We recently celebrated 12 Years in Thailand! We praise God for the 12 years here and are thankful for your continued support. As some of you know, the past few years have been difficult for us. There was even a day when Brittney and I seriously considered packing our bags and returning to America. We are so thankful for the encouragement from friends — and from the Lord — that helped us endure and keep pressing forward.
• Church Construction — We’ve been working for months on the building for our new church here in Bangkok. At times, the progress feels slow, but it is steady and sure. In many ways, it reminds me of what ministry is like here. “Jesus is our foundation.” That’s what one of our members said when they saw what one of our kids had written in yellow chalk before the workers poured the rest of the concrete foundation. What a joy it is to serve Him here. What a joy to tell others about Him. He is our sure foundation and our rock. We love Jesus! There is still much work to do, but it’s exciting to see some progress.
• Visiting a Fellow Pastor — God has truly blessed us with wonderful friends over the years we have been here. We have been wanting to visit this family for more than six years, and we finally had the opportunity! P. Nueng is a Thai pastor of a church about seven hours northeast of us. He is bi-vocational and has also opened a coffee and steakhouse. We planned this trip to celebrate Brittney’s birthday, and I told her I would take her to the best steak restaurant in Thailand. They didn’t disappoint, and the fellowship was great! So thankful for our marriage. Next month we will be celebrating 15years! God has been so good to us! The kids loved being out in the country again! Hope to go and visit this brother more often. He is one of the Thai pastors that we support. If you want to learn more about him and others, visit thailandindigenousmissions.com.
• Judah — It’s hard to believe that Judah would already be three years old. We think about him often, even though his life was so short. This morning, one of the kids prayed, thanking God for all their siblings, and without hesitation, included Judah. On Sept. 2, we took the day off from work and school and spent time together as a family. Later that evening, friends came over and brought flowers — the very same kind we had at Judah’s funeral — and cookies decorated with hearts and the letter J. We are so thankful for these precious friends and for our God who comforts us in so many ways. (Even as I’m typing this, “It Is Well with My Soul” just started playing from a long playlist I’ve had running — the very song that was our prayer during those difficult days.) God is good.
• Visitors from the States — A few weeks ago, we had some visitors from Lufkin, Texas. It was so nice to get to spend some time with them and show them around. We had the chance to visit a small waterfall together. It was so refreshing to get out of the city and breathe in fresh air. The scenery was beautiful and peaceful, and the kids loved walking through the shallow parts, hunting for rocks. We also wanted our guests to see what a Buddhist temple is like. Our kids have never been to the one we visited. The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho is 150 feet long. Even though it’s difficult sometimes, it’s good to see these idols up close every once in a while.
• Witnessing in the Neighborhood — “Have you heard about Jesus?” That simple question has led to some good conversations. There is no greater topic to discuss and no greater hope for us all. We are still building relationships with sellers and people we see daily. A while back, two women came to our door. They were stranded in Bangkok after coming here to find work, crying and unsure how they would get home. When we shared the hope we have — and that they can have — in Jesus, they were moved to tears. Our family was glad to give them bus tickets and gospel tracts, and we told them that if they ever return to Bangkok, they are welcome to visit our church.
Pray for the Work
• Pray for Sutthisan Church. Pray for the men as we visit a slum community near us. We hope to find the leader there, tell them about our church and let them know we are here to serve them.
• Pray for wisdom and strength with the construction of the building for the church.
• Pray for all the Christmas outreaches we are starting to plan for. We are joining another church in doing an outreach at a Buddhist temple school, a prison and two other special church outreaches. I’m preaching/sharing during most of those, so please pray for me as I prepare and proclaim the good news that the Savior has come!
