Mai Ya church now has a noodle soup restaurant

In a previous blog, we told you that a plan was formed to start a noodle soup restaurant that Pastor On and some of the members of Mai Ya church would operate to help support the pastor's family and the church.  At that time, we did not have pictures of the restaurant, but we met last week with Pastor Jerron (On's husband) and he gave us these pictures.  Pastor Jerron still has a barber shop, but it is now at a better location on the main road.  It is through economic development projects like these that churches become self-sufficient.  And self-sufficient churches are permanent ones.

One of the members of Mai Ya church works at this restaurant with Pastor On.

From the inside of the restuarant looking out towards the road. 

Looking at the restaurant from the main road. 

Please pray that these businesses that help to support Mai Ya church and Pastors Jerron and On's family, will thrive and prosper.

Grand Opening Service

We had an absolutely fantastic weekend.

On Saturday, we spent the day at Nong Nooch Garden with Beth Coale, who is serving as a short term missionary at Blessing Home.  Beth is a student at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and is training to be a missionary.  She is spending her summer break working hard at Blessing Home and going to language school in the evening to learn some Thai language.

We are very blessed to have Beth working with us this summer.

Beth uses Facebook and constantly writes about her experiences here in Thailand.  Here is one of her articles in Facebook.

There are Buddhist temples in every village. There are shrines and idols with offerings outside buildings on every street. The smell of burning incense is everywhere.

There are so many children, young girls, women, and men (some only former) everywhere in this city with the beach (where they sell their bodies) looming in the near distance. For a poor person (in Pattaya or in the outside regions) the tourism Pattaya is known for is always in the back of their minds as a last resort for money. Children are vulnerable to being sold while they are young and innocent and have no say.

“It makes you feel as if you couldn’t sit still. You must do something, try to do something, anything! … Oh to get into that stronger, calmer current, out of the feverishness of human haste. Do please, dear friends, ask that we may exchange the eagerness of the flesh of the Spirit and so move in the force of that Holy Wind that we shall be carried along by His great calm.” (-Amy Carmichael; Taken from A Chance to Die, pg 126)

Please pray this for the Thai Christians here and me. The circumstances here are so saddening and overwhelming. Ultimately, the purpose of Blessing Home is to keep as many children as possible away that. It's like the man who was throwing back starfish into the sea. Though there were so many and it didn't seem like he could even make a dent - each one mattered.  

Beth Coale is serving the Lord at Blessing Home this summer.  Beth is feeding the children, who are all have powdered faces to keep them cool.

This past Sunday was the Grand Opening Service for the new Blessing Home building.  We had a soft opening three months ago, but this service was very big, with Christians from other churches and ministries in the region attending to consecrate the new building.  There were so many people in attendance, that most of the church members had to stand outside during the service to make room for all of the guests.

Pastor Neo translated for Mike at the Blessing Home Grand Opening service.  There were many foreigners there, so the service had to be in both Thai and English.

We were honored that special guests, Rev. Cherlue Vang, GBGM Thailand national director and Mrs. Mang Vang, blessed us with their presence and support. 

GBGM missionaries, Mrs. Mang Vang and Rev. Cherlue Vang

Pastor Ahlung and members of the Pattaya Akha UMC also came to the Grand Opening.  This church is a thriving church that struggles financially.  They meet in a small building, packed together tightly as they worship the Lord each Sunday.  The Thailand Methodist Mission purchased a video projector and screen for their church and gave it to them after the Blessing Home Grand Opening service.

Now for a prayer request, but it is not for Thailand.  It is for a precious church in Kentucky.  The members of Dennie Memorial UMC in Lebanon Junction, KY have been faithful and enthusiastic supporters of TMM.  They have had many special events and regular monthly giving to support the mission, and they have given generously so that Blessing Home and the Life Center UMC in Pattaya can have a beautiful building.  Last Wednesday, we received an encouraging card in the mail from the members of Dennie Memorial, who signed it and sent it with their prayers.  On the same day, we received news that their church building had burnt to the ground. 

Please pray for the members of Dennie Memorial, as they rebuild their church.

The members of Life Center UMC in Pattaya and all of the Christians from other churches in this region of Thailand are praying for the members of Dennie Memorial, that the Lord will help them to rebuild and that they will grow stronger than ever before.  Our hearts are burdened because they have given so generously so that we can have a building, and now they do not have one.  Brothers and Sisters of Dennie Memorial UMC, you have hundreds of Thai Christians praying for you.  God has great plans for you.

Life on the road

Much of our life is spent on the road.   All of Thailand is our parish, so travelling to visit the churches we have planted and working in cities and villages where we will plant churches in the future is a constant part of life.  So we spend a lot of time in our little Kia Picanto car.  Mike is always getting teased about being a big man trying to fit into a sub-compact vehicle.  But it really is a good car and it really serves us well.

This is a map of Thailand superimposed on a map of the USA.  You can see we have extensive territory to cover.  It takes much longer to get from one place to another also, because there is much traffic and the roads are not as developed as in the States.

And then when we get back to the States, we spend most of our time on the road visiting supporting churches.  The Kentucky Annual Conference has been very generous to us, loaning us a Ford Taurus to use most every time we have come back to the States for itineration.  We spend large amounts of time in that vehicle as well.  We really feel like modern day Methodist circuit riders.  We have just exchanged cars for horses.

Since coming back to Thailand, we have been on the road quite a bit, and will be for the foreseeable future.  When coming back, we made it a priority to visit the pioneering pastors and churches that we have been privileged to help start.  It is important to encourage the pastors and members, because Christians are very isolated in Thailand and face much pressure.

While visiting the churches, we find ways to help the churches the pastors to make their members and churches stronger.  In Mai Ya, Pastors Jerron and On had to quickly move to another house.  They had been living in Jerron's sister's home, while she lived overseas, but she came back to Thailand unexpectedly and they needed to find a new place.  They have now rented a place on the main road (great location) and are using this new location as their parsonage and as a new church building.  The picture below is at the new church building on their first Sunday worshipping at this new location.

Our focus in on planting self-sustaining churches in counties (sub-districts) that have no church of any type whatsover.  So we help the pastors to start businesses that will support their families and ministries.  Pastor Jerron has a barber shop, and his wife, Pastor On approached us about starting a noodle soup restaurant at the market in town, which is a great location.  We worked together with Pastor On to create a business plan and TMM gave a grant to open this restaurant, which will soon be in operation.  Next time we are visiting there, we will take pictures of this new economic development project.

This is the leadership team of the Mai Ya church which was planted in August of last year.  

Please remember to pray for us as we travel and work in the outer provinces.  Please also pray for the Pioneering Pastors and their congregations, who face many challenges.  Your prayers make a difference.

Also please remember TMM this summer with your generosity.  We always experience a summer slump in giving, but our monthly needs for the ministries here continue.

Below are some pictures from some of our church visits.  If these do not show up in your email, then please visit our blog at msmorrissey.blogspot.com

Pastor Amnat of Pradumri Bowin church preaches in the new building the church purchased last year.  Bowin was the first church we helped to plant in Thailand and it is a great pleasure to visit here, where we have many friends.

Somchai is Mike's friend and we are always very happy to see each other.  Somchai is a strong leader at the Bowin church.  Earlier in the week, Sonchai, who is a truck mechanic, hurt his hand and had it bandaged.  When Mike saw the bandage, he decided he had to wrap his hand in tissue so he could look like his friend for this photo.

This is a worship service at Nakhon Pathom church.  The room is very small, but does not have a front entrance wall.  Instead it has an overhead door (like a garage).  They open up the overhead door and some people sit inside, but most sit outside under the overhang, which is behind this photo.  

Pastors Ekerat and Da have effective children's ministries at the church's Youth Development Center.  The children come on weekdays to learn music, to enjoy reading books, and Bible clubs.  This focus on children and youth is seen on Sunday mornings.  Nakhon Pathom church has three Sunday School classes for children and youth.