Ep. 88 / From Fear to Freedom in Thailand and Laos with Chansamone Saiyasak

A childhood surrounded by war, spirit worship, and the collapse of a nation can do something to your soul. It can harden you, hollow you out, or make you obsess over one question: what is real? In this episode we sit down with Dr. Chansamone Saiyasak, a missions leader in Laos and Thailand whose life story moves from the fall of Laos in 1975, to a refugee apartment in the United States, where a knock on the door led to an embrace of the Great Commission. Dr. Saiyasak shares about growing up in a world of animism and fear-based ritual, and then entering a Buddhist monastery as a young man in search of truth. Chansamone also shares the shock of arriving in America with no English, the isolation of refugee sponsorship, and the surprising kindness and welcome of Christian families who offered belonging. Hearing people weep over forgiveness and reading the words of Scripture reframed Dr. Saiyasak's identity around grace, not merit, and around God as Father, not a distant spiritual force. From there, the conversation turns practical and missiological: how do you communicate the gospel in a context where Christianity feels like a foreign power or a colonial memory? Chansamone explains why proclamation alone often fails, and why holistic ministry, education, mercy, and business-as-mission can make the message credible. He shares lessons from decades of work across Thailand and Laos, including how to build sustainable enterprises while staying grounded in vocation.  If you'd like to learn more from Dr. Chansamone Saiyasak you can go to the Mekong Evangelical Mission website and follow him on social media. And please don't forget to share this episode and join the conversation on YouTube! ____________________▶ Watch Interviews on YouTube ▶ Sign Up for FREE Dispatches From the Global Village▶ Free Downloadable eBook "Here's Hope"▶ More Info: evangelical360.com#evangelical360