J+D in Singapore: Embracing Uncertainty

Hello everyone! 👋

Four years (!) have come and gone since our last update with many changes in our lives along the way. Sorry it has taken us so long to update all of you 😅 but we’ve reached a stage where our plans for the future have become more concrete, and we thought this is a good time to share it with you guys!

We will be sharing updates more regularly going forward, so do keep an eye out for them if you feel led to continue supporting us 🙂

A quick reintroduction is due here: we are Jan and Daniel, a couple led by God to partner with Him in His work in Thailand through business. We embarked on a two-month exploratory trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2018, followed by a year-plus from 2019 to 2020. These confirmed our calling to return to Chiang Mai for the long haul after Jan completes her theological studies in 2025—which is very soon!

In the meantime, since moving back to Singapore in 2020, we’ve continued to serve in the areas that God has called us to:

• Daniel has continued to run With Content, the content marketing agency we founded, managing and ministering to a cross-cultural team of 10 across Southeast Asia
• He also joined the worship ministry at Sengkang Methodist Church (SKMC), serving as a bassist, as well as the communication ministry
• Jan began her theological studies at Trinity Theological College (TTC), enrolling in the Master of Divinity (MDiv) program
• She also joined the communication and missions ministry at SKMC
• Together, we’ve also taken up leadership of a new young adults’ cell group in SKMC

We’re also grateful to have had the opportunity to bring a missions team from our home church (SKMC) for a week-long trip to Chiang Mai in May 2024! Being able to connect our church members with the local ministries and workers has always been on our hearts, and we’re glad to have been able to help make it happen.

As of now, we are planning to move to Chiang Mai at the end of 2025. This is why we’ve been solidifying our plans as we take the next step in our missional business journey:

• Deciding which missions organisation we want to partner with
• Drawing up a business plan, getting feedback from experts in the industry, and raising funds for it
• Keeping an eye out for potential places in Chiang Mai that we will settle down and stay in for the long term
• Getting our personal finances in shape and budgeting for future plans

Partnering with missions organisations

We’ve been in talks with OMF—a missions organisation founded in the 1800s—for a while now, and started exploring a partnership with them more seriously this year.

Most recently, we were asked to consider becoming an OMF member, being sent to serve through the vehicle of Business-as-Mission (or BAM). OMF has a significant track record in sending and supporting BAM members and projects, which aligns nicely with our vision.

However, after some discussion, we eventually agreed to partner with OMF as a Friend of OMF instead. The reason for this is that OMF Mekong (where Chiang Mai is under) focuses on reaching out to people living in rural areas, whereas we feel that God is calling us to work with the urban Thai in Chiang Mai, hence it wasn’t quite a good fit.

At the same time, we’ve also been exploring other potential partnerships. Stretch Out International, an organisation that calls, nurtures, and activates tentmakers in cross-cultural environments, is one of the most promising ones. Do pray for us that God will open the right doors and smoothen our paths as we continue to meet more people!

 

Our vision

Ever since we first visited Chiang Mai, the idea of starting a hospitality business has always been on our hearts. As our relationships with the Thais developed over the years, God continued to shape this vision through our Thai pastors and friends. In particular, we see the passion and gifting in hospitality amongst the Thais alongside their deep need for mental health support.

On our end, God has also laid a burden on us for people who are suffering from mental health issues. This was amplified as we worked through the challenges and struggles faced by our team members at With Content which led me (Daniel) to work in a mental health startup for a year as well. I personally struggled through a period of depression too, which only highlighted the seriousness of this “pandemic” to us.

Putting these two threads together, God has placed in us a vision to build a place that provides physical, mental, and spiritual rest and recreation for busy individuals and organisations. Our focus is to create and curate space for guests and the local community to rediscover being and becoming the Beloved of God, restoring wholeness in body, mind, and spirit.

“The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God’s eyes, called the Beloved from all eternity and held safe in an everlasting embrace.” – Henri Nouwen, Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World

We aim to do this by designing an experience, based on Christian values and practices, that holds space for guests and guides them into meaningful transformation in their habits and behaviours as they return to their everyday lives.

This will likely take the shape of a place that looks and feels like a wellness resort, with the programs of a spiritual retreat centre.

Of course, these plans might change with feedback later on, but for now we feel fairly confident that this is the direction that God is calling us to work towards. To be honest, the scope of the work involved in developing and running this is bigger than what we envisioned years ago, but we have faith that God doesn’t just call the equipped—He will equip the called.

✍️ We need your help as we continue to discern His call for us! If you’ve ever 1) gone for a spiritual retreat, 2) are open to going for one, or 3) have planned one for your church, please help us by filling in this survey. ✍️

 

Preparing for the next season

All of this means that things are getting quite real for us 😆

Over the past four years, we’ve gotten used to our lives in Singapore, while holding the tension of knowing we will be starting a new life in Thailand eventually. It hasn’t been easy, but as the date approaches, we’re filled with excitement and anticipation of the journey ahead!

Going forward, one of our concerns is in the area of finances. We recently made the decision to step down from our full-time roles at With Content so that we can focus on preparing ourselves for this new stage of life, and fully commit to the work that we will be doing in Chiang Mai. This means that we will be digging into our savings for at least the next three to four years.

Here’s what we will be focusing on in the years ahead:

• 2025: upgrading ourselves for the work ahead
• 2026: Thai language studies
• 2027: building and starting up the business

We don’t foresee ourselves drawing a salary from the business till at least 2028 (if all goes well).

While we have been saving up for this moment, it is also quite a scary prospect not having income for such an extended period. We will likely be raising funds to support ourselves as well as the ministry/business that we will be starting—more on this soon!

 

Pray with us

The road ahead remains uncertain but we look only to the certainty of our risen Christ. As we continue to take the next step in faith, we know full well that we are only able to do so by the grace of God along with your prayers and support.

Please share with us if the Holy Spirit impresses anything upon your heart—we are constantly on the lookout for like-minded partners and supporters to work and journey with us.

Once again, thank you for journeying with us in your own ways over the years 💛

Your partners in Christ,
แดน & แจน
(Dan & Jan)