The New Year will bring changes for many people, and for one local woman, 2024 is expected to be the year when she returns to Thailand to teach English through a missionary program. Chloe Makley has already spent a year in the country through UB Global and looks forward to going back as she completes her TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate.
Inspired to Service at a Young Age
Born in South Carolina, Makley has lived in Lake Odessa since she was very young. She has also spent much of her life attending Portland Mount Hope Church, which she describes as “very mission focused.”
She herself was first drawn to missionary work when the church organized a trip to Ghana to build a school. Makley was only 13 years old at the time and too young to go, but it inspired in her a desire to travel abroad herself one day.
However, other than two short trips to Costa Rica to help build homes in her teens, it would be many years before the right opportunity presented itself.
“The Lord said to wait and prepare so I waited and prepared,” Makley says.
Now 23, she graduated from Lakewood High School in 2019 and then took jobs first in Grand Rapids and later in Mt. Pleasant. Eventually, through a family member, she became aware of the UB Global program overseen by the United Brethren Church. After a review of their mission and theology, Makley found it to be the perfect fit for her.
Thailand: An Unexpected Destination
While Makley was interested in mission work, she had her sights set on Central America. When UB Global suggested Thailand, “I was like, no,” she remembers.
However, Makley came around to the idea and agreed to spend a year interning in the country to help build the English program there. She soon found herself working alongside three Thai staff members and a couple from Honduras at the Good Soil Community Center in Chiang Rai, Thailand.
As a predominantly Buddhist country, only a very small percentage of Thai residents are Christian, and many adults are leery of using the center. However, it does provide free child care, something that is much needed by many families in the community.
“It is well known that we are Christian,” according to Makley. But there are no religious strings – such as mandatory classes – attached to the center’s services. While a Bible lesson is included in the child care schedule, children can – and sometimes do – opt out. “We live our lives as Jesus asked, and we let him take care of the rest,” Makley says.
In addition to child care, the center helps meet other needs in the community such as meals and medical care. Makley relates one story of an older member of the community who needed hearing aids, and the center was able to help provide them.
“Tourism is one of their main pillars,” Makley adds. That makes being able to speak English a valuable skill, and her language classes are popular. “Parents love to be able to speak English.” The center also offers Spanish and Mandarin classes.
Ready to Return to Asia
Makley completed her one-year commitment to the program in spring 2023, and despite her initial reservations about moving to the country, she feels ready to go back.
“I’ve been very blessed to live in such a beautiful county,” she says. Makley adds that the food in Thailand is phenomenal, and the culture vastly different than in the United States, particularly when it comes to hospitality.
“I feel like here in America, it’s like, how long do I have to stay in this conversation before I get out,” she notes. Meanwhile, in Thailand, people embrace a slower pace of life, and there are more opportunities to connect. “They are not go, go, go,” according to Makley. “Thailand is so different.”
Currently, Makley is looking for sponsors to help her return for another year or two. If all goes well, she hopes to be back in Southeast Asia in early 2024. Once there, she’ll take classes herself to work on her Thai language skills while also teaching English at the Good Soil Community Center.
To learn more about Makley’s experience or sponsor her next trip, visit the UB Global website.
All photos courtesy of Chloe Makley.
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