One of the greatest joys that missionaries experience when they learn a language and settle into an area is meeting new people. Oat is a new friend with whom we talk almost daily. He works at the apartments at the front of our street. He is such a friendly guy. He especially takes to little John each time we come rolling up. Several times, John and I would buy him a Coke and bring it to him (it’s been really hot here in Thailand). In one instance, Oat stopped us and bought our whole family some ice cream. We are thankful for this friend, and it is our prayer and hope that he will come to know Christ.
The following is a snapshot of some different aspects of our ministry:
• Preaching at a Nearby Church — It has been exciting to see Light Church grow from day one and witness the growth of its membership and leadership over the past few years. Since we have not started meeting on Sundays yet, they have asked me to come help preach a few times. We enjoy partnering with and fellowshipping with other churches in our area. They are very encouraging, and God is doing great things through this church. They meet upstairs at a coffee shop right across from a well-known university in Bangkok. I hope our churches can work together and partner together for the gospel.
• New Church — We’ve been busy renovating an old house to use as a future meeting place for the church. Walls have been coming down, and it will be great to have one large space where everyone can gather. It will probably take another four to five months to complete, so in the meantime, we’ve been meeting in our home.
For the past few months, we’ve been studying the book of John together. Starting June 22, we’ll begin gathering for Sunday morning worship!
On June 15, Ben — the Thai brother I’ll be co-pastoring with — will be officially sent out by the church where he has been doing pastoral training. We’re thankful for that church’s support of this new church plant.
• New Church’s Name — After Ben and I started preparing some documents, like the statement of faith, I saved them in a folder and just needed to pick a name for the church. At that time, we hadn’t yet sat down with our wives to decide on a church name. A few weeks later, we finally had the chance to meet and pray together. After a brief discussion, everyone felt good about naming the church Sutthisan Church (pronounced like “Soot-ti-sahn”), since that’s the area of Bangkok where we are located. Personally, I thought it was neat that I had been using that name all along to save files, without even suggesting it to anyone.
• Biblical Theology Conference — Our friends here who work with 9 Marks had the Biblical Theology book translated into Thai. The conference centered on this theme, and it was encouraging to worship and study the Word alongside our fellow missionary friends and Thai brothers and sisters who joined.
They asked me to lead a breakout session called “Word-Centered Church,” where I had the opportunity to teach a session in English and another one in Thai. Additionally, our kids always look forward to seeing their friends every year. We are so thankful for the team that flies in from America to conduct a mini-VBS for our kids during the conference time.
• Prison Ministry — I was recently invited to join the pastors from Ben’s sending church to observe the kind of outreach they do at a prison outside of Bangkok. I’ll be honest — I was a little nervous going in. However, once we made it through all the security, I was surprised by how friendly the inmates were, both with the pastors and with me. These pastors have been coming to this prison to teach English and the Bible for over 10 years. In fact, during the recent Biblical Theology Conference, one of the translators shared his testimony — and he was a former prisoner from this very place! It was a beautiful story of God’s grace and how He used these faithful men. After teaching some English and Bible lessons, we had extra time to talk with a few of the men who wanted to stay and discuss further. Three stayed behind, and one of them shared how he had recently come to faith while in solitary confinement for three months, with only a Bible to read.
I hope to continue visiting, and I’m thankful that this prison remains open to us, bringing hope and God’s Word to both the men and women who are incarcerated.
• Water Pump for a Rainy Season — Thankful for this little water pump. Several times in the past month or so, our yard has flooded. The water has already entered one room connected to the garage. Some spots are about one foot deep. This handy pump has helped pump the water up and out into the drain in the road.
• Rote’s Wedding — Some of you may remember Rote, he was an intern with us and has been preparing to start a church in his village. Well, last week, he got married! What a joy it was to be part of the celebration and to see the Lord answer our prayers. He and I have prayed many times for the Lord to provide him with a godly helpmate, and now He has. The wedding took place the day after the Biblical Theology Conference, so only JJ and I were able to attend since it was so far away. I was honored to preach at the ceremony. Rote and his new wife have now returned to his village, where they’ll be praying and seeking the Lord’s direction as they begin serving Him together. Please pray for them as they continue to consider how and when to start planting a church there. My hope is that we can be a source of encouragement and support to them in this new season. After the wedding, our driver asked if we wanted to visit a nearby tourist spot. We had no plans, so we said, “Sure!” He took us to the point where Laos, Myanmar (also known as Burma), and Thailand meet — also known as the Golden Triangle. I can now officially say I’ve been there.
• Pray — Pray for Sutthisan Church starting June 22. Pray for Oat and many others with whom we are sharing the gospel. May the Lord build His church. Pray for the church’s building project and the ongoing Bible study. Pray that God would lead and provide for Rote.
• Praise — We are thankful for Pinklao Baptist Church for sending and supporting Ben to help start Sutthisan Church and to God that He has led us to this point and time to serve Him. What a joy it is! We are excited and also thankful for your support and prayers!
