Mike and Sherri Morrissey

Our community has a ghost dress shrine

2012-01-31T20:35:00.000-08:00

Most Thai people are Buddhist, and most Buddhists in Thailand have some form of "Spirit House" and shrine in their yard or in their house. Even businesses, shopping malls, and the entrance to sub-divisions have spirit houses shrines. A spirit house is looks like a dollhouse, except for it is meant to be a home for the ghosts of persons who used to live in the house or area. The shrines are for providing food, drink, and incense offerings to take care of the ghosts and appease them.

Thai Buddhists are generally very afraid of ghosts and will go to great lengths to protect themselves from them. We have just moved to a new office for TMM, which is a small house in an old subdivision. We had expected to see the usual spirit house and shrine near the entrance to the sub-division, and our sub-division does have these. But we were very surprised to see glass cases with a few dozen beautiful traditional Thai gowns next to the community spirit house and shrine. When we inquired about these bright colored dresses and gowns in the elaborate glass cases, we were told that these dresses were placed here to appease a female ghost. This is the first time we have seen something like this, but Thai friends tell us this is much more common than we think.

When Thai people receive Christ and become followers of the Lord, many wonderful transformations take place in their lives. One of these transformations is that they no longer live in fear of evil spirits and ghosts. Christians know that we serve the Lord Almighty, and our Lord is greater than any evil spirit. Thai Christian homes don't have the shrines and spirit houses, instead they know that they are God's children and they have the Lord's protection. They no longer need to wear amulets (these are portable idols and shrines meant to protect them from evil spirits) or have idols of any sort. Because our Lord is the Almighty God. Amen.

Polar Plunges and Persecution

2012-01-23T23:42:00.000-08:00

Pastor Dave Martin of Hope UMC of Troy, NY. This brave man took the polar plunge to promote missions in his church. Pastor Dave and Hope UMC have been long-time supporters of the Blessing Home ministry.

A few weeks ago, TMM received a donation for Blessing Home from Hope UMC of Troy, NY with a note attached. The note said that their pastor, Dave Martin, challenged the congregation to raise $2,000 in 4 weeks for home and foreign missions, and if they succeeded, he would participate in this year's polar plunge on New Year's Day. Just in case you are not familiar with polar plunges, this is jumping to the freezing cold water in the middle of winter. This note tickled us because Sherri often says that she would like to take a polar plunge, and I tell her she must be nuts. But now, I see that you don't need to be crazy to do this, just highly committed to the Lord's work. So we extend our appreciation to Brave Pastor Dave for going beyond the call of duty to promote missions in his church.

Now, we have a very serious matter that requires all of you to be on your knees in prayer. Pastors Jerron and On of the newly formed Mai Ya church in Chiang Rai province are the targets of religious persecution at the local government level, and they need your prayers. The local sub-district government office in Mai Ya has a life-insurance program, like most sub-districts do. In this program, every adult in the sub-district pays a monthly premium, and then if someone in the family dies, the program will give money to cover cremation and funeral expenses. Most sub-districts have a program like this to make sure that everyone in the community is covered in case of death. Well, the sub-district government leaders passed a law, stating that if anyone in the community became a Christian, they would be thrown out of this program and would lose all the funds they have invested in the program. This law directly targeted the Mai Ya church, which is the first and only church in this sub-district.

Although this law is against the Thai constitution, it still is in effect at the present time, and many of the members of Mai Ya church have been stricken from this program and have had the funds they have invested confiscated by the local government. Now, everyone is afraid of hearing the message of Jesus because they do not want their money confiscated as well.

Pastor Jerron has begun the lengthy legal process to appeal this law. But first, he is setting up meetings in all 8 precincts, to have dinner and build relationship with all 8 precinct leaders. He wants to try settling this in a friendly way, if possible, rather than take this to court. Please be praying for Pastors Jerron and On, that they will find favor in the eyes of these local government leaders.

We will keep you posted on the progress, but it may be awhile before we have any news.

Christians worshipping together at Mai Ya church

Getting closer to the goal, Praise the Lord!

2012-01-10T21:02:00.000-08:00

We are getting closer and closer to the goal, having received over $110,000. Praise the Lord!

We just wanted to give you an update on the Blessing Home Building Fund. We have received over $110,000 so far and getting closer to the goal each week. In two weeks, Pastor Banya will be forming a committee to search for a new building. Please pray that the Lord will lead the committee to the right place for Blessing Home. May the Lord's will be done. We know the Lord has a place prepared for this ministry.

If you want to make a donation to the Blessing Home Building Fund, please write "Building Fund" on the memo section of your check or in the memo section of the online donation form.

Donations may be sent by mail or by internet.

Please make your checks out to TMM and send them to:

TMM

P.O. Box 56

Mannsville, KY 42758

Or donate through the TMM website at thailandmethodist.org

The newly planted Mai Ya church is thriving

2012-01-01T03:54:00.000-08:00

Sherri and I and Christine Villa, the new missionary at Blessing Home, had the privilege of spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Pastors Jerron and On of Mai Ya church, a church that was planted just a few months ago (August 2011). Pastors Jerron and On are veteran church pioneers, having planted a church with us at Bowin which is now thriving and self-supporting. Now they have planted a second church in Mai Ya, Pastor Jerron's hometown. Previously, Mai Ya sub-district had no church of any type, until now.

This is the goal of the Pioneering Pastors Program (PPP) of the Thailand Methodist Mission. We plant churches in unreached sub-districts (counties), ones which have no church of any type. 78% of sub-districts in Thailand are unreached, so if the Thai people are to be reached for Christ, we expand the Kingdom of God by planting churches where there never has been one before in history.

It is very important that these new churches become self-sufficient, because a self-sufficient church is a permanent ministry. A church that is self-sufficient will be thriving generations after Sherri and I have passed on. The way we help to make churches self-sufficient is by helping the pastors and members to start businesses that can support them. At Mai Ya, the Thailand Methodist Mission gave funds to Pastor Jerron to open a barber shop to help him support his family (this was his trade before he went to Bible college). He used the funds to build a room for the barber shop at the front of the house he is using, and to buy equipment. The apostle Paul made tents to support his ministry, and the pioneering pastors follow his example. Below are some pictures of Pastor Jerron's barber shop.

While we were in Mai Ya, Pastor Jerron drove us around to visit some of his new members at their homes and farms. Since Pastors Jerron and On planted the Mai Ya church in August 2011, the church has grown from 8 people to 24 people. They are doing a great job of visiting people and building relationships. One of the new families are farmers, and we enjoyed watching Pastor Jerron visit with them. The men were working on the water pump, which was broken. Pastor Jerron rolled up his sleeves and jumped in there with them. Pioneering a new church is hard work and it takes building relationships with all in the village.

It is the same all over the world with us guys. When there is a broken piece of machinery, we all gather around it. One man does the work, while the rest of us grunt and give advice.

Sherri with the two church matriarchs, Pen and Ben. Pen lets Pastors Jerron and On use her big pink house as the church building. Ben is a joyous person to be around.

Pastors Jerron and On are wonderful relationship bridge builders, with other churches and with the community as well. Pastor Jerron has quickly become of the leaders in the community of Mai Ya, and is now president of the board for the local community pre-school and Kindergarten. He has been helping the school to get resources needed for teaching the children and his efforts have been appreciated. Because they have nurtured the relationships with those in the community, Pastors Jerron and On and the members of Mai Ya church were invited to put on a Christmas program for the school. In a Buddhist county, this is highly unusual, but we have seen the Lord do miracles over and over again.

The newly formed church needed help putting on the program, so they asked for help from the Pha Ngam Presbyterian church. This is the same church that came and prayed with us in July, as we had meetings for preparing to start Mai Ya church. The members of Pha Ngam Presbyterian church have been fully supportive of the new church plant, because they had been praying for many years for a church to start there, and now God has answered their prayers. Pha Ngam Presbyterian church sent a full team of teens and adults to put the Christmas program on at the Community School. They worked together with Pastor Jerron and the school officials, to put on music, gift giving, and dances by the students of the Community School and also the church. It is wonderful seeing the community open their hearts to the new church, and we hope soon many more will open their hearts to Jesus Christ.

Celebrating Christmas at the Community School

On Christmas morning, we celebrated the birth of Christ at the Mai Ya church. We had games and gift giving following the morning service. One of the games which is popular is "Hot Potato". The "hot potato" is a bottle of powder, that gets passed around while the guitar plays. When the music stops, whoever has the bottle of powder must put powder on their faces and on their heads. Well, this was one of the games we played on Christmas morning, and there are two things I know will happen. First, the pastor will never stop the music while Sherri has the powder. Second, the pastor will ALWAYS stop the music while Mike has the powder! ALWAYS! It doesn't matter who the pastor is and where it is, Mike always has to dump powder on himself. Below are pictures of the Christmas party. Why does Mike always get it and Sherri never does?

We wish you a Blessed New Year!

Christmas Family Outreach 2011 at Blessing Home

2011-12-19T21:44:00.000-08:00

We and the children and staff of Blessing Home wish you aMerry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

On Friday, we celebrated Christmas at Blessing Home with ourannual Christmas Family Outreach. Asalways, the place was packed to overflowing, and we could not fit everyone inthe room. The children were divided into4 groups to sing and dance, because it would be impossible to get all of themin the room at one time. Also the volunteershad to leave the room and go outside or upstairs to make room for the familiesand guardians of the children. But thatis OK, the more the merrier, especially in Thai culture.

The staff at Blessing Home prepared costumes for thechildren on a shoestring budget. We arealways amazed at how far they can make a little money stretch. They made the costumes out of brightlycolored garbage bags. The “hula” skirtsand shirts were made by shredding plastic bags with a nail and then weaving theshredded plastic at the top to form neon “grass” outfits. They looked great. Teacher Pui is incredibly talented andcreative, and we are blessed that she serves on the staff of BlessingHome.

Church volunteers came midday to start preparations for theChristmas outreach. We praise God forvolunteers from Life Center UMC of Pattaya who sacrificed to come put thisoutreach on. And for many of them, itwas a great sacrifice. For example, oneof the volunteers, Aun, has a tiny beauty shop in downtown Pattaya (when we saytiny, it is about 5 foot by 10 foot). Aun gave up earning her living on a Friday, her busiest day, to serve atBlessing Home by styling the hair and doing makeup for the children. We know that Aun’s sacrifice to the Lord,giving up her most profitable day at her beauty shop, was a sacrifice that willcause her to have to skip many meals over the next week so she can pay herbills. This is true of many of the Thaichurch volunteers. They sacrifice deeplyfor the Lord, giving out of their need rather than out of surplus. It is a great honor to serve beside theseThai volunteers, they are an inspiration to us.

Without church volunteers, the ministry of Blessing Homewould not be possible. We are greatlyindebted to Teacher Amporn, who is Pastor Banya’s wife. She volunteers everyday at Blessing Home,because there is not enough funds to pay her salary. She prepares delicious and nutritious foodfor the children everyday, visits in the homes and neighborhoods of thechildren every week. Every church, everyministry has people like Amporn and Aun whose volunteer service makes aneternal difference. For New Years Day,it should be a time where we look around at who give themselves sacrificiallyto make the ministries of the church happen. Tell them how grateful you are for their ministry. There are so many times that Sunday Schoolteachers, children’s ministry workers, and other volunteers at church couldreally use the uplifting words of God’s people, so they know they areappreciated and that they are making a difference for God’s Kingdom.

Church volunteers at Blessing Home's "Beauty Shop" - doing the hair and makeup for the children and helping them into their costumes

Church volunteers preparing dinner

The Christmas Family Outreach is always a huge event at Blessing Home with a crowd that overflows

After the children had finished their singing and dancing, there was a gift ceremony where childrenpicked numbers out of a hat to win a prize that had that number. Every child received a random gift as well asa tin of cookies and a toy elephant. Thetoy elephants were made by the women of Campbellsville First UMC inKentucky. The elephants are a token ofGod’s love that the children will take home so they have something to hug atnight while they sleep.

A Blessing Home child with her elephant, a gift from Campbellsville First UMC

Missionary Christine Villa, Teacher Amporn and her husband Pastor Banya with one of the boys

At the end, we all ate Pad Thai (Thai stir-fried noodles)and oranges together. There is alwayslots of food, so we send the extra food home with the children and theirfamilies so they have something to eat for breakfast the next day.

We thank you for your support of Blessing Home, which savesand protects children from Human Trafficking in the sex and drug trades. Without your help, many of these childrenwould have no hope.

We are getting closer to the goal of $144,000 for a newbuilding for Blessing Home. We have nowreceived over $95,000.

Donations may be sent by mail or by internet.

Please make your checks out to TMM and send them to:

TMM

P.O. Box 56

Mannsville, KY 42758

Or donate through the TMM website at thailandmethodist.org

Christmas at the Pattaya Akha UMC

2011-12-08T23:47:00.001-08:00

The Pattaya Akha UMC is a special congregation in the United Methodist Church. It is a church for those of the Akha hilltribe who work and reside in Pattaya. From the very start, this church has over 100 members in attendance, which is unheard of in Thailand. God has blessed this congregation and it is a place of strong bonds of fellowship.

We were invited to come celebrate Christmas with this congregation. They celebrate very early, during the first week of December, because most of the members will head back to the far north in Chiang Rai to be with their families. Many of the members have children who live in Chiang Rai with their grandparents. The parents must live in Pattaya to work to send money home to support the family. So it is a time of homecoming for the Akha people.

There were over 200 Akha people at the Christmas celebration. Pastor Ahlong had told us that they did not have any funds for purchasing gifts for the children, so the Thailand Methodist Mission made gift bags filled with toys and treats for the 20 children who attend church here.

The Christmas celebration was a great feast and it the members always give us a warm welcome. These members work hard every day just to make enough to feed and clothe their families and they try to educate their children so that they will have a better future and more good opportunities than what they have had. The Pattaya Akha people are truly the "salt of the earth" and we ask that you will pray for this congregation. Pattaya is a very expensive city, and it is difficult for them to afford to keep the doors of the church open. Please pray that God will greatly bless the Akha members and their families, that they will prosper so that they will no longer be in poverty and that their church will thrive.

A Christmas feast

The sanctuary was beautifully decorated.

Christine Villa, missionary at Blessing Home, with one of the Akha members wearing traditional clothing.

Most of the Akha people ate dinner outside on the street, because only a small number could fit inside the building.

Sherri with one of the Akha members wearing traditional clothing.

Meet Christine Villa, the new missionary at Blessing Home

2011-12-01T17:14:00.001-08:00

Christine Villa on her second day working at Blessing Home.

We have been blessed to receive our first missionary, Christine Villa, who will be serving at Blessing Home for the next 3 months (and we pray God leads her to serve long-term).

Christine is a teacher from Vine Grove, Kentucky (near Ft. Knox), and she has worked hard to do her calling to serve the children here at Blessing Home. Christine took a year off from teaching to be available to come here to Thailand. She worked for several months with UPS as a temp worker to earn the funds to come and serve. What a great a sacrifice for the Lord she has made, and we are honored that Christine is serving with TMM.

Please pray for Christine as she makes adjustments to the culture and climate here.

On a different note, the Blessing Home Building Fund has grown to around $90,000. We need $54,000 to meet the goal of $144,000. Please remember the children of Blessing Home for Christmas through family offerings and church offerings and be sure to designate your gift for the Building Fund, if that is your intention. Otherwise your gift will go toward the operating expenses of the ministry.

Remember the Chidren of Blessing Home for Christmas

You can give by sending a check to:
TMM
P.O. Box 56
Mannsville, KY 42758

or online from our website at
http://thailandmethodist.org/

Both Mike and Sherri are back in Thailand now

2011-11-17T20:02:00.001-08:00

A little over $84,000 has been received by generous donors for the Blessing Home Building Fund.

Both of us are back in Thailand now, and Mike is praising God that the temperature has below 100° each day. It will take Mike about a week to adjust to Thailand time (which is 12 hours different from the
Eastern time zone in the U.S.

We thank everyone for your prayers for the flood victims in Thailand and the difficulties with finding enough food
to buy in Pattaya for the children of Blessing Home.
Food is now available in the markets, once again, Praise God. And prices have dropped a little, but will still be
high for the next 6 months or so because a large percentage of the rice crops in Southeast Asia have been
destroyed by the flood waters.
God is good and has provided for all of the needs of the children of Blessing Home.

The Blessing Home Building Fund has received gifts from God's compassionate people, and now the fund has
over $84,000. We are very excited about the progress towards the goal of $144,000 by Christmas time.

IMPORTANT: If you are sending funds for the Blessing Home Building Fund, please write
"BUILDING FUND" on the memo section of your check.

Huge Influx of Flood Refugees Presents Challenges at Blessing Home

2011-11-07T04:44:00.000-08:00

THAILAND FLOODS AND BLESSING HOME

The severe flooding in Bangkok and the central provinceswill be with us for a long time, at least 4 of 5 more weeks. In the meantime, several million refugeeshave had to leave their homes and find shelter in the homes of relatives andfriends in other parts of the nation.

Father and daughter hang on to back of pickup truck to get through flooded area.

Blessing Home is located in Chonburi province, which is thefirst province east of Bangkok. Ourprovince has been absorbing the inflow of a massive wave of refugees, most ofwhom are the impoverished masses that do not have resources to handleemergencies. Without employment, theyare dependent upon help from relief organizations and government aid, both ofwhich are in very limited supply. These refugees will be with us for a long time, because the floods are not expected to go away for another 4-5 weeks.

Food store shelves are pretty empty and what is available isvery expensive. Some of this is becauseof supply and demand. The localpopulation has mushroomed faster than the markets can receive supplies of foodand drinking water. But the problem willnot go away because up to 30% of the rice crops have been destroyed (includingin other rice exporting nations like Vietnam). This will affect rice prices worldwide.

Pastor Banya and the staff and volunteers at Blessing Homeface great challenges right now. PastorBanya has to find and buy food enough for all of the children and staff atBlessing Home as well as other families in the slums surrounding Life CenterUMC in Pattaya. He has had to go frommarket to market with a few volunteers. Food is many markets is being rationed, so it takes several volunteersto purchase a good amount of food. Theypurchase what they can at one market, and then they move on to the next untilthey have enough. Food prices haveskyrocketed, so this is greatly straining our budget as we seek to feed thechildren. Prayers are in order and anydonations during this crisis would be greatly appreciated.

Funds can be sent payable to TMM at:

TMM

P.O. Box 56

Mannsville, KY 42758

Or give online at the TMM website: http://thailandmethodist.org/donate.html

-----------------------------

INTERNET VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

On another note: If you have internet at home and can sparesome time helping, we need volunteers to help us on a database project. No skill or special computer knowledge isneeded. If you use the internet, you canhelp us. Your volunteer labor on theinternet will make an eternal difference, as more churches and individuals hearabout what the Lord is doing in Thailand. If you are interested in more information on how you can help by beingan internet volunteer, please send us an email at thailandumc@gmail.com.

------------------------------

BLESSING HOME BUILDING FUND UPDATE

About $69,000 of the $144,000 needed to purchase a buildingfor Blessing Home has been received so far. We hope that all of our supporting churches and individuals will take upChristmas offerings and remember the children of Blessing Home. The mission is a partnership, and we cannotdo anything without your prayers and financial support.

Please make sure to write “Building Fund” on the memosection of any checks you send, so we can make sure to designate your gift.

Blessing Home Building Fund Update AND More news on the severe flood in Bangkok

2011-10-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

Lots of news to tell, but first we want to update you on theprogress towards the goal of raising $144,000 for buying a building for BlessingHome. Praise God! Over $60,000 has been raised so far. That means we are 42% of the way towards thegoal.

During this Fall itineration, we concentrated on visitingchurches that we have not been to for over a year and also on new churches thatwe have never visited. We wish we hadtime to visit everyone. However, we needeveryone’s help to reach the goal. Weare asking for every church and every family to take a special offering forbuying a building for Blessing Home. There is no better way to celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ, thento help save orphans and street children from being enslaved by predators anddrug pushers.

If you want to promote Blessing Home and take a Christmas orThanksgiving offering for the Blessing Home Building Fund, please download thevideo by clicking this link

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B1sGfSTQ-m5HZTc0M2U4YmYtNzc5ZS00MzVmLTgyMzAtNTUxMzI1YzI0NTFh&hl=en_US

The Blessing Home brochure can be downloaded by clickingthis link

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B1sGfSTQ-m5HNDVjNWZjNmItNWRkZC00OTE5LWExNDUtMTg1YWQzNmQ2OWUy&hl=en_US

We are praying that God will lay this burden on the heartsof God’s people, so that the children of Blessing Home can receive a buildingfor Christmas. If you would like yourchurch to take a Christmas offering for Blessing Home, now is the time to talkwith your pastor and church leaders.

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE…

Please continue to pray for all of the flooding in Thailand,especially in Bangkok. Pastor Banya ofLife Center UMC in Pattaya has said the suffering for poor people in Bangkok isgreat and that there has been a huge wave of refugees leaving the city. The poor neighborhoods have been the hardesthit, and even in areas that are not yet flooded, the people have had to fleebecause there is no food and water to buy. The stores are empty and they have no way to survive in the city.

The people who flee know that their belongings will belooted, but they do not have vehicles to carry their belongings, so the poorestof the lot are leaving with just what they can carry.

The floods will be around for at least 4 weeks, because thelakes and reservoirs in the north are completely full so the 2 largest dams inThailand are releasing water at full volume to prevent the dams frombreaking. But this is just making thefloods worse and they will last much longer now. The bits and pieces of news we have seen inthe international news has not done justice to the severity of the crisis.

ON A FINAL NOTE

I just chatted with Sherri who has safely arrived at home inChonburi, Thailand. Many thoughtfulfriends have been praying for traveling mercies for Sherri, and God hasanswered your prayers.

Flooding in Thailand

2011-10-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

Flooding in Pattaya, Thailand

We are always touched by the thoughtfulness of prayer warriors who see the World News, hear a story about Thailand, and then ask to see if we and the Thai people we serve are OK.
Many have written to us about the floods in Thailand with great concern.

This has been an unusually harsh year for weather, with great extremes (it seems to be that way in the States too). Now is the end of the rain season in Thailand, and Thai people are accustomed to flooding, but the massive scale of the flooding this year has caused great suffering.

Over 700,000 homes are under the flood waters, in many regions of Thailand. and the death toll is up to 270 people. For many in the deepest of poverty, they do not have the resources and networks of relationships to get assistance. Your prayers for this situtation is urgent.

As far as Blessing Home goes, it is on high ground, but as you see from the picture above, much of Pattaya is flooded. Getting around Pattaya is very difficult, because many roads are closed, and traffic is at a standstill. Fortunately, the children of Blessing Home live on high ground as well. Teacher Pui of Blessing Home said that there was an upside to the flooding in Pattaya. When we asked her how the floods could be a good thing, she said that it keeps the sex tourists away. We had to agree with Pui, that is a good thing.

On a pleasant note, for the last two weeks, we have been visiting our family here in the States, traveling between Kentucky and Louisiana. Seeing everyone, especially our grandchildren, has been a tremendously great time of spiritual refreshment for us. Being away from our family for most of the year is the only part about missionary life that we find to be difficult. The rest is just challenges and inconveniences. But we praise God for the internet and Skype. While we are away, we can still contact our family. God is good!

Prayer Needed For the Fall Itineration

2011-09-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

Wewant to thank all of the prayer warriors who have been lifting us up in prayerwhile we visit churches in the States. We have just completed 2 weeks out of 9 of this Fall itineration, andthe meetings have been a great blessing.

Whathas been the greatest blessing is all of the people who have signed up to be onour email list. These are new prayerwarriors, and we need God’s people praying to bring power to the mission inThailand.

Sherriand I never worry about things like finances or security. The one thing that always concerns us is thatwe need the mission to be surrounded in prayer, and there are many times weneed miracles that requires prayer warriors to help in the spiritual battle.

So, ifyou are receiving emails from us for the first time, we thank you for being avital part of this mission.

Duringthe last week, we have entered the names from the sign-up lists into thecomputer. But we are human and makeerrors, and sometimes the writing was difficult to decipher. If anyone in your church signed up and youknow they did not receive this email, please let them know they can sign-uponline at this address: tinyurl.com/tmm-signup

If youhave never visited our online sites, here are two to click.

Firstis the website of the Thailand Methodist Mission at thailandmethodist.org This websitecontains downloadable promotional materials, including videos and brochures, aswell as information on how you can volunteer or donate.

Second is our weblog at msmorrissey.blogspot.com When you receive ministry updates in youremail, they are from this blog. When weare both in Thailand, we try to update the blog every 7-10 days, so you can bepraying for the specific needs and rejoicing in the victories God hasgiven. We have posted to this blog for 5years now, and you can scroll to the bottom of the blog to get to the archives. If you have time, reading through the archivescan give a history of the mission in Thailand.

As you know, we must raise $144,000 for the purchaseof a building for Blessing Home, and our prayer is that God will give thisbuilding to the children for Christmas. We are asking all churches to have special offerings or fund raisersbetween now and Christmas to help raise these funds. We will keep you posted on the progresstowards the goal as we go along.

After the first week of itineration, we havereceived about $34,000. We have $110,000more to raise. Please surround this withprayer. We know God will provide becauseGod is good and so are His people.

Please pray that God will grant us strength to do this Fall itineration. We have 77 speaking engagements and meetings in 5 states. With your prayers behind us, we know God will bless the ministry.

TMM opens a second church this year

2011-09-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

God is good! We havemore great news to report.

TMM has just opened a second church this year through thePioneering Pastors Program. This churchis in an unreached sub-district in Chiang Rai called Mai Ya, and it is thehometown of Pastor Jerron. Pastor Jerronand his wife, Pastor On, were the first church planters we worked together withwhen we first came to Thailand. Theyplanted the church at Bowin, which was our first church plant, and they haveworked hard to form Bowin church into a strong congregation. They have both had the vision of planting achurch in Pastor Jerron’s hometown for over 2 years, but we asked them to waituntil Bowin was strong enough to be self-supporting and there was a leader toreplace them. They were faithful inagreeing to do this, and the time has come for them to pursue their visionbecause Bowin is strong. The church nowhas their own building, they no longer need to rent. And Bowin church has a new leader in PastorAmnut, who previously was a pastor intern at this church.

Pastor Jerron and On are very excited about their newministry in Mai Ya. Before Pastor Jerronwas a Christian, he served as a Buddhist monk in the Mai Ya. When Sherri and I went walking through thetown with Pastor Jerron, everyone remembered him and greeted him. He already has many strong relationshipshere in Mai Ya to build upon as he now seeks to share about the Lord JesusChrist with the same people that years ago he served as a Buddhist monk. God has placed a great burden on the heartsof Pastors Jerron and On for the people of Mai Ya. Mai Ya sub-district has 17 villages with over11,500 people, with no church in the sub-district until now. Now the sub-district of Mai Ya has a church,and this church will make an eternity of difference here.

Left to Right: Sherri Morrissey, Pastor Banya, Abbot Tahp, Pastor Jerron, Teacher Amporn (wife of Pastor Banya)

Pastor Banya, his wife Amporn and their son Sadudee, joinedus and Pastor Jerron in traveling to Mai Ya for meetings for pioneering thisnew church. While in Mai Ya, we had theprivilege of meeting Pastor Jerron’s old friend, Abbot Tahp. Abbot Tahp and Pastor Jerron served asBuddhist monks together years ago at the Buddhist temple in town. Now Tahp serves a the abbot of a smallBuddhist temple on the hill beside the town. Abbot Tahp was pleased to see his old friend, Pastor Jerron, andresponded positively to Pastor Jerron, as he told of his plans to come up andplant a church in town.

There is already a small group of believers in Mai Ya, andthis group has been calling out to Pastors Jerron and On for the past year to come pioneer achurch in their village. One of thesebelievers is named Ben, and she has offered her large house to be the place ofworship for the church. It is impossibleto miss Ben’s house, which is painted fluorescent pink, and shines brightlyagainst the neighbors’ homes which are all earth toned. Then when we entered the house, it was allpink inside as well. Sherri and Ben bothmust have received lessons from the same home decorator. It is all very bright and cheerful.

Inside the Pink Church of Mai Ya

Ben and her best friend Pen (the names sound alike exceptfor you say them with different tones) are strong in the Lord already. They study the Bible everyday throughcorrespondence and it showed. TheirBibles were frayed from use and their spirits were vibrant with the love andknowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Benand Pen hosted all of us at Ben’s home for two days, graciously preparingdelicious meals for everyone. Ben andPen also received a vision from God that their village needed a church, andthey were to have open their home to be used as a place of worship. Ben even had a pulpit built and placed in theliving room of the pink house. Thispulpit was a symbol of their faith that God would lead a pioneering pastor tojoin them. Ben and Pen were overjoyedthat God made a way for this to happen by leading Pastors Jerron and On to leadthis new church. We know God will blessthis new church at Mai Ya, for He has ordained it so.

We were pleasantly surprised on our last day of meetings inMai Ya to have a group of believers from a church from a different sub-districtcame to worship with us and to give their blessing and encouragement. This church is a Presbyterian church and wewere truly edified by their excitement that Pastors Jerron and On would bepioneering a new church in Mai Ya. Weworshipped and prayed together and ate a meal together as well. The fellowship of God’s people is trulysweet.

Ben (foreground) and Pen, Spirit-filled believers in Mai Ya.

Members of the Presbyterian church in the neighboring sub-district come to visit with us and the believers of Mai Ya.

TMM is supporting Pastors Jerron and On with monthly supportas well as a financial grant to help Pastor Jerron open a barber shop in townto help him support his family and also help the church to become financially self-sufficient. Church planting and economic developmentalways go hand-in-hand to form strong churches that can stand and multiply ontheir own.

Please pray for Pastors Jerron and On, they have much workto do and many relationships to build as they share Christ with the people ofMai Ya.

Sherri at the Buddhist temple on the hill, with a view of the nearby town in the background.

Urgent Prayer Request

2011-09-05T00:54:00.000-07:00

Prayer is needed for Sureepon, the mother of Best who is one of our children at Blessing Home. As you know, TMM helped pay for brain surgery for Sureepon, who has had a bullet lodged in her head the past three years and it was causing her lots of trouble, including paralyzing her arm. Soon after surgery, Sureepon was recovering well and miraculously regaining use of her arm. However, she came to church this past Sunday and told us that she is experiencing painful swelling on the sutures. When we looked at her head, that part where she had her surgery was swelled to an extreme amount and was discolored as well. Sureepon is going to the doctor this week, and TMM will help with the medical bills for this as well. But she needs God's healing power so please pray.

Also, a few months ago, Pastor Banya said we were having problems with stray dogs (there are hundreds of them in the area because Thai people are Buddhist, and Buddhist believe that these dogs have souls and will eventually reincarnate to be people). The stray dogs have been staying near the entrance to Blessing Home, making it dangerous for the children. When we priced out having a gate, awning, and new sign built, it was going to cost well over $1,000. But a local Thai Christian helped to build it for only $340! It looks great and now the children are safe from the stray dogs.

TMM pioneers a new United Methodist Church in Sakaeo in cooperative ministry with GBGM

2011-08-30T20:46:00.000-07:00

We have great news!

Thailand Methodist Mission has just planted a new United Methodist Church in cooperation with GBGM in Thailand. This new church is in Wattana Nakhon (which is the name of the city and the district). The whole district of Wattana Nakhon is unreached, having no church. Over 80,000 Thai people (not counting the large number of Cambodians) live in Wattana Nakhon district. This district has 11 Sub-districts and 115 villages, none of which are reached for Jesus Christ.

This new United Methodist congregation will be planted by Pastor Brayoon, who has been working hard developing cell groups and children’s ministries in two sub-districts, the city sub-district (Wattana Nakhon) and a rural sub-district called Phak Kha. Working together with Pastor Brayoon is her daughter, Donyong and a young woman named Luck, both of whom are very gifted Bible teachers for the children.

Back Row: GBGM Country Director Rev. Cherlue Vang, GBGM Missionary Mang Vang, Rev. Brayoon (church planting Rev. Banya of Life Center UMC in Pattaya, Rev. Mike Morrissey of TMM
Front Row: Luck and Donyong

GBGM Country Director, Rev. Cherlue Vang and his wife, GBGM missionary Mang Vang, traveled with Mike to Wattana Nakhon to meet with Pastor Brayoon, Donyong, and Luck. During the afternoon, we went to Phak Kha for a children’s outreach. Pastor Brayoon has great relations with all of the village chiefs and the sub-district chief, and she has free use of the sub-district community center, which is where the children gathered for the outreach event. Children came from many of the surrounding villages, riding their bikes to get there (you would be surprised how many children can fit on one bike…. they never come one child to a bike, but instead 2, 3, or 4 kids to a bike). Donyong, Luck, Pastor Brayoon, and Pastor Banya (of Life Center UMC in Pattaya) led the children in Christian songs, teaching, games, while Mike and GBGM missionaries Cherlue and Mang Vang connected with the adults who brought some of the younger children to the outreach. When the activity was over, we enjoyed a meal together, and every child went home with snacks and a gift (and in many cases extra food to take home to their families).

We want to thank Bishop Lindsey Davis and all of the churches of the Kentucky Annual Conference for their generous support that has made it possible to plant this church in Sakaeo. You have changed the lives of the people of this district. Because of your Christian love, there is now a Gospel witness in this unreached district. Thank you for supporting the Pioneering Pastors Project of the Thailand Methodist Mission. You are making a difference across the globe for the sake of Jesus Christ and the Thai people.

GBGM Country Director Cherlue Vang speaks with the children at the outreach

Yours prayers bring miraculous healing

2011-08-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

Pastor Banya just told us some fantastic news concerning Sureepon, who had brain surgery just last week.
Sureepon has not been able to use her left arm for the last 4 years because of the brain damaged caused by a gun shot to her head, when she was pregnant with her son, Best.

You have been praying faithfully for Sureepon, and God has done a miracle in her life.
Sureepon now has use of her left arm! This is amazing! Sureepon's life will now be wonderfully different because of your prayers and your generosity which paid for her surgery.

Please be praying that Sureepon and her mother Daeng will receive Jesus as their Savior and Lord. We believe they are very close to giving their lives to the Lord.

Sureepon with her son Best, one of the children at Blessing Home

The brain surgery was successful, and Sureepon is recovering well.

Because of your generosity and prayers, Sureepon's life is changed forever. She now can use her left arm. Just two weeks ago, she was unable to lift her arm like this. Everyday, her arm and her dexterity increases.

Sureepon's brain surgery went well... and we need prayer for Naet's older sister, Loh

2011-08-01T01:24:00.000-07:00

Many of you have been praying for Sureepon Aretit, who is the mother of Best, one of our children at Blessing Home. When Sureepon, who is now just 19 years old, was pregnant with Best, her boyfriend tried to kill her. While she was fleeing, he shot her in the back of the head. Although she and her baby survived, she is now brain damaged and cannot use one of her arms. She has been in need of surgery for a long time, but could not afford the bills. Because of your financial support, the Thailand Methodist Mission was able to pay for her surgery so she can begin her process of healing and recovery.

Sureepon had brain surgery this week to remove part of her brain which is damaged and to get a new plastic skull cap. The surgery was successful, and Sureepon is now home, after spending most of the week in the hospital. Sureepon has a long path of recovery and putting life back together, so please continue to pray for her and her son Best.

On another note, Pastor Banya informed us that Naet’s older sister, Loh, will be getting out of youth prison at the end of August. Naet’s whole family is in prison for selling drugs, including her 84 year old grandmother, who used to be her guardian. Two minors in the household were sent to jail as well, her 16 year old sister Loh (who was 14 when she was sent there) and her 10 year old cousin. Although Loh and her cousin were forced to sell drugs by Naet’s uncle (beatings and deprivation of food were the punishments for not selling the drugs), they were still sent to prison.

We made a promise to Loh that we would help her when she got out of youth prison, because she has no one now. There is a school nearby that trains young women to be certified beauticians. We are checking out the price and logistics of sending her here to study (Loh is very interested). This will give Loh a good trade and there are members of Life Center UMC in Pattaya that own beauty shops that can help her after she graduates. Again, it is because of your compassionate generosity that we can give this young woman a chance to escape those who had enslaved her in child drug trafficking (many, many times the child traffickers are family and relatives).

Please visit the Thailand Methodist Mission website at thailandmethodist.org

Wesley International School

2011-07-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

This past week, we travelled up to Korat, which is the second largest city in Thailand. Korat is the gateway to Northeast Thailand (also known as Esarn), which is the most unreached region of Thailand. Very few missionaries work in the Esarn region. One of the reasons for this neglect is that there are no Christian international schools for the children of missionaries. If the Esarn region is to be reached for Jesus Christ, a Christian international school is needed.

We are privileged to work cooperatively with Rev. John Kim, a Korean Methodist missionary who, together with his wife Sarah, have served in Thailand over 10 years now. Several years ago, the Lord bestowed upon John and Sarah Kim a vision for opening a Christian international school in Korat, called Wesley International School (WIS). John and Sarah believe that WIS will be a beacon of the Gospel Light to the families of the children that will attend the school. We also know that this school will open the door for many missionary families to serve in the Esarn region, so that this region will no longer be unreached for Jesus.

Rev. John Kim, founder of Wesley International School

We are helping John and Sarah recruit teachers from America, because international schools need teachers who have English as their mother language. In January, we helped John and Sarah recruit a dynamic young couple to work at Wesley International School starting last April. Their names are Ken and Denise Case, and they have two adorable young sons, Bryce and Benjamin. Denise is a certified teacher who will soon complete her Masters in Education degree and Ken is a college student studying Business and Finance. Denise has served from the very beginning, and is doing a great job creating the educational structures needed at the school. Denise is one of the most systematic and organized people we know, so her abilities match the challenges she has as an initiator of a new ministry. Ken is an enthusiastic witness and Christian worker. Together, they are a great team.

Ken and Denise Case, missionary teachers at Wesley International School in Korat, Thailand

This year, John and Sarah Kim went to the government offices to register their international school, but some of the laws changed since when they first started the process. The school building they now use is on a small plot of land, and they need a half-acre in order to register. John and Sarah own 13 acres of land outside the city, but it is not yet ready and there was not enough time to build. So this year, they had to register as a daycare, so that they can build a new building on their large plot of land outside the city. Once they have their building, they will be able to register as an international school. Their plans are to be ready to register next year, and begin by August 2012 with grades K-2. Then each year they will add a grade or two.

Future site of Wesley International School

John and Sarah Kim have asked us to help recruit Christian teachers. For information, contact Rev. John Kim at kery89@hotmail.com OR on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/wisedu

Pioneering Pastor Program - providing scholarships for Future Pioneers

2011-07-13T23:10:00.000-07:00

It always amazes us how our brothers and sisters back in the States keep up with the news here in Thailand and are faithful to pray for us and the people of Thailand. Many of you have mentioned to us about the new Prime Minister and government that is forming here in Thailand. It was a landslide win by Yingluck Shinawatra, the younger sister of Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minster deposed in a military coup in 2006. Although we do not take sides in politics here, we pray that the Supreme Court of Thailand and the Thai military leaders will honor the results of the election. We are afraid of the horrific backlash that may take place if the new government is not allowed to form. So far, it looks good. But please keep this issue in your prayers.

One of the blessings that we have in the Pioneering Pastors Program is providing scholarships for Bible College students that have a shared vision with us, a vision to open a church in an unreached sub-district of Thailand. The Thailand Methodist Mission (TMM) supports two students at Phayao Bible College. One student some of you know well. His name is Peter (his Thai nickname is Kack, which means Asian Indian, since he looks like he is from that nation). Peter and Nuc have been very close friends of ours since we came to Thailand back in 2006. They are our Thai language teachers and partners in ministry, and they are both dear to our hearts. Peter was the first Thai disciple to receive the call to ministry under our service as missionaries. We are privileged to help him complete his studies at Phayao Bible College so he can begin the next step in his ministry, to pioneer a new church in an unreached sub-district in Thailand.

Peter and Nuc, future church planters in Thailand

TMM is also providing a scholarship to a Phayao Bible College student named Art.
Art has a burden to plant a church in Northeast Thailand, which is the most unreached region of Thailand. Art is a member of Bowin church, which is the first church that we helped to plant in Thailand. And Art is the first member of the Bowin church to answer the call to ministry. So Art is the first disciple to answer the call to ministry from the first church that we helped to plant here. (My apologies: I have at least 10 pictures of Art, and I have looked all over and cannot find any of his pictures.... we will have to post his picture at a later date.)

We want to thank all who financially support the Pioneering Pastors Program through TMM. You are making an eternal difference here, because when you help to plant a church in an unreached town, that town is forever changed. It will never be the same again, because the Light of the Gospel is there.

Best's mother, Sureepon, needs your prayers

2011-06-29T23:32:00.000-07:00

We are always grateful for your faithful prayers which give the ministry power. We thank everyone for your prayers on behalf of the children of Blessing Home, a ministry which protects children from those who would enslave them in the child sex trafficking and drug trade. Blessing Home is a school for preschool children who are at great risk, providing education and care for over 50 children. Blessing Home is a mercy station, providing food, clothing, medical care, and social services for these orphans and street children.

Blessing Home is also a family ministry, because we serve not only the children, but also the families that care for these children at night. Our goal is to keep the children with those who care for them, if possible. So to help the families care for the children, Pastor Banya and the staff of Blessing Home provide parental and guardian training to the adults who care for the children. We also help the families when they are in crisis.

One Thai who needs prayer is Sureepon Aretit, the mother of Best. Best is one of the children featured in the Blessing Home video .

Best and his mother Sureepon Aretit

Download the video by clicking this link > http://www.thailandmethodist.org/multimedia/download/Blessinghome.zip

When Sureepon was pregnant with Best, her boyfriend shot her in the head. Although both her and her baby inside her womb survived, Sureepon is now both physically and mentally disabled. The bullet ravaged one hemisphere of her brain and shattered her skull. Sureepon does not have use of her left hand or arm. She has since suffered many other health issues as a result of this violent act.

Best lives with his mother Sureepon and his grandmother, who now must support the three of them by cleaning homes, even though she is now a senior and should be retired.

Sureepon needs brain surgery, to remove part of her brain tissue which is now dead, and to have a new plastic skull cap placed under her scalp. Sureepon’s life depends upon having this surgery. The ministry of Blessing Home is paying the expenses for Sureepon’s surgery, because we minister not just to the children but to the families that care for them as well.

Please pray for Sureepon, that the surgery will be successful and that the Lord provide healing for her.

On a different note, we know many of you are very connected with Naet and continue to pray for her. Here is a picture of Naet’s first day at school.

Naet's first day at school

Be sure to visit the website at Thailand Methodist Mission at http://thailandmethodist.org/

Information, downloadable brochures and videos, and information on how you can donate to this ministry are all available on the website.

To the generous United Methodists of Kentucky: Thank You!

2011-06-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

Thad Prince, Chairman of the Thailand Methodist Mission, at work selling Thai silk items at the Kentucky Annual Conference.

Karen Prince did a great job creating a beautiful and informative display that we use while itinerating.

Sherri and I give our deepest appreciation for the generous offering given by the churches of the Kentucky Annual Conference at the Mission Night Service. We are honored to serve as your missionaries and are grateful for your support. We give special thanks to Bishop Davis and Rev. Julie Love for their vision to see the Gospel reach people of every nation, especially Thailand and Venezuela.

The Thailand Methodist Mission's goal is to see that every sub-district in Thailand have a vital church so that all Thai people have a chance to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. Your gift will help to plant a church in Thailand as well as train pastors and leaders in Thailand who have been called by God to pioneer new churches and ministries.

Thank you for making an eternal difference in the lives of Thai people. Without your prayers, encouragement, and financial support, the mission would not be possible.

We encourage everyone to visit our blog at msmorrissey.blogspot.com for weekly updates of the ministry here AND please also visit the TMM website at thailandmethodist.org for more information and downloadable videos and brochures.

Sherri and I will be visiting churches in the States from the middle of September through the middle of November. We had many churches and UMW groups sign up to have us visit, and our calendar is filling up. If you would like for us to visit your church, we would love to come. Please contact us at thailandumc@gmail.com

The purpose of our church visits in the Fall is to raise funds for a building for Blessing Home. At this time we rent the building we are in, and the cost of rent eats up our budget funds. Owning our own building will free up funds to provide more services for more orphans and street children.

To download a promotional video for Blessing Home, click below http://www.thailandmethodist.org/multimedia/download/Blessinghome.zip
For brochures on Blessing Home, click below
http://thailandmethodist.org/multimedia/pdf/blessinghome.pdf

May The Lord Bless You,
Mike and Sherri Morrissey

Naet has her birth certificate and is now enrolled in school

2011-05-17T23:34:00.000-07:00

Naet doing homework at Blessing Home

God has made the process very straight and Naet now has her birth certificate and is now enrolled in school. Teacher Pui took Naet to buy her school books, uniforms, shoes, socks, and other supplies she needs for school. Now that Naet has a birth certificate, when she is grown up, she will be able to get a National ID card so she can legally work. We are all breathing easier now that Naet is safe at Teacher Pui's home and has all of her documents in order.

We shiver at the thought of what would have happened to Naet had it not been for the ministry of Teacher Pui and Blessing Home. Naet's countenance has changed greatly too. She is very, very happy and energetic. We already see a big difference in her. Praise the Lord!

On another note, this year we will begin to raise funds for purchasing a building for Blessing Home. At the present time, we rent a building, and it uses up a very large portion of our monthly funds. If we owned our own building, we would be able to use the funds we now use for rent to provide more services for more children. There are a multitude of orphans and street children who are in danger in the same way Naet was. If we had a building, we could reach more children so they don't continue to fall through the gaping cracks. We have already had one very generous donation towards the building, and we will need many more. We need to raise over $140,000 to purchase a building that meets the needs of the present ministry. And we know in faith that God will provide. If you would like to give to the Thailand Methodist Mission to help purchase a building, please visit our website at thailandmethodist.org, where you can get an address to send a check OR give online.

Soon, we will have new brochures posted on our website at thailandmethodist.org. We will keep you posted on when those brochures are available for download.

Naet enjoys her new home

2011-05-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

We have been greatly encouraged by the wonderful, overflowing response of God's people. Hundreds of faithful prayer warriors have lifted Naet before the Lord, and have corresponded with us with words of encouragement and seeking to find out how Naet is doing.

Naet is now living in Teacher Pui's home and she is happy as can be. Naet is happier and more secure than she has ever been before, and it all is an answer to the prayers of believers.

One pastor contacted us and God has laid a burden for Naet on her heart. She is supporting Naet's foster care, which is very generous of this pastor who has been a faithful prayer warrior for us as well.

We hope to have Naet's birth certificate soon. In Thailand, everything has its pace, which is almost never as fast as we wish it would be. But we know God is in control and will make the path straight.

Your prayers have saved the life of little Naet!

2011-05-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

Naet and Teacher Pui

Naet’s father has signed papers releasing parental rights to Miss Pui, who is the director of Blessing Home. This Monday, Naet will move in to Pui’s home and will experience safety at home for the first time in her life.

This has been a long process and it is Thai Christians like Pui who are the heroes. Pui is making a great sacrifice to give safety and care to Naet, and we are very grateful. It is a great privilege to work together with ones like Pui.

The whole process would not be possible without the help of a member of Life Center UMC in Pattaya named Miss Sutjai. Sutjai is a professional social worker who serves with a Christian agency in Bangkok, and she has also sacrificed to provide free social work services to make this happen. She has devoted many days, traveling long distances, to get everything set up so Pui could receive guardianship of Naet. Without the sacrifice and knowledge of Sutjai, it would not be possible. Sutjai is now working on obtaining a birth certificate for Naet, which will allow her to enroll in school and later on to receive a National Citizen ID card (needed for everyday living and also to legally work in Thailand). Please continue to pray for Naet, that Sutjai will be successful in obtaining this birth certificate, which is vital for Naet’s future.

Finally, there are our heroes back in the States, the prayer warriors who answered the call for prayer and even have sent emails asking about Naet. We were very encouraged by the overwhelming response of prayer by God’s faithful servants. We needed God’s intervention, and your prayers made the difference. Thank you!

On another note: When Blessing Home ministry started with 10 pre-school age children 3 years ago, we knew that the year would come that we would start sending many of these children to school and would need to provide school uniforms, book fees, and transportation for these children. Now is the first year that we have a large group of children going to school. On the 17^th of this month, Blessing Home will have a special day of registering our oldest children in school and providing for their educational needs. By faith, the board of the Thailand Methodist Mission has increased the budget for Blessing Home so that this service could be provided. But we must do this to keep these children safe and provide a future for them.

We need more prayers for Naet, don't stop.

2011-04-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we put out the call for prayers for Naet who is one of the children of Blessing Home. Naet is living with a former girlfriend of her uncle, and this woman is forcing Naet to sell drugs. We are in the process of trying to help Teacher Pui receive guardianship of Naet. We are also trying to get a birth certificate for Naet so she can go to school. We asked for prayer because this is a difficult process in Naet's case. God answered your prayers in the person of one of the members of Life Center UMC in Pattaya, named Mrs. Sutjai. Mrs. Sutjai is a social worker with much experience in this and she is helping us each step of the way.

So here is the story.

Naet's father has legal custody of her, even though he has never met her. Naet's father went to prison before she was born for selling drugs and her mother died of AIDS when she was a newborn. After that, Naet was cared for by her paternal grandmother who is in her 70's. It was at this time that Naet started coming to Blessing Home at the age of 2. The situation in Naet's grandmother's house has been dangerous because everybody in the house, her uncles and even her grandmother, sell drugs.

This past year, everyone in the household except Naet, who is only 5 was arrested for selling drugs and sent to prison, including her 10 year old cousin and her older sister who is a teenager (both of whom were forced into being drug couriers against their will - and if they refused they would be beaten and sent out into the dangerous streets). Now this woman who is not even a relative is "caring" for Naet and using her in the drug trade.

First, we needed to get correct information on Naet. We needed to get the correct names for Naet, her mother, her father, plus her correct birthdate, place of birth, birthdays of her mother and father and their places of birth. We visited Naet's grandmother in prison and had only 10 minutes to be with her. We could not get all of the information we needed, so then we had to travel to another city to visit Naet's sister who is in another prison. Now we had all of the information we needed. We also had Naet's grandmother and sister sign documents saying they wanted Naet's father to give custody to Teacher Pui. They both know and love Teacher Pui, but Naet's father does not know Naet and therefore does not know Pui as well. We knew we would need these documents to show him that he should show compassion on his daughter and sign over custody to someone who would love and care for her.

Because it is Thai New Year, most everything is shut down for almost 2 weeks, so we must wait until the next day Mrs. Sutjai can come with us to go visit Naet's father. Please pray he will sign the documents. If he does, Naet will have safety, and we will also be able to get a birth certificate for her as well, because we discovered she was born in a government hospital, so they would have records on hand, which makes the process much, much easier.

Thank you for continuing your prayers. We will keep you updated.

Urgent Prayer is Needed

2011-04-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

Now is the time for continuous prayer for Naet, who is the poster child of Blessing Home.

We need some miracles here. Naet’s mother soon after she was born from HIV/AIDS and her father and all of her family, including her grandmother, are in jail for selling drugs. At this time, Naet is living with a former girlfriend of her uncle. We now know this woman is using Naet as a mule to carry and deliver the drugs she sells, and this woman will not allow Naet to come to Blessing Home. Naet is in danger and we need prayers.

We have contacted Naet’s grandmother at the Pattaya Prison, and she has compassion for Naet. We have asked her to contact her son (Naet’s father) to request him to give guardianship of Naet to Teacher Pui, the director of Blessing Home. We will be going to visit Naet’s father at Nakhon Pithom Prison next week with a legal expert to see if he will sign guardianship documents. Everything depends upon Naet’s father signing the documents. If Naet’s father shows compassion on her, and gives guardianship to Teacher Pui, then Pui can provide foster care for her until adoptive Thai parents can be found. Also, if Pui has guardianship, we can then proceed to obtain a birth certificate for her, which is a complicated process that will require a lot of traveling. The birth certificate is required for Naet to go to public school and to later get a National ID card so she can be employed as an adult.

So, this week please pray every day for Naet. Your prayers are vital.

We thank all who have been faithful in giving to our mission. Without your help, the ministry here would not be possible.

It is a rare occasion when we speak about financial matters, instead we speak about what the Lord is doing here in Thailand. But undesignated giving, which goes to the General Fund, was low in March. It is the undesignated giving (which supports the General Fund of the budget) which pays our salary, travel expenses, an all of the things which are needed for the ministry. So if the Lord leads you to give, we really need some undesignated funds to support the general budget, the everyday mission needs. Also, be sure to visit the Thailand Methodist Mission website at http://thailandmethodist.org, where you can give online or send a check in the mail to:

TMM

P.O. Box 56

Mannsville, KY 42758

Mission Team from Kansas has servant hearts

2011-03-28T23:40:00.000-07:00

During the last half of March, a United Methodist mission team from Kansas consisting of 9 members with servant hearts, came to serve at Blessing Home and at the Growing Together Church in Sattahip. Eight of the nine team members were seasoned veterans who have served all over the world.

The first two days, the Kansas mission team served at Blessing Home, first by helping to care for the children on the first day and on the second day they took the children to the zoo. It has been about 2 and a half years since the Blessing Home children have been taken on a field trip. This means that almost all of the 50 children who went to the zoo went away from Pattaya for the first time. The children of Blessing Home usually never venture farther than a half mile from their homes. The Kansas mission team were not shy at all with the kids, they just jumped in there and played with them and took great care of them. It brought great joy to the lives of these children to have this mission team serve them.

After serving at Blessing Home for two days, the mission team went to do two construction projects at Growing Together Church in Sattahip. One project was to finish the block fence around the church. This was heavy concrete and block work. The second project was to paint and tile the outdoor kitchen at the church and build a series of sinks for washing dishes.

When mission teams are hosted with us, we love to have Thai team members and American team members work side-by-side. By the end of the week, friendships are formed and it is these bonds that are most important. What a sweet fellowship that was shared!

We hope that the Kansas mission team will come back again.

The Kansas Mission Team takes a break on the final day. In the background is the outdoor kitchen that they helped to paint and lay floor tile.

Three team members working hard to lay floor tile in the outdoor kitchen. In tropical climates, outdoor kitchens are a necessity, so you don't heat up the rest of the building.

The Kansas Mission Team worked together with members of the Growing Together Church in Sattahip to build a block fence and complete the outdoor kitchen. The best part about mission trips are the relationships that are formed.

The Kansas Mission Team gave Pastor Banya this beautiful Wheat Cross as a symbol of their state.

TMM Board representative visits Thailand

2011-03-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

Our good friend, Rev. Leeann Young-Johnson, is a member of the Board of the Thailand Methodist Mission (http://thailandmethodist.org), and we have a lot of shared memories and it was great to have her come to visit us in Thailand. Leeann has spent the last two weeks running from one place to another to visit some of the churches and ministries which we have helped to start. She could not go to all of the churches, because there was not enough time and Thailand covers a lot of territory, but she was able to get a good representation.

Leeann visited Life Center UMC in Pattaya, which is the sponsoring church of Blessing Home. This church is special in that it is in the most difficult place to plant a church in Thailand because it is a spiritual combat zone, with all of the sex and drug trade. Next, she visited the Chiang Rai Akha church in the mountains of the very far north. This church is an Akha hill tribe church in a very poor and isolated area. Most of the people living there are seniors who are taking care of grandchildren, while their adult children work in the cities and tourist areas to make a living and send money back home.

Later in the week, Leeann visited Blessing Home during the daytime, to see the normal activities of this ministry that protects orphans and street children from sex trafficking. In the afternoon, we had a special outreach event for the families of the children of Blessing Home. The next day, Leeann had a very sobering visit on a Saturday night in Pattaya, where she was able to walk up and down the miles of streets packed with sex tourists and places of prostitution. She was able to see why the children here in Pattaya are in such grave danger.

Next, Leeann visited a second Akha church, this time in Pattaya. Here she was able to view the other side of Akha life. This church has few children and a handful of seniors. Most are the middle generation of adults who work hard selling handcrafts to tourists so they can send money home to their parents and children in the mountain villages. They usually work from 10am to 1am everyday (yes, 15 hour days). Life is tough for them, but they have the joy of the Lord, which they show on their faces as they worshipped. The church was packed with joyful Christians, all of whom warmly greeted us.

Rev. Leeann Young-Johnson visits the Pattaya Akha Church

After Sunday morning worship with the members of the Pattaya Akha Church, Sherri and Leeann traveled a long distance to go to the Northeast to Nakhon Ratchasima (also known as Korat), which is the second largest city in Thailand. They visited with Rev. John Kim, a Korean Methodist missionary who is starting a new Christian international school called Korat Wesley International School. We are helping John in recruiting Christian teachers for this new ministry which will reach Thai people as well as help bring missionaries to the Northeast of Thailand, which is largely unreached (missionaries generally do not come here because there is no Christian international school for their children.) If you or anyone you know would be interested as serving as a teacher at Korat Wesley International School, salary and free housing in available. Please contact Rev. John Kim at kery89@hotmail.com

A Korean elder came to Thailand and build beautiful wood furniture for the Korat Weslay International School.

Rev. Leeann Young-Johnson and Rev. John Kim survey the large plot of land which was purchased for construction of a high school for the Korat Wesley International School.

Two members of the Almighty God UMC in Nonsomboon with some of the baskets and bags they make to supplement their farm income. It is through projects like these that churches become self-sufficient, and a self-sufficient church is a permanent one.

Next, Leeann visited her favorite church, the Almighty God United Methodist Church in Nonsomboon. Here she was able to visit a church in the middle stage. This church was planted in November 2008, and they are moving towards self-sufficiency. They have many church-wide economic development projects going, including a pig farm and a business making and selling baskets and bags.

Leeann also visited Pradumri First church, to see an older, fully developed congregation and to visit with Pastors Sila and Wassana of the Bangkok United Methodist Church. There at the church in Bangkok, we met a new member of the church who also lives there as well. This member is a diabetic who had lost her eyesight and could barely walk. When she received Christ 4 months ago, she immediately received a miracle from the Lord and she received her sight back... FULLY! She can read and see very clearly now, and can walk as well. God is good! On the mission field, we see miracles like this frequently. When people experience the power of God, they will then pay attention to the Word of God.

Leeann made it back to the States, and we know she has many stories to tell.

Please be praying for us as we receive a mission team from Wichita, Kansas tonight.

If you have trouble playing the videos....download this

2011-03-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

If you have downloaded the videos for Blessing Home and Pioneering Pastors and your video player does not work, download this free video player called VLC, which is the best at playing media of any codec.

Download from here --> http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

New Pioneering Pastors Program Video

2011-03-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

Here is the new video promoting the Pioneering Pastors Program that can be viewed and downloaded on the Thailand Methodist Mission website at http://thailandmethodist.org/pioneer.html Please use this video and the downloadable brochures when promoting Pioneering Pastors in your churches.

Pioneer Church from tmm on Vimeo.

New Blessing Home Video

2011-03-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

Here is the new Blessing Home Video that can be viewed and downloaded on the Thailand Methodist Mission website at http://thailandmethodist.org/blessing.html Please use this video and the downloadable brochures when promoting Blessing Home in your churches.

Blessing Home from tmm on Vimeo.

Akha Pastor in Pattaya is a Pioneering Pastor

2011-02-25T21:40:00.000-08:00

Mike and Pastor Ahlong of the Pradumri Pattaya Akha Church beside the motorcycle given for his ministry through the Pioneering Pastors Program. I did not smile in this picture because a friend in Illinois named Bob said I always smile in pictures and I wanted to get one picture where I was not smiling. But I want everyone else to know that inside, I am beaming with joy.

Pastor Ahlong, the pioneer pastor of the Pradumri Pattaya Akha Church has a unique situation among church planters. His church focuses on those of the Akha tribe in the city of Pattaya. And this group presents several challenges. The firs challenge is a wonderful one. Starting out, he had over 100 members. This is great! But these Akha people are spread all over the city in 4 different precincts. To visit his members, he would walk in the steaming heat of the day for many, many miles and was only able to visit a few each day. Church planting pastors must focus on visiting their members, especially the first year, and they need a motorcycle or some form of transportation to be able to visit as many people as possible each day.

We are pleased that Pastor Ahlong is participating in the Pioneering Pastors Program, and were able to supply him with some of the equipment needed for church planting, like this motorcycle.

Please pray for Pastor Ahlong, who is planting a church in perhaps the most difficult place in Thailand, Pattaya, the center of sex tourism in Southeast Asia. This setting is another one of his challenges. Most of his members sell hand-made crafts to tourists, and they are seasonal workers. Although some of his members live in Pattaya year-round, most will go back to the mountain villages in the North. This reminds me of the Hispanic congregation at our home church, College Heights UMC in Elizabethtown, KY. That was a congregation that had members who were seasonal workers as well, and it always presented a challenge.

Your prayers are needed. Thank you for your faithfulness.

Training Pioneer Christian Workers in Sagaew Province

2011-02-19T19:56:00.001-08:00

This weekend, we had the second half of our Children’s Church Seminar and Workshop in Northeast, Thailand in Wattana Nakhon, in Sagaew Province. Blessing of God Church hosted the workshop, and the church is well named, because we were blessed by these front line workers for the Kingdom of God. Blessing of God church is the only church not only in their sub-district but also in the district as a whole (the area would equal 3 counties in Kentucky) so it is quite isolated from other Christians. They are true pioneers and we were glad to help with this training.

The children's teacher from Blessing of God church captivated the children with the story of David and Goliath.

On the first day, we did in-house workshops, where the teachers practiced using the Felt Kits and making lesson plans. We divided up into two teams, and each practiced on a group of church kids that was comprised of the children and grandchildren of the teachers. As always, there is something that hits my funny bone and makes me laugh uncontrollably. Team B was the first to teach. When they came to the section where they were asking the children questions on the lesson, they would reward the children with a one baht coin (worth about 3.5 cents). The children were happy to receive the coins and they enjoyed the lesson. Then Team A gets up, and they decide to take an offering. It was funny seeing the looks on the kids faces when they had to give back the coins they had just won. I just couldn’t stop laughing. (Don’t worry about these kids, they were pampered this weekend).

The children at the community center had fun at the Bible Club. Bible clubs are similar to VBS, except we bring the ministry to the community rather than having it at the church.

After the practice lessons, both teams joined up to put together a special children’s outreach event in a community about 5 miles away. We pulled up to a simple building that serves as a community center and there were already 20 children there. I was pleased and knew this would be a good outreach. And then 2 minutes later, up pull 3 motorcycles packed with kids (and driven by children also – with 4 children per motorcycle). Then another 2 minutes, more children came. Soon we had a group of over 40 children. The teachers from the Children’s Church Seminar and Workshop put on a great time of games, Bible lessons, Bible memory verses, songs, puppet dramas, and activities.

Some of the church children helped with the Puppet Drama which introduced the story of David and Goliath. In Thai culture, older children help to teach the younger children.

We were also pleased to meet the community leaders who came to give their blessing to the event. We all thanked them for their support and prayed for God’s blessing on them and their families. In Thailand, it is very important to connect with the community leaders. Thai culture places a high value on respect for elders, so we try to always have good relationships with the community leaders and work together with them to help people.

Pastor Prapru introduces the sub-district magistrate and two village chiefs. Pastor Prapru has been very intentional about having good relations with the local leadership, who now know that Christian are here to do good and to be helpful. These leaders have been very helpful too, in getting the word out about the Bible Club and allowing us to use the community center for free.

At the end of the special children’s outreach event, every child received a healthy meal, and snacks, and a gift. Then Pastor Prapru of the Blessing of God Church told the children they would be back there every Saturday to do a Bible Club for the children. Pastor Prapru said that she and her church members were very encouraged to receive the training and the teaching resources, and that they were eager to have this ministry in this community, where there is not yet a church. Again, Pastor Prapru is being a pioneer, bringing the gospel to one more sub-district that does not yet have a church.

It is a great honor to work with Thai pioneers. They are brave, hard-working, Christian leaders with great perseverance. These Thai Christian pioneers make great sacrifices, many times selling everything they have so that they can plant a church in an unreached area of Thailand. When we are with them, we know we are standing on holy ground.

The children all enjoyed a nutritious meal, and a snack, and received school supplies as gifts.

Training Pioneer Christian Workers in Sagaew Province

2011-02-19T19:55:00.000-08:00

The children's teacher from Blessing of God church captivated the children with the story of David and Goliath.

The children at the community center had fun at the Bible Club. Bible clubs are similar to VBS, except we bring the ministry to the community rather than having it at the church.

Some of the church children helped with the Puppet Drama which introduced the story of David and Goliath. In Thai culture, older children help to teach the younger children.

The children all enjoyed a nutritious meal, and a snack, and received school supplies as gifts.

Some of the most valuable training for ministry came from my Mom

2011-02-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

Sherri and I learned many needful things in seminary, but I must confess, much of the most valuable training I received was when I was a teenager, helping my mother Lois, teach children during children's church. It was from her that I learned how to tell Bible stories to children, how to use felt kits and other resources to bring the stories to life, how to teach children to memorize important Bible passages, and how to have discipline in the classroom. I don't know where my mother learned to do this, but I know God gave her the gift of teaching children (adults too).

This past Saturday, I taught a Children's Church Seminar and Workshop. None of the ideas were my own. All of it came from my mother. Little did she know that by training her teenage son to lead children's church, her lessons would make it all the way across the globe to Thailand where children's teachers from 3 churches participated in the seminar.

All three churches received Bible in Felt Kits, a wonderful resource generously donated by the folks at Petrie Memorial UMC. These kits provide 175 lessons from Genesis through Revelation, so that children can study the whole Bible systematically. The kits provides felt figures and backdrops, which hold the children's attention and bring the Bible stories to life. All of the church also received puppets donated by our sisters and brothers at Mead Memorial UMC. The teachers also received Bible Memorization Kits, because children quickly grasp and remember God's Word.

At the seminar, the teachers received training on how to use these resources and how to lead all aspects of a children's church. Then in the afternoon, workshops were held for the teachers to practice using the new resources.

On the 18th, we will be heading to Northeast Thailand to Sagaew to teach the Children's Church Seminar and Workshop to rural pastors and children's teachers. Please pray that these pastors and teachers are encouraged and well equipped to serve in regions of Thailand where they may be at the only church in a region of several districts (counties). Christians here are very few in number, and they need encouragement and the support of your daily prayers.

The teachers at the workshop had as much fun with the puppets as the children had watching.

All of the teachers practiced teaching with the Felt Kits, which are a wonderful resource.

3 churches participated in the training which was held at Blessing Home.

Lots of fun

Mission Team visits Blessing Home

2011-01-29T19:55:00.000-08:00

Pastor Banya of Life Center UMC of Pattaya together with his wife Ampon and two children.
Life Center UMC is the sponsoring church of Blessing Home

This past Thursday, we had the privilege of working together with Pastor Banya and the staff of Blessing Home to host a luncheon for a mission team from Faith UMC of Temple City, California. The leader of the team, Ann Cheng, is the sister-in-law of Pastor Sarah of Pradumri First UMC in Chonburi, the mother church of the UMC in Thailand. It was wonderful to be able to see Ann again and to meet the team members. The mission team brought gifts for the children who sang to them. When the children of Blessing Home sing, they do it with gusto. They sing at full tilt, almost more like shouting cadences rather than singing. So when you are inside a concrete building with them and they are singing, it almost hurts the ears. However, their singing always makes us happy, because they have smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts.

One more bit of news. Pastor Banya will be coming with me (Mike) to the Kentucky Annual Conference in June 8-11 in Covington, KY. If you can come to annual conference to visit with Pastor Banya, you will receive a great blessing. Again, we will be selling Thai silk and crafts and will also have clergy stoles as well (a great gift for your pastor).

See you there.

Our heroes - Thai Pastors

2011-01-17T00:52:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest pleasures of our ministry is being able to visit with the pastors of the churches we have helped to plant. Each pastor is precious to us. They are our friends and co-workers. They are courageous hard-working servants of the Lord. One of these is Pastor Nampon, of Almighty God UMC in Nonsomboon, in Northeast Thailand. Pastor Nampon pioneered Almighty God UMC in November 2008, amidst persecution and much spiritual battle. She has triumphed and persevered, and God has blessed her faithfulness. Now her church has grown to the point where the sanctuary cannot hold everyone, and many of the members must stand for the whole worship service because of lack of room.

Pastor Nampon of Almighty God UMC

This week, Mike met with Pastor Nampon to make preparations for a Mission Team that will come in March to expand the church building. While there, we found out that the church’s Christmas outreach was a great success, and 24 people gave their lives to the Lord. Now Pastor Nampon and the members of the church are visiting the new believers, and many of these are now coming to church. This is a miracle of God, because just two years earlier Pastor Nampon faced great opposition.

Please pray for these new believers, that they will grow in Christ and not fall away. New believers face opposition from family and friends, especially when they grow to the point of wanting to get rid of their idols and amulets. When a new believer is ready to give up idolatry, there is a special service and the whole community of Christians will pray for that new believer, because family and friends will be very upset with them. For Thai Buddhists, giving up idols and amulets is like allowing the insurance on your house to elapse. The idols and amulets are what they trust in to protect them from harm. To give them up is foolishness to them. But to Christians, it is a required step in trusting in the Lord. After a new believers gives up their idols, if anything bad happens to the family, it will be blamed on giving up the idols. The pressure to return to their old life and old beliefs is tremendous. Only with prayer can these people stand firm in the faith of Christ.

This happened in the first year of Pastor Nampon’s ministry, a new believer who was in her 70’s died within 2 weeks of giving up her idols and amulets. All of the community was very angry at Pastor Nampon and she was in danger. But she persevered, and continued to pray with people. God has given Pastor Nampon a ministry of healing, and many who she prays with receive healing from the Lord. Now Pastor Nampon is well-known for her prayers for healing and many people come to her.

Spirit Houses where Thai Buddhists offer sacrifices to ward off evil spirits.

Thai pastors need your prayers. They work in difficult and sometimes dangerous circumstances. Please keep them in your prayers.

Opportunities to serve the Lord in Thailand

2011-01-11T00:49:00.000-08:00

We know that where there is a need for a servant of God, that there also a person that God is calling to meet that need. We believe this and we are praying that God will use His wonderful and mysterious ways to match the right people with the right ministries.

There are three opportunities to serve in Thailand that we are praying for at this time. One is short-term and the other are long-term.

First, the short-term opportunity. If you would like to come and serve the orphans and street children at Blessing Home for one week or longer (as long as you are willing to stay). We need dedicated Christians who will help care for the children during the daytime Monday through Friday, and do visitation with the families or guardians who take care of the children on Saturday afternoons. The cost of service is minimal. You will need about $750 per month for living expenses plus your plane ticket (you could actually live on less if you would live as a typical Thai person). We need many people to do this. If this sounds like you, please contact us at thailandumc@gmail.com

The second opportunity is long-term (at least one year). We are working together with Rev. John Kim of the Korean Methodist Church to start a new international school in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) in Northeast Thailand called Wesley International School. It is our hope that we will be able to reach those for Christ who will become the future leaders in Thailand. We need committed Christians who are certified teachers for teaching Pre-school or Kindergarten. The position pays salary and free housing is provided as well. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact Rev. John Kim at kery89@hotmail.com

The final opportunity is for career missionaries (three years or longer). We need spiritually mature Christians who can serve in the following ways:
1. We need entrepreneurs who are gifted at starting new businesses, who would do economic development projects at churches and ministries to help make them self-sufficient.
2. We need seminary graduates (M.Div or higher) who are called to teach at a Bible college in Thailand.
3. We need humble servants willing to do urban ministry at Blessing Home, doing visitation in the poor communities where children are at risk of the child sex trade.
All of the above career missionaries must raise your own support (we will help to guide your in this process) and will need to go to language school in Thailand for 6 months prior to going to your place of ministry. There is no ministry as exciting and fulfilling as serving the Lord on the front lines of the gospel. If this sounds like you, please contact us at thailandumc@gmail.com.

If you know of someone who may be interested in any of these opportunities, please forward this article to them.

A miraculous opportunity

2011-01-03T18:59:00.000-08:00

We need your prayers because the Lord has miraculously opened up an opportunity for Mike to lead a Bible Study for Buddhist monks at a temple in Chonburi province. We cannot give names and locations at this time, because the matter is very sensitive and we do not want to jeopardize the opportunity to teach about the Lord Jesus Christ at the Buddhist temple.

A series of events that were designed by God led to this opportunity. Sherri gave my name card to an acquaintance who was interesting in helping in some way at Blessing Home. This acquaintance has a friend who is a Buddhist monk and they began to talk about Blessing Home. The monk then took Mike's name card and called him several times. Finally, last week, they had the opportunity to meet at the Buddhist temple where the monk lives. Before the meeting, the monk had asked if we could give him a complete Bible (not just a New Testament). We were totally out of full Bibles, and only had New Testaments, so Sherri had to give the monk one of her own Bibles. Upon receiving the Bible, the monk was very happy. We also gave him Bible Study materials to guide him in his study.

While there, Mike discovered that the monk (sorry, I cannot share his name at this time) had attended a Christian school as a child, and there he had learned many Christian songs. There at the Buddhist temple, the monk and Mike sang Christian songs like "Amazing Grace" and "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee", and then we prayed together for the Lord to reveal Himself.

Later that evening, the monk called Mike to say that the Abbot of the Buddhist temple has given permission for us to hold a weekly Bible study there. This week will be the first week of the Bible Study. We need your prayers that God will open hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ. Please pray each day.

Christmas at Blessing Home

2010-12-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

It was a wonderful Christmas outreach at the Blessing Home this past Friday. A very large contingent of members from Life Center UMC in Pattaya helped to put it on, and without their help, it wouldn’t have been possible. Missions is about Christians across the world working together for the Kingdom of God, and together we can do ministry that would be impossible without this connection. We praise God for Christians who care for the orphans and street children on both sides of our planet, East and West. Thank you.

At the Blessing Home Christmas Outreach, the place was packed, beyond packed…. If there was a space, people were standing there. So crowded that when the children would come out to sing or dance, we would bring them out in small groups because all could not come at the same time.

The crowd was filled with the family and guardians and all who are connected with the orphans and street children who receive care at the Blessing Home. Pastor Banya gave a beautiful message that explained to these Thai people about the true meaning of Christmas, since most had no idea that Christmas was a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is odd, there are Christmas trees decorated beautifully all over Thailand, but hardly anyone knows why Christmas is celebrated, that is it all about the birth of Jesus our Savior. Pastor Banya’s message was very much needed. He then presented the gospel of Christ in a clear and compelling way, because we know everyone needs Jesus.

The children shared the gospel in song and liturgical dance and they were very charming, as you see from the pictures. Most of the children were from Blessing Home and some were from Life Center UMC.

We thank all who prayed for this special evangelistic event, because it is only with the power of God that lives are changed, and we want all of the children and the adults and family members connected with them to know the love of the Lord Jesus Christ and be changed by His power.

One of the great joys of Christmas is to be able to go buy Christmas presents for the children at Blessing Home. And we thank you for your generosity, so that we could purchase gifts for every child. We had funds to spend about $4 per child, and we were able to get some toys, and teddy bears, and snacks for each child. The children were very happy, but we know we received much more joy purchasing and preparing the Christmas gifts. We had an absolute blast. Thank you for making it possible.

Sherri and I will be spending Christmas visiting the UMC pastors who live in this region (within a two hour drive of here). We will also have little Igo with us, who is nine years old. Igo (pronounced ‘eye-go’) lost her Japanese father and her brother in a car accident two years ago in Japan. Her mother, Ning (who is Thai), and her had to move back to Thailand and were destitute. Ning studies English in a class with others with Mike twice per week. Igo comes to our home often, and has adopted us as her uncle and aunt. Igo will be with us for Christmas, and we are blessed to have her with us. She is bright and fun and it is good to have a child around the house at Christmas.

We really miss our family during Christmas and we know they miss us. Please pray for us and other missionaries, because this can be a tough time to be far away.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

Yours in Christ,

Mike and Sherri

The Christmas tree at our home in Chonburi surrounded by Gift Bags for the children of Blessing Home

The entrance to Blessing Home. To get into the Christmas Outreach, you had to wade through a sea of shoes.

Thailand Methodist Mission has a newly designed website

2010-12-16T14:16:00.000-08:00

Please visit the newly designed website for the Thailand Methodist Mission at http://thailandmethodist.org

Fellow missionaries Sawang and Lee-Anne Treetippayapitak of Victory Bible College International helped to design the new site and we are very thankful for their help.

A new UMC church in Pattaya for Akha hill-tribe people

2010-12-05T22:53:00.000-08:00

Wonderful news! A new UMC church has opened in Pattaya for Akha tribal people who work in this city. The Akha people are from the hills and mountains of Northern Thailand, but many must live in Pattaya to sell their handcrafts to tourists here. Last year, we had plans on starting this church and had some wonderful organizational meetings with Akha Christians in Pattaya.

Here are links to those articles from last year.

http://msmorrissey.blogspot.com/2009/11/akha-gathering-in-pattaya.html

http://msmorrissey.blogspot.com/2009/11/this-week-l2p-school-and-ethnic.html

The organizational meetings were well attended and there was much enthusiasm and excitement. We thought we would have this church started by January 2010, but God has His timing and it was different from ours. The one who was going to be the Akha pastor for this new congregation was disqualified from service, and we could not find a replacement that would be the right person to serve in Pattaya, a very difficult place to serve. Also, the place where we were going to rent became unavailable, and we could not find an affordable place (Pattaya is very expensive for Thailand). So, this was put on hold until both the right pastor and the right location could be found. Church planting is always a process, sometimes it is short and sometimes not. But God’s timing is always the best.

We praise God, that the work that we started has now come to completion, because of the efforts of Rev. Cherlue Vang and Pastor Sarah of Pradumri First UMC. Pastor Sarah has graciously provided for the funds for renting a building in a good location in Pattaya. She has been key to the whole process and we thank Pastor Sarah for her faithfulness to the Lord.

Mike and Pastor Ahloong

The new Akha pastor is Pastor Ahloong, who we trained during the last two years. In the first year, Pastor Ahloong as he served as an intern and received training from us twice each month, including credentialing training essential for all United Methodist pastors, Local Pastor School. This year, he completed his final year of studies at Phayao Bible College, and completed the three United Methodist Advanced Course of Study classes essential for ordination: UM History, UM Polity, UM Doctrine, which Sherri and I taught last Spring. Pastor Ahloong also received training from us in the Cell-based church planting method, which is effective all over the world (and very Wesleyan as well).

The Grand Opening for the Pradumri Akha UMC of Pattaya was last Sunday, but we could not attend because we had a previous commitment to be in Western Thailand, in Nakhon Pithom, for the dedication service for their new Youth Center. So we visited this Sunday afternoon with the Akha church, for they were having their Christmas celebration (very early in the month, it seems). There were over 120 Akha in attendance, which was not surprising because of the strong support we saw at last year’s organizational meetings. They are a friendly, outgoing, lovable people and we rejoiced in the welcoming spirit of the members of this new church. We rejoice that this church has a very strong start. God is blessing the efforts of Pastor Ahloong and all who have had a part in this new church. There are now 12 UMC churches in Thailand, glory be to God.

Sherri and the Devil from their drama

Most people sat outside in the street

Later this week, we want to introduce you to Teacher Mali, a Chinese Thai Christian who was the key person for planting this church.

On a side note, Mike did his first bi-lingual (English-Thai) wedding at Life Center UMC in Pattaya. Ken, an Englishman, and Duan, a Thai woman, had their wedding as part of the worship service this past Sunday. Attached are some pictures of the wedding. Mike was more nervous than the bride and groom because he had to do the ceremony in Thai as well as English. All went well.

It was one of those truly blessed Sundays that are a gift from God. God is good!

Duan and Ken Grainger, with Duan's mother

Consecration Prayer at the wedding

Important Announcement Concerning Blessing Home

2010-12-02T00:39:00.000-08:00

Little Naet of Blessing Home

It is official now. Blessing Home is now an official ministry of the Thailand Methodist Mission (TMM). The Board of Directors of TMM voted on Monday to receive responsibility for the Blessing Home ministry to orphans and street children. We are very grateful for their affirmative vote, because the children of Blessing Home needed an organization to step up to the plate to help them.

Blessing Home started as a ministry of GBGM, and our poster child, Naet, was also once the poster child for GBGM’s Annual Report to their Board of Directors just two years ago. But since then, GBGM has experienced financial problems and it was decided that they could no longer support this ministry.

The Thailand Methodist Mission stepped in on an emergency basis in September 2010, to begin providing support for Blessing Home, and we put out the call for the need for immediate donations because we did not have the funds on hand to “dive and catch the ball”. YOU, God’s people, responded with compassion and generosity, and we helped to save Blessing Home from closing, which would be tragic for the children here who are at great risk of the child sex trade and the illegal drug trade as well.

The Thailand Methodist Mission offered to take responsibility for GBGM, and GBGM has agreed to hand over responsibility in the month of November, 2010. This still required a vote from the Board of TMM to receive responsibility and place Blessing Home in the General Fund budget. There was unanimous agreement on the Board of TMM to do this.

We need your prayers as there is much work to do. We must now register Blessing Home as a Social Work Agency within Thailand. It is necessary for Blessing Home to receive this certification because without it, we will not be able to own property, and we move towards owning our own building rather than paying rent. But first, the registration as a Social Work Agency must take place. To do this next step, will require hiring a lawyer and security deposit. We need about $12,000 to do this next step. Again, without this step, Blessing Home and TMM cannot own property in Thailand and we will be forced to rent a building, which at this time makes up about 39% of expenses for Blessing Home.

If you or your church feel led by the Lord to help us with this, it would be wonderful. The faster we can receive funds for the security deposit and legal fees, the sooner we can raise funds for purchasing a building. This will be wonderful, because it will free up funds for providing services to the children. Please pray about this matter and do as the Lord leads you to do.

Giving can be done through the mail or online.

Please send checks to:

TMM

P.O. Box 56

Mannsville, KY 42758

OR give online by clicking this link

https://www.justgive.org/nonprofits/donate.jsp?ein=27-2388347

God Bless You,
Mike and Sherri

Nakhon Pithom Dedication Service

2010-11-30T00:45:00.000-08:00

It is always a joyous occasion to visit the UMC churches that we have had the privilege to help plant in Thailand. At each church, we always feel welcomed to the point of wanting to move to live with our fellow brothers and sisters there. Really. Everytime, we go away thinking, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to come here and worship with our brothers and sisters here all of the time?” This Sunday was just the same.

This weekend we went to Nakhon Pithom for a special consecration service for the new United Methodist Youth Center. Because of the generosity of their sister church, St. John’s UMC of Aiken, S.C., the United Methodist Church of Nakhon Pithom was able to open this new Youth Center where the Gospel is taught and lived out, where children can borrow good books to read, and where they can learn to play music for free as well.

At the dedication service, some of the children and youth from the center performed Thai dance for us, so we could all be blessed. They have just started learning music, so it will only be a few months before some are playing worship songs with guitars and drums. We were very impressed by how friendly and polite the children were.

Our prayers are that many children and youth will come to have new lives in Jesus Christ, and that through these youth, all of this region of Thailand will be reached for the Lord. Blessed by the name of the Lord!

A Tale of Two Baptisms (2 out of 7, actually)

2010-11-24T01:23:00.000-08:00

Life Center UMC in Pattaya is our home church in Thailand and we love our brothers and sisters here. Life Center UMC has both a Thai congregation and a Chinese congregation, and both are growing and getting stronger every month. This is wonderful news, because Pattaya is a very difficult place to grow a church, because it is the Sodom and Gomorrah of Southeast Asia. Yet Pastor Banya, whose name means “wisdom”, lives up to his name in his wise and faithful leadership.

Life Center UMC is also the church which sponsors Blessing Home, which most know is a ministry which serves street children and orphans in Pattaya, providing food, education, safety, medical care, Christian education and the Love of the Lord to the 64 children who receive care each week.

This past Sunday was a special day in the life of the Thai congregation as 7 new believers were baptized in the universal church of Jesus Christ. Out of the 7 that were baptized, we wanted to highlight 2 of them.

The first is a young teenager named Nok, who is the daughter of Pui. Pui is the director of Blessing Home, and we are very blessed to have her leading this ministry. Pui is one of those people that is highly gifted in many areas of life, and she is a faithful hard worker in the church. She leads cells the praise team and can play the guitar, she teaches children, and then leads large events at the church. She can teach and preach and do it all. And by her side is her daughter Nok, who is a sweet-spirited young lady who help run the computer at church and is one of the most thoughtful teenagers we have ever met. No one has to ask her to do anything. If there is a guest speaker, she will get them water to drink. If there is a young child who needs assistance, she is right there. Well, today, Pui’s daughter Nok and her brother and sister-in-law were all baptized. Pui was beaming with joy the whole day. It is wonderful watching Nok grow up to be a very kind, gentle, generous, and gifted young woman, just like her mother, Pui. God is good!

The second new believer is Sinchai, who was the oldest person baptized. Don’t ask his age, because I (Mike) forgot to ask. Sinchai has been a believer for 29 months now and during that time God has held his hand through many serious trials, the largest of which was his stroke which paralyzed his left side. Sinchai had a very slow recovery from his stroke, and yet He has trusted in God the whole time. Sinchai is a real prayer warrior. When he prays for you, you know that things are moving in the spiritual realm, because he prays with his whole heart. When he prays, it is often that we find ourselves weeping with joy over the goodness of our Lord. It was a joy to be there with him at his baptism.

I know recently we have posted many baptism pictures, and we hope you do not grow tired of articles about these baptism services. It is just that it is a great time of rejoicing for us here in Thailand, and we want to share that joy with you. New believers in Thailand face much pressure to return to their old life and their old faith. Some new believers experience persecution and loss for their new faith in Christ, and it is a miracle when they overcome all of this to be baptized members of the church.

So today in your prayers, please give thanks and praise to God for working miracles in the lives of these new believers in Thailand.

Pictures that give glory to our Lord

2010-11-17T01:14:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the pictures I promised we would put on the blog.
Our camera is an inexpensive one that cannot take far distant shots, so we have to rely on others to take pictures and send them to us. Pastor Theradon sent this graduation picture, of him receiving his Master of Divinity Degree. He is now the third UMC pastor with an M.Div. degree, and next year Pastor Panya will join the group and make four. We give praise to the Lord that TMM was able to give a full scholarship to Pastor Theradon to finish his M.Div. degree and pay for graduation fees as well. God is good, and so is His servant, Pastor Theradon, who serves two churches in the Suphanburi Circuit. He is a true pioneer, because both of his churches are the only churches in his district (comparable to a county in the States). He serves in isolation from other churches and ministries, and he needs our constant prayer.

The other pictures are of Dr. Somsak baptizing 20 new believers at UMC camp at Sattahip. There were pastors and members of 9 of the 11 UMC churches across Thailand in attendance. It is a great blessing to see new believers being baptized, most of whom were Buddhist last year. For some of them, they will face great pressure from family and friends because they are now Christians. Please pray for these new believers that they will be steadfast in the faith and will grow in Christ.

Pioneering Pastors Program: First Training Event in Sriracha, Thailand

2010-11-08T01:01:00.001-08:00

We want to thank everyone who has been praying for the first round of training in the Pioneering Pastors Program (PPP). PPP is a project of the Thailand Methodist Mission, with the purpose of training and resourcing pastors to pioneer churches where there are none. At the present time, less than one percent of the population of Thailand is Christian, and one main reason is that most regions of Thailand remain unreached. In fact, 85% of the subdistricts and villages in Thailand are unreached, having no church of any denomination or group. The Pioneering Pastors Program is designed to be a catalyst to help other churches and denominations to plant churches. We are a para-church organization, not a church, so we do not start churches in the name of our own organization. We simply help other organizations to pioneer, with the hope that soon, every subdistrict and village in Thailand will have a healthy, vibrant church, so that all may have a chance to know the Lord Jesus Christ. Because we are United Methodist, UM church planters that qualify, receive top priority over other organizations.

To qualify as a Pioneer Pastor, the church planter must commit to planting a church in an unreached subdistrict. After receiving training, the pioneer receives a Basic Kit, which is designed to help the pastor have the equipment needed for planting cell groups. The Basic Kit includes a used motorcy (a small Asian motorcycle) for visitation, a guitar and case, songbooks, Bibles, and Christian education materials, plus one year of coaching. If the pastor follows the training given and is fruitful, she/he qualifies to receive the Advanced Kit, which is designed to help bring the cell groups together to form a worship service. The Advanced Kit includes a sound system, musical instruments, computer (with Bible study programs), and a video projector. The Advanced Kit provides a boost to the new church and a reward for pastor for the hard work of pioneering. The training, one year of coaching, and both kits cost a total of $4500. If you or your church would like to make a great impact for the Kingdom of God, please pray and consider being a sister church which sponsors a Pioneering Pastor. It makes an eternity of difference when you help to plant a church in an unreached village.

The training that we began this week was in Sriracha, just about 8 miles south of us. Pastor Neo, who serves together with us as a translator, is also a pioneering pastor who graduated from Victory Bible College International in Sriracha. Pastor Neo is re-starting his congregation, with a new move and new direction. We are training members and leaders in his church as well as Victory Bible College students who seek to pioneer churches in their nations.

The training was well attended, with over 30 in attendance. What thrilled us was that there were people from many nations, not just Thailand. There were students training to be pioneering pastors from Nigeria, India, Nepal, Burma, Philippines, and Vietnam. It is very humbling to work together with these pastors who will go back to their home nations to pioneer for the Lord. What a great blessing. We were encouraged by the responses received by the pioneers being trained. We know God will use them to be a great blessing.

Next week we do the second half of the training. In fact, the training given is an abbreviated form of the training we will usually do. We had to edit some content due to time restrictions.

None of those who are receiving any of the resource kits, some because they do not qualify (they are planting a church in a sub-district that already has a church), and others because we do not yet have funds for purchasing the kits. We are praying for God’s provision that we can help to plant more churches in unreached areas of Thailand. And throughout the world, because everybody needs Jesus.

Thailand UMC Camp 2010

2010-10-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was an exciting time for United Methodists in Thailand.
It was the first camp that Thai United Methodists from all churches in Thailand attended. Many traveled for 15 hours or more to get to camp. There have been camps each previous year, but not one that was nationwide.

It was a great pleasure to spend time with United Methodist believers from every church. Truly an encouraging experience for me (Mike) as I was able to see how these believers have become strong Spirit-filled leaders. It is always a spirit-booster to be able to see the fruit of the ministry. All the glory belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ, who changes peoples lives. Praise the Lord!

I do not know the number that attended camp this year and do not want to venture a guess. I will have to ask later, but it was by far the biggest camp ever.

Thai Christians are filled with the joy of the Lord and it shows in their worship, in their fellowship, and in their everyday lives. There were many fun skits and shows and games. The worship was celebrative. The fellowship was sweet.

There were around 20 people baptized at this year's camp, and you see the pictures of the baptismal candidates praying with Dr. Somsak, who performed the baptisms.

At Thailand UMC Camp 2010, we had the privilege of meeting Rev. Cherlue Vang and Mrs. Mang Thao Vang, who are the new GBGM missionaries. Rev. Cherlue Vang is the new National Director for GBGM in Thailand, the position which we held when we were with GBGM. We rejoice in their arrival and for the opportunity to work together cooperatively with them. God will bless their ministry. You can visit their blog at http://www.gbgm-thailand.blogspot.com/

Clergy Stoles

2010-10-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

At Annual Conference this year, we sold Thai silk and goods to help support the ministry of the Thailand Methodist Mission, and the response was wonderful. Some United Methodist Women looked at the colorful Thai silk we had for sale with the intention of making clergy stoles as gifts for their pastors. Unfortunately the silk we had was too short to do the job.

In response, in the past several months, Sherri has had many clergy stoles designed from Thai silk in beautiful patterns. These clergy stoles would be unique gifts for pastors and also help support the work of the Thailand Methodist Mission.

Sherri will be selling these clergy stoles and other Thai silk and Thai goods at the Kentucky Conference UMW Annual Mission Celebration at Christ UMC in Louisville on Saturday, October 23rd.

(Sorry, I wish I had a picture of the clergy stoles)

Pastor Tharadon earns his Master of Divinity degree in Bangkok

2010-10-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Today was both a joyous and a sad day for me (Mike). It was a joyous day because Pastor Tharadon who serves the Suphanburi Circuit in Western Thailand, received his Master of Divinity diploma today in Bangkok.

Pastor Tharadon is a pioneer for the Lord, planting churches in two unreached areas of Thailand. It is difficult work and often lonely, but he has persevered and has even sacrificed time to continue this studies to have the educational qualifications needed to be an Elder in the United Methodist Church. We are very proud of Pastor Tharadon, who has been a good friend and brother to us.

Because of your faithful giving to the Thailand Methodist Mission, this day was possible for Pastor Tharadon. The Thailand Methodist Mission gave a scholarship to Pastor Tharadon so he could pay for his last semester of tuition and graduation fees. Thank you for your generosity that has helped to train a pioneering pastor in Thailand.

God is good!

The sad part of today was that I am sick and cannot travel to attend his graduation. I am very disappointed in not being able to go today. Knowing that Sherri would be in the States, I put off much travel last month so I could be with her. I put the travel off until this month, and have been on the road constantly, since it matters not where I am when Sherri is not here. We must wait until the 25th of October to be together again.

TMM and St. John's UMC of Aiken, SC will soon open new Youth Mission Center in Nakhon Pithom

2010-10-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

God is good! All the time!
It is our Lord who brings fruitfulness to all ministries, and it is to our God that all glory and honor belongs.

St. John's UMC of Aiken has been in a sister church relationship with Nakhon Pithom UMC, which is located west of Bangkok, for the past year. A sister church relationship is beautiful, because both sister congregations receive great blessings from each other.

Pastors Ekerat and Da of Nakhon Pithom UMC told us last month that the place next to the church was vacant and may be available for rent. They wanted to see if there was any possibility to rent it and create a new Youth Mission Center. As I sat with them in front of the church discussing this vision, I saw many children and youth passing by the church. Pastor Ekerat said that the children all live in the nearby slums, and that they walk past the church to go to the internet cafe. In the internet cafe, you see children packed in there. Usually there will be 4-5 children per computer, and one will play games while the other watches. Usually this is because only one child will have the 10 baht (33 cents) to play, but the others enjoy watching.

Pastor Ekerat said, "Pastor Mike, what if we had a mission center here for the youth. We could give free music lessons and we could have a library here too. My wife (Pastor Da) really wants the children and youth to have an opportunity to read good books. These children have no access to reading good books at this time, and it would really help them to have this opportunity. If we had this Youth Mission Center, they would come for the music lessons and the library, and we would have the chance to teach them about Jesus Christ too. They would come to the Youth Mission Center and many would follow Jesus Christ."

When I heard the vision for a Youth Mission Center from Pastors Ekerat and Da, my heart was touched and it was obviously from the Lord. So we began to make plans. When the owner of the building was contacted, we found out that someone had already rented the building, but had not yet placed a security deposit and had not yet arrived. The owner said that at the end of the month of September, if the man who wanted to rent the place did not show up, he would rent it to the church. So we all started praying that the building would be available to the church.

God answered everyone's prayers, and funds that were donated by St. John's UMC was used to pay for a full year of rent as well as the purchase of musical instruments and books and bookshelves. The library is starting out small, but we know bit by bit it will grow.

We hope in the next few weeks to be able to open the Youth Mission Center and I will have pictures then.

There is a mission team that will come from Kentucky, and this location is one of the worksites, where the team will work to paint and spruce up the building which is in rough shape.

We praise God for His great blessings. Praise the Lord!

New Online Donation Service

2010-10-02T02:14:00.000-07:00

The Thailand Methodist Mission has a new online donation service with www.JustGive.org
Our blog at msmorrissey.blogspot.com has a button that you can click on to give online. Of course you can always send a check in the mail to:
TMM
P.O. Box 56
Mannsville, KY 42758

The online giving through the TMM website is still not working. We will be renovating the TMM website this month with the help of some people who know what they are doing (meaning someone other than us).

Thank you and God bless you for your faithfulness.

Nakhon Pithom UMC receives musical instruments for worship and teaching

2010-09-21T21:02:00.001-07:00

Sister church relationships are a beautiful thing. Nakhon Pithom UMC and St. John UMC of Aiken, S.C. are sister churches that pray for each other. The believers of St. John UMC knew that there was a need for musical instruments at their sister church. Instruments were needed, not just for Sunday morning worship, but also because the church is a youth center during the week, where free music lessons are given to children and youth who live in poverty in the nearby community. But it was difficult to give lessons with just one guitar to share among many. Because of the generous donation of St. John UMC, two more acoustic guitars, an electric guitar, a bass guitar, and a drum set were purchased for use at the church.

The believers at Nakhon Pithom UMC are now praising God with the new musical instruments and now many more children receive free music lessons at the church while at the same time being taught about the Lord Jesus Christ who loves them dearly.

The pictures above are of the church, before the musical instruments were purchased. I will have newer pictures, hopefully next month.

Meet the Board of the Thailand Methodist Mission

2010-09-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

Sherri and I would like to take a moment to extend our thanks to the sacrifice that the Board members of the Thailand Methodist Mission give to make the mission here possible. They provide the connection and accountability that the mission needs. We give special thanks to the Executive members who are seated in the front row. They are hard workers who always serve with the joy of the Lord in their hearts.

Seated LtoR: Vice-President: Bryan Lewis, President: Thad Prince, Secretary: Janet Bradley, Treasurer: Terri Gabehart

Standing LtoR: Rev. James Kingry (Russell Springs UMC), Rev. Doug Stilwell (Glasgow First UMC), Rev. Steve Drury (Lexington Trinity Hill UMC), Karen Prince, Lea Ann Johnson, Michael Norton, Rev. Ric Holladay (Greenville UMC).

Not present: Nola Gaddis, Rev. Michael Gibbons (Elizabethtown District Superintendent)

Sherri will be at the Kentucky Annual Conference UMW Missions Celebration

2010-09-11T17:17:00.001-07:00

Sherri will be back in Kentucky for a few weeks in October, to visit family and friends. She will also have the privilege of attending the Kentucky Conference UMW Annual Mission Celebration at Christ UMC in Louisville on Saturday, October 23rd. She will have a booth set up where she will present the ministries of the Thailand Methodist Mission. Just like at Annual Conference, we will be selling Thai silk items, including handbags, clothes, and crafts at the UMW Annual Mission Celebration. It is a great way to buy beautiful unique Christmas gifts as well as raise support for missions as well.

Blessing Home Brochure and Powerpoint

2010-09-08T20:54:00.001-07:00

These are links to a Brochure and a Powerpoint for promoting Blessing Home.

Please place a copy of the brochure on your church bulletin board or make copies available for members.

The Powerpoint can be used during Sunday morning worship as a 3 minute quick presentation.

Here are the links:
Download the TMM Blessing Home Brochure at: http://tinyurl.com/BlessingHome1

Download the TMM Blessing Home Powerpoint at: http://tinyurl.com/BlessingHome2

Urgent Message from the Morrisseys concerning Blessing Home

2010-09-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

We are sending this bulletin to inform you of an urgent need for support for Blessing Home. Blessing Home is a ministry of Life Center United Methodist Church, which provides food, clothing, education, medical care, and Christian nurture to sixty four children in Pattaya. Pattaya is the epicenter of child trafficking in Southeast Asia, so this ministry seeks to save these children from those who seek to enslave them. Blessing Home is truly a life saving mission center.

In the past, Blessing Home received the majority of its support through your apportionments via the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM). Designated gifts for Blessing Home, with the exception of one large gift from a church in Central Kentucky, have been only a minor portion of the $1,258/month needed to rent facilities, pay staff, purchase food, provide transportation and other services for the 64 children.

Now there is an urgent need. Gary Moon, GBGM missionary in Thailand, has informed us that there are insufficient funds in the GBGM budget in Thailand to fully support Blessing Home. For now, Blessing Home can only count on receiving designated gifts (donations directly to Blessing Home). In an email to us, GBGM missionary Gary Moon said it would be very helpful if the Thailand Methodist Mission (TMM) could raise funds for Blessing Home so “no one falls through the cracks.”

Providentially, TMM had sufficient funds to give the full support of $1,258 for the month of September. However, we need a great wave of generosity from God’s people in order to fully support this ministry. We cannot give money that we do not have. This month, Blessing Home will only receive about $355 from GBGM and must use funds from the limited amount of savings Blessing Home has, to cover the rest of the expenses.

We have been in prayer with Pastor Banya and the leaders of Blessing Home seeking God’s direction. While in prayer, the one thing that God made clear to all was that we cannot let any of these children be released back into the streets without education, without proper nutrition, without supervision, without safety from predators who would enslave them. In fact, the thought of that happening is revolting to us. God made it clear to all that He would provide for the needs of these children through Blessing Home.

So, we need urgent help. We need special offerings at your churches in support of Blessing Home. We need special generous gifts from God’s people who have a heart for these children.

Please send gifts for Blessing Home to the Thailand Methodist Mission. You can send a check in the mail or give online.

Checks can be sent to:
TMM
P.O. Box 56
Mannsville, KY 42758

Or give online at http://thailandmethodist.org/

Thank you for your prayerful consideration of this request for support.

United Methodist Mission Center opens in Chiang Mai

2010-08-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

August 21st was a very special day for United Methodists in Thailand. GBGM Missionaries Gary and Cindy Moon opened a new Mission Center for GBGM in Chiang Mai. It was a large celebration with guests from Thailand, Korea, and America in Attendance. Pastor Ekerin was chosen to be the worship leader for this historic event and Professor Werachot who is president of Phayao Bible College was the guest speaker. Others who took part in the celebration were a praise team comprised of Phayao Bible College Students, Dr. Tanapong (director of the Global Theological Institute and pastor of Lamppost UMC in Chiang Dao), Rev. Jong Sung Kim of GBGM, and Dr. Erlinda Senturias of the Christian Churches of Asia organization.

Mike celebrated at this event, but Sherri could not because she was busy teaching the second half of the Course of Study class on Pastoral Care as well as traveling to the Northeast to visit Pastor Nampon and the members of Almighty God UMC in Nonsomboon. This is a common occurrence where we must split up and be in different regions of Thailand.

While Sherri was visiting with Pastor Nampon, she was able to see the wonderful progress that has been made on the Pig Farm Cooperative, an economic development project that was started several months ago. Economic development projects, like the Pig Farm Cooperative, are developed in the churches and institutions to lift people out of poverty permanently while at the same time helping the churches and institutions to become financially self-sufficient. The Pig Farm Cooperative provides income for the church and helps 3 church families to have steady income. They have just completed their first cycle of raising pigs, and now they have re-invested some of the profits to expand the project even more. Sherri was absolutely pleased with the progress on this project. God is good!

TMM Is Officially a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization now!

2010-08-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

Praise God! On August 17th, TMM application for 501c3 status as a Non-Profit Organization was approved by the IRS, so now all of the legal work is complete. This is a great answer to prayer.

We want to give special thanks to Terri Gabehart and Karen Prince, who sludged through all of the legalese and did much research, to make sure that TMM did everything the right way. This was the first time any of us had ever started a new non-profit organization, so there was a steep learning curve, and Terri and Karen did a marvelous job of making it happen.

We also want to express our deep appreciation for the pro-bono legal work of Attorney Jerry Fowler, Jr. of Lebanon, Kentucky. We are deeply indebted to Jerry who has served with a joyful heart.

God is good!

Pradumri Bangkok UMC has first Sunday morning worship service in new building

2010-08-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was a wonderful and joyous Sunday. Pradumri Bangkok UMC moved into a new six-story facility and celebrated their first Sunday morning worship service. This is a great answer to prayer because this church was in a very small facility before and they have been overcrowded for the past year. The previous building was also not in a good location, but this new one is right near the main road and has wonderful parking. We wanted this church to move to this building last year, but the rent was way to high. Now the Lord has provided and has made the building affordable.

The entrance to the church is on the side of the building. The very front of the building has a very large sign that you see on the picture. The sign quotes from Matthew 11:28 "Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.'"

Now this church will be able to grow at a faster rate than ever before because they have room to grow and a fantastic location. Pastors Sila and Wassana have provided strong leadership and we know that God will bless this church.

We know we are not in Kentucky anymore when.....

2010-08-17T19:22:00.001-07:00

We know we are not in Kentucky anymore, when we see street signs like these: Elephant Crossings. And we really have to be careful, because wild elephants really do cross the road here. They are especially dangerous at night because there are no street lights. You would think you could see something as large as an elephant even at night, but their skin is dark grey, and they are quite difficult to spot.

Mother's Day Celebration at the Global Theological Institute in Chiang Dao

2010-08-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

This week, Sherri has been teaching a block course at the Global Theological Institute (GTI) on the Biblical Role of Women in the Church. GTI, a ministry of the Lamppost UMC in Chiang Dao, is a Training Center where future pastors and church leaders are prepared for ministry. Twenty Nine students receive training here, and Sherri and I are honored to teach here on a regular basis.

This week, we wanted to do something special for the students to bring joy to their lives. The buildings they live in are very humble (in America, we shelter our cars in garages that would be luxurious in comparison to their housing) and their lifestyle is very simple too. They do not have much in the way of material blessings. They have a few sets of clothes (truly only a few), they live on rice and vegetables and rarely eat any meat or anything sweet.

Usually, when we teach, we bring cookies, snacks, and cocoa with us, so they can enjoy these during class. The small things that we would take for granted are greatly appreciated and very special to them. Just being with these students gives us a fresh outlook on how God has blessed us so much.

This time we wanted to do something extra special, and since Thursday was Mother's Day (the Queen of Thailand's birthday is celebrated as Mother's Day in Thailand)we threw a picnic for the students. The students had a 30 minute prayer walk to the picnic shelter which is near the banks of the Ping River. Fortunately, the sky was cloudy, so it was not steamy hot. When we all arrived, we sang praises to God (enjoy the video) and then all of the students gave testimonies concerning their mothers. For some students, they became so filled with tears when trying to speak about their mothers that they could not speak at all. They stood in the front for a minute, trying to gain composure, and then they would just need to sit down. The students would cheer each one, even those who were unable to speak, because their tears were wordless testimonies.

After worship and sharing, we had a big meal. We wanted to have a meal that they normally could not afford, which means a meal with a lot of meat. Some of the students had expressed a longing for grilled chicken, so we purchased some and had the students make sticky rice to eat with it. We also ordered some Nahm Prihk Noom, which is a green vegetable and hot pepper based paste that goes well with chicken and sticky rice. We also ordered a tank of ice cream. Thai tastes are different than ours, so we always enlist help in ordering food. The Thai young person who helped us order ice cream could have two flavors mixed together, so he chose chocolate mixed together with cantaloupe. It sounded like a very strange combination to me, but it actually tasted good.

It was a wonderful day of fellowship with the students that we will always remember.

Today is Sherri's final day of teaching. Late this afternoon, we will begin our journey back to Chonburi. We will only go partway, because it is a fifteen hour drive. We should arrive back home on Saturday, late afternoon.

We want to thank everyone who has supported our ministry through the Thailand Methodist Mission. This week of training students in Chiang Dao is only possible because of you.

If you would like to give, please send support to the treasurer of the Thailand Methodist Mission at:
Thailand Methodist Mission
Terri Gabehart
P.O. Box 56
Mannsville, KY 42758

or give online at thailandmethodist.org

We are in need of more financial support. At this time, Sherri and I receive no salary from the Thailand Methodist Mission, but we do receive funds for ministry expenses. We are praying that financial support increases to the point where we can receive salary. In the meantime, we live by faith.

Sherri and Mike Visit the Garden of Eden

2010-07-31T22:19:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, we worshipped at Bowin UMC. We have a special relationship with Pastors Jerron and On and the members of Bowin UMC because it was the first church we helped to plant in Thailand. It is always a homecoming whenever we visit.

After worship and the noon meal, Pastor Jerron invited us to go to the "Garden of Eden", which is the name they have given the Cooperative Chicken Farm Project that the New York VIM team helped to build last January. Everytime we come to the "Garden of Eden", we find that the members have developed the farm even further than before.

The first thing we saw were over a hundred chickens and some ducks running around the enclosed coop. What a huge increase from just two months ago. Every part of the farm is now growing some form of fruit or vegetable, and irrigation pipes and a sprinkler system make this land to be highly productive.

Pastor Jerron then took us to the "house" , which is really more like a picnic shelter with a raised floor, all made of bamboo. He then told us how the "House in the Garden of Eden" has become a holy place for him and the members of Bowin UMC.
Pastor Jerron heads out to the Garden of Eden most mornings with his baby daughter named "Manna", where he studies for sermons and Bible lessons. The Garden of Eden has become his spiritual sanctuary and a place of prayer.

Pastor Jerron then told about how many of his members work the night shift at the factories nearby. They work from 6pm to 6am. Most of them do not go directly home from work, instead they come to the Garden of Eden to work. The food that is grown here provides extra help and income for Pastors Jerron and On and the families of Bowin UMC as well as extra food for relief ministries in the area surrounding the church. After working in the Garden of Eden, the members will sleep at the house in the Garden or fellowship together. The Garden of Eden has been a place of fellowship and unity for this church. After witnessing what a spiritual blessing the Chicken Farm Cooperative has been, we think the name "Garden of Eden" is very appropriate.

We hope to do many more projects like this in other UMC churches. For only $3000,you and your church can sponsor a cooperative project that helps lift families out of poverty and also helps to make churches become self-sufficient. Please pray about this. We need people and churches to help with this.

I (Mike) also need your prayers. I have been very ill with the flu for the last 4 days and I can't seem to shake it. Thank you for your prayers.

We are blessed to have a new car to help us to train pastors

2010-07-24T03:40:00.000-07:00

We are back home from the Rodem House Retreat Center, where we have finished the first half of the class on Pastoral Care and Counseling, one of the required classes for Course of Study,the United Methodist study program for lay people who seek to be pastors but have not received training in a seminary.

There were over 30 lay people training, plus pastors and youth who accompanied them. There were also several people who came for the training from other denominations. This is very typical in Thailand. Because the Christian population is so small and the opportunities for training so few, when we or others provide training, pastors and lay leadership from many organizations come to the trainings.

The second half of this training will be at Life Center UMC in Pattaya next month. Also next month, Sherri will be teaching a block course on "Biblical Roles of Women in Church" at our Bible college in Chiang Dao.

This week, we were thrilled to be able to purchase a new car, a Kia Picanto.
As some of you know, we were originally going to purchase a 4 door Tata CNG Pickup, but unfortunately they are no longer sold in Thailand. After much prayerful consideration and comparing different vehicles, we decided the Kia Picanto best met our needs for a way to transport 2-3 people comfortably while using as little fuel as possible. It was very helpful to have the car available for this last training. It made life much more efficient and easier too.

Thank you to all who gave generously to make it possible to purchase this car.
God is good!

Teaching Students at the Global Theological Institute

2010-07-12T21:32:00.001-07:00

We thank all who have been praying for us. Since coming back to Thailand, we both have had to do some sprinting to keep up with the pastor training schedule. When training pastors in a second language, there are many time consuming details for translating, and everything has to be translated because there just isn’t much to choose from for Biblical curriculum here. Also, the credentialing training, such as Course of Study and Advance Course of Study, there are tons of logistics as pastors and lay Christian leaders come from all over Thailand to the Rodem House Retreat Center. There is transportation, food, lodging, communications, and many, many details that we must manage. Please pray for us as we are now doing the credentialing training at Rodem House, which is an hour drive from our house. This is a new location, and we must put together a whole new set of helpers, vendors, and routines to make it work. Your prayers are greatly needed.
Last week, Mike taught at the Global Theological Institute, a ministry of the Lamppost UMC in Chiang Dao, Thailand. He taught a one-week intensive block course on the Life of Christ to 29 students. Each student had to submit a paper and also do a presentation on a selected passage from one of the gospels. It was a great joy to hear them teach about the life of Jesus because they have a refreshing perspective on the life of Christ. Most of the students belong to the minority hill tribe groups in the far north of Thailand. They are the poorest of the poor and must work very hard just to subsist. In most ways, their lifestyle is much closer to the lifestyle Jesus Christ lived than our lifestyle in the affluent West. Most of them live own nothing more than the small bag of clothes that they came to Bible college with. So when they teach from Matthew 6:25-34 and proclaim that God will take care of our needs, I couldn’t help but be touched deeply. It is one thing when a middle class preacher proclaims this. It is quite another when a penniless Bible college student teaches this Biblical truth.
It is always a time of joy to be with these students. They are very grateful that we come to train them, and yet we are privileged to be able to train them to be at the front lines of the Kingdom of God, for planting churches and ministries in unreached areas of Thailand. And we are ever grateful for the prayers and support of Christians in the States, who make it all possible. We are very blessed, and we wish to be a blessing to others for the sake of Jesus Christ.
Drs. Tanapong and Muanreedee are the pastors of Lamppost UMC and the directors of this Bible College. They sold their house so they could start this Bible college, and God has blessed. We are hoping to send some mission teams to work at the Global Theological Institute to improve the student housing and other facilities. If you are interested in forming a mission team, please contact us.
Dr. Tanapong does much of the teaching and Dr. Muanreedee creates new curriculum while running the copy shop that helps provide much needed funds for the school. Both Sherri and I teach block courses each semester as part-time professors. Sherri will be teaching a block class in August on the Biblical Role of Women in the Church. Please keep Drs. Tanapong and Muanreedee in your prayers, that God will sustain them with strength, and provide the funds needed to keep this training center going and expanding.

Teachers Needed For Wesley International School

2010-06-29T21:23:00.000-07:00

One thing that I love about being Methodist is that we work together as many Methodist groups from many countries. As Methodists, we seek cooperative ministry together, because this glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ.

Over the last few years, we have had the privilege of developing close relationships with Rev. John and Sarah Kim, who have served as missionaries in Thailand with the Korean Methodist Church (KMC) for the last 10 years.

John and Sarah have received a God-sized vision from the Lord. They have been called to start a new Christian internation school in Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima), which is the 2nd largest city in Thailand and the gateway to the Northeast Region of Thailand, which is called Esarn. Most of Esarn is unreached for Jesus Christ because there are few missionaries here. Most missionaries go to Bangkok or Chiang Mai, because there are Christian international schools for their children. At the present time, Esarn has no Christian international school, so there are not many missionaries going there. John and Sarah know that if a new Christian international school is started in Korat, which is the lead city of Esarn, then soon there will be many missionaries that will choose to serve in this unreached expanse of Thailand. If we are to reach all of Thailand for Jesus Christ, we must be able to have missionaries serve in these unreached areas. We also need to reach Thai people from the upper class, who are the leaders in this region. Many will want to send their children to this new international school.

John and Sarah have great faith, and they have taken many faith steps to start this new school, called Wesley International Kindergarten, in Korat, Thailand. They will begin with nursery and kindergarten, and then expand by one grade each year through high school.

John Kim has asked Mike to serve on the Board of Directors of the new school, and he was honored to accept. We seek to help John and Sarah recruit good Christian teachers for this new ministry. Teachers who choose to serve here will be making a difference in the whole Esarn region.

Below is a letter from John Kim. Please feel free to contact him at:
E-mail: kery89@hotmail.com

We are looking for Christian teachers for
Wesley International Kindergarten in Korat, Thailand

Dear beloved sisters and brothers in Christ,
My name is Kim, Kyomook (Rev. John Kim). I am a missionary in Thailand by Korean Methodist Church. I have been working on education ministry in Thailand since 1999. I have also been preparing to open an international school in Thailand from the day God gave me a vision in 2006. Now I have a land prepared for the school (5 acres) in Korat. Step by step, we will open from kindergarten to high school.

1. How many teachers do we need? 2 female teachers who have experience in nursery or kindergarten / We are planning to open elementary school within two years.

2. When? : Because we will open the kindergarten in the first week of November, teachers should be here by early October.

3. Where? Korat, Thailand. About Korat more detail things see attached introduction file.
See more detail about Korat : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakhon_Ratchasima

Korat is second largest city after Bangkok in Thailand. The city has enough cultural and social facilities (general hospital and department store) for foreigners.

4. Basically, we need mission volunteers, but Wesley Kindergarten will provide housing and salary. (650 USD/month with 1year contract, can be renew also)
It would be better for you to prepare health insurance from your home country so that you can use it in Thailand as tourist insurance.

The kindergarten is located in a village called The Central Park.
If you want to know furthermore things contact to Rev. Kim
E-mail: kery89@hotmail.com
CP. +6681-985-7165

Blessed Be the Thai that Binds

2010-06-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

It was a blessing to be able to fellowship with our sisters and brothers of the Kentucky Annual Conference. Thad Prince, the Chairman of the Thailand Methodist Mission, and Mike were at the TMM booth for most of the conference. Janet Bradley and Terri Gabehart came for one day, helping on the day that Mike presented the TMM report to the Missions legislative committee.

All went well. God is with us. The Thai silk items and crafts sold very well. Sherri and I will be bringing back items like these for sale each time we come back to the States. The sale of items will help raise funds for the mission. So if you are one of the many people who wanted to buy more items, but we had already sold out, rest assured there will be more opportunities.

We are hoping that in the future, we will be able to import a large supply of Thai silk goods and other handcrafted gifts. The plan is to form consignment kits so that church groups can have Thai silk and craft parties. The proceeds from the sales would support the work of the Thailand Methodist Mission.

Mike heads back to Thailand tomorrow (June 23), so please pray for traveling mercies.

We want to thank you for your continued prayers and financial support as we have transitioned to serving with the Thailand Methodist Mission. The transition is going well, and we are very grateful.

May the Lord Bless You,
Mike and Sherri

Important Transition

2010-05-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Next week we will complete our contracts with GBGM and begin serving as missionaries with the Thailand Methodist Mission. This is an important transition in our ministry and we ask for your prayers at this time. There is much work to do as we move on to the next chapter of our ministry serving the United Methodist Church in Thailand.

You have been generous with your support for us and the Thailand Mission and we need your generosity more now than ever before so we can continue training Thai pastors to plant churches in Thailand.

If you are interested in supporting our ministry, please send your support through the Thailand Methodist Mission. We will no longer receive support through the Advance once we become TMM missionaries.

Support can be sent by check or money order to:
Mannsville UMC - TMM
C/O Terri Gabehart
P.O. Box 56
Mannsville, KY 42758

Or you can give online through the TMM website at thailandmethodist.org
Your prayers and support make an eternity of difference.

A Taste of the Bowin Chicken Farm

2010-05-14T01:50:00.000-07:00

This last Sunday, we worshipped the Lord together with our sisters and brothers at Bowin UMC. This is the first church we helped to plant in Thailand, so this church is extra special to us, and the members seem like old friends who we love to connect with.

After worship, we had a meal together, and one of the dishes was corn. One of the women at the church told us that the corn was raised on the chicken farm that the VIM team from New York built in January. This made us curious to go see the farm, so we went out for a look and were very surprised at how quickly the progressed. The chicken barn is completed as well as the house for the caretakers. Water pipes from the well have been strecthed out across the fields for irrigation, and there are crops of corn and other vegetables. Also the fences have been completely built now and gates have been added. I wish the VIM team from NY could come and see it now!

The chicken farming is going well, but Pastor Jerron says they need more roosters and less hens. We were very encouraged at how quickly this project is helping the church by providing extra income as well as food assistance for those in need.

If you or your church are interested in an development project like this, please e-mail us at thailandumc@gmail.com

See you at the Kentucky Annual Conference

2010-05-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

We are in the midst of preparing for transition here in Thailand, and we appreciate your prayers that all will go constructive and well.

Mike will be at the Kentucky Annual Conference this year, and we will have a display set up. Please stop by if you are there and say "Sawadee" ("hello" in Thai).

We will have Thai silk and many fine gift items from Thailand for sale to support the mission. Last year, we sold Thai silk and other items from Thailand at the New York Annual Conference Missions Bazaar. We thought we brought many items, but we sold out of most items within a few hours (and we had several days where people were disappointed because we had run out of silk and gifts). We did not know how popular Thai silk would be and now we know better. This time, we are bringing many more items for sale.

The United Methodist Church in the Far North

2010-04-24T18:58:00.001-07:00

The new United Methodist congregation in Chiang Rai province is in an Akha Tribe village set in the hills of the far north of Thailand, near the border of Burma. There is not a flat piece of land to be found, with huts and small homes clinging to the hillsides.

The Akha village has many seniors and many children, but not many of the middle generations, who must live in the city to work. They are very hard workers, farming in the hills is difficult work. I saw many of the seniors there carrying heavy loads on their backs as they trudged up the steep hills to their homes in the late afternoon.

The older women wear their traditional hat with coins attached as well as traditional Akha clothing. But the older men and the younger generations no longer wear Akha clothing, and instead blend in with Thai culture.

Eating Akha traditional food was an exotic experience. I saw the mother of Pastor Guy going to a tree next to her house. She began scraping the bark from the tree. When I asked what she would do with the bark, everyone told me we would be eating it. Later, one of the dishes, called “Lahp”, was a mixture of bark and meat. It was actually quite good. They don’t use many sauces in their food like Thai people do. Instead they rely on strong natural flavors. One vegetable dish was quite bitter, but was delicious when eaten in combination with other foods.

Pastor Guy and his wife, Teacher Kwan gave a tour of the village. I (Mike) was able to meet many of the villagers (many were at work in the valleys, so they were not home). One man we met was the village “witch doctor”, who was the man who founded the village. He was making some type of grain offering as we tried to speak with him. He is deaf now, so it was difficult to do anything but smile and greet each other with a bow.

One thing that interested me was an archway at the side of the road. Pastor Guy said this was the “ghost gate” (see the picture with this article). It was believed by the Akha people who are not Christian that evil spirits would be tricked into going into the Ghost gate, rather than using the road into the village. The Akha people put much effort into protecting themselves from evil spirits. The Akha who are Christian are freed from this fear, because they know Christ is more powerful than any other spirit.

Everywhere we went, people came out to greet us. This is Pastor Guy and Teacher Kwan’s home village, so they are well established here. The children seemed to flock gleefully around Kwan. She has an effective children’s ministry already established here.

At night, we had a special service to dedicate Pastor Guy and Teacher Kwan as God’s servants for their village. About 80 people participated in the service, and the older women and one young girl dressed up in formal Akha attire. One part of the service was presenting a special gift from Petrie Memorial UMC of Elkton, Kentucky. The sisters and brothers of Petrie Memorial sent a gift of a kit for teaching the Bible using Felt figures. It is a complete set that teaches Bible stories from Genesis through Revelation. The Akha people were in awe of the kit, and even Pastor Guy said that you cannot find these in Thailand. The church elder came up to receive the gift and send their thanks to their church family at Petrie Memorial. Teacher Kwan will now have curriculum to use in teaching the children about Jesus Christ.

The next day, we went to see Pastor Ekerin in Chiang Mai. He is pioneering a new church next to a university in Chiang Mai. He has 2 cells groups that meet at the university and one that meets in his home. Please keep Pastor Ekerin in prayer, because pioneering is a difficult task. We were very pleased that his ministry in Chiang Mai has started out very well.

Today, Sherri and I will go to the west of Bangkok to Nakhon Pithom for the dedication service for Pastors Akerat and Da. Believers from the other UM churches will participate in this service. Pastor Sarah of the Pradumri First UMC in Chonburi will preach at this service and we will offer the prayer of dedication.

God is good! Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Bloody Songkran

2010-04-11T04:06:00.001-07:00

Thai people celebrate three New Year's Days: Western New Year (Jan. 1st), Chinese New Year (in February), and Thai New Year, which is called Songkran and is celebrated in April. Songkran is by the far the biggest celebration of the year and it is usually a week long holiday. Songkran is often called the Water Festival by foreigners, because Thai people usually cram the streets to toss ice water on each other and smear chalk on each other's faces. We live near Bangsaen Beach, which usually has 100,000 visitors (at least, if not much more). Songkran begins tomorrow (Monday) but usually the festivities begin the weekend before. But this weekend it is very, very quiet. There are probably only a third or less of the usual Thai tourists to Bangsaen to celebrate Songkran. This is because the demonstrations in Bangkok and other locations are becoming very serious and deadly. People in Bangkok are afraid to leave their homes to go to their usual destinations to celebrate Thai New Year. Even people here in Chonburi province are pretty quiet. We get the sense that they believe it is inappropriate to celebrate Songkran with light hearts when it is such a dark time in Thailand.

I (Mike) had to travel to Bangkok earlier in the week to do some banking there. The protests were already in full swing, but had not yet turned violent. I was able to avoid the protests by using the skytrain, which went overhead. I wanted to do the banking this week because we sensed the protests were going to become very intense. We are staying in Chonburi and avoiding going to Bangkok at this time. Chonburi is very safe. We are very far away from any protests.

Please pray that the Thai people can have unity and work constructively to find ways to meet the needs of all people here.

Fruitful Startup

2010-04-01T15:38:00.001-07:00

We had a blessed visit with Pastors Akerat and Da who have recently planted a new United Methodist church in Nakhon Pithom, a city that is about a one hour drive west of Bangkok.

They have a church building set (we are standing in front of it in the picture), and Pastors Akerat and Da and their son Meemo live next door. They had their first worship service two weeks ago and they had 30 people attend (17 adults- 13 children), which is a fruitful startup. Most of the adults work at night at the open air market which is in a field across the street from the church. Because the people work every night, their first cell groups are held during the daytime.

Pastor Akerat does much visitation on his small Asian motorcycle as well as a children's program where he teaches music (playing guitar and singing) and teaches the Bible.

Please pray for them. They have had many transitions and much work to do for the Lord. Pioneering is difficult, requires great sacrifice, and is often quite lonely. Your prayers make a difference.

...With an "Oink Oink" here and an "Oink Oink" there...

2010-03-25T21:33:00.000-07:00

As Sherri and I wrap up our term as GBGM missionaries and will soon begin our new ministry in Thailand with the Thailand Methodist Mission (visit the website at thailandmethodist.org), we are trying to tie up some loose ends. One of the projects we have been trying to complete is an economic development project at Almighty God UMC in Northeast Thailand. The economic development projects are designed to provide income for the pastor and church to become financially independent.

A new economic development project has just begun at Almighty God UMC under the able leadership of Pastor Nampon. The project which was chosen and has now begun is a pig farm. We have been told that it takes about 4 months to raise pigs ready for the market, so the plans are for the first 5 cycles, the vast majority of profit will be reinvested in the project to make it larger and more profitable. Hopefully this project will help this church to not only become self-sufficient, but also have self-generated funds for mercy and outreach ministries. We know God will use this project to be a blessing to the church and the whole community of Nonsomboon.

New Blog Feature

2010-03-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

If you are not on our e-mailing list and would like to receive updates of our ministry in Thailand, please click the link on the right column of the blog ("Sign Up to Receive E-mail Updates from the Morrisseys")

This is the most convenient way to keep up-to-date with your mission in Thailand.

Serving the Lord Together with Rich and Betsy Castle of CBSI

2010-03-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since we blogged because we have been traveling doing the ministry in Thailand.

This past week, we had the pleasure of serving together with Rich and Betsy Castle, missionaries with Community Bible Study International (CBSI). CBSI is an organization that focuses on making disciples through starting cell groups that provide intensive Bible Study and nurturing spiritual care. CBSI provides digital copies of their high quality Bible Studies free of charge. Please visit their website at http://www.cbsinternational.org/

Rich and Betsy are retirees (Rich served his career in the U. S. Air Force and Betsy is a retired teacher) who come to Thailand 3 months out of the year to serve with CBSI. We traveled together this week through Central, Northeast, and Eastern Thailand to Bangkok, Suphanburi, Nonsomboon, Bowin, and Sriracha. There, church members of the United Methodist Churches as well as pastors and leaders from churches of other denominations gathered to be trained by Rich and Betsy. They did a great job and were well received by the Thai Christians. We are grateful for their ministry, which perfectly fits with the strategy that we use for planting churches in Thailand. We hope to continue working together with Rich and Betsy in the future.

After Rich and Betsy left us, they had meetings in Bangkok that had to be cancelled because of the protests happening there. They are in our prayers.

Even more wedding pictures

2010-03-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

Allen and Jap's Wedding, More Pictures

2010-03-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

Allen Metcalf and Surat (Jap) Saensuk's Wedding at Sammuk Christian Academy

2010-03-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

Praise God, the day we have been anticipating arrived.

Allen Metcalf, a young man who was our parishioner in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, came to serve as a missionary teacher in Thailand at the Sammuk Christian Academy two years ago. Allen is like a son to us, so we were delighted to have him serve together with us. (Allen is a faithful supporter of the orphan and street children ministry at Blessing Home. His support has helped this ministry in its beginning phase). While there, Allen met a wonderful young woman named Jap. They fell in love and now they are married.

The wedding took place at Sammuk Christian Academy, and their fellow teachers and staff helped to put the wedding on. Our son Michael was the Best Man and Anthony was one of the groomsmen. Our granddaughter Madeline was the Ring Bearer.
I (Mike) preached at the wedding and also had the privilege of signing the wedding certificate as Allen’s adopted father (in Thailand, the bride and groom do not sign the wedding certificate, instead the parents sign).

It was a boiling hot day. We have no idea how Allen and Jap survived the heat in the formal wear they donned. It was wonderful seeing the joy on their faces. God is good!

There are many pictures, so they are spread out over three posts.

Meet Pastor Guy

2010-03-06T01:43:00.000-08:00

We want to introduce you to Pastor Guy, a Pastor from the Akha tribe who will be planting a new Akha United Methodist church in Chiang Rai province on April 1. Pastor Guy is presently serving in a church of another denomination in Chiang Mai. However, God has called Pastor Guy to go back to his home village to serve the Akha people. We admire Pastor Guy, because we know this comes at great sacrifice to him. He is leaving the comforts and benefits of an established church in a prosperous region for the trials of starting a new church in an impoverished village.

Please keep Pastor Guy and his wife Wan in prayer as they take on the God-sized challenge of pioneering.

A New United Methodist Church Opening in Nakhon Pithom

2010-02-20T23:47:00.000-08:00

Pastors Ekerat and Da moved to Nakhon Pithom today to the plant a new church there. They have much work to do. The building needs to be cleaned, painted, and made ready for worship. Right now, the building is just a tin and concrete shell with a few hanging light bulbs.

Ekerat and Da will be investing their time in planting cell groups in the area. There are already some members there who are strong leaders to work with them, so we expect fast growth in this new church.

We want to give our thanks to St. John's UMC in Aiken, South Carolina for sponsoring Pastors Ekerat and Da. Because of their generosity, a sub-district in Thailand that was unreached now has a church opening there this week.

On a different note, our friends Peter and Nuc will be going on a pilgrimage to Israel next week. They are very excited and we are happy for them. We wish every Christian had the opportunity for pilgrimage to the Holy Land. A pilgrimage makes the Bible come to life by giving context to the stories of Scripture. It is an enriching experience.

Peter is a student at Phayao Bible College who is completing his 3rd year of study. This year, he will serve as an intern at Pradumri First UMC in Chonburi.

Thai Christian wins KPN (the Thai version of American Idol)

2010-02-20T23:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a video of "Pure" who is a member of Muang Thai Church in Bangkok. This was his final song which won the competition for him. The KPN award is the Thai version of American Idol. He finished the competion with the song "How Great Thou Art". It was an inspiring moment here in Thailand.

Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, and a Wedding... All on one day!

2010-02-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

Feb. 14th was an extra special day in Thailand. Of course, you know it is Valentine's Day (called Love Day here). And this is a celebration that is not traditional in Thailand but is becoming a common celebration among couples. One couple, Jurirat and Sompap, members of Bowin UMC, decided to get married on Valentine's Day. This was the first wedding at the church, so everyone was very excited.

Here are some pictures from the wedding. Christian weddings in Thailand tend to be very Western with Thai elements added. Notice Jurirat and Sompap using a sword to cut the cake.... very Thai.

Feb. 14th was also a huge annual celebration this year because of Chinese New Year. The Chinese calendar is a lunar calendar, so Chinese New Year comes on a different day each year. This year it coincided with Valentine's Day.

Chinese New Year is a loud celebration, full of firecrackers and drums. Children visit their grandparents on this day to honor them and to receive gifts. Chinese New Year is the time Thai children receive many gifts, it is comparable to Christmas in America.

One part of Chinese New Year that our grandchildren, Madeline and Isaiah love, are all of the bright red Chinese lanterns that are hanging in the streets and in all the stores and shops. It reminds us of hanging Christmas lights on our homes back in America.

By the way, did you know that Thai people celebrate New Year's Day three times in the year. There is Western New Year on January 1. There is Chinese New Year in February. And then in April, there is Thai New Year, which is a week long festival called Songkran.

Songkran is a lot of fun. People toss water on each other (in Chonburi, they put ice in the water to edge up the fun factor). People also smudge wet clay on each other's faces (during any other time of year, touching someone's face is highly offensive, but that taboo is suspended for this celebration). Our house is on the main road, so we are at ground zero for the festivies. We don't expect much sleep for that week.

Thank you for praying for us and the mission in Thailand. We need your prayers.

Blessing Home Expands Ministry

2010-02-02T18:07:00.001-08:00

We want to thank all who have faithfully supported Blessing Home. You are a great blessing to the children who are at risk in Pattaya. Blessing Home serves as a life saving station for children ages 3-12, providing food, clothing, school uniforms, education for those unable to go to school, transportation to school, Christian education and nurture, and community support.

Because of the faithfulness of support for Blessing Home, another staff member has been added so we can increase the number of children receiving services from fifty to sixty four! Next problem to solve is the overcrowding we now have in our two story building. There are plans to convert the flat roof into a third floor enclosed playground and shelter. We will tell you more about this in the future when more details are in place.

This week, we checked on the progress of the Chicken Farm Cooperative at Bowin UMC. The members have done much work. They have started erecting a chicken barn, a house for the caretaker family, and a pump and pipes for all of the waterworks. Here are pictures of the project from several days ago. The caretaker house and waterworks should be complete by this morning, and hopefully the chicken barn will be completed in a week or two. It will probably take a few months to complete the fencing. As the NY VIM team that helped to build the first section of fence, building bamboo fencing is labor intensive.

Please keep us and the church planting pastors in prayer as final preparations are made to planting 4 more churches by March 1st. We are very excited. Future blog articles will talk about each of these new churches.

Grieving the death of Dr. Sam Dixon

2010-01-16T17:53:00.000-08:00

We just received the news today that Dr. Sam Dixon, director of UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), died after being trapped underneath the rubble of the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Our prayers and the prayers of the Thai United Methodists extend to Sam's family and all his extended circle of friends.

Sam Dixon has been very special to us. It was under Sam's leadership that the Thailand Mission Initiative was born and came to fruition. He has been a good friend and a a faithful supporter of missions in Southeast Asia and all over the world. His loss is felt deeply throughout the United Methodist Church.

Above is a picture of Dr. Sam Dixon standing with Sherri in front of the Pradumri First United Methodist Church in Chonburi, Thailand, the birthplace of United Methodism in Thailand. This picture was taken back in August 2006.

Even More Pictures of the NY VIM Team at Bowin

2010-01-16T17:03:00.001-08:00

More Pictures from NY VIM Team

2010-01-16T16:56:00.001-08:00

NY VIM Team builds chicken farm in Bowin

2010-01-16T16:03:00.000-08:00

During this week, 9 wonderful United Methodists from New York and New Jersey came on a mission trip to do an economic development project at Bowin UMC.
The members of Bowin UMC had a vision of creating a church cooperative farm which would provide extra income for the church as well as food for mercy ministries within the church. There are many people who need food relief, and this project will help the members at Bowin UMC to expand their ministries to those in need.

This project was not for the faint of heart, because it was difficult work digging holes, cutting and splitting bamboo, and hauling material in the intense heat of Thailand. When the team first came, they saw all of the holes that had to be dug with primitive tools, and they all had a look that said, "What did we get ourselves into?" But they worked hard and by the end of the first day, they had every hole dug. It made it easier coming back the next day, knowing the work would be easier.

The NY VIM team and the Thai Christians at Bowin shared a wonderful time of fellowship as they served the Lord side-by-side. There are so few Christians in Thailand, that believers can feel isolated and disenfranchised. The NY VIM team brought encouragement to the believers at Bowin, because they know that they are not alone. They had Christians who flew across the world to be with them and help them with this new ministry, a cooperative farm.

Because of the work of the NY VIM team and the Christians at Bowin UMC, this church will be able to reach more people who are in need of food assistance as well as progress towards being a
fully financially self sufficient congregation. This is very important because a self-sufficient church is a permanent one.

The NY VIM team has a blog, which we invite you to read, at http://nyac-thailand-cambodiavims.blogspot.com. They are now in Cambodia for the next part of their mission. Please keep them in your prayers.

Pictures of Baptisms at Almighty God UMC - Part 3

2009-12-08T02:08:00.000-08:00

Pictures of Baptisms at Almighty God UMC - Part 2

2009-12-08T02:04:00.000-08:00

Pictures of Baptisms at Almighty God UMC - Part 1

2009-12-08T01:52:00.000-08:00

Pictures from Global Theological Institute

2009-12-08T01:50:00.000-08:00

The Best Week Ever

2009-12-08T01:49:00.000-08:00

This week has truly been the most affirming week of ministry we have ever had.

It began with traveling to the far north to Chiang Dao to teach at Global Theological Institute, a ministry of the Lamppost United Methodist Church of Chiang Dao. We were invited by Thai United Methodist Pastors, Drs. Tanapong and Muanrerdee, to teach a week-long block course on World Missions. We were very excited about the opportunity to help in any way we could in this newly founded Bible training center where 24 students train, most of whom are from hilltribes in the northern region of Thailand.

It was a pleasure to get to know the students, who make a great sacrifice to study at this school, which only has very primitive facilities. The students must grow their own food and also operate a store and copy shop to help keep the Seminary in operation. These students are passionate in their desire to serve the Lord Jesus and many of them have a desire to pioneer new churches.

85% of the sub-districts in Thailand have no church, so there is a great need for students like these to pioneer new churches in these unreached regions. This is the best way to reach Thai people for Jesus Christ.

After our week of teaching, we drove diagonally across Thailand to the Northeast, to Almighty God (Prajao Jaum Yota) United Methodist Church in Nonsomboon. This new church was planted by Pastor Nampon, who has had a very fruitful ministry here. This was the first baptism service at her church, and 24 people were baptized. Sherri preached that Sunday morning and Mike assisted Pastor Nampon in the baptisms. The very first baptism service at a newly planted church is always interesting because there are more candidates being baptized then there are people in the congregation to witness the baptism and sing worship songs. All 24 baptism candidates were called to the front of the church for prayer and there were only 9 or 10 people left in the seats.

When new converts are baptized, there is not a dry eye in the crowd. They have such a deep love for the Lord Jesus, that they come out of the water rejoicing and singing, many with tears of joy. And that joy is contagious, and so are the tears. Just last year, there was no church in the Nonsomboon sub-district, and now the town has been changed forever.

Pastor Nampon has become famous in the area for the power of her prayers to our Lord. People come frequently seeking her out for prayer because many have experienced healing that have entered the church for prayer. This Sunday was no exception, as an elderly woman came for healing prayer. Her daughters had taken her to the Buddhist temple in town, and offered the monk 1,000 Thai baht for payment (This would be about the amount of money this woman would spend on three weeks of food.) The Buddhist monk insisted that they would need to give 10,000 baht to receive his services. This was too much. So the elderly woman, named Pontip, convinced her two daughter to take her to Almighty God United Methodist Church because she knew Pastor Nampon would pray for her.

We prayed for Pontip, who received healing as well as she received Jesus and she allowed Pastor Nampon to remove the strings around her wrists and neck. Many Thais wear these strings when they are sick, believing that they hold their life spirit in their bodies, keeping death at bay. Cutting the strings was a symbol of full trust in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It frequently happens that people experience miracles as a result of prayer, and then they become devoted followers of Jesus. God’s power and love are what lead people to Him.

Prayer Requests:

1. Please pray for Drs. Tanapong and Muanrerdee, who sold their home to have funds to start the Lamppost Bible Seminary on faith, not knowing where funds will come to continue the ministry. If you desire to help train students at Lamppost Bible Seminary, please give to Advance #00403A Thailand Mission Initiative online at givetomission.org
2. Please pray for the students at Lamppost Bible Seminary, as they study the Bible in the Thai language, which is the second language for the hilltribe students.
3. Please pray for Pastor Nampon and the members of Almighty God United Methodist Church. Pray for continued fruitful ministry as well as help in establishing a new economic development project.
Pastor Nampon wants to start a copy shop to help financially support the church. We need $3000 in seed money for this project. If you can help with this project which will lead this church to be self-sufficient, please give to Advance #00403A at givetomission.org

Akha gathering in Pattaya

2009-11-17T23:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, on Nov. 17, we joined Pastor Sarah of Pradumri First UMC and Pastor Nimmit, a new UM pastor from the Akha tribe. He is planting a new Akha UMC church in Pattaya, and we had a second organizational meeting at the beach sidewalk in Pattaya. Twenty four Akha hill tribe Christians came to the meeting, taking a break from selling their handcraft items to tourists. Everyone was very excited about starting this new church. The problem we have is that we need a place to meet that is accessible by walking for the Akha people. Pattaya is a very expensive city, so we cannot afford to rent a building there. Please pray that God will provide a building that we can use on Sunday afternoon or evening for this new church.

This Week: L2P School and Ethnic Ministries in Pattaya

2009-11-04T21:53:00.000-08:00

This week we are completing the second half of our License to Preach School (L2P), which is a basic course for training those who will be entering the ministry. The course we teach is the same material used at the L2P training in the Kentucky Annual Conference. We thank Dr. Rice for giving permission for these materials to be translated into the Thai language.

The one thing about Thai Christians... they never ask easy questions. Teaching these courses that are required for credentialing is challenging. The pastors and Bible College students always keep us on our toes. We really enjoy teaching. There is no better way to learn material or to be refreshed in it than to teach it.

Right now I (Mike) am at our home office while Sherri is teaching. Our printer decided to "bite the dust" yesterday, so I had to get a new printer today and am doing a printing marathon.

Last Sunday, we attended the Chinese service at Life Center UMC in Pattaya. The worship leader was Pi Mary, a former member of Pradumri First UMC who is of Chinese origin. Pi Mary led the worship with joy and confidence in the Lord. We met several new visitors to the church and were happy to see the fruit of their hard work for the Lord.

On Tuesday, I went down to Pattaya with Pastor Sarah of Pradumri First UMC and Pastor Nimmit, who is an associate pastor at Pradumri. Pastor Nimmit is from the Akha hill tribe and has a heart to reach Akha people in Thailand, Burma, and China. We went to the beach at Pattaya, where Pi Mary arranged a meeting with some women she knew that are Akha. These women sell handcrafts to tourists at the beach. There were 6 women there and they were all interested in starting an Akha congregation. We had a meeting over dinner and decided to start meeting on November 17th at the Major movie theater. We don't have a building at this time, so we hope this location can work out for long term.

Pray for the ethnic ministries here in Thailand, especially in Pattaya where there is such great need.

More Pradumri Camp Pictures

2009-10-26T06:22:00.000-07:00