Our mission to reach Thailand for Christ continues, step by step, from the North to the South. One of the ways we work toward this goal is “Camp on Wheels,” through which we conduct evangelism and discipleship training to reach children and young adults across Thailand during school breaks. Over the last two months, we held four camps for children and two for youth, covering 2500 km (1553 miles) to reach our station in the South. We witnessed God’s work throughout Thailand!
North: In the North, we served at a children’s home for refugees and children from the Akka tribe in the mountains. “You are the first Christians that came to help us!” they told us. Partnering with a friend from the YMCA, we aim to ensure weekly visits. Our youth, many from broken families who have experienced God’s love and care, now share that love with others. Seeing how God heals broken hearts and uses them to heal others is a joy.
West: Our camp was for refugees from Myanmar, people who came to our country looking for safety and hope for their future. Many children from Muslim and Buddhist families could once again experience God’s love. Their testimonies were very encouraging. Some children from Muslim families are believers and haven’t announced it to their families yet but show their changed lives. Some can’t stay with their families because they believe in Jesus as the Son of God. It was a hot season and the temperature sometimes went up to 42°C-50°C (108°F-122°F). Our team witnessed how God provides strength and makes it possible to be energetic while doing His work! We also thank God for the way He provided finances through His children, allowing us to hold the camp, provide snacks for the children, and take them to the waterfall one day, for which they were so grateful!
South: It was a 3-day trip until we reached our place in the South. Heat, humidity, and mosquitos were the biggest challenges. But it was nothing compared to what God prepared for us there. Muslim families are open to the Gospel! We didn’t face any resistance but even received support when parents let their children join our 5-day camp. Sixty children attended every day, and many of them were from Muslim families. Forty of them came that week on Sunday for Church service. The team from Germany was a big blessing and support. We experienced true teamwork, serving together for God, Thai and German youth learning from each other and hearing how God works in each life. We thank God for the open hearts and pray for the right people to continue the work there.
Moving Forward: As we conclude this season of “Camp on Wheels,” we express our gratitude to God and everyone who prayed, donated, and encouraged us. Please continue to pray for open hearts to grow in their faith and experience God in their lives! Pray for God to send the right people to Thailand so that the Word of God can spread and more people can come to Christ! We are preparing for the next season of camps in October-November. Would you like to join us? Please pray for our “Camp on Wheels” ministry to bring Thailand to Christ, step by step, and while doing this, disciple young people to grow in their faith and reach their generation for Christ!
For the past six months, repair work has been ongoing at the shelter to improve the living conditions for those who couldn’t manage life and ended up on the streets. Of the 28 people living in the shelter today, 24 are elderly, and many of their days are numbered.
The most remarkable thing is that even when they were young, they never had such living conditions. Praise the Lord, who is wise in His plan to transform the soul and life of a person. Many of our residents have tears in their eyes as they see the rooms and the building where they have found refuge transformed in the final period of their lives.
These people, who were once considered unnecessary (and our residents were just like that before meeting Jesus), find it hard to believe that all this beauty is for them and that it is done by the One who left the glory of heaven and came to earth to make others happy. The work being done at the shelter helps many to reflect and reconsider their values. This is how the Lord changes their hardened and callous hearts.
Daily Bible readings reveal Jesus, who lived for others, in a new light. There is still much work ahead, but we do not give up, as we feel and have your support, both in prayer and financially. The Holy Spirit, who moves your hearts, also helps us in this difficult task.
I express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for your contribution, dear friends. Through charity, many accept Jesus as their Savior!
The situation with electricity is becoming more and more difficult. In eastern Ukraine, there has been no electricity for several days. Russia continues to bomb power stations in our region. Because of this, we experience daily power outages for several hours. Many people are suffering due to this, especially hospitals that cannot perform scheduled surgeries and treatments without power.
The situation for men is also very challenging. The actions of the Ukrainian government are increasingly coercive. Men are being abducted off the streets and then sent to the front lines. Most have no combat training, gear, or weapons to defend themselves. Many men are trying to flee the country, but it is dangerous and very difficult.
It is hard for me to describe this horror and despair. I have turned from a pastor into a psychologist and psychotherapist, as fear and panic have caused many people to develop mental illnesses and disorders. Our government has lost its sense of reason, and democracy is turning into dictatorship. Today, we are dedicating all our efforts to discipleship, and I ask you to pray for this. Thank you for thinking of us, praying for us, and supporting us.
You know you’re in Papua New Guinea when, during the service, instead of choir singing, there are dances with drums, and instead of writing a check as an offering, someone brings a sack of coffee to the altar.
And to use the water pump, you first need to call all your neighbors so they can turn off their electric kettles.
In the evening, a friend calls and says he heard that bandits are planning to attack “Promise Land” tonight, so be careful. Of course, of course—you smile. After all, you have a (friendly) dog in your yard and a guard with a bow and arrows. By the way, the guard loves to sleep.
Some would grab a gun, most would shrug, but you open your Bible to Philippians 4:6. Bandits or not, the last thing I do before bed is spend time with the Lord. “Do not be anxious,” says the imprisoned apostle to his dear brothers and sisters in Philippi. “Do not be anxious about ANYTHING.”
My challenges differ from yours, but “do not be anxious” applies in both cases. And it’s not a suggestion—it’s a command.
May the Lord bless each of you (and us!) with His peace, which only He can give. And “peace” is not the absence of difficulties. Peace is the presence of the risen Christ, and He is with each of us, right now, as He promised.
In the local church, I help with the school. When I began participating in this ministry, I realized the challenges faced by the local children. I want to share the story of a Syrian refugee girl in Lebanon. She is a teenager, around 15 years old.
First, a little background: In Lebanon, teachers frequently go on strike, demanding better working conditions and pay. Because of this, schools often remain closed for weeks, sometimes even months. Local residents have told me that some public schools haven’t been operational for several months.
This situation led the Arab church to open a free school, though it currently only has five grades. The girl I mentioned started attending this Christian school, even though she has long outgrown the fifth-grade level. It’s the only opportunity for her to receive assignments. As there are no other prospects, she has remained in the fifth grade multiple times. It’s better than doing nothing at all.
Children facing similar issues often end up working as porters in stores or scavenging for plastic in garbage dumps. Thanks to the lessons at this school, they have the chance to learn to read and write, and also to hear the truth about Jesus. I am grateful to God for the opportunity to be a part of this ministry.
Our most joyous news is the successful discharge of Artemiy from the hospital. We have been accompanying him for two years while he was undergoing treatment at the oncology center for leukemia. We faced various stages in his treatment. There was a time when his mother asked me to pray for his healing. The boy was so weak that he couldn’t even get out of bed. This week, he was discharged home and is now in remission!
Artemiy had a dream of owning a bicycle and riding it himself. We bought him a bicycle, and he is thrilled. Now, we will continue our friendship by bringing him and his mother to Sunday services.
Recently, a woman contacted me, saying that the head of the neurology department had given her my phone number. Her daughter, Nadya, is in a severe condition, experiencing epileptic seizures every five minutes, and the doctors cannot determine the cause as all tests are normal. Nadya’s mother said, “I believe if you pray for her, my child will be healed.” Nadya would freeze with open eyes, and her body would convulse. I prayed with her mother, who decided to change her life and ask for God’s forgiveness, and then I prayed with the girl. Two days later, Nadya’s mother informed me that the seizures and convulsions stopped after I left.
Brothers and sisters, I haven’t been this happy in a long time. I experienced immense God’s grace. Praise the Lord that we can be helpful and work together in this ministry. Thank you for your prayers and support!
