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.