Christmas Family Outreach 2011 at Blessing Home

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

On Friday, we celebrated Christmas at Blessing Home with our annual Christmas Family Outreach.  As always, the place was packed to overflowing, and we could not fit everyone in the room.  The children were divided into 4 groups to sing and dance, because it would be impossible to get all of them in the room at one time.  Also the volunteers had to leave the room and go outside or upstairs to make room for the families and guardians of the children.  But that is OK, the more the merrier, especially in Thai culture.

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

Church volunteers came midday to start preparations for the Christmas outreach.  We praise God for volunteers from Life Center UMC of Pattaya who sacrificed to come put this outreach on.  And for many of them, it was a great sacrifice.   For example, one of the volunteers, Aun, has a tiny beauty shop in downtown Pattaya (when we say tiny, it is about 5 foot by 10 foot).  Aun gave up earning her living on a Friday, her busiest day, to serve at Blessing 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 will cause her to have to skip many meals over the next week so she can pay her bills.  This is true of many of the Thai church volunteers.  They sacrifice deeply for the Lord, giving out of their need rather than out of surplus.  It is a great honor to serve beside these Thai volunteers, they are an inspiration to us.

Without church volunteers, the ministry of Blessing Home would not be possible.  We are greatly indebted 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 food for the children everyday, visits in the homes and neighborhoods of the children every week.  Every church, every ministry has people like Amporn and Aun whose volunteer service makes an eternal difference.  For New Years Day, it should be a time where we look around at who give themselves sacrificially to make the ministries of the church happen.  Tell them how grateful you are for their ministry.  There are so many times that Sunday School teachers, children’s ministry workers, and other volunteers at church could really use the uplifting words of God’s people, so they know they are appreciated 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 children picked numbers out of a hat to win a prize that had that number.  Every child received a random gift as well as a tin of cookies and a toy elephant.  The toy elephants were made by the women of Campbellsville First UMC in Kentucky.  The elephants are a token of God’s love that the children will take home so they have something to hug at night 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 always lots of food, so we send the extra food home with the children and their families so they have something to eat for breakfast the next day.

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

We are getting closer to the goal of $144,000 for a new building for Blessing Home.  We have now received 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

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

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

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

THAILAND FLOODS AND BLESSING HOME

The severe flooding in Bangkok and the central provinces will be with us for a long time, at least 4 of 5 more weeks.  In the meantime, several million refugees have had to leave their homes and find shelter in the homes of relatives and friends 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 the first province east of Bangkok.  Our province has been absorbing the inflow of a massive wave of refugees, most of whom are the impoverished masses that do not have resources to handle emergencies.  Without employment, they are dependent upon help from relief organizations and government aid, both of which 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 is very expensive.  Some of this is because of supply and demand.  The local population has mushroomed faster than the markets can receive supplies of food and drinking water.  But the problem will not go away because up to 30% of the rice crops have been destroyed (including in other rice exporting nations like Vietnam).  This will affect rice prices worldwide.

Pastor Banya and the staff and volunteers at Blessing Home face great challenges right now.  Pastor Banya has to find and buy food enough for all of the children and staff at Blessing Home as well as other families in the slums surrounding Life Center UMC in Pattaya.  He has had to go from market to market with a few volunteers.  Food is many markets is being rationed, so it takes several volunteers to purchase a good amount of food.  They purchase what they can at one market, and then they move on to the next until they have enough.   Food prices have skyrocketed, so this is greatly straining our budget as we seek to feed the children.  Prayers are in order and any donations 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

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INTERNET VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

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

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BLESSING HOME BUILDING FUND UPDATE

About $69,000 of the $144,000 needed to purchase a building for Blessing Home has been received so far.  We hope that all of our supporting churches and individuals will take up Christmas offerings and remember the children of Blessing Home.  The mission is a partnership, and we cannot do anything without your prayers and financial support.

Please make sure to write “Building Fund” on the memo section 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

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

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

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

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

The Blessing Home brochure can be downloaded by clicking this 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 hearts of God’s people, so that the children of Blessing Home can receive a building for Christmas.  If you would like your church to take a Christmas offering for Blessing Home, now is the time to talk with 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 of Life Center UMC in Pattaya has said the suffering for poor people in Bangkok is great and that there has been a huge wave of refugees leaving the city.  The poor neighborhoods have been the hardest hit, and even in areas that are not yet flooded, the people have had to flee because 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 be looted, but they do not have vehicles to carry their belongings, so the poorest of the lot are leaving with just what they can carry.

The floods will be around for at least 4 weeks, because the lakes and reservoirs in the north are completely full so the 2 largest dams in Thailand are releasing water at full volume to prevent the dams from breaking.  But this is just making the floods worse and they will last much longer now.  The bits and pieces of news we have seen in the 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 in Chonburi, Thailand.   Many thoughtful friends have been praying for traveling mercies for Sherri, and God has answered your prayers.

Flooding in Thailand

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

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

What has been the greatest blessing is all of the people who have signed up to be on our email list.  These are new prayer warriors, and we need God’s people praying to bring power to the mission in Thailand.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After the first week of itineration, we have received about $34,000.  We have $110,000 more to raise.  Please surround this with prayer.  We know God will provide because God 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

God is good!  We have more great news to report.

TMM has just opened a second church this year through the Pioneering Pastors Program.  This church is in an unreached sub-district in Chiang Rai called Mai Ya, and it is the hometown of Pastor Jerron.  Pastor Jerron and his wife, Pastor On, were the first church planters we worked together with when we first came to Thailand.  They planted the church at Bowin, which was our first church plant, and they have worked hard to form Bowin church into a strong congregation.  They have both had the vision of planting a church in Pastor Jerron’s hometown for over 2 years, but we asked them to wait until Bowin was strong enough to be self-supporting and there was a leader to replace them.  They were faithful in agreeing to do this, and the time has come for them to pursue their vision because Bowin is strong.  The church now has their own building, they no longer need to rent.  And Bowin church has a new leader in Pastor Amnut, who previously was a pastor intern at this church. 

Pastor Jerron and On are very excited about their new ministry in Mai Ya.  Before Pastor Jerron was a Christian, he served as a Buddhist monk in the Mai Ya.  When Sherri and I went walking through the town with Pastor Jerron, everyone remembered him and greeted him.   He already has many strong relationships here in Mai Ya to build upon as he now seeks to share about the Lord Jesus Christ with the same people that years ago he served as a Buddhist monk.  God has placed a great burden on the hearts of Pastors Jerron and On for the people of Mai Ya.  Mai Ya sub-district has 17 villages with over 11,500 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, joined us and Pastor Jerron in traveling to Mai Ya for meetings for pioneering this new church.   While in Mai Ya, we had the privilege of meeting Pastor Jerron’s old friend, Abbot Tahp.  Abbot Tahp and Pastor Jerron served as Buddhist monks together years ago at the Buddhist temple in town.  Now Tahp serves a the abbot of a small Buddhist temple on the hill beside the town.  Abbot Tahp was pleased to see his old friend, Pastor Jerron, and responded positively to Pastor Jerron, as he told of his plans to come up and plant a church in town. 

There is already a small group of believers in Mai Ya, and this group has been calling out to Pastors Jerron  and On for the past year to come pioneer a church in their village.  One of these believers is named Ben, and she has offered her large house to be the place of worship for the church.  It is impossible to miss Ben’s house, which is painted fluorescent pink, and shines brightly against the neighbors’ homes which are all earth toned.  Then when we entered the house, it was all pink inside as well.  Sherri and Ben both must 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 except for you say them with different tones) are strong in the Lord already.  They study the Bible everyday through correspondence and it showed.  Their Bibles were frayed from use and their spirits were vibrant with the love and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Ben and Pen hosted all of us at Ben’s home for two days, graciously preparing delicious meals for everyone.  Ben and Pen also received a vision from God that their village needed a church, and they were to have open their home to be used as a place of worship.  Ben even had a pulpit built and placed in the living room of the pink house.  This pulpit was a symbol of their faith that God would lead a pioneering pastor to join them.  Ben and Pen were overjoyed that God made a way for this to happen by leading Pastors Jerron and On to lead this new church.  We know God will bless this new church at Mai Ya, for He has ordained it so.

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

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 support as well as a financial grant to help Pastor Jerron open a barber shop in town to help him support his family and also help the church to become financially self-sufficient.  Church planting and economic development always go hand-in-hand to form strong churches that can stand and multiply on their own.

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

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

Urgent Prayer Request

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.