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Wat Arun along the Chao Phraya River, Bangkok
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God's been faithful to our family and blessing our lives and work here in Thailand. Below are some pictures, along with their captions, to highlight some exciting recent events. We hope the below "story" allows you to see facets of our ministry in which God is moving and working. We know it's a tremendous blessing for us to play a role in advancing His Kingdom in Thailand. Thank you for your prayers; and thank you for being a part of His/our story, too - for your vital participation.
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On Monday afternoons, Kelly and Janaya go to
Tongkai
grade school and help with an after-school Bible Club. This past month, eight children have expressed a serious interest in the Gospel. In the above picture, our friend, Michelle Parker, and Kelly are with three of these children. All eight of the children have been given Old and New Testament picture Bibles (in Thai) that they bring with them to the Bible Club each week. Each Monday at the Bible Club, Gerry (seen below) is discipling these eight children. Recently, due to increasing interest of the children, the ladies started a seeker's class.
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Kelly and her teammates: Michelle, Leslie & Gerry at
Tongkai Elementary School.
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Here, Janaya is playing a game with Thai students at the Bible Club. She really enjoys her time with the Thai students each week and is a big help to her Mom and group. Most of the students know Janaya and enjoy playing with her.
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I join the group at the school when needed. Here, I'm teaching a parable in Thai to the children at the Bible Club.
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The hot season has arrived, accompanied by dangerous air pollution levels. Last week, we had an air conditioner installed in the main living area of the house we rent. We're so thankful, because not only does it cool the room, but it helps to protect us from dangerous air toxins. We also use air filters to help purify the air in the home.
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Last month, I preached at
Sila Thai church in Chiang Mai. Our good friends, Phil & Michelle Parker, planted this church and have invested years of their lives at
Sila Church. Phil has asked me to come preach periodically to encourage the believers. I'll be returning in a couple weeks to preach, and in the upcoming months as well. It's an honor to encourage this group of believers. We look forward in seeing how the Lord will continue to move and work with this group of believers.
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This past weekend, we made a three hour trip through the rugged mountains to Wiang Hang, where I lived and work many years ago. On Saturday morning, I was privileged to teach at the Servant Leadership Seminar, in which five local churches were represented, including ethnic Northern Thai, Shan, Lisu, Karen and Lahu.
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We enjoyed eating delicious Northern Thai food in Wiang Hang.
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Since moving from Wiang Hang in the early 1990's, the Shan-style Buddhist temple has been significantly expanded and upgraded.
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Above: a teaching moment at the Servant Leadership Seminar on Saturday morning. I spoke in Thai at the seminar; however, I preached in Thai at the Sunday service, while a church member interpreted the sermon into Shan, since most of the church members are ethnic Shan. Many Shan live in this valley bordering Myanmar (Burma). The Shan - 8 million strong - is the largest minority group in Myanmar, and are considered an unreached people group, with a very small percentage who currently are believers.
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Our friend, Jenn Chen, from California, above with Kelly and Janaya, has lived in Wiang Hang for the last two and a half years. A couple weeks ago, her co-worker moved to Indonesia to live and work. Jenn, a faithful, hard-working servant, will continue to live long-term in Wiang Hang. We look forward to returning to Wiang Hang on an on-going basis to assist Jenn and encourage the believers there. It's good, after all these years, to witness the Holy Spirit continuing to draw people to Himself in this isolated valley. The Kingdom of Light is firmly established in the valley, and the Good News continues to be proclaimed and received. Please pray for an ever increasing response to the Gospel message in Wiang Hang.
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Idols, "spirit houses," and other spirit paraphernalia are situated at the base of the trunk of a large tree outside the temple area in Wiang Hang. Most Thais practice what's called "folk Buddhism" - a synchronization of spirit worship and Buddhism. Appeasing spirits is central to the worldview of nearly all people groups in Thailand.
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Kelly, Joel and Janaya with the Wiang Hang believers following the Sunday morning worship service and lunch.
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In January, I attended a five day Great Commission Prayer Summit in Chiang Mai. There were participants from all around the globe, including a delegation from India. This dear brother from northern India, shown with me above, has an incredible testimony of how he came to the Lord. I'll soon be sharing his testimony in my blog. My new friend has invited me to travel to India to come teach in his home town later this year. Please pray as we plan for this possibility and great opportunity.
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Janaya loves her new ukulele.
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Thank you so much for praying for our family and our ministry. We're incredibly grateful and blessed to have you on our mission team.
A couple of personal prayer requests: please keep our oldest son, John, in your prayers, as he'll be moving to East Tennessee in a couple of weeks to begin work at his uncle's plant. He'll be living with Kelly's mother. This move is part of his goal to attend a Bible school sometime in the near future. Also, please remember to pray for Josiah, as he's currently serving in the Navy. His particular branch of service is quite the challenge; consequently, he's recruiting a group of prayer warriors who'll pray for him on a consistent basis. Thank you!
In His Grace, For His Glory,
Joel, Kelly & Janaya
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