Team Prayer Retreat

During the middle part of August we went on a 3 day Prayer Retreat. Our team stayed in Khao Lak, where the 2004 Tsunami did lots of destruction. We listened to a program by John Piper called "Fighting for Joy" and discussed how it impacted our lives. We also prayed and enjoyed fellowship with each other. It was great to be able to get away in such a beautiful setting.

Prayer and Praise

1. Praise God for the new group of Thais, who are now studying the Bible in Pru Thee-Awl.
2. Pray for the new group of Thais to be consistent in studying each week and come to a belief in the one true God.
3. Pray for Satan to be thwarted in our work in Khao Phanom and Blai Pra-Ya.
4. Pray that a new Bible group on Sunday can be started in Khao Phanom because of the efforts of Christians at Krabi Baptist going out each week to this area.
5. Pray for vivid dreams to come to Thais in Khao Pa-nom and Blai Pra-Ya as preparation to Thais coming to know God.
6. Pray for Jiap to be faithful in telling Bible stories to family members/friends and memorizing her Bible verses.
7. Pray for Christians at Krabi Baptist to be financially responsible, bold, and lead holy lives before their neighbors.

Preparing for Volunteers

Preparing for volunteers, we visited 11 junior and senior high schools. Each school wanted their students to hear and interact with different native English speakers. Making sure the administration knew that the team would present the Gospel was no problem. However, a change of plans took place the week before the volunteers arrived. Khao Phanom district decided to have Sports Week for the schools. Six of the eight schools we had contacted canceled. Praise God!! Two days before the volunteers arrived, we had arranged new venues in Plai Praya schools.

Annual Meeting

We made our way to attend our organization’s regional annual meeting. The trip was a 14 hour drive to Pattaya. While there we got to network and renew friendships with those from around our area. We also got to hear inspiring speakers, great singing and attend seminars to help in our work – all in English. A post meeting seminars were also held for invited participants.

Jiap

Jiap was baptized recently by Pastor Dusit from Krabi Baptist Chruch. Jiap is the first convert from the evangelistic effort in Khao Phanom District. Pastor Dusit asked that we teach Jiap through a series of lessons for new Christians before he baptized her. Coming out a Buddhist background, he felt it necessary that she know & understand basic Christian doctrine. Jiap's life has been a great example of how God can change a person into a new creation. She has been telling other Thais about Jesus and has a deep burden that her family become Christians too. Since her baptism, she has been diagnosed with cervical and breast cancer for the 2nd time in recent years. Please pray for her healing.

8 Texas Volunteers

A week before the volunteers’ coming, 6 schools cancelled on us because of their district’s announcement of sports week. We scrambled and were forced into a new district we didn’t know much about. The result was Eight days, six Thai schools, one weekly market, and one afternoon in the park. While it was fun, it was also lots of work in the humid heat. The talented flexible volunteers were troopers. They ate strange food and drink. They adapted to long hours and unexpected experiences. They refined testimonies into simple terms for people, who don’t know about God. They have gone back with a better understanding of missions. Pray for fruit for the Kingdom of God to occur among the Thai students and their families, who watched their presentation.

Praise and Prayer Requests

1. PRAISE: Jiap was baptized the last Sunday in June. Her health and her income have improved, but pray that God would heal her of the cervical & breast cancer she has now been diagnosed with for the 2nd time.
2. Pray for fruit for God’s Kingdom from the hard work of the 8 Texas volunteers.
3. Continue praying for us as we work to shorten the Chronological lessons.
4. Pray for God to send a Thai worker(s) to come along side us in the ministry long term.
5. Pray for us to have a vibrant growing faith and deeper reliance on God.
6. Pray for our younger daughter’s (Jamie) pregnancy to go well, the child to be normal/healthy, grow strong, and be a blessing to her and her husband, Zac.
7. Pray for Chuan, Pla and Wat-ta-nan to have vivid dreams of Jesus and come to know Jesus and God’s grace.