poverty. (2 Corinthian 8:7-9)

PRAYER:

Dear merciful God. Thank You for having employees with drive and creativity. We pray for the children, for the mothers, and for the staff. Thank You for being part of a living church in the whole world and for standing with our siblings at The Grace Home. Lord, we ask that You show us how to care, trigger creativity, and find useful resources in our context.

We worship You. Amen.

DISCUSSION:

1. What do you think about the church in Thailand opening up to the local community by running the House of Grace?

2. What can we learn from what Pisara and Nipaporn set in motion at House of Grace?

3. How could I apply what I have learned from House of Grace?

4. How could we as a group or association apply what we have learned from House of Grace?