Robert Collins and Esther Wakeman
P.O. Box 251
Chiang Mai 50000
Thailand
Email: Rob Collins and Esther Wakeman

"Thai" means "free," and Thailand prides itself in being the only Southeast Asian nation which was never colonized by a Western power. Religious freedom is another strength in Thai society and makes it easy to share the freedom offered us in Jesus Christ. Esther Wakeman and Rob Collins have experienced the freeing grace of Jesus Christ in their lives and family in a powerful way during the past several years. It is their great joy to share the good news of Jesus’ ability to set us free with the freedom-loving Thai people.

Esther serves vice-president for religious affairs and community relations at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Payap was founded in 1974 as the first Christian college in Thailand, and it is now a university with nearly 6,500 students and another 700 faculty and staff. Only 3 percent of the students and 30 percent of the faculty and staff are Christian. The Department of Religious Affairs has seven on staff, and they are responsible for worship services, required chapel programs, small prayer groups, retreats, workshops, international work camps, pastoral visits at times of sickness and death, and counseling.

The challenges of strengthening the Christian community on campus along with finding creative and meaningful ways to share the gospel with Thai college students are considerable. Esther asks your prayers that the religious affairs staff will develop a more passionate spirituality and deepen as a loving community amongst ourselves, discovering more of the freedom Christ gives us to live life as it’s meant to be lived.

Letters from
Robert Collins and
Esther Wakeman

• March 2009
• December 2008
• September 2008
• February 2008 (2)
• February 2008 (1)
• December 2007
• September 2007
• July 2007
• March 2007
• February 2007
• November 2006
• January 2006
• December 2005
• August 2005
• April 2005
• November 2004
• September 2003
• November 2002
• August 2002
• March 2002
• March 2001
• August 2000
• April 2000

Rob has retired, but is continuing active service at Payap University as Interim Director of the Christian Communications Institute (CCI). CCI was founded about 20 years ago by a Broadway star who became a missionary to Thailand. CCI uses traditional and modern dramatic and musical arts to present the gospel in schools and villages all over Thailand. Rob also teaches New Testament courses at the McGilvary Faculty of Theology of Payap. In addition, he gives considerable time to the Thailand Bible Society. He has helped with production of the New Testament portion of the Thai Study Bible; he is currently on the committee for the revision of the standard text of the Thai Scriptures. This is work for which Rob feels he has been preparing all his life.

"Chiang Mai is a wonderfully congenial place to live," writes Esther, "and is developing into a major mission center for Asia." Rob and Esther and their daughter Anna are active in the English-language church and its outreach ministry to the international community of Chiang Mai. "As the world gets smaller," Esther says, "opportunities for communicating the good news of God’s grace are growing. It is exciting to be able to minister to both Thai people and others from all over."

Rob was born in Tarkio, Missouri, and graduated from Tarkio College. He first went to Thailand in 1960 to teach English. In 1964 he enrolled in Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, where he received a bachelor of divinity degree in 1967. After ordination to the ministry of Word and Sacrament, he returned to Thailand with his first wife, Dee. They had three children, John, Andrew and Kris, and served in a variety of ministries in the Church of Christ in Thailand over the years. In 1979 Dee died of cancer, and the following year Rob returned to Thailand with his children to continue teaching in the Faculty of Theology.

Esther is a native of North Canton, Ohio, and a graduate of Malone College in Canton, where she received a bachelor of arts degree in psychology. She went to Chiang Mai in 1979 to teach English at Prince Royal’s College and met and married Rob in 1980. Together they have three children, Nathan, Paul, and Anna. From 1984 until 1993 the family commuted between Chiang Mai and Pasadena, California, while Esther earned an MDiv and PhD in clinical psychology from Fuller Theological Seminary. After her ordination they returned full-time to Chiang Mai.

Birthdays:
Rob - June 25
Esther -February 25
Nathan -April 15, 1982
Paul -April 15, 1982
Anna -May 27, 1986