In July 2010 we visited, for the first time, a very poor community out of town. We set up on the dirt in the front yard of the home of the community’s only Christian family. In the heat, and with ants biting our feet, we held an English class.

The family comprises Weerachai, the father; Dudu, the mother; and Amina, their 13-year-old daughter. There was a time when I thought I would be unable to handle teaching in these conditions. By the second week we’d relocated to under the verandah. It was worse; now we were next to the cows. There were flies, and the stench of rubber latex collected by locals and stored at Weerachai’s before being taken to the market made it almost unbearable. What made it worthwhile was Weerachai and Dudu’s welcome, and the eagerness of Amina to learn.

Just over a year later, this family has become our team’s greatest supporters for the growing work here. Weerachai installed fans and lights at our centre and he and Dudu are now sewing there under Colleen’s training and guidance – eventually this will be their own business.

Weerachai advises Peter and helps Ian on any matter we need a Thai to deal with. Amina joins in every class I have. She helps me with the kindergarten class and the kids’ programme we hold at another community.

Once, before the centre was up and running, Dudu shared with me the transformation in the life of this family since they became believers. Sitting together on a bamboo platform under the eaves of their house in the village, she told me how Weerachai had been a drunk and a surly man. Now he is a radiant light with a ready smile and helping hand. Dudu is an eager learner of the Bible and has written soul-stirring songs about faith in Jesus. Amina is a role model to the other kids and adults in all the classes.

We are so privileged to have been blessed with the gift of their lives and their involvement with us.

Please pray that our work, coupled with this family’s testimony of transformation, would lead others to spiritual freedom.

• Lynley Capon and her husband Peter work with tranzsend in Kalisan, Thailand.