We are very grateful for your support and prayers! God is answering your prayers and pouring His blessings on us!
One evening a few of our girls came to me and they had a surprising request. They were invited to participate in a special ritual with other young girls, and since they now believe in Jesus, they were not sure if this is something, they should be involved in. They explained that is a special ritual for young and beautiful virgins who are invited to someone’s house (those people who organize this ritual) and those people serve them for a few days. Feeding, caring, providing for all their needs and wants, during this time and they are not permitted to do any work, except participating in the ritual. This was a dilemma for our young girls, and Nai, one of them who had the courage to ask me: “Teacher, tell me, Yes or No, and I will do what you’ll say! Should I go?” It sounds like a fun activity, but later we found out that this is a ritual to prepare young girls as ”wives for the spirits”. Yes, for the spirits. Now it doesn’t sound like fun anymore. I asked: “When you do this, who are you worshiping to?” Satan – was Nai’s answer.
“What do you think now, would you still like to do it?” This question made her think. Later, that evening, Nai said that she will not go and participate in this ritual, even encouraged other friends not to do it either. Two days later, when we had a bible study and shared our blessings from the past week, this topic was one of the blessings, Nai was one of the first ones who wanted to share: “I am very glad I didn’t do the ritual, I thought about it and I want to worship God, not Satan!”
Another example of how our children show their faith is in school is that every day they start and finish school with a special prayer to Buddha. Now, since some of our girls are in middle school, they are supposed to be an example for younger children and were asked to teach and show how to pray and bow before Buddha in front of the whole school. The whole school is watching, and if they don’t want to do it, then they face serious consequences. The teacher said: “In our school everyone does it!” In the Asian culture, the word of the teacher is powerful, and shaming is often being used to make children obey. Nobody wants to be shamed in front of the whole school or even spanked. That was not an easy decision for Meek (one of our girls), when it was her turn to go up front, all the thoughts and the truth that she learned in Church were coming to her mind, but the word of the teacher was fearful and strong. She went up front and followed the teacher instructions, but when the turn came for another of our girls and she was faced the same questions, she went upfront but refused to follow the instructions of the teacher.
These are just a few examples of what young Christians are facing here. There are questions that come up again and again: Yes or No? Is this right before God? Will it please Him?
Our mission is to guide these young souls from the very beginning, so as they grow in faith, they would be ready to make the right decisions on their own.
“I really want to be closer to God!” – was Sen’s answer, when he was asked: “What is your biggest wish?”
God is working in the hearts indeed, and our prayer is for these teens to become strong followers of Christ!
Please pray with us:
For our children to be strong in faith even when their families don’t support them.
Thank you for the good news from our children who finished school and are now in universities, and that they found a church there and continue to grow in their faith
Dear Church, we are very grateful for your prayers! Happy Mother’s and Father’s Day to all parents.
Mother’s day is very important in Thailand. Many schools are making a special event for mothers where the students are making a flower or a bouquet of flowers out of a paper and give it to their moms at the end of the ceremony, standing on their knees, showing respect and gratefulness.
For most of our children, this is not the joyful day they want it to be, because their parents won’t be at this ceremony. Why? Because they are not there with them even though they are not orphans. The definition of a parent sadly has been changed. The “Mom and Dad, who are raising you” is not the standard any longer. If you would ask our children:
Do you have parents? Most of the answers would be like:
Parents?!
Yes, I am living with my grandmother and uncle.
Yes, but they are far from here and I can only see them once a year.
Yes, I am staying with my aunt’s family.
Yes, I have a grandmother and grandfather who are taking care of me.
Yes, I am staying with my uncle.
Some answers are:
Yes, I have a father and a grandmother.
Yes, my mother is with us.
Yes, I have a father, and my sister’s father and my third sisters’ mother.
Yes, I didn’t see my father since I was 3 months old, but my mother was always with me.
Yes, I am staying with my adoptive parents because my biological parents don’t have an opportunity to take care of me, but I visit them sometimes.
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And only few would describe their parents as mom and dad who are taking care of them. All these children have “parents” or at least one “parent” but the definition is not what we used to understand.
Because of this, we decided to make a “Family day” instead of “Mother’s day”, where children can invite any of their family members who are taking care of them and thank God for them. We had over 150 people who attended the “Family Day” and had a chance to share with them God’s Word, what it says about the family, and what advice it gives for parents and for children.
This “Family day” was a real joy for one of our girls, who hasn’t seen her dad since she was three months old, and after eleven years her family reunited again! Praise God, for the privilege to have “parents” as “Mom and Dad who are with you!”
The culture or economic can change the definition of the family and Parents, but nothing can change the definition of the perfect love of our Heavenly Father. He never changes! He is always there for us. He understands our joys and sorrows. Such amazing and encouraging news to share with our children. God continues blessing us with many children and teens that are coming to our evening school.
Please Pray for:
The greatest need is that we would like to build a small building next to our bamboo church, where we can continue the ministry and in the meantime fix our Bamboo building. By God’s grace, we received enough finances to start the process and believe that God will provide the rest. Please pray for the remaining finances and also for people who would like to help us with it.
The right people who would like to help us in teaching and taking care of the children.
For God’s Word to bring fruit in the hearts of the children
That God would raise boys to be future leaders in our church.
When God is calling to do His work, He requires faith in the things that are unseen, but He also provides His leading hand and shows everything that is needed to make these steps.
He is really blessing us with open opportunities to share about Him here in Northern Thailand! The evening school that started 2 years ago with 15 students has now around 50 children and more than 20 teens. Our Bible study group that started with a few girls has grown to 15 people. Sunday school grew as well, and more young children have started to come.
They come to practice singing, playing piano, guitar, and ukulele or to play and learn. Some come to do homework for school or just to sit and rest. They even come to cook, to teach and they come when they are tired, hungry or sick. They come after school by walking, on the school van, motorcycle or bicycle and bring their friends or parents, or come alone. They come twice a week, four times a week and some once a week and but many of them every single day.
People in the village are saying: “Children who go to Church are very different from other children, their grades are better, they are polite and very responsible!”
Here are a few blessings that our teens shared during last Bible study: “As I was preparing food this Sunday for our church lunch, I really worried that our rice would not be ready on time, as the church service was coming to the end; I prayed and asked God to help. At the time we had lunch everything was ready and nobody was left hungry!” Thank God!
“The Saturday we went to buy prizes for children, we parked our car and as we finished, we saw a policeman standing beside our car and writing a ticket. It turned out we parked in the wrong place. The policeman didn’t want to hear anything that we didn’t see the sign. Some of us are foreigners and don’t understand Thai – we got a ticket. Even worse than this was that we didn’t have any money to pay for it. Before going to the police station, we prayed to God, and He answered. At the police station, the officer was very nice to us and only asked us to write the first name of my parents and let us go, without paying anything. God is great!”
One time, when we were finishing our school with a Bible story about Daniel and how God saved him from hungry lions, we told the children that we are praying to the same God as Daniel prayed to. We encouraged the children to pray to this God when they are scared, sick or really need help. Suddenly we heard a loud question: How can I pray to God? What do I say? – a little boy asked, and many others were glad to hear the answer. “Our God is the Highest God, that’s why He can help!”
As we see, God is doing His work and He has invited us to be a part of it. Please pray for our wisdom in managing our time and raising this generation for Christ! We need your help.
Please pray for:
For God to send the right people to serve with us in a short or long term. Would you like to come or would you like to support a volunteer to come?
For our church building to stay strong till the time we will rebuild it. Because of the rain, wind, and insects our bamboo church has worn out.
For our Sunday school building that we are preparing to build, for God to provide finances and people who can help in building.
Please pray especially for our boys that they would grow stronger in faith to understand and apply the Scripture as the future leaders.
Please pray for us, that God would give us wisdom and His guidance in every decision. That He would provide strength especially during the hot days.
We appreciate your prayers and support. May God richly bless you!
Children who come to our church are first-generation believers. Most of their family members are non-Christian who believe in spirits and play a big role in their lives. On Sundays, we gather to pray for non-saved parents and family members and we believe that God will answer! One big characterization of Asian culture is its community life and great respect for elderly people and parents in the family.
On Sunday we asked: “Who would like to be baptized?” A few people raised their hands, but after talking with their parents they didn’t understand and support them. Ing was one of them. When she told her parent about her desire to be baptized, they were very disappointed because as they believe Christians don’t feed the spirits of their ancestors after their death and she will not take care of them after their death. This is one of the very strong believes that are in peoples head.
Why do you want to be baptized? – I asked her the other day.
“Because I want to be a Christian, I don’t want to be the same as my mom, I have many things, that God has done for me. I want Satan to see that I follow God and not him” This is a strong desire that only God can give. Ing and a few other young girls are asking for your prayers, that God would give them wisdom in talking with their families and would open the parent’s hearts.
One of the blessings we have is our Bible study groups, where we can learn how to read, understand and apply the Word of God in our daily life’s. After we read together we ask questions like: “What does it tell me to do? And how can I apply it in the next two days?” It is amazing to hear very practical goals: “I will tell my mom only the truth.” “I will practice piano even when someone will call me to go out and play” “I will learn even harder to play musical instruments, not only piano, but even learn guitar” “I will come to Church more often to learn about God” “I want to be a missionary.” These are not just words, lives are being changed! Eak, one of the boys (who spent most of his time playing computer games), started to come every day, to practice playing guitar and last Sunday he played few songs during Worship time in Church. God’s word is powerful indeed! Please pray for our young people to grow more and more in the truth of God’s Word.
Thank you very much for every prayer and any support, it means a lot to us.
Please pray with us:
That God would send us the right person to help teaching English for the new school year. We have so many children and currently only one teacher. We believe that God will answer our prayer.
The possibility to teach English to monks and create a relationship with them.
Please pray for a little girl in Laos, who got severe burns. We had the opportunity to visit her and her mom and were able to help financially. Please pray for her healing.
For our future leaders in our Church so that our boys and girls would continue to grow in Christ.
For us leaders, to receive Gods wisdom and direction in every decision we make.
New year is an important event for people in Thailand. Families gather together, slaughter a pig to eat and invite friends over. This time of the year is very special for many of our children because this time of the year might the only time in the year where they can see their parents who come to visit from Bangkok, where they work to provide for their families.
This year our young girls competed on behalf of the whole village and received a prize – a cash reward. When they shared the funds among themselves, and I had to smile as I watched as they counted their coins and set aside 10 percent for God. And they themselves were happy that they could help the church! Thank God for the work that was done in the hearts of our children.
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God has given us a wonderful opportunity to encourage our children to read and memorize Bible verses. The children were instructed to read the message of Jacob and remember Psalm 101, after which we had a two-day camp. It was a blessed and happy, but also a tense time for all of us. We wanted our children and the children of other Christians to meet and worship together. Some of the villagers bring fruit or vegetables from their fields and gardens. After the camp, we all sell it and have a modest revenue for our church needs.
A few days ago, we had a graduation program for our local girls who helped with the education of children over the past two years. Now is the time for them to take the next step in education or find a job. This is a big change in their lives because they have to go somewhere else. Please pray for them so that God will help them make the right decisions in their life’s! God bless you!
Dear church and staff who is spreading the Gospel. There are many difficulties in the past year but also joy and growth in God. We are greatly thankful for your support in prayers, through mail, visits, and donations.
Remembering the past year, I want to share the blessings that God gave us. There were moments, it seemed to us that we are all alone, but as soon as we cried out to God, volunteers came to us to help. Two groups came to the ministry and some of them came on their own to stay for a few months and donated their time and work.
A team from a church in Singapore served with medicine preparation. More than 100 people received medical help and heard the news of Christ.
We reached the hearts of people through sports games with the youth from neighboring villages. And even though our team did not come in first they learned to pray to God and care about other people.
Last year we held a church camp. God is faithful, and we were able to form a team of leaders and assistants. During the camp, some children prayed aloud for the first time in front of their peers.
We also have an official name now: “The Avoda Fund in Chiang Rai”. This will help us in preparation with all documents and visas for those who wish to help us in the ministry.
A camp in a General Education School with a team from the US was a great blessing. Every day we could openly testify about Christ. Some children started to come to church after this camp.
May God bless you and your families so that in this new year we will bring even more fruit.
