Vegetarian Festival

The end of September the Vegetarian Festival began. This festival is a clear demonstration of the animistic and demonic forces among our people group, especially those with Chinese ancestry.
The festival begins and is centered around local Chinese temples. To begin the festival, they erect bamboo poles for the gods to descend from heaven. They believe these gods (sons of the Chinese Queen of Heaven) oversee, protect and bless the event. All participants wear white and eat only vegetables in order to cleanse themselves. Participants are expected to go to the temple daily to make merit and to receive good fortune.
The most disturbing aspect of the festival are the scores of people (men, women and children) that open themselves up to be possessed by evil spirits. Each day parades, which last for hours, march through city streets and are filled with those who claim to be possessed by these spirits. They file through the streets shaking their heads side to side and with their eyes rolled back into their head. Many of them pierce themselves with knives, swords, poles, picks, etc., usually through both sides of the face in order to demonstrate to the crowd that the power of the gods is able to protect them.

Please join us in prayer for the hearts of these people. Our desire is that the Southern Thai would cast off their fear of spirits and submit themselves to the one true God who has power over all. May the Lord reign among the Southern Thai!

Visit with a Friend

We visited some Thais we had known through the years in south Thailand. One of those was a girl named Dang (not her real name). She was a m*slim, who came to have a relationship with Jesus Christ about 10 years ago through the witness of 2 journeymen. However, over a year ago, her family put pressure on Dang to marry a m*slim man. This was an arranged marriage. She now has a small child and goes to a church in another town when her husband is away. She wanted Richard to do a private ceremony dedicating her baby to God. Once we were alone, Richard did the ceremony. We gave Dang a letter explaining the meaning of the baby dedication. She is to present the letter when her child reaches adulthood. Dang clearly made a wrong choice in getting married to please her family. However, please pray for her to be able to withstand the pressures of family and maintain her faith in Jesus. Pray that she may be able to share her faith with other m*slim women without endangering her life. Pray also for her husband who is a strict m*slim to have miraculous Damascus road experience and become a strong believer.

Saying Goodbye

The Krabi Church gave us a going away dinner. The members of the church fixed different foods that have been our favorites like sweet & sour fish & musselman curry. Church members sang a song which flooded our minds with pleasant memories of our shared time together. Several stood and gave testimonies about the work we had done in Krabi Province & how it had affected their lives. Later others came privately to tell of their appreciation for our years of service.

On Sunday the members in Khao Phanom Baptist Church gave us a special dinner to celebrate our work among them. We were blessed! Pray for the small group of worshippers in Khao Phanom to grow in faith. Pray for them to be a strong witness to draw others to God.

Prayer & Praise

1. Praise God for the committed group in Khao Phanom to grow into a strong church
2. Praise God for Krabi Baptist Church as they support the group in Khao Phanom weekly.
3. Khun Sal-lee has committed her life to Christ. Pray for her growth as a Christian.
4. Khun Somsri, Branee’s husband came to church, pray that he will give his heart to Jesus & grow.
5. Pray for those participating in the Vegetarian Festival will see real power which comes from the true God.
6. Pray that we will see fruit from our work in Thailand even though we are not in Thailand physically.
7. Pray that God will enable Dang to be a witness of God’s saving power.
8. Pray for God to give us a smooth transition back to life in America.

TEXAS Team

After the team climbed up the Tom Sua mountain, they could see the surrounding area where they would be working during the week & they prayed for the people in the area. Their work included many activities such as doing a program for the local Compassion group. Their leader preached on Sunday and some of the members did a mime. Their programs in 5 schools were varied with puppets, singing, mimes & games. Wherever they went they were a huge success and were signing their names like movie stars on either tracts or plain white paper. At each school they got hugs and some kisses from the students. In the last school, some of the music students performed using Thai musical instruments such as ongalungs, & drums. In addition, Bibles and Christian material was left for the school library & various teachers.
On their last day of ministry, the group passed out tracts. Divided up into 4 groups, the groups went from house to house presenting the gospel in the village of Dead Elephant. Most of the volunteers had never witnessed before and became proficient as the day went on. One group met Mac. Two years before, a girl had given him some Christian literature. He had questions, but didn’t know where to go to get answers. They gave him a Bible and explained about it so he could begin reading about God. Another group met a girl named Oh, who wasn’t interested in God. As they talked to her, her defenses went down and she said to the translator, “these people are just like me, they have problems and yet they seem to have joy.” We left her some Christian literature and plan on going back to visit.
Many of the volunteers spoke about how the trip had changed their lives. They did not just see Krabi, Thailand as a tourist destination, but as a place filled with lost Thais.

YORAY Charms

Branee gave me a well-worn green plastic container with 3 items inside. Her instructions: “Get rid of this stuff! I don’t want it any more.” The box contained 3 gold plated charms held by a long silver chain stuffed inside individual soft white cloth bags. Believers in YoRay* use this metal charm (encased in plastic) in a ceremony for healing people from various diseases or illnesses. I asked Khun Bird, Branee’s son: “In the past as you practiced the YoRay religion to whom did you pray when using the charm to heal others?” I was curious to know if he prayed to the Japanese founder of YoRay, now deceased, or some other god. Khun Bird replied that one could pray to any god of his choosing. Followers of YoRay believe supernatural power passes through the charm producing a golden light that brings healing to those sick. Each charm cost the followers of YoRay 2000 Baht or about $69 US dollars. As requested, I did away with the charms. But notice the real commitment on the part of Branee & Bird to give up completely the old way of life for the truth in Jesus Christ. * YoRay is a religion from Japan that tries to incorporate beliefs from several religions into one. Besides healings, they ask members to paint abstract pictures to express their energized emotions and arrange flowers to give them peace of mind.

Wanted: Oh

Oh is a young adult woman, who is very shy. While going out with the Texas team, Jay, who translated for the team cornered Oh. Through the testimony of Nathan & Jon, Oh felt close to these young adults. She said they have problems just like me. Jay explained how he was a Buddhist, but came to see Jesus as the only hope for his life. She is interested in God. Pray that she will overcome her shyness, come to worship in Khao Phanom and believe in Jesus as her Savior.

Wanted: Mac

Mac is a 40+ year old man with questions about God. He has a wife from the northeast and 2 children. He has a small convenience shop in his home, but is also a rubber farmer. He is building a new house right beside his old home. Two years ago he received tracts from us and had questions, but didn’t know who to ask. This year the group from Texas met him and witnessed to him. Pray that God will speak to his heart through reading the Bible and dreams.

Prayer & Praise

1. Praise God for the Texas team and the program that they presented in schools and the results which will come because of their coming.
2. Praise God that we have sold most of our furniture. We have only a few small items left. This is an answer to your prayers!
3. Pray that we will finish well, as we prepare to leave Thailand.
4. Continue to pray for the group in Khao Phanom grow numerically & to soon form a church.
5. Pray that those who have received a Christian witness will know they need Jesus as Savior.

Nathan

We were very fortunate to have had Nathan Eversole spend 3 weeks at Tom Gop school in Khao Phanom. Nathan was kept busy teaching kindergarten through 9th grade levels. After teaching one class, he noticed a child starting to go through his backpack. One of the girls in the class fussed at her friend for doing that. Nathan, however, didn't scold the child but figured out that the student was curious about the Christian tracts he carried inside the bag. Nathan gave the student a tract. This led to others coming and wanting a Christian tract too. A few minutes later, the student re-appeared to ask him the meaning of the pictures in the tract. Nathan sat down and patiently went through the Gospel story using the pictures from the tract. This turned out to be a great opportunity to share about Jesus using a natural situation initiated by the student.
One day, the entire school went across the street to a Buddhist Wat. The school was to present candles to the monks. During the ceremony, Nathan was seated at the front. While the students and teachers bowed to the Buddha image, Nathan sat respectfully still. The head monk wanted to know why Nathan didn't bow as did the others from his school. The head teacher from Tom Gop school whispered to the monk, "He is a Christian, Chrit, Chrit". The monk didn't quite hear. She whispered louder, "He believes in Christ". Finally the students picked up the word "Christ" echoing Jesus name throughout the Buddhist Wat. This was probably the last place you'd ever think to hear the name Jesus. After the event, everyone knew for sure that Nathan was a Christian.
Both teachers and students really appreciated Nathan teaching skills and friendship. Several have told us that they will miss him very much.

Dylan

Dylan Hollinger was another teacher volunteer who helped in Khao Phanom for 3 weeks. He worked at Khao Din Pra-cha-ah-new-goon School. Dylan taught mostly 12th graders. He played volleyball, "Cross word" games, cheered the kids on as they competed in sports activities, and even went on a field trip to a plush hotel in a resort city. The purpose of the trip was to help students learn how to eat like westerners using forks and knives like you would in a fancy restaurant. He spent an extended time with his roommate Ga-mon, a Muslim who heard the gospel through Dylan’s conversations with Dee, a girl friend of Gamon’s. He also spent 2 weekends with the head of the English department’s family. Through conversations in the evening on a bamboo shelter outside their home, Dylan talked about Christianity & his beliefs. Baum and his wife, New, tried to give the Buddhist perspective on what they believed. Baum & New had a hard time explaining some things or didn’t really have a good answer to some of the questions that Dylan posed to them. Baum was curious about what happened to a person when they died because he had been to 4 funerals during the last month. Through this conversation, Dylan was able to share the Gospel. He affected the lives of Baum and New’s family and had a teary departure. Dylan said that he learned much from his time in Thailand especially the power of answered prayer as he leaned on God.

Katie

Katie Blatchford spent 6 weeks teaching English at Khao Phanom Benja High School. However, during the 5th week, her high school was engaged in mid term testing of students. This left Katie with very little to do. Thus, she and a fellow foreign teacher, Carly, went over to a local elementary school to volunteer their services in teaching English. Katie said that the children were adorable, very attentive, and lots of fun. After 3 days of teaching, they had to return to the high school. But before leaving the elementary school, Katie was able to give the students (mostly poor) school supplies and Christian literature. During her stay in Khao Phanom, Katie made friends with Ajohn Net and used meal times to talk with other teachers. She also made friends with Carrot, a 12th grader, who wanted to learn to speak English well. Katie had the opportunity to explain the gospel using an evangecube with him. Carrot even came to church one Sunday afternoon to meet with Katie. At church she and others had the chance to tell Carrot that being a Christian is not just for "westerners". He thought that if you were Thai, then you were expected to be a Buddhist. And if you were a westerner that automatically made you a Christian. Katie & the Thai Christians at church explained that becoming a Christian was an opportunity open to each and every Thai person that believed in Jesus Christ. Through her experience in Khao Phanom this summer, Katie said that she learned to depend more on God even when she didn’t understand the reasons why different things happened. Katie worked hard, made many friends and will be greatly missed.

The Snake

Returning to Khao Phanom from taking 2 of our summer volunteers back to their school, Linda saw something brown moving in the the tray with the windshield wipers. Pretty soon a divided tongue appeared and then a head and part of the body. The snake had a brown diamond pattern with yellow separating the diamonds. It was swaying in the breeze looking at Linda, just in front of Linda’s side of the windshield. Linda pointed in front of her and whispered snake. She continued pointing and saying “snake” louder and louder. Richard thought that she was talking about a snake on the road up ahead. Then the Thais in the back seat saw the snake beyond the windshield on the hood of the truck and began telling Richard to stop the truck. Finally Richard saw the snake and pulled over to the side of the road just before entering Khao Phanom town.

Rawi, a friend from India, found a stick and tried to pin the snake down in the windshield wiper well. Richard picked up a stick too, but the snake got between the plastic and the front left side engine metal panel. Richard thinking to get a flashlight, opened the front passenger door with Linda sitting there. One of the girls in the back seat yelled close the door. The snake had gotten in between the door and the front metal panel about 6 inches from Linda’s leg. Richard shut the door and those left in the truck cab darted out the back right door onto the street. They rushed back about 30 feet behind the truck leaving Richard & Rawi fighting the snake. Richard opened the door and the snake tried to enter the truck cab. Richard slammed the door shut and got the snake caught partly in the truck cab door with the other part swingly wildly between the truck bottom and the street curb. Rawi finally was able to pin the snake head to the pavement. Richard realized he need something more than the stick for smashing the snake with. He looked around and saw part of a cinderblock. By that time the others of us had released the guys in the back of the truck bed, so they could help. Rat (a Burmese) picked up the cinderblock and alternated with Richard pounding the snake’s head. After the snake stopped moving, they opened the front door again to release his trapped body. Rawi picked up the snake with a stick and threw it into the bushes.

Our hearts were still pounding, but we were grateful that God protected us from being bitten by the poisonous rattlesnake. We were also grateful that we had parked by some sticks and broken cinderblocks and the patient wisdom of Richard & Rawi in killing the snake.

Prayer & Praise

1. Pray for Oh and Mac to open their hearts to learn more about God and then
accept HIM as Savior.
2. Praise God for the work of Katie, Dylan & Nathan as they taught English &
witnessed at their different schools.
3. Pray that the witness of Dylan to Baum, New, and Ga-mon will bear fruit for
God’s kingdom.
4. Pray that Carrot will understand the Gospel & become a Christian
5. Pray for Benz, Yuan and Nai-an-i to know God as real for their lives.
6. Pray for our last 2 months in Thailand to produce fruit.
7. Pray for the numerical growth of the Khao Phanom church.

Speaking English - Teaching as a Volunteer

We have a returning volunteer, who is teaching at Phanom Benja HS. As a child, Katie, a teacher from South Carolina, dreamed of being a teacher like her grand -parents. But how did she know that she would use her skills as a teacher for missions.
She has already had the opportunity to present the gospel to a teenage student, who hangs around the teacher’s office. She is making relationships with the teachers by eating with the them and helping them with their classes. She has had opportunity to explain to the teachers things like God is a God of love and doesn’t punish you if you forget to pray one time for your food at meals. As she personalizes Christianity for these teachers and students, pray that her relationships with them will bring some of them into God’s kingdom.

Praise and Prayer

1. Praise God for the arrival of Katie, Nathan & Dylan, our summer volunteer ESL teachers!
2. Pray for Nathan, Dylan, & Katie to have many natural opportunities to present the Gospel to the fellow teachers and their students.
3. Pray for Thais to come to church in Khao Phanom, as a result of our three volunteer teachers.
4. Continue to pray that God will completely heal El’s body, so that she can walk, go to worship and become an integral part of the KP church.
5. Pray for us to maintain a balance in our work and getting ready to return to America.
6. Pray for a volunteer team coming from Texas (July 22-29) to make a positive impact for Christ in Khao Phanom.

FLOOD RELIEF: Feeding Village 7

Last month in Na Khao sub-district of Khao Phanom flooding from Phanom Benja Mountain caused mudslides in Village 7. Eleven Thais were killed and one body has yet to be found there. Some of the villagers are now living in temporary housing because their homes were destroyed. They have one year to build new houses in other higher/safer locations further from the mountain. The temporary houses are one room tin buildings on stilts. Some of the people still have palm or rubber trees they can harvest. However, others lost their palm and rubber trees, as well as their houses. Krabi Baptist decided to help these people by serving them a dinner. We served saffron chicken & rice with clear soup and oranges for dessert. While the villagers ate dinner, some of our young adults entertained them with Christian songs. After dinner, A. Dusit, pastor of Krabi Baptist Church, gave out blankets, plates and spoons to the villagers. Praise God for the opportunity to serve others!

POWER OF PRAYER SUBDUES EVIL SPIRIT

Besides furniture and appliances, the flood in Khao Phanom district destroyed doors. In Village 2, Khao Din we distributed doors to flood victims. Some women said, “I don’t feel safe at night. All we have is a curtain to cover the doorway. We have no protection.” A. Dusit, pastor of Krabi Baptist decided we should help these people by buying doors for them. Nine doors were bought and donated to these families in that village. At the time that the truck with the doors started down the village road, an older lady whose family was scheduled to receive a door, began to shake and could not speak. Once the door was delivered to her house, her husband began telling A. Dusit about how his wife started acting strange. A. Dusit looked around and asked for permission to pray. He reached over the outside door frame and grasped a cloth which had to do with spirits and began to pray. Within several minutes of his praying the lady stopped shaking and began to speak again. Such is the power of prayer.

5000 Attend Congress on Evangelism

Five thousand plus Christians from all over Thailand attended the Congress on Evangelism in Bangkok. It was held May 5-7. Inspiring speakers, such as Bill Hybels, encouraged Christians to be bold in their daily lives to proclaim the Gospel to their neighbors. Thai Christian leaders gave ideas of how in this age of technology they are impacting Thais with the Gospel. Right now there are 400,000 Christians in Thailand. The emphasis of Christian leaders is to have a million Christians in Thailand by 2015. Pray that Thai Christians will get serious about reaching their neighbors and friends for God.

Prayer & Praise

1. Praise God for the progress that El is making. She can now stand on her tiptoes holding onto the wall. Continue praying for her to soon walk.
2. Praise God that 3 schools have accepted summer volunteers to teach in their schools in Khao Phanom!
3. Pray that the summer volunteers will make a positive influence for God’s kingdom in the lives of students and teachers in Khao Phanom.
4. Pray for God to open the floodgates of blessings on Khao Phanom Baptist Church and more Thais will come worship.
5. Pray for a Thai Christian leader, who will work with Khao Phanom Baptist Church when we leave Thailand.
6. Pray that Thai Christians will take seriously the goal of a million Christians in Thailand by 2015 and tell others the difference Jesus has made in their lives.
7. Pray for grace as we sell our things and leave the ministries we have been working in the past 4+ years.

Flood Relief

The end of March, steady rains hit southern Thailand for about 5 days. In Khao Phanom district, the rains on Phanom Benja Mountain caused mudslides and tons of water to sweep through the district. Several sections of the district were underwater for almost a week. Eleven Thais died here. The swiftly running water swept rubber & palm oil trees, houses, vehicles, furniture and people away in its current.

We heard some really sad stories. Most found out the run-off water was coming & were rescued by boats from roofs and second floors. Other people had time to flee and take their trucks or motorcycles to higher ground. The water rose to between 1 & 2 meters. Other people, once the waters receded, slept on bamboo shelters back at their homes while cleaning up their muddy houses. Families were waiting for electricity & water to be restored. Some tried to wash their mattresses and dry them on the road or tree stumps. Furniture had to be discarded because it was damaged beyond repair. Refrigerators & washing machines could be seen in yards drying after being cleaned. Some waded through small amounts of standing water to cut their rubber trees or get the fruit from their palm oil trees so they would have an income.

Much aid was sent by the Thai government, royal family, & private donations to the really badly affected areas. Lesser amounts of aid reached other sections. Because our funds were limited, we had to choose where to best spend our resources. Once the waters were down, we went out to find out where to help. Through our church, Krabi Baptist, we had made up around 358 bags with food/personal use items from Disaster Relief Funds (and another 100 bags were distributed from Thai Baptist Funds). In addition, foldable mattresses, pillows, lightweight blankets and even doors were distributed. Two cooked meals were also served in flood villages. During those meals, the gospel was related in sermonettes, songs, music and church members serving the Thais in the two villages. Another meal is scheduled for next month, as well.

Long Distance Bike Race

Phuket Bicycle Riders sponsored a race of 62+ miles. Urged on by his fellow bike riders in Krabi, Richard wanted to see if he could actually ride the 62 miles in the heat. The race began at the Sarasin Bridge between Phuket & PhangNga Provinces. It followed the beach in PhanNga Province before doubling back on the main road into Phuket. The riders went to the 2 Sisters Heroine Monument and returned to the Sarasin Bridge. Over 150 bikers started the competition, but Richard was among the about 50 riders who actually finished.

World Team

A volunteer team from America came to help a few days. They did a variety of things from passing out food bags for flood relief, washing church fence, prayer walking and encouraging new Christians with their testimonies. We were encouraged by young adults, who were taking a year off to go around the world and see where God is working.

Thai New Year

This is the beginning of the Buddhist lunar year. It is the year 2554. During this time, Thais travel upcountry and every train, plane, & boat is filled to capacity as they travel. One hundred eighty-eight people died on the roads during the holiday. The 3 day celebration brought many out to splash/spray & throw water and welcome the summer months. If you’re fortunate enough to be close, people spread powder to help you feel cool. Originally, elders had water gently poured on their shoulders to bless them and children had fun splashing water in the intense heat. This has now turned into a full-fledged water fight.
We attended a party in the evening and had fun eating Mexican food with Thais, Russians, & Americans.
Then on Friday we traveled to the province of Satun for a meeting with our team.

Prayer & Praise

1. Praise God for the opportunity to participate in flood relief for those who had lost so much in the southern flood/mudslides in Krabi.
2. Praise God for the help of Krabi Baptist members in buying & bagging up the food to be given away in the disaster relief .
3. Pray that Thais in Khao Phanom will come to belief in Jesus Christ’s salvation.
4. Continue praying for Tik, & Duang-jai (whose husbands are Christian) to come to know Jesus as Savior.
5. Pray for us to sell possessions that we don’t need before September and our return to the U.S.
6. Pray for a pastor/leader to be found to take over the work in Khao Phanom with the church there.

Flooding

Thirty-four+ districts (counties) in the south have been affected by flooding. This weather has seen lower temperatures and flooding in our hot season. Waves have reached 6-12 feet high in both the Andaman Sea & Thai Gulf and stranded tourists on islands. Fishing boats couldn’t go out because of the high waves.

Travel on the Thai mainland has been affected too. The north-south Highway was cut in several places because of the flooding. Landslides washed away homes, household goods, vehicles, and killed some Thais (23 by the latest count). Because of the flooding, electricity was cut or erratic. Public water was polluted by the flood waters. Those who could flee to higher ground did and took refuge in homes of relative/friends, schools and Buddhist temples.

Thais here can not work their rubber trees. Thus, they have no income because of the rain. Most don’t have any savings. Crops are affected and the price of food stuffs has risen, just as it was a few months ago when the sugar & rice prices rose because of flooding in Thailand’s central region. Pray for the lives of those affected by the flooding. Pray for us to have wisdom in our disaster relief work through Krabi Baptist Church to produce people for God’s kingdom.

Annual Meeting

We attended a meeting with our fellow “m”s in the north of our country. We helped behind the scenes with office & other activities that needed to be done for the meeting. It was fun to be able to sing songs & worship in our own language. Many seminars were held to help with ideas in how to evangelize better, as well. A group of volunteers from Mississippi came to help with the children’s programs and they did a super job! Seniors graduating from High School were recognized and a gift sent with them to help with their re-entry to the USA. A skit/spoof, kind words from our supervisor, and a gift were given us in recognition of our leaving Thailand later this year & retirement late next year.

Prayer & Praise

1. Praise God for Ravi, an Indian working in Khao Phanom, who is coming to worship with our small group.
2. Praise God for the refreshment, & learning which took place at our annual meeting of “m”s this month
3. Pray for those affected by the flooding to be able to pick up their lives without much problem.
4. Pray that God will give us wisdom in our ministries to those affected by flooding will bring some into God’s kingdom.
5. Pray for the people of Khao Phanom to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
6. Pray for those Thais in Khao Phanom, who claim the name “Christian” to come worship with our group on Sundays.
7. Continue praying for Tik, & Duang-jai (whose husbands are Christian) to come to know Jesus as Savior.

El's Profession of Faith in Jesus Christ

We finished teaching El the foundational lessons. Then we asked the question, “Do you believe that Jesus is God, who came to suffer & die to wash away your sins? Her answer was “Yes, when I first heard that there was a God who was concerned about me, I was interested. I listened and decided to follow. I read my Bible daily (sometimes several times a day) and prayed for God to forgive my sins and heal my body. Since the beginning when you came, my body has steadily become stronger. I want to walk so that I can go to church to be with other believers, tell others about God and serve in the local church. I have started in this path already and I don’t intend to return to my old ways.”
Since studying with us, we have seen El change from hate for her husband (for leaving her and having a minor wife) to consideration for him. We pray for El’s continued physical healing – that she will walk again, serve God and that her spiritual life will show God’s love to many in her community.
At Christmas we had given her a picture of Jesus. (We put it up high on her wall like you would do to show respect for a picture of the Thai king.) Her husband saw the picture and said that Jesus was handsome and that he, himself, looked like Jesus. He wanted his picture placed on the wall alongside the picture of Jesus. We explained to El that Jesus was like the king & that we could not place her husband’s picture beside that of Jesus, but we would put it underneath the one of Jesus. Richard brought his drill and placed the picture of El’s husband below and to the side of Jesus’ picture. In jest, we also warned that we would change the husband’s picture for one of El’s cat, if her husband did not begin following Jesus. Pray for El’s husband to think and begin following Jesus too.

First Communion at Khao Phanom Baptist Church

The last Sunday in January, the worship group in Khao Phanom had its first communion. Everyone was very excited. A. Dusit, pastor of Krabi Baptist, preached a sermon on preparing our hearts to worship and follow God. After praying for the needs of the church members, communion was held. All were very excited to receive the bread and grape juice together as signs that they were followers of Jesus Christ as Lord. The communion set was provided by a Men’s Sunday School Class in Virginia. (Communion Sets have been hard to get in Thailand.)

Chinese New Year

Before Chinese New Year, many of Chinese descent cleaned their houses as preparation to welcome the new year. For us it began about 7.30 am with fire crackers going off at our next door neighbor’s house. They were calling down their ancestors and spirits to feast on food here on earth before going back to the land of the dead. The dragon dancers were out, as well, calling for money as they danced to bless your home or business. Most Chinese here celebrate by going to visit their relatives and friends. They give gifts to those they respect and to elders. The children love Chinese New Year too because they get red envelopes (ang bow อังเบา) from family (family friends) with money in them. (Most of Richard’s riding buddies did not go out riding their bicycles because they, as Chinese, were feasting as well.)

Prayer & Praise

1. Praise God for El’s profession of faith in Jesus Christ. (This is an answer to your prayers!!)
2. Praise God for some rest taken during the month.
3. Continue to pray for El’s healing – so that she will soon walk again.
4. Pray for El’s husband to become a Christian, as well.
5. Pray that not only more Christians in Khao Phanom will regularly attend, but also that non-Christians will consistently attend & believe in Jesus' work on the cross for us.
6. BePop, a Korean Christian, is marrying a Thai girl. PRAY that she will truly be come a Christian, not just a change of religious status on her national ID card.
7. Pray that God will soon provide a Christian pastor to continue the work in Khao Phanom before we leave.

Children's Day

Thais love children so Children’s Day was an opportunity to work with the community and show the generosity of Christians. Many communities have programs for the children. Children are featured doing Thai traditional dance or other skills. Civic groups do contests & games, give away free food and prizes too. Twelve Thai Christians worked in the heat giving away 1300 balloon animals, snacks, and Christian tracts. Children came steadily throughout the morning hours. More balloons and snacks could have given away, but we ran out of both 11.30. We were all tired, but grateful for the tent shelter, drinking water, chairs and tables supplied by the city.

Other December Activities

December was a busy month. Besides the activities we told you about in our last blog postings, Richard performed a wedding, we went into the local prison, a house dedication, and a New Years’ party at the church. We also kept up our regular schedule as much as possible. Linda flew to Bangkok to get a second opinion on eye surgery, but was told there she really doesn’t need surgery now - Praise God! Richard went to the doctor in Phuket and got a precancerous place cut off his arm.
Richard also performed in a 9 scene play during the Krabi Baptist Christmas Program. Over 600 Thais attended and heard a sermon on Jesus being God. Praise God that Jesus is God and being the creator has power to help in our lives. Many at the program were fed stir fried noodles and a chicken rice dish that night.

Going to the Prison

On the Wednesday after Christmas, we went with a group from Krabi Baptist into the local prison. Our group went to the women’s section of the prison. In an area (pictured here) built for 50-60 women, 104 women stay (eat & sleep). The women were attentive as we talked, acted out a mime, our pastor gave a 10 minute sermon and distributed small gift packets with things for everyday use to them. During the sermon, some of the ladies were teary-eyed. Guess it’s easy to admit you’re a sinner when you’re in prison. Pray that some of these will accept Jesus as Savior.

Prayer & Praise

1. Praise God for all our good volunteers on Children’s Day in Khao Phanom.
2. Praise God for the Krabi Baptist members who weekly support the worship in Khao Phanom.
3. Pray that we will see God miraculously working in our last 9 months in Thailand.
4. Joseph is a Christian, but his wife, Tik is not. Pray that she will be a Christian soon.
5. Pray for Sida and his wife Du-angJai to find jobs soon in Khao Phanom.
6. Pray that teachers’ hearts in the local school will be open to the Gospel.
7. Pray that we will have conversations with Thais which will lead them to God.

Khao Phanom Baptism

We left home early Sunday morning to pick up some of the people from Khao Phanom who would be baptized. In the car, Jiap was witnessing to the father of the 2 teenagers & child, who were to be baptized. Guy, the father, listened to what was said and agreed. He even told about his children’s faith as they prayed for their dog. The dog had been shot in the head, neck & spine and has been partially healed. After worship & lunch at Krabi Baptist Church we went to a church member’s swimming pool, where six Thais received baptism (3 adults, 2 teenagers, & 1 child). We sang by the pool before their ceremony and Pastor Dusit asked the new Christians about their belief and encouraged them to live out their Christian faith. We ended the service with prayers for the newly baptized Thais.

The Meaning of Christmas Explained in Schools

We performed Christmas Programs in 4 High Schools and 2 Elementary Schools in Khao Phanom. We were able to present the Christmas story through words, story, songs, a skit and handouts. Most importantly, we had the opportunity to explain the real meaning of Christmas, the birth of a Jesus Christ who is the true God worthy of worship. Most Thais think Christmas is all about exchanging gifts on the new year or Santa Claus. Both American and Thai team members pitched in to get props ready, give a witness, sing, and act in a skit. One of the highlights was a particular question and answer session. The Thai elementary students asked questions such as: What’s the difference between heaven and hell? When was Jesus born? When did Jesus go to heaven? Is there really a devil? and “Why do we celebrate Christmas?” What wonderful questions from the mouth of children.

Khao Phanom City Christmas Program

Khao Phanom town gave us permission to shut off the street in front of the house where we worship on Sundays. The city also brought 2 tents to cover the road, plus tables and chairs for guests. On December 19th at 2.30 pm, only 6 children had come. We began to worry. Since this was the first time we had planned for a Christmas program in the city of Khao Phanom, our expectations for the number of guest was some where between 50 - 80. But only 6 had shown up! However, slowly more people began to arrive. The program actually began at 3 pm. Richard prepared the program, but Thais from Krabi Baptist carried the program for about 2 hours. Several skits were done, dancing, games, prizes distributed, the Christmas story was told with felt pictures, and a 10 minute sermon was given by Ajohn Dusit from Krabi Baptist Church. One child even did a hula hoop act to music. In the end around 130 Thais from the neighborhood heard the Gospel, greatly exceeding our expectations! Talking to the non-Christians who came, some of them said they had heard there was a church, but didn’t know where it was. Others came out of curiosity and the desire for free food & prizes. Around 20 Thais from Krabi Baptist Church were a great help in registering people, setting out the food, awarding prizes, & leading games. Christmas tracts were given to all guest. We fed 150 people chicken, rice, ice cream cake and cookies. Thanks for your prayers for the program. The program was a blessing to the community and showed the generosity of Christians for their neighbors. Most importantly they heard the story of Jesus Christ!

Prayer & Praise

1. Praise God for the great cooperation with our Christmas Teams – both Thai and American! Pray for fruit from these programs.
2. Praise God for six Thais from Khao Phanom receiving baptism on December 12th.
3. Praise God for the Gospel presented in the Khao Phanom Christmas Program, pray for fruit for God’s kingdom from this activity.
4. Pray Tos-in-ie to place her faith in Jesus Christ.
5. Pray for our Children’s Day activities on January 8th to bring families to Christ.
6. Guy’s behavior has become worse since our last blog update. Pray again for Guy to stop playing cards and have faith in God.
7. El’s paralysis is lessening. She is able to do more than when we first met her. Pray for El’s complete healing and her faith in Jesus Christ.

Thanks for your prayers!