Dear Friends,

The New Life Center Foundation continues to grow, implement its mission, and through God’s grace, is a witness to God’s love to young tribal women who have experienced exploitation.

Years ago, we worked with many women under the age of 18 who were coming out of forced prostitution in traditional brothels. We don’t see this so much anymore, in part due to the Thai government’s intentional and sustained crackdown on “underage” prostitution. However, what we have seen is the continued and unabated flow of migrant workers into Thailand, which results in increased numbers of persons who are trafficked and exploited across all industries.

A significant change in our services over the past few years is that we are now working more and more with the abandoned teenage children of migrant workers. In just the past few months, we’ve worked with several teenagers who were inadvertently abandoned in Thailand. I say “inadvertently” because their fathers and mothers intended to return here – but for various reasons were detained in China or Burma and could not come back.

In the case of Burma (just west of Thailand) people are often fleeing the oppression of the military junta and/or a severe lack of economic opportunities. (Burma has the second worst rate of health care in the world, which is another reason for the unmitigated flow of ethnic Burmese into Thailand.) In the case of Southwestern China and Northwestern Laos, people are leaving a lifetime of backbreaking agricultural work to take a chance at a better paid, less labor-intensive job in some type of factory here.

One result of labor migration is that the children of migrants are also highly vulnerable. They’re growing up in makeshift tents at construction sites, or live in crowded, unsanitary dorms at factories. Increasingly, these children are left to fend for themselves as their parents seek work in other areas, and the result is the children may end up as victims of human trafficking themselves.

One of the most tragic cases of an abandoned daughter of a migrant worker is “AhBee”, whose story I’ve shared in other journals and letters. AhBee was brought into Thailand at the age of 9 and suffered forced labor and sexual abuse for four years. Despite this abuse, she was arrested and charged with the crime(s) of “entering Thailand illegally” and “working illegally” (unbelievably, immigration laws trumped child protection laws in this situation). We have cared for AhBee since late 2009 and we’re working with some lawyers to appeal this verdict. The good news is that it looks like AhBee will be able to stay with us until she is 18. At that point, she might be legally allowed to continue to stay in Thailand. Thank you for your continued prayers for this precious girl.

We started a new project cycle this year, and had the opportunity to assess the cumulative results of our work for the past 3 years. It was exciting to see these final numbers! Through God’s provision we supported:

-167 scholarship students in elementary through university programs
-192 residents (shelter, educational term fees, medical care, life skills training)
-50 tribal women (who) completed vocational training and secured viable, sustainable employment
-45 emergency case residents, victims of forced labor, sexual abuse, domestic violence and trafficking


Additionally, our anti-trafficking campaigns throughout the region reached over 15,000 persons from the Akha, Lahu, and Hmong tribal groups. We hosted over 1,200 special guests, including two US Ambassadors to Thailand (Eric John in 2009, Kristie Kenney in 2011); two US Consul Generals from Chiang Mai (Michael Morrow, Susan Stevenson) and the US Department of State’s “Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues” Melanne Verveer. We just received our second “Best Practice NGO” award from the Royal Thai Government (what an honor!)

During this period, 53 young women decided to become followers of Jesus Christ and received baptism! We praise God for His continued blessing and presence with us as we partner with our Thai and tribal colleagues to confront the severe social problems of trafficking, exploitation, and abuse.

Thailand is changing. It is officially an “emerging” 3rd world economy, albeit at the lower rung of the cluster of other economically emerging nations.  It is trying to manage the massive flow of migrants across its borders, implement human rights for all its citizens, and tackle significant internal corruption and conflict. Over the past 18 months Thailand has also grappled with its worst political violence in 40 years, devastating natural disasters, and a growing and bitter resentment between the poor and the wealthy - despite the slow and steady growth of a middle class. Ethnic minority women and men still face discrimination and oppression at many levels. Over 50% continue to lack legal Thai citizenship, which contributes to the abuse they face.

It is in this broad social, economic and development context that the New Life Center implements our mission and ministry – and your support enables us to continue!  Thank you so much for your interest and on-going faithfulness to us…!

Please do not hesitate to contact me. You can reach me directly at newlife@pobox.com and/or 66-53-351-312 (NLCF office phone number). (Please note: there is a 12 hour time difference between northern Thailand and EST). Please also do not hesitate to let me know how I (and the staff here, too) can pray for you.


In addition to our stated vision and mission, our New Life Center organizational theme for 2012 is: “building hope, restoring hope, exemplifying hope” - based on 1 Peter 1: 3-4. I trust that you will personally experience the “living hope” that Christ gives in your own life now and always. On behalf of all the young women we serve throughout the Mekong sub region, thank you so much!




Gratefully in Christ,



Karen R. Smith,
American Baptist International Ministries
New Life Center Foundation
www.newlifecenterfoundation.org