‘Do You Wonder Why?’ booklet helps children navigate fear and grief with the hope of the Gospel message
ST. LOUIS — On March 28, several major earthquakes struck Southeast Asia. The largest, a 7.7 magnitude temblor, killed thousands in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) and at least 21 people in neighboring Thailand. In Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok, a tower collapsed, killing at least 14 people.
“We are heartbroken by the devastation left by the earthquakes that hit the southern portion of our Asia Pacific Region,” said Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) Vice President of Administration Fred Pry. “CEF Thailand will be supporting children traumatized by the tragedy.”
CEF Thailand plans to reach out to communities near the collapsed building once the situation stabilizes. Staff and volunteers will be ministering to children and their families, as well as bringing the hope of the Gospel by distributing the Thai version of the “Do You Wonder Why?” booklet to help children process their questions about suffering and loss, and ultimately guide them to find hope in Jesus Christ.
“Before these tragic events took place, CEF in Thailand was serving thousands of children annually, thanks in part to our staff and team of volunteers,” Pry said. “The national headquarters and regional branches were undamaged and continue to carry out the CEF ministry during this time.”
How CEF is involved in Thailand
Including the national headquarters and regional branches in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, CEF Thailand reaches children with ministries such as Good News Club® and camps, and trains teachers and volunteers through a variety of courses to be involved.
In recent years, CEF Thailand has focused on ministry in areas where CEF has not previously worked, particularly southern and northeastern Thailand.
How are CEF workers and volunteers faring after the earthquake?
CEF Asia Pacific Region leaders report that they are “thankful to God that all CEF workers and volunteers in Thailand are safe following the recent earthquake. Although some felt the tremors and experienced temporary emotional distress, there were no reports of injuries or significant damage among the CEF team.”
CEF plans to help children cope with the trauma
“Many individuals in and around the area have been left without medical care, food and safe drinking water, or shelter,” reported a staff member from the CEF Asia Pacific Region. “At the time of the earthquake, CEF staff and volunteers were at a church preparing the venue for training. Everyone was able to quickly evacuate the building, and no injuries occurred.”
CEF will help children who may feel fear or emotional insecurity due to the event. Some children from families in the northeastern region — whose parents had migrated to work as construction laborers at the collapsed tower and may have died in the incident — are now facing grief and instability within their families. The “Do You Wonder Why?” booklet is designed to help children deal with this difficult time and answer questions that are on their minds: Why do so many bad things happen in the world? Why did God allow this to happen?
“We ask everyone to join with us as we pray for the recovery of this area and, more importantly, the mission of CEF as we continue to spread the Gospel in this region of the world,” Pry said.
Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), which was founded 88 years ago, has been establishing the Good News Club® in countries around the world for decades. Clubs are thriving worldwide, in countries including Australia, Cambodia, Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uganda, and many more.
In 2023, through the combined ministries of CEF, more than 25.2 million children worldwide heard the Good News. More than 577,000 teachers were trained around the world.
For more CEF news, see the ministry’s latest edition of the online magazine Impact.
CEF is an international, nonprofit, Christian ministry that has been dedicated to seeing every child reached with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, discipled, and established in a local church since 1937. CEF is located in all 50 American states and in most countries around the world, with over 3,500 paid staff and tens of thousands of volunteers around the world.
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To interview a representative from Child Evangelism Fellowship, contact [email protected], Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, Dawn Foglein, ext. 100, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.