Dear Church! Thank you very much for your prayers and support! God is faithful He helps us to continue!
“And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?“Romans 10:14
Can you imagine living in a world with little understanding of what is going on around? Hear the sounds, words, not able to read on your own and speak a language that not many people around can understand? This is the life of many elderly people in our tribe, and many other tribes who live in Thailand. The young generation speaks Thai, not many are using the Mien language anymore.
God put a desire on our hearts to visit the elderly people in our village to show them the love of Jesus and His care. Our challenge was to communicate with them. The vocabulary that our children use is enough to greet and ask simple questions, but not to translate the songs that we sang about God. This particular lady was very touched that we came to visit her, and her eyes were happy when children tried to speak Mien to her, but we realized that she didn’t understand what we were singing about. When we turned on a Christian song in Mien for her to listen, she was happy and excited. She held the phone close trying to hear every word of the song and said: “I will give it back to you when you will go home”. She was desperate to hear and understand. Can you imagine living in the world with a little understanding of what is going on around, being spiritually blind? They are worshiping spirits, bringing sacrifices to them and trying to please them. Yes, many elderly people in our tribe don’t know God and what did He for them. They need to hear the good news! This is one of the ways we can do it.
Thank you, everyone, who is supporting this project, because now we can give not only small present of some food and towels or pillows but also to put God’s Word and some available Christian songs in the Mien language on a small device and share it with the elderly who live in our village. As our children are practicing songs and prayer in Mien, we are asking you to pray for the elderly in our tribe – that their hearts would be ready to hear the Gospel as we continue to visit them.
This month is also the last of this school year and we had a get-together on the last day in our school before the summer break. Some children who came have very special life stories, and some of those we would like to share with you.
Vigo, is a little boy, whose grandma brings him on an old bicycle to school. She is very glad and thankful that he can come and learn. Every Sunday this boy comes way earlier before the church starts.
Aan, is a four-year-old boy, who is living with his grandma, and often making troubles in the neighborhood. When we brought him to the church, the first half an hour he was very quiet, and probably analyzing what is going on and why do these people look happy when singing songs. He really enjoyed playing with the boys and having a snack. He listened to the Bible story with other the children and we saw his interest. At the end when his grandma came to pick him up, she was very thankful that he was able to spend this time at the church and was glad seeing him behaving very well. One of the Sundays she said: “Aan really likes to come here and reminds me when Sundays are approaching”
Atua is another boy who is living with his grandma because his dad is in prison and mom got married to another man. Atua is a happy and smart boy who keeps on coming to every evening school and doesn’t miss a single church service where he learns a lot about God.
“When Nok Young started to learn with you, she became more confident and happier in learning another language.” – said her mom. She also learned how to pray and does it daily now since then.
And there are many other names and stories of children who need to continue to learn about Jesus and how to follow Him. We would like to invite you to join us for the new school year and If God is touching your heart and calling you for the long term, you would take a significant part in continuing helping these children grow in Christ.
Please pray:
- For our summer camp, the team and every child who will join.
- For the elderly at our tribe and outreach program with them.
- For our health as air pollution reached a new high in the last few months.
- For God to send the right people here for the long term.
May God richly bless everyone, of you as you follow Him!
Ministry in “Avoda” – Thailand, San & Anita