Jesus Loves Isaan

Back to Thailand

2011-09-25T17:01:00.009-05:00

We thank God for the level path. Rita took us to the RedRoof Inn which is our "inexpensive" jumping off point for long trips to Thailand. The plane rides were smooth and long, but the ANA (All Nippon Airways) seats from Tokyo were small, cramped, and actually a bit hard-7 hours in that space was not fun but better than a fight with the devil. :) We were met by our smiling van driver, Kuhn Prasert at the end of this 28 1/2 hour ride.

We walked out the door of the always great Baptist Hospitality Center for a five minute walk to a taxi stand, 10 minute drive to the American Embassy, and 15 minutes later we were across the street having a latte. We did a little banking business, and had a great lunch and afternoon with our long time friend Kuhn Koy. She often helps us arrange sight seeing for the teams that pass thru Bangkok. Our former exchange student, Champ, had a very bad cold so we will postpone our time with him and his parents. Both Champ and Polly were in exam periods as well.

We spent much of the day Saturday sharing with missionaries from two very difficult countries in this region. We love this time where we see how God is working in these countries and in the lives of the missionary families. We often catch up on mutual M friends via these guests or the M's that take care of the guesthouse. Floods are on the way to Bangkok so everyone is preparing. 136 lives have been lost to date with this flooding.

We had a fantastic evening and dinner with parents of Vee, exchange student to Mineral Wells that many of you have met. Knowing we would have plenty of Thai food and knowing the foreigner (me) doesn't like food tooooooo hot, decided on Chinese food. Great food, quiet restaurant, nearby, and lots of time to talk about one of their favorite subjects, Vee. They have a lovely and talented daughter, and now we know the reason. They are hard at work since they also have a son who just began university in the UK. Wow!

We had a good trip from Bangkok to Mukdahan with one government employee and a lady doctor who know all of our nurse neighbors. An older man was training a younger driver and kept everyone in stitches for two hours, and then offered to take us straight to our home. A very pleasant and entertaining van ride. Welcomed by sister Na, and C'supanipa Sna ("A") that the Indian Creek youth team met this summer.

We are so happy to be here in the Land of Smiles although most of the people live in "darkness". Pray with us for the salvation of many and their obedient walk with Jesus Christ.

Pray that God will give us discernment and boldness to live constantly in his will.

God's ways are higher than our ways

2011-07-15T08:16:00.004-05:00

From IMB's CompassionNet's Today's Prayer:

NORTHERN KHMER OF THAILAND (k’MY). The Northern Khmer Team writes: “We wish to report on the results of the team of Thai youth who came to work with us in April. As you lifted them up in prayer, they helped us to do evangelism in two areas, which covered eight different villages. One event that we held was very discouraging, as we spent one day walking the neighborhood, telling people about Jesus and inviting children to a special event to be held the following day, but only two little girls showed up. Then we held a two-day event in another village, and God blessed that event greatly. Fifty children came to our event, and 200 adults came to receive eye glasses that we distributed. Every person heard the Gospel. None of the people in the village received Christ, but one teenager from our town who has studied with us for four years went along with the team to help and, in the end, received Christ. Pray for this new believer and for those who heard the Gospel in the villages.”

God blessed and grew students of Indian Creek Youth Mission as they spread the gospel in a Bangkok slum, to the neighborhoood children that come to the church on the weekend, to a village near Mukdahan, and to a high school and youth camps with non-believing students and teachers. Several professed Christ as Lord and Savior and follow up is on-going. Maitrichit Baptist in Mukdahan is running a small camp this Saturday-a first for them. Christians in Mukdahan are still glowing....from the presence of God. Praise Him!

New Generation

2011-06-30T15:17:00.006-05:00

Dear Friends:
As we sat talking, the contrast was clear. Although “Mom” was only in her late 40’s, her face was weather-beaten, her hair was pulled back in a quick bun and her clothes, while clean, were strictly functional. She’d graduated from the 4th grade years ago, but “didn’t read much any more.” On the other hand, her daughter’s fair complexion looked as though she’d never worked a day in the rice field and her hair and clothes were in the newest fashion. She was studying at technical school, a step up educationally after finishing the first three years of high school. Not only could she read and write Thai, but she wants to improve her English, is studying via the internet and wants to be a tour guide.
It’s a new generation in Isaan, I thought. As we talked about our lives and faith, “Mom” was confused. “Christian? What’s that? Do you ‘Chrit people’ have lots of wives?” It was apparent she’d never really heard about Christ or following Him. At her mom’s question, Daughter piped up, “It’s about that Jesus, Mom, you know?” The daughter had learned in school that the founder of the Christian religion was Jesus—but in spite of that, the reality is that she too has never heard enough about Jesus to make a real decision. It is a new generation in Isaan—outward changes and educational opportunities are increasing. Yet, the opportunity for Isaan people of any generation to hear about Jesus remains agonizingly small.

God’s Word says, “One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts” (Psalm 145). Ask the Lord to do what it takes to cause that to happen in Isaan—one generation telling another about the Lord, growing disciples and churches for His glory!

Thank you for participating in God’s work among the Isaan through your prayers!

In His Service and yours, Helen

Editor: This lady was found to be a Christian in a closet. After On and the team discovered her with Siam Care Ministries (HIV/Aids Outreach), Tony and team followed. Her husband, daughter, son, neighbor, and then a new outreach into the neighbor's village. This also happened in another village north of Mukdahan. Thank you for your partnership. Larry

Thai earthquake

2011-03-24T15:11:00.003-05:00

Amie E asked about the earthquake near Chiang Rai, Thailand. It is about 600 miles to Mukdahan (our home) which is similar to the drive from Mineral Wells to Albuqurque, NM, not close at all.

God is here

2011-03-14T20:14:00.003-05:00

We have had a great mission in Thailand. Many lives are changed here, Christians, those who were non-believers, and ourselves. A few things happened that we would never have asked for, but as the Apostle Paul said "be content whatever your situation", and we are content.

When God disciplines us, we try to learn His lesson. When Satan temps, we flee from his evil and wily ways. When natural life brings trouble regardless of why, God is there to hold our hand, take us thru it, or take us home to Him. There are times we have been absolutely taken around trouble by God as well. We Praise God for who He is, what He does, and how much He loves each of us.

We thank God for wonderful Christians in Texas and in Thailand that we are so happy to share our lives with. The way our church friends jumped in to help when our Texas home had water damage is just awesome. We are thanking God for Germania Insurance and the reasonable and helpful adjuster too. Thanks to Jack and Ruth for a place to hang our clothes and rest.

We thank God for so many great neighbors in our Thai sub-division and pray that God's justice will come upon the one very evil one-we are beginning to see a glimpse of God's hand there. If you have never seen a family worship itself, we can point one out to you here in Thailand. It is a great reminder of what we could be without God.

Pray with us that we will clearly discern God's will for where he wants us to be, how long to be there, and for our daily walk with Him.

Headed to Texas beginning today, be there Thursday God willing.

First time ever, we are flying thru Seoul, Korea, not Tokyo. Chance? We choose God's will in this case.

Encouraged

2011-02-21T20:27:00.003-06:00

We were blessed to part of a combined mission team from four churches in our county. Four of six members were able to come two days early so spent time with the PhuThai via Tony's help. They were able to see the fruit from earlier trips and were able to encourage some of the believers.

The full team was able to do a VBS in two villages, spend time and prayer walk with On's relatives in a new PhuThai village, have a great time with grade school kids in Ajan Tong's village, spend a morning with 80 high school students and 16 teachers, encourage church workers of children and youth, and encourage the pastor and his church in their mission as a mission of a much larger church in Bangkok.

Every group wants more, more!!! Thank you Lord for encouraging all of us.

We made a second trip with Ajan Tong to his village grade school yesterday and spent extended time in two classes. The children are bright eyed and oh so hungry for love. Thrilling and sad at the same time. He is working and praying that his home church will build a building on his donated land so that a Compassion International work can begin in his village with these children.

2010-10-27T17:33:00.004-05:00

We had a sweet day with Pastor Deng and wife Tipawon along with Mark discussing next steps in the Loeng Nok Tha area. Our friend Pastor Manoon doesn't have the time to cover the areas where we have been working and have relationships so we are excited that God has given us this new opportunity.

We spent most of the day at a lunch table under a thatched roof exploring our heart's desires that are led by God. We want what He wants for this area of darkness that reminds of the fabled "Bermuda Triangle". Isaan people just disappear into alcohol, gambling, debt, and all of the other "tricks" that Satan has devised.

Pastor Deng and Tip have learned over the last 20 years how to plant churches in rural areas, and are willing to partner with us in the Loeng Nok Tha area. Pray that we will be able to discern fully God's direction, and establish principles that will help us work together to accomplish God's work in the most transparent way.

Have God, Will Travel

2010-10-16T00:18:00.004-05:00

We have been going to On's village of Ban Yea to share Bible stories. There were more than 25 this week with quite a few husbands too-near dinner time. :) Venue is under a small hut.

We worked with the Fairview Team in January to visit HIV/Aids patients. One was a lady named Thai who was living at the edge of the village, a bit shunned in a hut falling down. On witnessed and found to all our surprize that she was a "closet" believer. Tony and Gary enlisted their respective churches to build a new home for her and the family. Tony began to tell Bible stories and her daugter believed, then her husband, then a neighbor named Grandmother Me (Yai Me).

Yai Me wanted to share the story of Christ with her dad in a village some 15 km away. Tony asked On to come along and witness, and she did...to Father, two brothers of hers and their wives and some small children. One brother is the county commissioner and had already been instrumental in helping Tony set up a mobile medical mission this Thursday. Around 160 people were helped, the gospel was shared with no inhibition, and even several house calls were made.

We have to thank the sweet team from Powell, Tn for this week of events including VBS in the grade schools. Tony has also worked with Teacher Yut from Nong Sung high school for several years who lives there and who was a great help. She says she is coming to Texas, and we say Welcome.

Yesterday, we continued in Kuhn Thai's village and about the same number came in spite of rain. Kuhn Thai helped witness, and her daughter Oam helped with registration. Many of our church members and pastors came to help as well.

Dr. Doug of the IMB has a fantastic staff that makes everything so great! He livens it all with a joke now and then too. Thanks to Mark for bringing Tennessee this way, and thanks to the Powell team for all those T souvenirs.....:) God is good.

Smiles

2010-09-18T17:13:00.004-05:00

We are smiling because our God directed us to the perfect pickup we can use for ministry for another ten years, and because He helped us wade around a little corruption at the Transportation Department. We have the pickup!

We can smile too as we made it safely to Bangkok, 525 miles on the kind of road most of you have tried to drive at highway speeds. It is like driving in the fog, slow down and get hit in the rear, speed up and hit someone in the rear. Beautiful scenery along the way with a really great hotel to break up the trip.

We are smiling because God showed us how to get to the Baptist Guesthouse in this city twice the size of New York. Google helped us too when it said take the right fork, take the right fork and then turn left as these forks were so poorly marked that On didn't know which was correct and she lived in this city for years delivering tax payments for a lawyer cousin.

We are not smiling today since the Thai government has decided to block Facebook as this is the fourth anniversary of a bloodless coup that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was and still is a favorite of the mostly rural class now known as "Red Shirts".

We are smiling again though as this is the Lords Day and we will be able to join other Christians at New Vision Baptist Church.

God loves your prayers (we do too).

Rainy Day in Phuket

2010-09-11T20:00:00.002-05:00

Great safe trip to Phuket, Thailand, in the Lord's hands, perfect all the way like He is. Looking to be in His house today if it isn't too far from here by taxi...

Our new friends from World Vision selling us their car was burgularized two days ago so are struggling to get passports and the visas re-established. Pray for them, Garry and Sharon Kane.

We are blessed to have you praying for us, and a nearly totally lost nation of people here.

A few days with On's brother, Chai, and then off to Bangkok to US Embassy for a notary public stamp, and time to hopefully see Polly and Champ and On's sister Da.

Love

God Provides

2010-08-17T10:56:00.004-05:00

God put the Isaan on our hearts!
He provided the transportation every year
He provided a home for us and teams that come
He provided our sister to manage the home
He sold a truck we didn't need any longer, and then...
He provided a truck for ministry, in a resort area, where On's brother runs a small hotel
He provided very reasonable airline tickets on Korean Air straight to Phuket
He provides rest, relaxation, joy supreme, and a ministry of reconciliation

Jehovah-Jireh and so many names of our God. My favorite is "I Am".

He provides loving and caring saints who want to pray, cannot keep from praying, for the lost Isaan and Thai peoples. September 9 and beyond....they need your prayers

FBC Santo Mission

2010-07-14T06:48:00.004-05:00

We were able to talk with the team often and were so encouraged by how God arranged everything so wonderfuly. The team was encouraged by Tony at every stage as he spent all but his sleeping time with them.

On's sister, Na, said they had devotions, fun time, they loved on and helped her, and that she was blessed far beyond her expectations to serve them. Lives were changed in Thailand and among the team. We are thankful for the salvations recorded, the compassion that was manifested, the goodwill that came from the school and villages and even our housing addition.

On and I feel especially blessed since this team made such an impression on Na that she has decided to stay on as chief cook and cartaker at our home. We appreciate the love and kindness given to her by the team, by Tony, Pastor Ekkalak, and many others.

We rejoice in the goodness of our God and the love among his children.

Santo FBC

2010-06-03T10:30:00.003-05:00

Santo takes its first trip alone to Thailand!!! Ted has been twice and brings wife Suzanne along; Chad and Angela have been once before, and mom and daughter, Janet and Lydia, are new.

Pray for the team and the lost Thais that need to hear God's word, and for the believing Thai's who need to grow in God's word in discernment and action.

Heading out June 24 and returning with God's grace July 3rd.

Pastor Mitch said: We must look carefully at how Matthew 28:19-20 connects to the previous verse. The conjunction "Therefore" precedes the command, "make disciples of all nations," and appears at the beginning of English translations, in order to link Christ's command with what He previously said: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matt. 28:18). The Holy Spirit puts wind in the sails of the church with such statements.

God bless these loving hearts.

Invite Invite Invite

2010-02-19T17:09:00.002-06:00

Pastor Ekkalak dresses David McClure in traditional Isaan. This wrap can be used as pajamas, bath towell, handkerchief, you name it, and now David has it. This was the last day of a very busy week, and productive due to the grace of God.

God's grace had not ended however. David worked with the pastor, Guy, and church youth leader Ying to do some different things with the church youth.

Before the afternoon was over, six had invited Jesus into their hearts.....because and invitation was given. Yes, we nearly always need to ask the lost if they want to have Jesus in their hearts and lives.

The young lady in front of this picture in black is our good friend and co-laborer in Christ, Ying. She is so encouraged by the mini-camp she is in a constant smile.

A big part of every trip offshore is encouraging local pastors and the church faithful. What can be better than seeing so many in a village come to know Christ? or 6 youth say yes to Jesus?

Nothing compares to the love of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 3:16-19

We checked into the value of our 1999 Toyota pickup (small size) to see about getting something larger next time around. The value was still pretty good and when the dealer made the offer, Pastor Ekkalak asked if we would sell at that price to a young Baptist pastor who didn't have his first car yet. We said yes, and a few days later he had a new pickup and is thrilled. We are thrilled too that we now have a down payment on a pickup with a bigger back seat-I say used, but On likes new. Let's see what God says.

We arrived safely by the constant grace of God, happy, not too tired, and already planning how to get back and how to focus on the work God has laid out.....a long time ago.....just waiting on us.

Thanks to all of you who have prayed for us, but especially for the Thais who are lost in this dark world.

Prayer Works

2010-02-16T17:57:00.003-06:00

Starting to prayer walk. Claim this land for God. It worked, the headman, another man, two ladies who were mediums, five other women for a total of 9 adults, yes 9 adults, and nearly all the kids in VBS said Yes, Jesus, come into my life! Praise God, and thank God for Kuhn Mon who is such a tremendous and persistent witness.

Buried Alive in Wan Yai

2010-02-16T17:53:00.002-06:00

We visited Wan Yai grade school ahead of a VBS planned for Saturday. The kids were fantastic, they even buried me alive. Not afraid, not shy, just having fun. I was overwhelmed by them and their oh so friendly teachers and principal.

High School ESL

2010-02-16T17:26:00.004-06:00

From a late night musical event in Loeng Nok Tha to an early morning event lasting all day at Mukdawittayanukul High School. We had 100 great kids and their teachers led by Ajarn Kai who is also a neighbor in our small village of Roy Wah which is inside Mukdahan.

She wants her best students to be able to act as tour guides when you visit here! A grand goal for sure for any town in Thailand, especially Isaan.

The kids, teachers, and all of us had a wonderful time getting to know each other, sharing our culture and customs, even an American Gospel song was taught first and then sung. Pastor Ekkalak and Tony warmed them up in a large group with music and games. On and Chee shared their life stories in breakout sessions and the change that Jesus Christ made in their lives. Bracelets were made to remind of life's challenges and the path to salvation.

We had fun trying to read maps. It was challenging when we realized that the daughter of a policeman whose main office is next to a famous landmark was unable to even get close to finding it. Ah, but this gives us more to do next pass.

The team drama was great. It touched hearts here and everywhere we went, student and adult alike. Rita's signs in Thai really worked, and we need to thank Ma Prang for helping-she became a sister last year from the hotel. Here is the planning session with Rita, Ajarn Kai, Pastor Ekkalak, and On and I.

Pastor Sim helps Pastor Ekkalak and Tony.

Some of the students have now joined the music program at Maitrichit Baptist which was our personal goal for the event, other than helping students master spoken English and map reading.

We look forward to this really great partnership producing results for both of our teams.

Indian Creek

2010-02-11T07:02:00.003-06:00

We planned for 65 total with about 35 villagers. God always out does us as we had about 65 villagers from Loeng Nok Tha, Ban Yea, Ban Mueng, and Ban Non Sa At.

Our goal was Christian fellowship, showing love to those who don't yet know Jesus Christ, and the assurance that the people of this area continue to be loved by us, and by God.

Since we had not yet had one of our traditional events, some villagers were concerned we had "forgotten" them. Mark wouldn't let us do that, nor did God in his perfect plan.

We pray and ask you to join us in prayer for a church to begin here. There are many youth and a significant number of adults who it seems really want to know the love of God.

Be a part of God's work.

Pray, give, go.

Listen to God as he works in your life!

2010-02-05T16:20:00.004-06:00

Mark and Dr. Doug organized a mobile medical clinic in Ban Som Sa At in Loeng Nok Tha county. Southwest Park Baptist of Abilene led and Fairview assisted. The team visited two schools to share ESL games, sports, and God's love with children in grade school and Junior high.

On and our new friend, Om, joined the staff of the Bangla Medical Clinic to witness to around 150 who came for help. Four believed and fourteen wanted to know more. The setting was small and crowded leading to lots of prying eyes and a reluctance to publicly proclaim Jesus Christ.

Are we ashamed? Cultural pressure in rural Thailand is strong and very oppressive for many.

The Fairview team went to grade school to "advertise" some fun in the village of Ban Non Saat. On and Ying worked with 12 of the youth in ESL, games, and a great discussion of the Salvation Bracelet led by Tony. This is a small village and no more than 2 or 3 youth had ever attended an event before.

The rest of the team worked with the many children that attended and "The Hope" film was played for the adults. This was the second outreach since October. Pa Thing (her home) continues to witness with her life, and with words. :) This village is near to Mukdahan and we pray that God lets us see fruit from these labors.

2010-01-25T18:51:00.002-06:00

Teacher's lunch at On's home, prepared by Mitrichit Baptist.

Ja and Kwan with turkey craft...

Brad explains Easter.

Visit to Na Sok to encourage teachers to come to

camp.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, the Gospel, and our love shared.

We pray God will work in the teachers' hearts.

Fairview Baptist

2010-01-21T07:52:00.003-06:00

John Tunnell Jr of Fairview Baptist brought Ted Young of Santo and Brad Ferguson of Fort Worth to join us in Mukdahan. God prepared the way, changed tickets when needed, and gave Ted special seat mates since he couldn't sit with John and Brad-the gospel was shared with Americans originally from China and Laos.

All electronics worked here and they checked in with family in the USA, even Skyped. We went out today with Siam Care, HIV/Aids ministry, and at the first home, On was able to share Jesus with the HIV wive, Am, and husband Ying with Aids. Both believed "Praise God". Sadly, the aunt of Ying was urging him to accept Jesus but did not believe herself. The couple now have Jesus holding their hand thru all their difficult times including a husband who can barely speak due to pressure on the brain.

Salvation was confirmed in another village with mother Thai.

God is so good to let us be blessed with such a fantastic team and to allow us to be part of his plan.

Tomorrow is in Ban Na Sok, and a teacher camp in the evening.

2010-01-01T04:05:00.002-06:00

Our church was part of a Billy Graham Crusade called "My Hope Thailand" and held outreaches in member homes. I believe we all found that our neighbors and relatives are willing to come to almost anything with food, even a DVD about God. It was shown live on TV across the country but the time slot was 5:00 pm and not conducive for most Thais so we used DVDs or used the film "The Hope" which you can see in English ....http://www.christiananswers.net/hope/home.html or http://www.thehopeproject.com/

The small church we attend has quite a few dedicated to sharing Jesus Christ with others. Often we find that one family opens their home and other Christians witness when opportunity presents itself, i.e., the guests are alive. :)

Ying is a wonderful single Christian lady who speaks English (any single guys in their 30s looking for a Christian wife?) and works and lives with about half of her very large family who have two large building material stores. Two nieces are silent believers, afraid to tell their parents. She held a "My Hope Thailand" dinner for her extended family with support from a selected group of church members. Christ was introduced to some noise but nothing but quiet when crucifixiation came. This is our foot in the door and we pray that God will open the eyes and ears and the heart of this very nice, but mostly very lost family.

Fast forward a few days to the church Christmas party Sunday, December 27th, to find the entire family came and was a part of gift giving. Oh, how we want salvation for each one of these. Pray with us....pray with our sister Ying. We run about 40-50 on Sunday but the Christmas party brought out 90, many of whom do not believe in our Savior.

Love of Jesus Christ is in the air! We shared a birthday cake for Jesus.

More than we can imagine

2009-12-29T18:26:00.006-06:00

Infinitely more than we can imagine!

Yes, the high school student with us AND both her friends accepted Christ, and one of the friends joined us for church on Sunday! We spent Sunday afternoon re-confirming salvation with Meow and explaining a little of our faith.

Two male construction workers were saved! And now one wants us to show "The Hope" again, and is talking about how to tell his family who lives two hours from here.

The neighbor behind us, Nong, a nurse, believed and has been to our home and to church since the outreach. She is friendly with a nurse at our church too.

The next day was the Siam Care (HIV/Aids) annual Christmas Party at the neighborhood entrance. On spoke to 505 and gave her testimony and the gospel. Many prayed to receive Christ. Amen!

Ephesians 3:20 Now to the one who can do infinitely more than all we can ask or imagine according to the power that is working among us-

2009-12-18T18:51:00.002-06:00

God's plans are awesome, while ours are well....just ours. We had a free night this Outreach Season that many call the Christmas Season. We had become a bit friendly with the construction workers on our street so suggested to our pastor here in Mukdahan, Pastor Ekkalak, that we cook for them and see if they would stay long enough to see the film "The Hope". He thought it was a great idea, and a way to introduce Jesus Christ into some of the villages around this area by these workers.

On and I became a bit more visible, spoke with them more often, invited the builder, Eakalat, his construction manager, and all the workers we had contact with. We even started at 5:00 pm since that is the end of the work day here. One man came, then later the construction manager and another male worker. Eakalak, builder, couldn't come because of a family emergency that involved his entire extended family coming for a visit. Many were too shy since all the Thais were conveniently in the kitchen and there were three foreigners sitting out front-wow, that would scare me too.

On's sister, Na, walked over to the work shacks of a few and re-invited them but nothing happened. We have a high school girl visiting for the weekend that God put into our life when she recognized us from an emergency one day camp with Tony Storer in Ban Na Sok two years ago. She invited two friends who live in town.

Then On and church member On walked the street and took a bowl of soup and some cookies to a neighbor grandmother who came with her son and niece. Then our neighbor behind us and nurse, Nong, who has been with us several times came by. We had Gary and Debbie Mitchell, masters couple, from Oklahoma; Pastor Ekkalat, wife Bui, both of his children, Clean and Cake, and live in high school relatives, Pudang and Biturry. Kuhn Mon, Kuhn Noi, and Kuhn Gaay from the church came and set up, cooked, served, interacted, while Pastor Ekkalak played Mr.. Bean on a big screen projector, then "The Hope", and then the brand new "My Hope Thailand" which is a Billy Graham Crusade targeted production just for Thailand.

Two neighbors are eight year Catholics but it is doubtful from our conversation they are saved. Since there is no Catholic church here, we hope to have them worship with us. Before the night was over, each had heard the gospel, and the construction manager and one worker had accepted Christ. Even today, it is possible, but we are not sure, that the visiting high school students may have confessed Christ.

On and I are on the way to Siam Care's annual Christmas Outreach to the 298 patients and nearly 500 family members. She will give her testimony and the gospel this morning, about 8:30 pm your time. Pray that the eyes, ears, and hearts are open to this message of hope, the l0ve of God, and His plan of salvation.

Praise God

2009-12-16T18:28:00.006-06:00

God is good. Just four days after taking the college girls home, they wanted us to visit and share all the pictues they had taken. We said ok but asked them to invite their parents. Some girls did but most did not. In spite of or because of a little computer/projector issue, some parents, other adults, several college youth, and the local county commissioner came and saw "The Hope" film from creation to Babel. The girls who came early were able to see Jesus crucified and resurrected.

The country commissioner and others said "wow, we have never seen anything like that, please come back and show us the rest". On was able to witness to several adults privately, and oh yeah, this is the village of the evil monk. We would have never gone here again on purpose after his tirade at us last year, but God led us here through Thieu.

Pray for fruit among those seeing this film (God's creation, man's evil, and God's salvation) and pray that we can continue to use this very good location/home as a place of peace. Ang is the college girl whose home is the meeting place for these ten girls and thirty yards away is a very busy conveience store. Her mom and dad sell oranges out of the back of a pickup and are gone all week every week. On this day, they couldn't sell anything and she felt all day it was time to go home early. She told On that she must have been destined to see the film. :)

We bought a bunch of her oranges at $.27 a pound to eat and give away to construction workers across the street.

2009-12-08T01:49:00.002-06:00

We have been blessed these last few days with Thieu, a beleiver from our first camp two years ago in Ban Yea. Sadly, her best friend was married at 14 to a boy the same age shortly after our first camp-they are now rice farmers which is honorable work, but very difficult in this land with little hope of a decent life. You can only divide land so many times before it is no longer enough to support the normal two families using it, Mom and Dad, and daughter and new husband.

Thieu hasn't had much chance to grow as a Christian. Our goal is to follow up this year in an effort to help her and the Christian youth from the camps get to know and meet with Pastor Manoon and his wife Ua-aree so that discipleship can occur, and perhaps some parents will also believe.

We are blessed that all five of Thieu's good friends attend the local junior college (even at 10th grade level) in an effort to learn a trade....accounting, but they are all from the village of evil, Ban Mueang. It turns out, thanks to our Lord, that On knew every mother when she was in school, and was very close with some of them. As we picked up these girls to bring them to Mukdahan, the mothers were ready for a weekend away too-we pray we can work this out with God's guidance.

We ate, we played, they cooked and cleaned, learned some American ways, went to church and fellowship, helped decorate for open house, learned a bit of English and heard the gospel at least three times, saw 1/2 of the film "The Hope" and want the other half. The picture is from land once occupied by the US military but later turned over the to city of Mukdahan, and now is a Buddhist temple-Laos is across the Mekong River. We visited a national park on the way back to their home yesterday. Some listened intently to our aunt and uncle talks and the gospel, and some are often somewhere else. Life is the same around the world, the language and local customs are just a bit different but God is always there, ready for all to say yes Father.
Back row: Ang, Tien, Oiy, Ja
Front: Thy, Thieu
Tien wants to teach since the government helps with tuition, and Thy wants to be a doctor because she sees they help people AND ARE RESPECTED.

Thieu is the leader of a group of ten. Pray that she will become bolder in order to share the gospel with the others.

2009-12-06T22:32:00.002-06:00

We had an open house for the members of Mitrichit Baptist Church, our church away from Indian Creek Baptist in Mineral Wells. For many reasons, most churches in Thailand do not meet on Sunday evenings so a 5:00 pm start seemed good. Pastor Ekkalak and Bui and family helped us with tables and even brought a house warming gift. People slowly came as many work on Sunday afternoon. On and I told of our journey to get here, how God does things in his time and his way as evidenced in our lives, and he prepares us in advance for the work he has planned for us. We sangs several songs and then Pastor Ekkalak led the group in prayer and as often is the custom, many prayed at the same time.

We were, and are still blessed by the close kinship of the people of this church. Ying, a Southern California MBA grad and sweet servant of God, had to work in the family business but took time off to bring tables. Pastor Ekkalak brought two shrubs, his guitar and music books plus his extended family. Kuhn Mon brought her worker and member Noi who has been saved from a life that included being raised in a house of ill repute. One member works in accounting in the local hospital so spent time witnessing to some of our neighbors, many of whom also work there, and was joined in her efforts by Bui. A bit later, Gaay got off work from her job sellling wholesale eggs that begins at 3am and ends at 6pm, and she stayed with us to 10 pm and the final celebration. Our good friend Chee was able to come after closing his food stall at the night market and another at the Lotus big box store. Chee helped us negotiate the home price and also did the inspection prior to purchase. This was not a house warming but he brought pies from his bakery-we are blessed by his friendship.

Several other families came whose names are a bit difficult, and we had six college girls with us from the Ban Yea village area, only one of which is a Christian. The other five are from the village of the evil monk so pray for all of us as he invariably will want to spew out hate toward anyone who doesn't worship him.

We had sister Nong and her son who was first saved and told his mother who was saved some time later. We came by a very bad accident last week and it turns out it was Nong's brother's daughter. It was Wednesday so he came to the church to ask us all to pray for his 12 year old daughter who was in the hospital emergency room. She is better now, and this led to her dad also coming last night. Pastor Ekkalak witnessed to Chai but at a certain point felt some resistance and decided to wait for another opportunity to continue which is often the best thing. It turns out that at the very end of the night, Kuhn Mon began to speak with Chai and it again turned toward witnessing.

A few minutes later our sister Mon (great Christian businesswoman), her employee our brother Noi who now believes, recent convert sister Gaay thru Kuhn Mon's testimony, sister Uuan, and me, asked On to lead Chai to the Lord. She did quickly explain the gospel and led him to accept Jesus Christ. What a blessing to be in God's new home here and to be part of seeing God create a new creature!!!!

Rear Window

2009-11-14T18:37:00.003-06:00

The view is from our "rear window" in the kitchen. Our neighbor behind us is a nurse and works in the ICU at the local hospital. She has an extra lot for a side yard so we have a view.

This reminds us of two realities here in Thailand: 1) outward appearance is more important than inward 2) Thai people prefer to go around a subject and enter through the rear.

Pray for On's mother, Boonthan, who contracted hives from working in the rice fields and perhaps made more severe by contious use of bettle nut with lime and tobacco leaves. She wants special attention even though nearly fully recovered-appearances, remember.

She is demanding that Na, On's Christian sister who is still recovering from a near death bus accident and 21 day coma, come and "take care of her because she is weak". She wants the "face" of having a daughter come from some distance away to be her maid.

Boonthan doesn't view Na's work as the manager of On's Christian Guesthouse as a job. Until she asked for this job, Na was barely surviving in Bangkok and had been in that situation since her bus wreck years ago.

Na did spend the first four days with her mother, one in the hospital and three at home. We have offered to bring Boonthan to Mukdahan and believe she may come. We pray she feels better and learns who Jesus Christ really is, not just another god to put into her basket of spirits, but the one true God that wants to change her from the inside, not the outside.

On and I are working with Pastor Manoon and his co-laborer and wife, Ua-aree, on how to reach the people of Leong Nok Tha. It has been difficult since there is another pastor involved with a totally different approach. We so appreciate IMB's Mark Caldwell who is moderating the dialogue and working to help these two pastors find God's plan for the lost Thai people.

Pray that Pastor Manoon and Pastor Deng can reach agreement on the activities that God wants us to use to reach the lost, and pray for patience and strength for On and I to be supportive of the process and the activities.

God's miracles surprise us

2009-10-11T19:07:00.001-05:00

God is good, and so full of miracles. He gave us Tony to bring us to Mukdahan, and something even better too. On's sister asked if we needed help to move in, so On told her that I was looking for a special person for help. On told her we needed/wanted someone to care of our house while we are here so we can have much more time to witness, and who can keep it open for God's purposes when we are back in the states.

Na then asked if she could apply for that job. We were very surprised since she had been living in Bangkok more than 20 years and never wanted to leave, even when several Isaan pastors had asked her if she would return to her home area to witness to the lost. Their question to Na was who will tell them about Jesus if not you? You might remember that she has been a Christian since early 2005. She is a disciple of Jesus Christ. Her desire to move and to help us is a miracle long in the making. God's time?

We have been able to put our finger on air-conditioners that will be installed in part of the house today, and we have located much of the basic furniture needed to outfit the house so that mission teams of 8 or more can use this house as a Christian guesthouse. Na has been cleaning and cooking for a Christian family in Bangkok so has mastered the basics-On and God will work together on what is missing.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=mukdahan%20home&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7DKUS_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

We enjoyed worship on Sunday with our Thai and American friends even with On's headache and a little upset stomach for me. :) Gary and Debbie from the Norman, Oklahoma area are now here as a Master's Couple to work with Tony and us. On and I both felt the need to begin a bible study with the new M's but before we could ask them at church, they asked us.

An American Youth With A Mission (YWAM) team has been working with Pastor Manoon and wife Ua-aree for the past 10 days and have worked in Loeng Nok the last two Sundays. We didn't go there yesterday due to being off our feed, but will work with them Wednesday before they leave this next weekend. Praise God from whom all blessings flow-we expect far too little from God who provides so much more.

In the Love of Christ,Larry & Bangon (On) Seale
119/51 Muang Mai Rd
A. Mukdahan, Mukdahan, Thailand 49000

Tel: 011 6687 692-2763
http://jesuslovesisaan.blogspot.com/
www.facebook.com/larry.seale
www.facebook.com/bangon.seale
www.facebook.com/thai.mission

Eph 3:17 and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love,
Eph 3:18 so that you, together with all God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love.

God's Plan

2009-10-08T16:49:00.002-05:00

God brought a guest to breakfast at the Baptist Guesthouse late. On and I stayed to keep her company and found quickly she was not Christian. She worked for Air China out of Beijing and a Christian friend had told her about the guesthouse.

We were able to share the gospel with June for more than 45 minutes. She received it gladly but was still a bit reluctant to accept Christ. She had visited a house church (underground) in Beijing and they had told her all about the rules of our faith. I wonder if those in the house church gave her all 613?

We were able to share God's love which she acknowledged and the two commandents that Jesus gave us: "love the Father with all our hearts" and "love others like our selves". She admitted that Christians are "nice".

We found later she had spent the night at the airport the first night, and had come here and pleaded for a room as she didn't have a room or know anyone. Pray for June.

On and I were able to spend a good part of the late afternoon sharing the gospel with the guard here. He is held back by his committment to a "magic man" and his promise to his mother to spend time as a Buddhist monk. Our battle is spiritual. Pray for these Thais lost in darkness.

We are heavy with suitcases for the move to a house and material for camps. God blessed us since M Tony had to come for a crown and is here with us. We get to drive to Mukdahan with him today and not worry about toting all that luggage to the airport, save a $, and plan our work and yours together!

We pray like this and God answers:
Col 4:3 At the same time also pray for us-that God would open before us a door for the word so that we may tell the secret about Christ, for which I have been imprisoned. Col 4:4 May I reveal it as clearly as I should!

Gotta go as the 5:15 am alarm will ring any minute.

Our love in Jesus

Give Me These 7 Mountains

2009-10-06T18:19:00.002-05:00

FINISHING THE TASK – TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH
Churches starting spiritual movements everywhere

The Vision
To see every people group in the world with an indigenously led church planting movement

The Process
The FTT vision will be carried out through partnerships of local churches, denominational leaders, church planters, and indigenous mission agencies across the world.

Partner Churches (this is us) will develop partnerships with national churches near the unengaged unreached people groups (UUPG) and plan together how to reach them.

Evangelism, discipleship, and church planting will be carried out primarily by national workers living near the UUPG. They know the culture and the trade languages.

The Core Values
Partnering by Serving
Agencies serve partnering churches who serve national churches who serve local leaders in the UUPGs, indigenously-led Church Planting Movements. Nationals must lead the church planting movements among each people group without creating dependency on outside support.

The Status in Thailand
Less than 2% Christian overall & less than .2 of 2% in Isaan
Many miracles provide evidence that God is working among the Thai people
Restoration of unity of Christian organizations and prayer has led to an awakening that is being called:

My Hope in Thailand – Give Me These 7 Mountains
Christians in Thailand are coming together to fast, pray, and join the Billy Graham Crusade in an event spanning nearly three months leading up to a nationwide revival meeting beginning December 19th that will be televised across the country live on a major TV network. Christians will sponsor home gatherings with the lost to watch the revival together.

We are excited to have been briefed on last night with representatives from Youth With A Mission who are leaders in Thailand and the region (YWAM). The national director of Siam Care (HIV/AIDS) ministry participated as well (Mukdahan is a major location).

7 MOUNTAIN STRONGHOLDS IN THAILAND

(JOSHUA 14:12)

RELIGION

FAMILY

EDUCATION

GOVERNMENT
COMMUNICATIONS

ENTERTAINMENT

BUSINESS

As we asked how we could partner with YWAM, they asked how they could serve us, how they could help us reach lost Thais. We ate together, shared, laughed, cried, and prayed. We are excited to be part of God’s plan!!!

Amazing God Amazing Love

2009-10-06T17:19:00.002-05:00

Monday was a day to move our tired minds and bodies 180 degrees due to this time zone earthquake. We were able to talk and share with M(issionaries) from Thailand, India, China, Burma, Cambodia and their beautiful children. We went to the bank for the grease the world moves on, rested, met with On's Christian sister Na and connected by cell phone with friends. One couple was on the way to Conroe, Texas and a slower pace after 16 years in the Philippines -not too long they said except they were over 50 when they arrived from an assignment in Ecuador. One young family was from Dallas. Another had relatives in Tyler, Texas.

The breakfast table was full yesterday here in the Baptist Hospitality Center, and the best part was sharing. We were blessed by a family of 9 from North Carolina who are independent missionaries, self supporting, who work in Isaan; the father is Ben who said he was a dentist when God came into his life and changed him radically-what a sweet man on mission with God. One husband and wife were missing from Monday-they were three blocks away giving birth to new life in a world class hospital. They live in a Chinese state of 67 million people with annual incomes on the farm of $400 per year to the cities of $1,200 per year.

Are you starting to see what you are missing on the other side of this great pond? :)

Eph 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty strength. Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the devil's strategies. Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against a human opponent, but against rulers, against authorities, against cosmic powers in the darkness around us, against evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realm.

Pray for God to open the eyes and ears of Thai people that have been closed by these dark powers.

Our love in Jesus Christ

We Arrived

2009-10-04T18:36:00.003-05:00

It was a long ride for us, but easy for God who rode along with us and we are so thankful. We made it to the Baptist Hospitality Center about 35 hours after we got up, plane ride was 28:40 due to an air-con problem that surfaced just after push away in Tokyo. We had lots of luggage for the long stay and are blessed to have Prasert,van owner/driver and who frequently helps our missionaries, meet us and help unload it all. The light was on at the guesthouse. :)

United flight attendants and cockpit crews, all 3 sets, were especially nice indeed as were all the passengers we came in contact with.

Immigration gave me a year long visa! not 30 days. We are so thankful this part was so smooth from the beginning starting with the honorary Thai Consul in Broken Bow, Ok. :)

The work continues under God's leadership. Thank you for your prayers for us, and especially the Thai people who live in darkness, far from the light of our Savior.

Meetings are set in Bangkok with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) missionary Marie G whose brother in law, Ron and wife Sheila, attend our church often, and the director of Siam Care, Adrienne B, whose folio includes the HIV/Aids orphanage at the entrance to our's and Tony's housing addition in Mukdahan. We will visit the Baptist Seminary and the associated book store to pick up many new resources in Thai such as "The Purpose Driven Life", "Experiencing God", and "Master Life" to name but a few.

We will also meet with Champ and Polly and parents.

Our Love in Christ,
Larry & Bangon (On) Seale

119/51 Muang Mai Rd
A. Mukdahan, Mukdahan, Thailand 49000

2009-09-29T15:46:00.002-05:00

Rural Thais worship ancestors and evil spirits, and believe they will be reincarnated as animals. Some parents sell their children into the sex trade. Social status in the village is more important than eternal life with God. Every one of 300 villagers at a Christmas outreach said money was the true source of happiness.

We have made mission trips each year since 2005, first alone, then with Indian Creek and a second team this year from Fairview Baptist and First Baptist Santo. Our previous trips have lasted 6-8 weeks, but this one is planned for at least five months. We are working with missionaries and local pastors to put on youth camps, Christmas programs, ESL workshops in local schools, prison visits, prayer walks, medical checks, Gospel tract distribution, and praying with the sick and downtrodden. There have been three missions this year (four churches) and four are planned for 2010. It is an awesome blessing to be part of God’s plan.

More than 200 have prayed in On’s village to receive Jesus and 80 in her grandmother’s village. Follow-up by local churches has been sporadic. The villagers are slow to worship God openly and fellowship together since this draws a lot of attention in this Buddhist/Animist (spirit worship) farming area. Villagers are afraid to be different, fearful they will lose the support of family and friends when they need help on the farm or at death. We pray the Holy Spirit will give them courage to cast off these chains and repent.

God answered our prayers for a spiritual leader in Loeng Nok Tha when Pastor Manoon opened Grace Christian Church next to On’s village. Soccer tournaments, English teaching, and special musical events are planned, and villages will be prayed for house by house. Indian Creek and the Southern Baptist International Mission Board are supporting this effort with prayer, mission teams, US medical missions, and partial funding in order to plant a church where it costs more than a day’s wages to drive the 25 mile round trip to the closest church by car.

God has drawn us to Thailand this October where we plan to establish a Christian Outreach Center in Mukdahan in a new house. We are praying for God’s direction each day, and we are excited to see how He will lead us. Witnessing, discipleship, church planting, and encouragement of local pastors and members are heavy on our hearts.

Pray with us that God will open the eyes and ears of Thai people to His message, that He will give them courage to be different, that they will desire to study the Bible together, that God will empower them to share with others what He is doing in their lives. Pray we will be sensitive to hear God’s will daily.

Your prayers are the fuel that will allow God's will to accomplish so much with the Isaan-less than .2% are Christian. Please let us know if you will join us by praying for the lost of Isaan. Pray, come with us, and/or give if and only if, God leads you to support this mission-we mention financial support due to the scope and duration, and since we don’t want you to miss out on God’s blessing.

Because they haven’t heard,

Larry & On Seale

John 15:8 “This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “

Palo Pinto Baptist Association

2009-09-18T09:36:00.003-05:00

Palo Pinto Baptist Association has championed the pioneering work of Indian Creek Baptist Church in Thailand since 2007. John Tunnell joined the Indian Creek mission in January of 2008 and led a team from Fairview and FBC Santo in January of 2009 that included new Mission Minister, Chad Dowdy. Chad led a team this summer that included his wife Tonya, the Youth Minister, Jeff Perkins, a high school senior and her older sister who is in college.

With the Indian Creek mission in January, there were three Missions in One Year! Wow, God is Good.

The PPBA plans for the 09-10 year include support for 4 missions. All members of the Association are invited to join one of the teams. One is planned for January, one in February, and two in the summer.

There are more than 66 million Thais, more than 20 million in the Northeast where we work with the Isaan and far less than 1% know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

They have worshipped spirits for thousands of years, and include Buddhism for a protective veneer and ceremony. Most believe they can do good to get to heaven, either by "good" acts or by giving large sums of money. The monks and their temples become quite wealthy due to so much sin. They live in small villages of 50 to 150 houses and are mostly related. Few have the boldness to dare to be different from tradition.

They live in Darkness. Come join us in sharing the Light of Jesus with them.

Three Weeks to the Harvest

2009-09-08T08:31:00.004-05:00

WE ARE EXCITED! The harvest is ripe and we have been preparing to go since we left. ? Yes, once you have experienced the sowing AND reaping of souls by the Holy Spirit, you cannot ever get enough. No way, not enough.

The last full day we were in Mukdahan, two college students gave their lives to Christ, and continue to acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord.

On the way to the airport the next day, Pastor Manoon, an old friend from 2005 called to say he and his church really felt God asking them to plant a church in Loeng Nok Tha, the small town and county seat adjacent to On's village of Ban Yea. We had been a little low about the area since the youth camp turnout wasn't as fantastic as the year before and the local pastor that had been visiting the village had not been there often. Wow, God is good. His plan is perfect!

Pastor Manoon partnered with another pastor who has a fantastic music ministry and is a church planter at heart, Pastor Deng, to open Grace Christian Church in Loeng Nok Tha in July. Praise God! from whom all blessings flow.

There are many believers in the area who now have a church to attend. Pray that the Holy Spirit will connect them with God's church there, and that thru the Holy Spirit's power, On and I will be able to help in their discipleship.

We were so in love with the pastors and leaders of two small churches in Mukdahan, we thought we had gone back in time 2000 years to the book of Acts. We bought a house there and plan to turn it into a Christian Outreach Center. Pray for God to give us wisdom regarding this, and wisdom to help plant a church in Na Sok, On's maternal ancestral home village.

Stay in touch here, or at www.facebook.com/thai.mission

Caldwell Connections

2009-08-31T22:48:00.005-05:00

Caldwell Connections
Connecting you with God's work among the Isaan
We want to continue to connect with you, and connect you to the Isaan People
Sept. 2009

SEPTEMBER PRAYER REQUESTS
1.Aug.31 - Sept.4- Pray for five days of mobile clinics in which patients are given free medical care and have the opportunity to hear the Gospel. Pray that Holy Spirit would work to draw many people to Himself. Pray that the new local churches in these areas would be faithful to follow up new believers and those interested in the Gospel.

2. Sept.9-11- Pray for this time of training with 50-60 house church leaders. Pray for the evangelistic sharing of Christ with villagers in NongKhai on the 10th and the gathering of response from this into the new churches in this area.

3. Sept.18-20- Pray for Helen and I as we participate in a Marriage Enrichment weekend. During this time many Isaan couples (some Christian and many not) will be taught Christian foundations for a successful marriage. Pray for the follow-up of these couples in the months after the weekend, that couples would be drawn to Christ as the foundation for their lives and marriage.

4. Pray for Helen as she juggles ministry responsibility while working hard to prepare Nancy for High School. This could be Nancy's last year at home with us before attending boarding school for high school. Pray for quality times together as a family.

Jesus implied that God's work would get done as we prayed for workers and for the harvest (Mt. 9:37). With over 18 million Isaan, and less than 1 % Christian, we really need your prayers. Better yet, come over and join us!

There are two missions planned, one in January, and one in February.

Pray for the Isaan

2009-08-21T07:27:00.002-05:00

August 11, 2009 ISAAN OF THAILAND (EE-sahn). The Isaan Team writes: “After many years of hard work, still less than 1 percent of our people group know the Lord. We are asking God to do ‘awesome things which we (do) not expect’ (Isaiah 64:3, NASB) to draw millions of Isaan to repentance, faith and salvation. Please join with us!”

People Group Profile: The Isaan (pronounced EE-sahn) live primarily in the 19 northern provinces of Thailand. This people group is named after Phra Isuan, also called Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction. They are descended from Laotian migrations and speak a variation of Lao known as Isaan. They are known throughout Thailand as a hard-working, hard-playing, hard-luck people who have a sturdy sense of independence, in spite of sometimes being looked down upon by others. Their major occupation has traditionally been rice farming, and they are well known for their silk weaving skills.

They practice a type of Buddhism that is a mixture of animism or spirit worship and Buddhism. It is believed that spirits inhabit natural objects such as large trees and the ground and that an offering to the spirits is periodically necessary to ensure that they do no harm. Less than 1 percent of the Isaan identify themselves as Christian.http://www.prayforisaan.com/

PRAY, GIVE, & GO THE HARVEST IS WHITE

Prayer Works - God Hears - Souls Saved

2009-08-21T07:15:00.004-05:00

The Medical Mission Team moved on to another Phu Thai village named Nong Yang where 43 villagers accepted Jesus Christ and a VBS was conducted in the grade school. Tony, the M, and Pastor Eakalat and others have already been back to the first village, Ban Na Sok to follow up on new believers. Pray villages will be willing to walk in the light daily, and that a house church can be formed from this event which has been so blessed by our Lord.

Keep Praying-45 New Believers in Ban Na Sok, Thailand

2009-08-05T10:13:00.001-05:00

Pastor Eakalat prays with new believer!

God is working in Thailand, and your prayers are the fuel. Fairview, Santo, and Indian Creek put on a youth camp in Ban Na Sok in January, and Fairview followed up with another in July. A one day mobile medical mission organized by the IMB and supported by local churches resulted in 45 Phu Thai/Isaan people praying to receive Jesus Christ. Pray they will be willing to throw off their animistic (spirit worship) ways and their Buddhist veneer to follow Jesus Christ daily as the local churches from 15 miles away follow up with them.

Pray also for the hearts of villagers in Nong Yang to be opened to the gospel message tomorrow.
God is good, and the Thai are beginning to see!
Member of Mitrichit Baptist cuts off spirit string.
Gospel tract. Note that man on right has difficulty reading.

Youth Camps to the Phu Thai & Isaan of Thaihland

2009-08-05T09:43:00.004-05:00

Fairview Baptist sent a team of five to the Isaan and Phu Thai people of Thailand, the first a group of 18 million and the second with 200,000. They worked with Tony and Kim to conduct three youth camps over four days where they use English as the main drawing card. The gospel was shared and Bibles were given courtesy of the Gideons. They also were able to prayer walk in two villages where mobile medical clinics will be held.

Chad, Tonya, Jeff, Alana, and Shanna will never be the same as when they got on the airplane, and many people there will one day come to Jesus Christ.

Thanks to Fairview and to Palo Pinto Missionary Baptist Association for acting on God's Word that never returns void.

God's Plan for the Phu Thai

2009-07-14T10:20:00.003-05:00

Fairview Baptist leaves today for Mukdahan, Thailand to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. Just as they were finishing packing their suitcases, the missionary (M) Tony called to say the second school (Ban Na Sok) had been informed by the government that large gatherings with outside guests should be avoided. Tony teaches here weekly so he is scrambling to find a way to reach the kids while working with the school.

Thailand has had 21 swine flu deaths to date, and WHO says we have a pandemic. Pray that God will use this situation to show his love to the Phu Thai people thru Chad & Tonya, Jeff, Alana, Shanna, and the local team of Tony, and Pastor Eakalat's church members.

The students and teachers in this picture were from Ban Na Sok this January. They are praying to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Follow the team via FlightStats on this site AA 61 leaves DFW around noon, and UA 891 leaves Tokyo (NRT) around 6 am tomorrow and they arrive around noon our time tomorrow.

Praise God - His Plan is The Plan

2009-07-13T09:13:00.004-05:00

On Sunday, Pastors Manoon of Nong Phok and Deng of Roiet, came together from two different Christian denominations in Thailand to jointly open Grace Christian Church in Leong Nok Tha Thailand. Many of their members attended as they praised God, gave testimony, sang songs, planned their outreach, and handed out tracts in the area.

Pray that God will open the hearts of the Thai people to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Leong Nok Tha

2009-06-16T09:51:00.005-05:00

Pastor Manoon called as we were leaving Isaan for Bangkok. We had been praying for local spiritual leadership for two years, and this call was the next best thing.

Pastor Manoon, our co-worker and friend from our first visit in 2005 has now been led by God to start a Christian Outreach Center in Leong Nok Tha, just 1 1/2 miles from On's village of Ban Yea.
All day witness in Ban Yea, 2005.

Pray with us that he will be able to find the place God has already picked!

From 6 Weeks to 6 Months

2009-04-20T06:35:00.004-05:00

We continue to experience God:

through His Word

through Prayer

through Others

through Indian Creek, our church

through Circumstances

We find God leading us to take a much larger step than in the past, to trust Him. Pray that unlike Peter who walked on water for a short distance, that we will keep our eyes on Jesus, not on all the bad stuff that could happen. Our previous trips have usually been 6 weeks, but this time we have planned nearly 6 months.

We find now that we either need to be in Thailand working with the Isaan or planning our next trip back. Our time at the end of our last trip was spent nearly every day and evening with pastors and their familes from two local churches (at the same time), one Baptist and the other evangelical Lutheran (Norway based). This time reminded us of the love of the saints for each other in Acts 2. We were drawn to be with them every evening to share what God had done that day in our lives. What a sweet time. God is love and so often he shows us through others who
place their own needs after ours.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will help me to look at others through God's eyes.

I also pray that those of you willing to read these thoughts will comment or contact us about joining in prayer for the Isaan, for the Phu Thai, and all Thais.

Without God drawing us to Himself, we would be as lost as the Thai people. You can see it now in their political headlines.

God Has a Plan

2009-04-10T00:14:00.003-05:00

God's ways are so high as He tells us in Isaiah 55. On has prayed for clear direction about a home in Thailand for two years without telling me. I was very much moved this year to let the Spirit lead us to purchase a home after coming to On's area of Thailand many times since 1991.

We have many thoughts from God about how he might use us and this new resource in Mukdahan, Thailand that became ours through a loan from God this Tuesday, April 7; but we also wait with much anticipation to see and hear more.

Our sweet brothers in Christ, Pastor Eakalat and Kuhn Chee, worked with our favorite builder, Kuhn

Aek to make this happen along with the help of the Holy Spirit.

God has been a part of this from day one. Everything in heaven and earth belongs to the Lord! Praise God.

From the down payment that happened in a day and 1/2 to buying a home from 9,900 miles away in absentia has to be a work of God who is always at work.

What joy to join with Him.

The Harvest is Vast Mt 9:37

2009-03-04T11:12:00.004-06:00

The hotel is Mukdahan had lots of temporary college helpers doing "practical" work to learn about the hotel business. All these young people saw the Fairview, Santo, and Indian Creek team every day for a week and were amazed at us. They said we were different in that we smiled a lot and seemed to be happy and cared for one another. Wow!

After the team returned to the states, we asked one girl to meet with us after work. It turns out we got four. We went to church and began to witness, then showed part of the film "The Hope" and witnessed some more. One girl that we didn't invite did believe and another was on the verge. The following week after we left, she too believed. Both of them are growing in Christ daily at Mitrichit Christian Center with Pastor Eckolat and wife Pwee. A third girl is coming with them, and of course the one we originally invited doesn't come at all. God's plan, not ours. :)

Both girls will soon return to their home towns but will now take Jesus Christ with them. With Mark Caldwell's help, we have found churches for them. Pray for Maprang and Baw to grow, and for Puki and June to be convicted of their sin and then believe in our Savior.

Pray for Pastor Eckolat and wife Pwee as they lead the church and continue to make disciples.

Christian Community in Mukdahan

2009-02-08T05:22:00.003-06:00

On and I are blessed to be part of the Christian community in Mudkahan.

Pastor Eckolat and wife Pwee of Mitrichit

Christian Baptist Chee and wife Yen

Pastor Sim and husband Eade from the local mission minded Lutheran church (of Norway)

We have coffee together a lot in the afternoon, and eat together most evenings. What a fellowship!

We met both pastors in 2005 on our first mission here and were in attendance when Pastor Eckolat moved into the current building. Sim was a seminary student who felt called to ministry after quite some time as a lay leader with her lawyer husband.

We feel like we need to be here more to help Mitrichit Baptist Center grow into a self supporting church. As we began to consider a home purchase, we received lots of help and encouragement. It was difficult to find a home in the mid-size range. The only one we found had drawbacks to numerous to mention. Finally, we decided on a larger one in the same housing addition as Tony and Kim Storer and only a few blocks from Tom Tebows of Wycliff. Most neighbors are nurses, policeman, or other government employees.

We have made a down payment and expect to close around the end of March.

We pray that God uses this home as a Christian Outreach center; however, we don't envision it as a Baptist Guesthouse, at least not for the time being. We do plan to outfit it with bunk beds for the church teams we work with if they prefer "home" and home cooked food to hotels and the same old menu day after day. We also pray to be able to use it as an English Conversation Learning center since so many we have met here want ESL help, and we know they need Jesus most of all.

Our Christian friends came with us today to see the home and pray with us that God would use the home and us in a mighty way and that God would be glorified.

The harvest is white and workers are needed.

Blessed by God

2009-02-07T19:04:00.003-06:00

Blessed by God in Mukdahan and Mitrichit Christian Baptist Center. Mitrichit means friendly, happy, welcome, nice. The church is a center since by Thai law it doesn't meet all the rules to be a church. The rules dictate 35 adult members who are able to support the church. Most little churches or centers that I've come across do not meet the criteria of
church.

They have the American missionary of old paradyne of hire a full time pastor and build a building. The one thing never taught was how to give to God who gives everything to us. All these little churches need support from their mother church and or foreigners to have full time pastors and pay rent or even just keep up with utilities if they do own a building. Most of the pastors have found a way through taking care of children to make enough money to survive month to month. Mitrichit has a day care that is really good but of course, this takes lots of workers so the net income isn't large.

On and the pastors wife, Pwee and some 25 to 30 kids.

We occasionally speak of West Texas churches that have bi-vocational pastors as do about half of all churches in Texas. It seems though that once you have been to a Bible College (two years or so) or even some Seminary, you believe you are called to pastor only. :( That of course is between the man and God. This feeling keeps the Gospel from speading as Thais believe you have to have a building to have a church. Their main model is Buddhism.

The new church (pictured) is rented and would take every bit of the contributions so the mother church in Bangkok continues to pay the rent of Baht 6,000 plus gives the congregation another Baht 1,000 for everything else. I'm told that two foreign families likely give 90% of the contributions

Rest

2009-02-07T18:55:00.003-06:00

Fairview and Santo headed to Bangkok and we headed to Savannkhet, Laos. Our visas were running out. The Thai government doesn't make it easy for tourists who want to stay more than 30 days. Instead of 30 more, they now force you to leave the country to get 15 more days, or fly to Bangkok and spend 1/2 day in line. At the same time, they are now talking of reducing landing fees in order to get more tourists. The education system here doesn't produce thinkers.

Laos is just a poor cousin to Thailand. It has less of everything except casinos which are springing up. The bus from Mukdahan was only 45 Baht
($1.25) but it leaves the border so quickly, the foreigners who have to fill out more paper than Thais miss it when it leaves for Savannakhet-every time. We took a $15 Tuk-tuk which turned out not so bad since he took us everywhere except the casinos. There was even a French restaurant across from the Chamber of Commerce and old central market. The French bread was really good. We met a fairly unfriendly American there having a lunch break from his casino duties.

We did enjoy a new OTOP store that you can't miss on the way in or out. The owner is Thai and has lots of really good merchandise at fair prices. We puchased some baskets to make sticky rice.

This was a good break after a long campaign.

Ban Na Sok Youth Camp

2009-01-25T18:17:00.003-06:00

This was our first 100 student camp and to help us depend on him, God allowed two team members to fall sick and become disabled for two days. The NaSok high school principal and teacher team prepared the gym and coordianted the food order for 150 people, a great help. Pastor Rojana and a five of his kids along with member Pranee Crowdy came to help all the way from Amnat Charoen.

The kids loved the music and musical games, but then we moved them into ESL where their shyness was quite evident. These camps are about trust and relationship first, and learning comes second. One of the benefits is that over time, their fear of strangers and especially foreigners begins to evaporate. The change in them from Friday at 4:00 pm until Saturday at 5:00 pm was dramatic. Many didn't want to leave and asked us to sign their Bibles, their "Rita" hats, and even their shirts. Wow.

God's love for all was so evident. We pray that His love in us shows to the kids.

I am hoarse from laughing so much at kick ball. It was difficult to explain the rules so we played with few, if any. John was the pitcher and had loads of fun with them although he missed a kid and whacked On in the head with a ball. Ouch.... They didn't have any sense of a base path so would run to town rather than be tagged out. :)

We used "The Hope" and Q&A as the main method to share Jesus Christ. Pastor Rojana asked questions after the two segments to draw out key points, and in the afternoon, about 40 of them and one teacher prayed to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Praise God!

The team from Fairview, Santo, Indian Creek, Mitrichit Baptist in Mudkahan, and Immanuel Church in Amnat Charoen worked their hearts out and it shows in the change of attitude in this school. We pray that lives are changed by God and that a Christian Fellowship will evolve here. Praying Christians paved the way for God's call on these lives.

Christmas in Ban Na Sok

2009-01-25T18:06:00.005-06:00

The Christmas Party and Outreach are attended by more than 300 villagers. Many adults brought children and were able to hear the gospel, and many in the crowd raised hands to pray to accept Jesus Christ.

The Outreach began around 5 pm and ended a little after 8:30. We had Pastor Eckolat and a drama team from Mukdahan and Pastor Han and his wife from Sakon Nakon who played and sang Christian morlam (country) music.

The MC was Pastor Rojana from Immanuel Church in Amnat Charoen who hurried in from a denominational meeting to help us get started in this community.

The "football" field (concrete) was set up with the sign and chairs for all. Many came early in their best clothes for their first Christmas ever. Amen.

God prepares the way

2009-01-25T03:57:00.002-06:00

God prepares the way. On has a cousin who has been in the Buddhist Temple in Ban Na Sok for 30 years. He was very pleased to see us again and told us he wanted to go to the United States to visit with us. We told him he was most welcome and perhaps he could help our teams understand the Thai and Phu Thai people. He continues to say he welcomes God in Ban Na Sok and wants his people to have the peace of God.

We also visited On's cousin (like an uncle) who has had two strokes and cannot speak. We spent time with him and prayed with him.

Sure enough the next day, we were welcomed by the grade school and the high school. The grade school graciously offered to host a Christmas party Thursday night and the high school agreed to a youth camp on premises for Friday night and Saturday. We worked out a way to feed everyone at camp with the teachers and it was as if God had prepared the menu.

The next day, we took the Fairview and Santo church teams to meet the monk, Adjan Gock, who was thrilled that all these Americans had come. He personally served us water and snacks, and before leaving we took pictures and Pastor Mitch Chase prayed for him as the men were asked by him to lay hands on him.

Jesus Loves the Isann

2009-01-16T23:44:00.002-06:00

For our team, success is OBEDIENCE. The rest is up to God, who always does so much more than we expect. Pastor Rojana's team tells us 27 youth accepted Jesus Christ the first night, and that 5 of them were happy to relay to all the next day they now felt safe and secure, and were assured again they had the Spirit of God living in them.

The team made the 390 mile journey from the Laos border east of Ubon Ratchthani back to Bangkok with Pastor Rojana's daughter, Neiy. Four of the team met with Champ and Polly's parents while Rita went on to the hotel with Neiy for the next morning flight.

There is already talk of next year.

Neiy will meet the Fairview and Santo team next Wednesday morning for their trip to Mukdahan.

And on the seventh day....

2009-01-15T04:58:00.004-06:00

The Lord rested, and so do we. The team worked very hard, especially the ladies who put on a spa for village women.

We are in a small hotel that is situated on the border with Laos where we are separated by the Blue Moon River and the Mekong River. Peaceful and quiet and beautiful with really fun staff.

A team dinner tonight on the patio overlooking God's creation will cap our time together. The team drives back 680 kilometers to Bangkok tomorrow, likely a total of 11 hours, and most will fly out Friday evening. Pray that they will have a smooth ride home with a little room to stretch rather than be cramped by a full flight.

We so thank God for giving us a fantastic van owner/driver in Prasert and pray that he will come to know the one true God.

We will drive to Mukdahan to begin preparation for Fairview and Santo churches as they reach out to the Phu Thai. The team flies Monday and arrives Tuesday night. :)

Every thing is possible....

2009-01-15T04:48:00.004-06:00

On and I love working with the youth in Isaan. They have so little that anyone who comes to enliven their day is welcomed and appreciated. It is God's gift to us to allow us to come and share his Word with them, and try to add a little value with conversational English and encouragement to continue with their education.

Thai law allows them to stop school after nine grades although many don't even attain that level of education.

The principal and teachers received us as if we were old friends and invited us to come again next year to work in the school and to put on a youth camp. We will listen for God's voice.

Our team from Indian Creek with the help of Tony and Prawnee were able to make a difference in the lives of 860 students over two mornings! Wow! It seemed impossible but went really, really well. Thank you God, and thank you praying and giving friends.

God's Love

2009-01-14T09:32:00.002-06:00

In the background is nurse Mary showing God's love to local Thais, and in the Youth Camp opening, Pastor Rojana and kids kick off with Thai Christian music.

These kids love to sing! They also learned a lot about God's love in "The Hope" film about Jesus.
www.thehopeproject.net

And, they heard the Gospel again and many of the 50 there responded to it.

We appreciate Mark, Tony, and Prawnee's help and the prayers of our praying friends. God is truly good.

Mission 101 "The Bait"

2009-01-14T08:49:00.005-06:00

On most mission fields, the volunteetr teams are "the bait" that brings the fish to dinner. In other words, when there are a good number of foreigners, the local people want to know what is going on. The foreign missionaries and more often, the local Christians, do the heavy lifting, that is, presenting the Gospel message.

On and I normally do a little "chumming" ahead of the bigger bait coming to the dinner party, but this year we only had two days, so all the fish weren't close by. It does seem that much of the attendance depends on relationships built over time, but it is really difficult in a short time to go around to everyone you know and spend endless hours in conversation and THEN invite them to the party.

Pastor Rojana's team did a great job at the Christmas Outreach (held Jan 8th). Everyone saw the Jesus film (a bit long for this setting) and also heard the Gospel from him. Many hands were raised to signify they wanted Jesus Christ in their life. Of course, some are the same as the year before.

Darak and Na sang as did our team (except me) for the crowd. Many gifts were drawn and of course, the gift of eternal life was also offered. Rojana's kids did a routine, and we were really surprized to have the 7th grade local kids also do a routine they had been practicing just for us.

We finished the program at nearly 10:00 pm. It was good.

2009-01-05T01:15:00.001-06:00

Dear Praying Friends,

On and I just visited with the "rich monk" in a nearly village. Over the years he has gained power in this area and it seems it has gone to his head. We walked up the stairs to where he was and all we noted was anger and evil. It got worse. He quickly knew who we were and what our mission was but he asked "what do you think you can give these people", and without waiting for an answer said "I give them schools and a hospital and take care of them, so what can you do?".

Every time On began to reply, he would just talk over her. She eventually was able to tell him she was here to tell them about God and the sacrifice of Jesus. He quickly said don't talk about God because He doesn't exist. Then he said if you could give these people 100 of Jesus, it couldn't fix what is wrong here.

He said "I am god. If I want a hospital, I get it. If I want a school, I get it. If I want $3,000 I get it." He said your God didn't give me anything. I got all these things by seeking them for myself. He said the word you bring is nothing.

On wasn't able to talk much and he didn't want to speak with me at all. I personally feel he is totally afraid of God and even God's word when spoken by God's disciples. You have to feel sorry for someone like this.

His face, his voice, his look, and his words were as close to Satan as I ever want to be. Evil was all around us. I prayed for strength and discernment for On and for God to soften this cruel and evil monk's heart, even salvation. I have prayed since that God will remove this Evil from these Thai people either by the saving grace of Jesus Christ, or by any means God chooses.

Ephesians 6:12 (New International Version)
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

PRAY WITH US AGAINST THE AUTHORITIES AND POWERS OF THIS DARK WORLD, AND FOR STRENGTH AND BOLDNESS FOR OUR WITNESS.

In the love of Jesus Christ,
Larry & On

On Says Home Again

2009-01-04T00:08:00.003-06:00

We flew to Ubon Ratchathani on Saturday on a very nice flight. Pastor Rojana and wife Nit picked us up and we immediately went shopping for "give aways" at our upcoming Christmas Outreach in Ban Yea. We have five + rice sacks full of bar soap, shampoo, toothpaste, two blankets as it is very cold here at 60 degrees at night, and one really big rice cooker as the Grand Prize. We also picked up 2 beep (bins) of cookies. We need the can so we can play our favorite game of blindfold you, spin you around 3 times, and see if you can whack the beep.

We had a really great worship service that included an impromtu request for our testimony and later our encouragement for the church. I spoke a bit from 1 Chronicles 29:11-13 and Matthew 6:25-34. God is in charge. We need have faith and be obedient. We finished with several testimonies and the Lord's Supper, and then lunch on the grounds. On's Mom and stepdad plus two neices and one cousin joined.

We have reviewed the Youth Camp plans with Pastor Rojana and are rearing for Indian Creek to arrive. We will begin to prayer walk, visit village leaders, and begin to sign up the youth.

Pray for continued heart change among the Isaan of Thailand and their desire to band together in fellowship and worship.

God at Work-Workers Needed

2009-01-01T13:03:00.003-06:00

Tennessee & Thailand Prayer Connection
Focus Today: January 1, 2009

Powerful Results from Persistent Prayer
In the six years we have been in Bangkok, it is something we have never seen before—hoards of people streaming forward to accept salvation through Christ alone. Four years ago it was something about which we, as IMB workers, could only dream when teams of prayerwalkers from Virginia and New Mexico trod the area around Prakanong Church, a 40-year-old congregation in the heart of the city.

For the last three months, this church of about 100 active members, has prepared for this one night of outreach at Christmas. Church members attended prayer meetings three times a week. On Friday evenings, the services often ran past midnight. Each Sunday afternoon prayerwalkers spread throughout the area around the church. Whenever they had the opportunity, they gave out printed invitations to the event and built relationships as they shared their hospitality and love.

Members were asked to fast and pray for their family, friends, and neighbors who were not yet believers. Some members chose to fast every noontime and put aside what they would have spent on lunch for the expenses of the Christmas event. Members also bought gifts for the expected guests and prayed over these gifts. Members of the church often remarked at how the spirit of unity for this outreach was touching all the ministries of the church.

Some church members came to the event with four to six non-Christian friends or family members. By the time the church grounds were crammed with people, it seemed that there were more guests than members. Dozens of people went into the prayer tent asking for healing.
After the sumptuous meal of Thai food, a film showing the story of creation to the resurrection was shown. After the film, the pastor gave a short gospel message summarizing the meaning of the film for our lives today.

In Thai culture, pastors seldom give an open invitation. They feel that there is too much chance for a “loss of face” if no one comes forward. But on this evening, the pastor knew that a number of people had already prayed with him to receive salvation. So he invited those people to come forward. At that point, it seemed he was moved by the Spirit to open the invitation up to anyone who wanted to receive Jesus. People throughout the sanctuary immediately got up and surged forward. When about 25 people stood quietly at the front, the pastor asked the church leaders to come and pray with those who had responded. Church members stood hand-in-hand with the new believers as they repeated the prayer of salvation after the pastor.

The day after the event, many new believers came to the regular Sunday morning worship. We believe that many new discipleship groups will be formed and all new believers will be mentored before receiving baptism.

As we struggle with working in a culture that is less than one percent Christian, this experience will sustain us for a long time to come. The dominant religion teaches people that happiness only comes through one’s good deeds. The Thai people have smiling faces but empty, hopeless lives. We praise God that this church was persistent in prayer and faithful in belief that God would honor their work in His name.

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Arrival

2009-01-01T00:45:00.003-06:00

We arrived! 12:05 am January 1st in Bangkok! Fireworks exploding, and sadly a few minutes later, some 59 of the young adult children of those in high society (hi-so) died in a nightclub fire in the district near us, the Baptist Hospitality Center on Sukhumvit Soi 13. Pray that these families at the top of the rung will reach out to Jesus Christ during this season.

Our foreign exchange student's (Champ) mom and dad and his sister picked us up at the airport, a pleasant first since our days at AT&T and Lucent. We were blessed to meet them and give them a glowing report on their son's progress in the US.

The flights were good as was the seating. On made friends with Jim from Colorada who spends lots of time in an orphanage in Juarez and doing adhoc missions work around the world. He made a donation to our mission trip to our surprise!

We were blessed this morning to discover that Tony and Kim were in the guesthouse since they had come down to pickup a new Master's couple that will work with them after three months of language lessons. K said "I'm almost four." and little J gave us a big hug.

The city is quiet but we did manage to get cell phones for the team-the malls are always open.

We have tried to contact Polly's mom about her grandmother's illness but like Polly, we can't connect yet but will continue to try.

(Does anyone know why our Music Minister cannot teach Choo Choo to sing? I've taught him to howl on command-actually in unison with me.)

Divne Power

2008-12-30T05:32:00.003-06:00

NORTHERN THAI/KHON MUANG OF THAILAND (cone MOO-ung). A 24-year-old man responded to information from the “We Care for You” media distribution. Wanting more information and unwilling to wait for the mail, he drove into town to pick up more literature and a Bible. Then on Sunday, he went to church in town and was visibly moved by the love the Christians showed him. Later in the week, he returned the literature and Bible because his family did not want him to be Christian. Please pray that he will continue to pursue the Lord and that he will lead his family into a relationship with Him as well. “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3, 4, NIV).

The item above came from missionaries, and a familiar story. People in small villages feel the need to fit in and are told they are born Buddhist. We struggle against culture and dark powers, but we have divine power, the Power of God.

Pray with us for the Thai people who resist change even when it is life saving.

One Last Thing and Off We Go

2008-12-30T05:15:00.004-06:00

God is so good, and we are so full of joy that we are able to see His goodness so often, and many times it is through Indian Creek Baptist Church.

One family offered to keep our dogs that are nine and twelve a week ago but there was a little turf battle between their dog and one of ours. When it seemed it wouldn't work out, we asked again and many of you prayed while others brainstormed, and some did both.

Thank you.

Choo Choo and Lucky have a loving home as of Monday, cute little dog houses on the back porch sheltered from the north wind, and even a really neat room off the patio that should keep them warm when its cold, and quiet when neighborhood dogs are howling. Does God care? Jesus says he does.

My, my, they may even get voice lessons while we are gone to Thailand. I hope they can sing better than On and I when we return.

If 3 is a Charm, 4 must be Fantastic

2008-12-28T21:17:00.002-06:00

We have been preparing since this past February to return again to the Isaan area of Thailand which is the Northeast corner, and formerly a part of Laos back in 1907. While we have been going more than once a year since 1991, this is our 4th time since On became a believer in Jesus Christ in 2002. Each trip is more precious and memorable as we learn to trust God more.

God continues to do more than we imagine, even when on purpose we set our goals very high. We are constantly told by ministers that we cannot outdo God-let us tell you it is so true as we cannot even think of greater things than he has planned for the Thai people and for us.

God is moving among the Thai people. Please pray with us that not only will they accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, but they will want to be in fellowship with others, and that their zeal for Jesus will result in them telling friends and neighbors about how their life has changed.

There is very much against them actually following Jesus, so pray for their boldness to form into small groups that can face trials together and with the Holy Spirit. Pray that their village leaders who are Buddhist will also throw away their idols and follow the one true God.

We leave for DFW Monday and will begin flying Tuesday with great anticipation of what our Soverign God will do in Thailand and amazement at the role He will have us play.

God has given us great Christian friends to take care of Thai foreign exchange student Champ, and another to take care of Choo Choo and Lucky who are our two spaniels. We know many of you are already in prayer for the Thais and we will connect with you there with the Holy Spirit.

We have just heard Pastor Guy is very ill in Mexico of unknown cause. Pray for healing and God's will.

Thais in USA

2008-10-04T08:21:00.007-05:00

"Yes, we said when she called. We will be the arrival host parents for that Thai boy, high school exchange student." That was my reply to Trina, EF Regional Coordinator, when asked to help out. I found out she planned to personally host a Thai girl so immediately felt prompted to ask for her as well if we could find host parents. God did find someone, Indian Creek Music Minister Tony and wife Jill, to take Polly.

Unlike our mission team friends on mission to Thailand, these students brought one bag each!!!

We had a chance to help with another Thai, and through John Tunnel at Fairview Baptist, the visiting pianist, Heather, was excited when the Holy Spirit moved her and husband Keith to accept Pam. A ranch with dogs, cata, horses and cows for a city girl from Bangkok!

We still have Champ so we know it is God's plan. He has been a blessing to us.

Pray to our wonderful and gracious God Almighty that he will open the eyes of their hearts to his message of love and salvation. All three are Buddhist in a country where culture and religion are so intertwined it is difficult to separate one from another. God is mighty to save!

Mission Preparations

2008-09-24T08:00:00.005-05:00

Praise God that three Palo Pinto County churches are going on mission to Thailand this coming January; Indian Creek Baptist will go to Ban Yea in the Leong Nok Tha area, and Fairview Baptist and First Baptist of Santo will team up to go to Ban Na Sok near Mukdahan.

Guy Weathers will lead Indian Creek with Rita, Mary, Robin, new member Tony, and us.

John Tunnel of Fairview will lead the second team with the bright and watchful eyes of Mitch Chase of Santo, husband and wife Chad and Angela, Ted, and us.

Both teams are now working on detailed youth camp plans. Beefing up content for ESL games, drama, music, and "The Hope" discussions are beginning. We are all excited about what God will do, and how he will change us and the Thai people.

Medical missions are ongoing in the Mukdahan area including our target village of Na Sok. Pray that God will continue to add to His church and that new believers will want to follow in baptism and discipleship.

Col 4:3 At the same time also pray for us-that God would open before us a door for the word so that we may tell the secret about Christ, for which I have been imprisoned. Col 4:4 May I reveal it as clearly as I should!

Love the Workers

2008-07-20T16:57:00.005-05:00

After reading David and Pam Taylor's new post to their blog today, I noticed they had a link to ours, and then felt ashamed that I had not posted in quite awhile. How easy it is to go to Thailand once a year and then come home and enjoy life in the USA.

Two students from On's village of Ban Yea near Leong Nok Tha have joined Pastor R in his home along with the other twelve. Patch, a niece, just graduated from high school and is attending Amnat Choeren Technical College, and the other is Nut, an eleventh grader, who is also attending. Only nine grades are required in Thailand, and quite often, students transfer to technical colleges for vocational study such as nursing or auto mechanics or basic electrical studies. Both are adjusting to their new life well, praise God.

Pastor R and wife are in the USA working with the Salvation Army who helped settle many Hmong people who became refugees during the communist takeover of Laos. They continue to take many Hmong children into their home in Amnat who nearly always accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and go on to college degrees, very usual for the Hmong and for the Isaan. Praise God for this local pastor and for the work that God is doing through him.

The VBS kids at Indian Creek learned a lot about Isaan and fell in love with them. These kids gave more than $400 toward helping Pastor R. The mission team has decided to ask friends to help a little so we can raise enough funds for a projector that he would appreciate for all the major school events he does each year. It is really helpful with 300 to 600 students in attendance during a daytime outdoor setting.

While Pastor R and wife are here, all the students have spent the last three weekends going back to the village to help transplant rice, a welcome help and a demonstration of Christian love.

Both of our mission teams are now full and final planning is underway for January trips to Ban Yea in the Isaan area and to Ban Na Sok, a Phuthai village where On's grandmother lived. Guy Weathers of Indian Creek will lead one and John Tunnel of Fairview will lead the other that includes members from FBC Santo. More on this later.

Jesus is Everywhere

2008-04-06T22:44:00.003-05:00

Jesus is active in Isaan and all over Thailand. Radio, tracts, mission teams from the US, Europe, and even Asia bring the gospel to Thais, and let us not forget foreign missionaries and the local saints either who are so faithful in spreading the gospel of Jesus and his grace.

Pastor R continues to visit Ban Yea most weekends to teach and engage the villagers in Bible study and fellowship. There continues to be an "opening up" among them toward him and the gospel. We are encouaged by the participation of adults who more and more are saying what about us. This of course has been our prayer, and our God is so good to answer.

Pastor R brought his church to Ban Yea this past Sunday for a service and fellowship. Three guests attended from a nearby village and one adult man believed in Jesus!

Several of the village youth are considering spending the next school year in the care of Pastor R while attending high school or the local community college (all 25 miles away/45 minutes). We pray that God's will is discerned by the youth in the village and continue to look forward to what God will do.

Jesus Loves Isaan and those who are obedient. Our hearts go out to Pastor R and wife N.

One More for Jesus

2008-01-28T22:50:00.001-06:00

One worker at the hotel where we held youth camp was a young woman named Dow. We went back today for breakfast and were able to witness throughly. She is Catholic so we were not surprised that she told us that you get to heaven by being good. We asked her about Jesus and she said you could talk to him. She did realize she is a sinner as we all are, and accepted Jesus into her life today. We spent time showing her how to grow in Jesus Christ and gave her an autographed Bible. We will follow with other material to help her grow. Amen!

While I was posting two blog messages, On witnessed to the owner of the hotel! Seeds continue to be spread and watered. While in Australia in college, she went to a Bible study so is not totally unaware of Jesus Christ. (She is very open to us and in the end, did help defray some costs this year as well that had been overlooked by her staff.)

Phuthai

2008-01-28T22:36:00.000-06:00

The team went far enough to see Vietnam, and did a uturn to visit Phuthai villages. God was with them at every turn from a sweet driver who was very helpful, to accomodations, to villagers willing to talk and share. Wild pigs everywhere are slaughtered to sell, not eat. It shows. People tend to be poor, dirty, and uneducated. It was hard for the team to look at their lostness and not break the law and risk prison by sharing Jesus outside the boundaries of an official church.

It was obvious that most of the future work will be on the Thai side of the border with the people in Laos witnessing to their close relatives and friends. Many of them do come across the border to Mukdahan so there can be many ways to reach them.

The next day, we all visited a school in Nong Sung Thailand, and On's relatives in Ban No Sok. We were warmly received and asked to continue to come. Both of these Phuthai villages are much different than Laos. People here love education and it shows in their circumstances. Friendly and sweet, and many seem to be much better off financially than most other Isaan.

The team loaded up the van and a pickup truck with luggage and departed for Bangkok Friday morning. Shopping by the roadside occupied a goodly amount of time so they arrived at the hotel a bit late, but happy. All arrived safely in the US the next day, some late, but all well.

Pictures to come later.

2008-01-22T18:44:00.000-06:00

Wow!

At Christmas, 120+ hands went up when asked to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.

More than 10 grade school children responded at the VBS on Wednesday.

The first day in youth camp, there were 19 that believed, then 6 the next night.

Ten parents attended Saturday. Two of them called home to daughters to say "stop what you are doing and get up here now-this is good and you need it".

At a church service Sunday on the front porch at On's home, there were about 45 local people, some who had already believed and some not. Guy gave a great sermon that Tony and On translated, nearly every hand went up including On's stepfather-Ta Gon, several other grown men, many grown women including two sisters of Ta Gon. All of the US volunteers gave short testimonies that were well received, and the team which included Pastor Rojana and some of his boys then drove the 25 miles to church and had the most wonderful church service of testimony, worship, and an encouraging sermon by Brother Guy.

We went to a bamboo open air hut on a reservoir for a lunch of rice, something hot with pepper (papaya), and fish with the head still on! What a great team God put together! Tony Storer, the m, has been with us all the way.

Part of the team just returned from Laos today. God provided a van driver/guide that was simply fantastic. On witnessed to him after the team was safely back on the Thai side of the border. He needs a bit of time but was very receptive to the message.

School

2008-01-12T18:47:00.000-06:00

Ever have a balloon blow up in your face? With powder? Now pick up the rolled up piece of paper and act out the word so the 20 kids standing in front of you can guess and say it in English!

Christmas, and even after brings opportunity to visit schools and put on programs for the kids that introduce Christmas, Jesus, BIG Americans, and English all in one setting. Small village grade schools are hungry for you to come and share with them, while the high schools are very open,especially if you bring English language conversation.

On and I have spent multiple days with the grade school in Ban Yea. We worked with the m and local teams in and around Mukdahan to visit two grade schools. It was amazing to find that On had relatives or friends in every location we have visited. She must have been a friendly kid growing up.

We also plowed the ground to open up BanNoSok schools for the teams. On's friendly and caring manner plus her PhuThai roots in that specific village really do help. Later, it turns out the school board leader is her cousin too plus one grade school teacher, oh, and the leader of the local medical clinic.

BanNoSok called and wanted help with Children's Day. The m had a team of college students in from Oklahoma Baptist U (OBU) who teamed with Adjan Eckolat, Antony, us, and the English teachers. We had a fantastic time all day Friday. Someone will have to count the ball point pens and magazines we no longer have, but there must have been more than 600. Great staff of English teachers here who with the principal have asked to return as often as we are in the area.
The principal was very involved all day encouraging the students to participate-this is the best school we have visited so far!

The First Christmas in Ban Yea, Thailand

2007-12-26T07:59:00.000-06:00

"Money, Money!" screamed the crowd of more than 300 villagers in Ban Yea when Pastor Rojana asked what give them true happiness. A thousand years of ancestor worship in this "hard luck" farming area, low education levels, almost no government programs, and a constant struggle to survive are only part of the answer. The real truth? No one has told them of the "annointed" One, Jesus Christ.

On Christmas Day, they played games that even the adults enjoyed, sang Christian songs written in their language and in the country style of music that to them is as patriotic as "God Bless America". The party was gladly opened by a village leader while more than 20 members of Immanuel Church and 8 college students helped make the event a success. There was drama, fun, humor, excitement, more gifts, and finally, the real answer to "true happiness" which was a wonderful message presented by Pastor Rojana. When asked at the end if they wanted this, so many responded, we couldn't count them all or even follow up. The village is still talking about Jesus' Christmas Party. Pray that many will want to be discipled and leaders will emerge.

The harvest is truly great!

Khon Kaen

2007-12-14T02:21:00.001-06:00

We visited with our Missionary Team Leader, Mark today. We were able to update him on our preliminary plans, seek counsel, and pray together. This was his last day there before leaving for Bangkok and home assignment for the next six months. This has been a difficult term for Mark with many changes in personnel, and challenges within their family. Please keep Mark and Helen in your prayers.

We were blessed to spend the afternoon and dinner with Andrew in Mahasarakam. We first met this past January just as he was arriving in Thailand. He is working on a project to bring oral bible stories to the Isaan in their own language, one that isn’t written but is their heart language. He is living in a small village about five miles from the university and ANY civilization as we know it. Pray that his work will result in many Isaan people coming to know Jesus as their savior.

Phu Thai

2007-12-14T02:17:00.000-06:00

We met Tony and his gang in the Phu Thai village of Ban Na Sok. The first house where we stopped was a 2nd cousin of On and we visited there for quite awhile. While waiting on another cousin, a truck full of school kids stopped and Tony was invited to come to their school. Tony’s gang included Pastor Ekolat from Mukdahan, a missionary from Australia named Anthony, and the two seminary students, Janna and Lindsey.

Once On’s other cousin Jod arrived, we moved to his home with his wife, daughter and son in law. After some time, the daughter and school teacher, Gib, asked about Christmas. That gave Pastor Ekolat a chance to open his flip charts and he went from creation to salvation. Some questions were asked and answered. The Hope video and gospel tracts were left with them, and we all agreed to see each other again soon.

It turns out that the local monk had already told many villagers that God had come to Ban Yea and was now coming to their village. He even told his sister he was ready to go to the United States to learn more about God. Tongue in cheek? We don’t know yet but we do know he paved the way for the gospel and our return.

We were able to find out some of the names of believers although many appear to be working in towns elsewhere. We will return. So will Tony with the two seminary students who are also nurses. They plan to work with a children’s nursery there.

Afterwards, we were able to meet all the pastors in Mukdahan but one who we know fairly well. Planning for Christmas was underway.

Phu Thai in God's Plan

2007-12-07T23:36:00.000-06:00

Ban No Sok, a Phu Thai village, home of On’s grandmother

Tony suggested we visit this village, the object of On’s dreams since late 2003. On dreams often of witnessing in this village although her grandmother is now deceased.

I’ll just share Tony’s account here:

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony and Kim
Subject: Visiting a Temple

Hello from Thailand!

Wow! I have had a great experience today! We have two friends from Texas here with us, Larry and On, On is a Thai person from this area. We went to a village of Phu Thai people where her grandmother was from. She thought that she would be able to visit with some of her relatives but God had a different plan. All of her relatives were off at work or at temples in different areas but she had one other relative that she wanted to visit - the head monk at the temple in town. We entered the temple grounds and were escorted to meet her cousin, the head monk. He was very warm in welcoming us and we were able to visit with him for over an hour.

The monk said that he had a vision in his dreams last night about the king of Thailand and then about me (a foreigner) coming with God today!

On and I were able to share with the monk about Jesus and how God has brought great happiness into our lives. We asked if he knew about Jesus and he said, "How can I know if someone won't come tell me?" We told him that we wanted to tell him and the people in his village. He was very open and asked that we return and share Jesus with the children at the temple and throughout the town.

The monk has had terrible kidney stones such that he had a major operation to remove them last year. He is still suffering and will return to Bangkok on the 15th of this month to see what is wrong. We asked if we could pray for him and if he would like to have other Christians pray for him. He was very willing and Larry and I laid hands on him and prayed and On was also able to pray for him.

Please thank God for this open door in the temple and village!

Pray that God would heal the monk from his kidney stones.

Pray that God would lead the monk in other dreams and visions and ultimately to salvation in Jesus.

The monk's name is Ajan Pontitammara - even if you can't work out that name, God knows. We have attached a picture of the monk for you to get to see him.

Thanks for praying!

Blessings,
Tony, Kim, Juliana, and Kayla

Tony & Kim

2007-12-07T23:33:00.000-06:00

Tony and Kim, Juliana and Kayla

Picked us up at the airport in Ubon Ratchathani as On’s mother was still very busy harvesting rice. We had an early dinner at the Pizza Company, good but also expensive, that is, the same price you would expect in the US. We really enjoy the girls, five and nearly three so had a wonderful opportunity to renew our friendship which began this past June in Mineral Wells. Both of them were just waving and waving at the airport as we were waiting inside the baggage area for our luggage. They still carry the two stuffed kittens-remembrances from June.

We were able to talk some about evangelism plans for our mission and for another that Oklahoma Baptist University will have in multiple locations during January. Part of their month long mission will abut the time Tony plans to be with us. Brother Guy and I spent several days at OBU in May so are well aware of their missionary approach. I fell in love with Avery Willis, former IMB missionary, IMB leader, and SBC Sunday School leader. His grandson is planning to go onto the mission field and may be part of this one. On and I continue to listen to OneStory tapes produced by the Orality Network of which he is part. They are simply fantastic.

As we arrived in the village of Ban Yea fireworks were going off all over the place as this was Father’s Day, the King of Thailand’s birthday, 80 years young. Every television station had the ceremonies covered and everyone was in yellow shirts except me. Our friend Boy tried, but didn’t choose enough X’s.

Our little pickup truck had been so infrequently used the battery was run down (diesel is now very expensive so a motorcycle is preferred for just one or two people). We pushed it to start it and Tony found us a great place in Mukdahan to get the truck serviced. This also allowed us to meet and have a Thai lunch with Janna and Lindsey, seminary students working in Mukdahan. Janna was the recipient of the new laptop we brought from the US as hers had an accident, and she said was slowing dying a miserable death.

We are getting adjusted to the time other than waking up at 3:30 or 4:00 in the morning!

God is always working

2007-12-06T01:42:00.000-06:00

God is always working

On and I had rice soup before Sunday School at New Vision Baptist Church. I joined Doris, 75 years young teacher, from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. She has been here two years and will soon actually be hired by the IMB! Her main job is to work in the English language portion of New Vision / Baptist Student Center but also loves SS.

There was a tribute to the King of Thailand who celebrates his 80th birthday this week, the Lord’s Supper for believers, great worship music, and a sermon by Pastor Pongsak who originally came to the BSC to learn English, was saved, became an IMB missionary to China, and was eventually called to be the pastor. He is our friend and mentor to On’s sister Wasana (Na).

Pastor Pongsak said the focus for December would be Acts 20:35 where Jesus said “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” This chapter gives many examples of Paul’s service, the Good News that brings hope and salvation, and the Word of God that gives us security. Paul also speaks of helping those in need. The greatest gift is God’s gift to us, Jesus, as described in John 3:16. We are so blessed in America and it is so noticeable when we are anywhere else. Our electric bills are more than most people in the world make each month.

Our Thai friend of 15 years, Boy (Maitree), was convicted of his sin during the service, and over the course of the next two days realized his need for Jesus in his life and on Tuesday night, prayed to receive Jesus into his heart and life. He has always had a servant’s heart, but just didn’t know who his Master was. Pray for Boy to be drawn close to God. See his joy above with

On after he said yes to Jesus at the Baptist Guest House.

God Directs AND Equips

2007-12-06T01:02:00.000-06:00

God directs and equips. He sent us to Thailand and paved the way for our trip. We thank Him and Lynn for a place for our dogs, Choo Choo and Lucky, and we thank Him for our great friend in Christ, Rita, who took us to the hotel in Irving. We arrived at the airport at 5:30 am and a very kind United porter took all our stuff upstairs to the check in desk. There was no one in front of us. The luggage was all within weight limits and there was not even a problem with missionary Tony’s bicycle!

The flight was great, with only a minor hold in San Francisco for a balky air-conditioner, but this wasn’t a problem with our arrival in Tokyo since that is a normal three hour layover anyway. We arrived in Bangkok 15 minutes early and immigration and customs were a snap. We didn’t see the van driver, but the GSM phone worked and we called him. Turns out he was a bit short like Zacchaeus, the tax collector in the Bible, he jumped up when we called-he didn’t have a sycamore tree. We were in the Baptist Hospitality House (guest house) by 1:00 am, 31 hours after we got up. The flight was 26 ½ hours.

We were up by 7am and were on the way to New Vision Baptist Church by 8:30 am to praise and worship God.

Pray in the Spirit

2007-11-21T19:55:00.000-06:00

The mission team met with only two who couldn't come, making eight plus a few husbands. We had a great dinner of barbeque chicken (gai), sausage (moo), and sticky rice (cao neaw). Lots of side dishes and deserts made for many happy faces. Someone ate all the sausage? wonder who?

There was Q&A, excitement, some angst about the one checked bag limit due to space in the van, and much prayer and thanksgiving in the Holy Spirit. Some believe God is ready to do a mighty work since the prince of the air seems to be on the attack. We just need to remember that Jesus has already won the victory!

The lead missionary lost a brother this week to cancer and his wife has an elderly parent just clinging to life in the states. The new missionary we will work with has been asked by the landlord to relocate causing lots of problems due to a housing shortage.

Ephesians 4:8 tells of Jesus' victory, and the writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter 11 that victory comes through faith.

We look forward to joining God at work among the Isaan and Phu Thai. The two sent by Joshua will be looking for Rahab next weekend. :) John 4:35 You say, don't you, 'In four more months the harvest will be here?' Look, I tell you, open your eyes and observe that the fields are ready for harvesting!

Dare to be Different

2007-11-02T12:35:00.000-05:00

God is so good to give us a wonderful local partner in Pastor Rojana. He and his team are more than 30 miles from the village and we are 9,500. The Holy Spirit hears our prayers and continues to bring the lost to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

More than 20 Christian college students joined Pastor Rojana's team to visit several villages last week and Ban Yea was one of them. While the students went through the village witnessing, the Jesus film was played in On's home to many grade school and middle school children. Ten said yes!!!

The team gave haircuts, had dinner with the adults and the kids, and even went to help with sticky rice threshing (A few had to leave so didn't make the farm picture).

Pray that the Holy Spirit will work in the hearts of these new believers to give them a desire to fellowship with other believers and to joyfully share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We will be there in a month to help with the followup with all the new believers Jesus has added to the Lamb's Book of Life, and to work with their parents.

Encouragement

2007-10-25T09:14:00.000-05:00

We know that God calls us, equips us, and at His time, sends us. God also encourages us in so many ways. The Palo Pinto County Baptist Association through prayer has chosen to support the efforts of Indian Creek Baptist Church in Mineral Wells on behalf of the Isaan people of Northeastern Thailand.

We were able to share the highlights of these efforts within the annual report at the annual meeting recently concluded, and have also been able to visit with two churches within the association to share what God is doing with the Isaan (and us).

God called one of our team members to pastor the Cowboy Church at Graham which left an opening in our team, but then he urged us to invite the Mission Team leader, Brother John,
to go with us to learn how best to adopt a people group. Brother John who is a local pastor as well has agreed with the support of the Mission Team.

We continue to look forward to seeing the exciting things that God is doing in Thailand.

Isa 65:24 And it will be, before they call I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

God provides. How great is His love and faithfulness.

Time Flies

2007-10-12T13:14:00.000-05:00

How can a retired person not have any time? Go to work for God! And he will keep you busy in His work. Of course, there is no need to wait for retirement. Jesus says in John 10:10b "I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly."August was consumed with working on the Thai Mission Trip beginning November 30, and visiting our missionary friends in Oklahoma, Tony and Kim. We plan to help and encourage each other in Thailand.

God has moved in at least the hearts of ten to go on this mission to Thailand. We have been meeting, praying, organizing, working out details, and getting to know one another. In the meantime, God has encouraged the local Baptist Association to encourage and support this mission while they pray about direction for the Association. God told us in Isaiah 65:25 And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. We know this is God's mission as He answers before we ask.

Pray for the Thai people.

Click

2007-07-29T17:44:00.000-05:00

While working to improve this blog, I inadvertently clicked on objectionable material on this blog. Well, Google, I did it to myself. It is likely that those who reject Jesus Christ may object to what we are saying and doing, but it is for sure that our Lord does not.

God Reveals Himself

2007-07-23T10:33:00.000-05:00

As the Thai Mission Team met this past week, it became clear that God has revealed
himself. Peggy feels the Lord leading her to join as does Robin. Mary, Ginger, Pam,and Debbie are praying about joining. Praise God that He is deciding who should go on the next mission and that He is confirming this is what He would have Indian Creek champion. (We have asked church members to give us their final decision by September 1st, and we will then survey the non-members.)

We are looking forward to working with Scott and Valerie on using conversational English in the camps and in our personal ministry which starts before the camps and
continues afterwards. Pray for them as they have just arrived in the US for home assignment-a big change, but surely welcome as they can spend time with friends and relatives and share what God is doing in Thailand and in their lives.

Helen has given us a new project that we pray will bear much fruit, but we will all have to wait for the next Isaan Interceder.

Wherever you go

2007-07-11T12:02:00.000-05:00

The next mission for us requires a new passport for Larry, number three. Fearing the worst, I paid the extra $60 to expedite it since we also need to get a Thai visa for a three month stay. All the news says this is a long process but they don't understand Joshua 1:9b "do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." I received the new passport in the mail only two weeks after applying.

Jesus Loves Isaan: Acts 1:8

2007-07-08T18:06:00.000-05:00

www.icbcmw.org

Acts 1:8

2007-07-07T16:10:00.000-05:00

While it would be wonderful for me to speak English and have the Thai hear it in Thai or Isaan
which is what we see in Acts 2:8 (first post), we really do want to be an Acts 1:8 church. :)

Larry

Filled with the Spirit

2007-07-07T14:57:00.000-05:00

We are full of the Holy Spirit and cannot hold it in. We need to tell you just how great is our God! The second six week mission trip to Thailand in the last two years was such a miracle, only God could have accomplished it. Indian Creek Baptist Church (our church home) worked with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board (IMB) to establish this trip and has now "adopted" the Isaan. We long to be an Acts 2:8 church and pray for guidance.

The first week (January) upcountry in the Isaan (Eh-sahn) area of Northeastern Thailand was such a blessing. On and I witnessed all week and on Sunday, 6 joined us for the thirty mile drive to church in Amnat Charoen. During the invitation, 5 said yes to the love of Jesus Christ, and one was On's mother.

Before this trip was over, 12 in the village near Leong Nok Tha had prayed to receive Jesus Christ and are being fed the Word of God about twice a month by the Amnat church pastor and team. Pray that the Holy Spirit will encourage these new believers to seek God's will for their lives and grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ.

In a visit to a regional prison, 6 of 30 men, and 19 of 30 women said yes. We were blown away by God. This is unheard of in Thailand, yet we know God's Word never comes back void. We went to visit an HIV/Aids orphanage to cheer up the young children, and yet God showed us His love through them. We were jealous of the love and communion they had with their Father and pray that God will bring us that close through His Spirit.

We are fans of Henry Blackaby and his book "Experiencing God". We can assure you that God is at work in Thailand because He showed us, we accepted His invitation, and what a work He did through us.

Although Thailand is called the Land of Smiles, many have no hope. Pray with us that God will soften hearts to His message of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

In the Love of Christ,

Larry & On