A Soldier For Christ Goes Home
On December 20, 2024, our dear brother, friend, and coworker of 28 years went home to be with Jesus. Pastor Somchai fully embraced the School of Christ, and he will be greatly missed. He was a man of prayer and saw that the SOC was integral to achieving lasting success.
Throughout our entire history, I watched the Lord give favor to this man of God. The following are just a few examples of God’s favor in his life: In January 1998, the Thai baht fell in value from 25 baht per dollar to over 55 baht per dollar. That same day we were going to buy a new 4-wheel drive truck, so we were able to buy two instead. What a blessing!
In that same year God gave us a genuine revival amongst the hill tribe Karen people. They testified that it was the first move of God in 100 years. The Spirit moved from village to village, touching entire villages with multiple signs, wonders, and miracles. We tried to follow up but couldn’t do it at that time, but the Lord brought the SOC.
In 1998 and 1999, we started a church in Mae Sot where in the year 2000, God sent Bro. Clendennen and the School of Christ. The SOC radically impacted all of us!
The first SOC was initially translated into the Thai language. Although we tried to also translate it into the Burmese and Karen language, we were unsuccessful at that time. Bro. Somchai, however, kept praying that it would come to pass. Finally, God sent Bro. Daren Downs from Living Waters church in Chino, CA to come and teach the SOC because Bro. Clendennen could not come at that time. In November 2003 we translated the SOC into the Karen language. During that SOC a young woman had a vision that it would go all over the world, which it eventually did. Upon completion of the SOC, God immediately opened the door to do the Burmese SOC as well.
So, in February 2005, right after the tsunami hit Thailand, we traveled to Mandalay Burma and translated the SOC into the
Burmese language. God’s hand was upon Pastor Somchai as historically only the Karen people were in the refugee camps at that time, but now the camps are open to other ethnic groups from Burma as well. Therefore, he ran both the Karen
and Burmese SOC’s at the same time in the refugee camps.
Meanwhile, the UN and 17 nations in 2006 decided to offer asylum to these ethnic groups. They couldn’t return to Burma, and Thailand wouldn’t accept them either. This number rose quickly to 45 nations and now even more. The young woman’s vision came to pass. As a result, thousands and thousands of tribal people have studied the SOC. They have even posted them on YouTube. God sent them out after they had received the School of Christ.
In Mae Saraing, Thailand, he raised the funds to build the Prayer Mountain to which people come from all over the world to pray and fast. During the recent war in Burma, Bro. Somchai brought food, blankets, and medicine to the people in the jungle teaching them the Word of God as well. He sent shirts to the soldiers of the Karen army, which they prayed over for the protection of the soldiers. Not one soldier to date has been shot.
His last vision was to start an English-speaking Karen church
in America. We sent SOC graduates to the Summit School of Ministry for instruction on the practical aspects of church planting. In addition, he was reaching out to other tribal groups to translate the SOC into their languages as well.
We will truly miss our dear friend and brother, but at last his work is finished, and now he has received his eternal reward!
“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy
lord.” (Matthew 25:21)