Decisions, Expasion, Prayer

Our Thai partner said, "This seems to be how the Lord is directing." We are in the planning stages of moving a Thai Christian family into a village rebuilt after the tsunami with people interested in the gospel. One of the more interesting features of this village is that it is one of the few Sea Gypsy settlements on land, the Molken. With their move on land, and their new status as Thai citizens, the enculturation of the Molken children is well underway. Though they are discriminated against by the local Thais, and they do look different, the children are going to Thai schools, and they speak both languages. (Molken and Thai are not in related language families.) They don't want to be called "Chaaw Lee" or "People of the Sea" but they want to be called "Thai Mai" or "New Thai." The children are also on their way to becoming Theravada Buddhists, from a long history of Molken animism and traditions.
As for us, we are asking prayer for direction, to know whether this is the family, and this is the time and place. The doors are all open, there have been invitations, a house provided for minimal cost, and a willing family. How does one know God's will for sure? Sometimes, in situations like this, we just can't figure it out before we act. So we are groping our way along in faith, and watching for indications that we should press ahead or re-think things. Please pray our team would understand His will.

Supporting National Workers & Other Difficult & Tricky Things

Please pray for our team here as we negotiate the idea of bi-vocational nationals. In a society where bi-vocational church leaders or pastors is not looked upon as a desirable option, it is a difficult idea to sell. We are thankful that our Thai partners and the many friends and relatives that are their "spiritual children" are very willing to consider it, though they feel quite apprehensive about trying to make a living and also to minister in a community, too. For us, of course, it has to do with the idea of teaching how to fish rather than simply giving a fish. One lasts for a time, the other is a skill that has a lifetime benefit.
So every Sunday we are meeting together with our Thai partners and those folks who are interested in joining the work talking about how to go about doing the bi-vocational ministry idea. So far the ideas that have come up for serious consideration are:
*a nursery for local children (pro: get to know people con: exhaustion & major set-up expenses)
*a small electronic fix-it shop (pro: get to know people con: can one survive on this?)
*workout gym (pro: get to know people, light work con: expensive set-up costs)
others: cabinet shop, coffee shop, restaurant, language school for English & Thai, raising vegetables for local resorts
We would greatly appreciate your prayers.

Next Available Town

We have the possibility of starting a new cell group (and future church) in a neighboring town about 20-25 minutes from here. It is one of the spiritual centers for the annual Chinese Deity Vegetarian/Possession festival, and as our Thai partners put it, "We will need to do a lot of praying because there are a lot of images and idols there." Meaning: a lot of spirits reside there. We are going to start praying and talking about opening the work there with a new potential partner, also Thai. Please pray with us, we want to make sure this is the place the Lord wants us to go. We do have contacts there, and no one has a cell-group there despite how large it is. We would do a bi-vocational kind of thing there, meaning we will need to help our potential partner open a small business and help support him and his family, too. His name is Chaan. Thank you for praying.

Hearts & Souls

Friday nights, like tonight, we have our weekly cell group/dinner/Bible study from 7p.m. to 9p.m. or so. We have dinner together, then sing worship songs, and after that Kennedy does a study on John. The folks that join us that haven't claimed to believe yet love the food, the fun talk & social time together, sometimes I think they even enjoy singing. But the Bible is so far off their radar...even though we use a common language, Biblical concepts are understood with great difficulty. As a Buddhist, to shed the blood of an animal is sin. As Southeast Asians, mild to moderate forms of deception are just part of life. When we read the great Biblical truths, you can only imagine how confusing it is for them. A different world, with different values, and a God for Whom blood must be shed for the remission of sins. A God for Whom truth is a foundational virtue and lies are from the heart of His enemy.
We need so much prayer here. Our living conditions are not difficult, the people are lovely and have taught us so much about hospitality, but when it comes to communicating the Word of God, we sometimes weep with frustration at the hardness of the hearts. They smile and nod as they listen to the Word, and then go home and prostrate themselves before images.

English for Adults & Children

This is almost a given here in Southeast Asia...English is a coveted commodity, and they would greatly appreciate if we would all share our wealth of knowledge on our mother-tongue. So we will be starting November 1st to teach local Bang Sak children & adults English. Please pray we would make lasting relationships with more Bang Sak locals. Bless you for your prayers on the behalf of the Southern Thai peoples.

Bi-Vocational Thai Church-Planters

Yes, a miracle, for anyone who knows Thai church culture. Our Thai partners have decided to go this route. They will be starting a nursery at Dean's Center here in Bang Sak for the local children. A LOT of work, and they need ALOT of prayer. This is a big scary step for them to take, but it will open the avenue for more bi-vocational churchplanters to be raised up and sent out. Please pray for their encouragement, and the financial success of this micro-business venture. Pray that the many young believers who consider our partners their spiritual father and mother would be willing to go this route as well.

Team Unity...Always a Challenge

We were on the Island of Ra, 20 minutes off the coast on a wooden long-tailed boat, the only guests at a kind of rugged cabin/camping site. We had finished dinner and a day of exciting discoveries; giant jellyfish, big pufferfish, and a sea-snake among other animals! We were doing a simple de-brief as a team, and one of the questions was, "What has been the most difficult thing for you these past 10 months" and "What do you want to thank the Lord the most for?" One of our partners, Ning, said the hardest thing was working as a team, and working as a team is also the thing she wants to thank the Lord the most for.
Working as a team is hard work! It is the number one reason missionaries leave a work. Among other things, it takes a lot of prayer, humility, willingness to compromise, mutual respect and understanding that we all have our weaknesses and strengths. These are all values that we can all agree on in principle, but find a challenge to work out in daily life.
I thank the Lord for our team, yet I also know we need a lot of prayer. As we see churches being established and new believers growing in the Lord, we also experience the fiery darts of the enemy...and team unity seems to be a favorite target.

Pray for Gee

Gee is one of the new believers at our church here in Bang Sak. She was baptised a month ago along with our daughter in the ocean. Her life has not been easy. She was raised by her dad and stepmom, (her mother died when she was young.) When she was a 18 she had her first child, and then later her second. Her oldest is 8, and both children have been raised by her dad & stepmom...a common practice here so the mothers can work. She has a third baby, and she lives with the father of this child, his nickname is Pooh Bear and he is 2 years old now. (Common law type marriage here is very common, they are considered married.) She was from a Buddhist background, and her husband is still Buddhist. She really needs prayer to stand strong in the face of opposition from her husband and his family about her new faith. Please pray for her to grow in grace and knowledge of God, and also to be bold in her witness. She is feeling very weak and vulnerable to the enemy's attacks. Thank you for praying for Gee!

"A light has dawned!"

We have been in this area for one year. Already through Gods grace some have come to believe in Christ as their savior. Please pray for these new believers. Ung an Saw came to Christ as a family one evening at a Bible study. Shortly after they believed they were baptized. Pray they will keep walking with God daily and keep reading, studying, memorizing and applying God's word to their lives. Pray some day that they will begin to teach the word of God to others and start a new church. The children in this picture recently came to faith in Christ. Pray for them as they grow in their faith. Pray for there moms and dads to stay open to the gospel and for our friendships with their families. Please read the prayer request on this page. They will give you a good idea what to pray for concerning the big picture of seeing churches multiplied in this area.

Information to help you pray for the Andaman Sea area of Southern Thailand

This is to help you pray with us as we live and serve in this area. We are in a spiritual battle and we need you to pray that God will destroy spiritual strong holds. Please read this and pray for these people to come out of darkness and believe in Christ.

This blog is a way for you to know how to pray for the people of Southern Thailand.

Our Purpose
To glorify God by knowing Him and making Him known.

Our Vision Statement
We envision multiplying simple churches established from the Andaman Coast to the Bay of Thailand led by Southern Thai people reaching out to neighboring provinces and beyond.

Our Mission Statement
To facilitate an Indigenous Biblical Church Movement from Andaman Coast of Southern Thailand by partnering with and training Thai Christians to plant multiplying indigenous churches.