Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year

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

In America, Christmas is a family time of exchanging gifts, feasting on great food, and being together with our loved ones.  But for Thai Christians it is very different since most are first generation Christians.  For Thai Christians, most of their family members are not yet Christian, so the emphasis in Thai Churches is for evangelism.

Thai Christians sacrifice deeply during the Christmas season to have outreach events for families who are in need.  Every church has a community outreach where they share the Gospel, give gifts to those in need in the community, and worship the Lord in a public place.  For Thai Christians, Christmas is all about sharing the good news of Jesus with their neighbors.

Here are some pictures of some of the Christmas outreaches.

Girl receiving her Christmas Gift at Blessing Home TaPhraya

Sharing the Gospel at the Christmas Outreach of Fire of Glory Church

About 120 Children and 50 Adults attended the Christmas Outreach at Ta Phraya

An overflowing crowd at the Christmas Outreach of Fire of Glory Church

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Here is an update of special donations to help us purchase
a much needed mini-van.
We now have received $9,000 of the $24,000 needed.

A Great Harvest on the Mission Field

This past week was a great time of harvest in the fields of the mission and we praise God that many Thai people are coming to Christ for a new life in the Lord.

God is Good Church invited us to join their second annual Church Camp, and over 180 people attended.

The picture above only has a portion of the people who attended the camp.

Sherri baptized thirty four new believers in Jesus Christ, together with two Thai pastors.  They used a Koi Fish pond at the camp that had to be drained, cleaned, and refilled to be used as a baptistry, but the refilling did not happen fast enough.  So the new believers had to kneel in the water and lie down in the water to be baptized.

The revival services at the God is Good Camp were amazing too.  Nine people gave their lives to Jesus Christ and were saved at the camp!

We could not stay for the whole 3 days of camp because we had to rush back to Bangkok to receive Bishop Scott Jones of the Great Plains Conference, who is also the United Methodist Bishop over Thailand and Laos.  It was our pleasure to take Bishop Jones as well as Rev. Myungim Kim and Ms. Karen Weiss of the General Board of Global Ministries to see Blessing Home Ground Zero in Pattaya as well as Blessing Home Isan in Nonsomboon as well as some other churches.

Below is a picture of Bishop Jones and the folks from GBGM playing games with the students at Blessing Home Isan.

We have received our first donations for buying a mini-van for the mission, and we hope to receive all of the $24,000 needed for purchase of this sorely needed vehicle.  We almost had enough funds to color in the first brick on the diagram.  So please remember us this Christmas and help us with this need.

If you would like to donate for this special project, write “VAN” on the memo section of the check or on the special designation field on the online giving form. 

Checks can be mailed to:

TMM

P.O. Box 56

Mannsville, KY 42758

Or give online at thailandmethodist.org

God is watching over us!

God is watching over us!

We have had problems with flooding in our sub-division for several years, and the water would run down our road like a river but it never made it all the way into the house.  But it kept getting worse and we knew that someday we would probably need to move.  However, we hate moving.  So we kept putting it off until some future date.  But it took a different reason to motivate us to move.

A 7-11 store near Blessing Home

Last month, Thailand Methodist Mission experienced growing pains when we had a missionary meeting.  Our numbers of missionaries and mission interns serving with TMM grew to the point that we could no longer fit everyone in our small house, which is what we have always done before.  So we had to move the two day meeting to a hotel with a large suite but this was a temporary solution that was not sustainable.

So the next week, God led us to a house that was large enough and very affordable to serve as the TMM Mission Center, where we could host meetings with missionaries and with Thai pastors and leaders.  The TMM Mission Center has been a great blessing and has allowed us to host meetings here rather than travel constantly.

Last week, we had severe flooding in Chonburi and Pattaya.  Blessing Home and the TMM Mission Center are both on high ground and were not flooded.  However, our old house was severely flooded.  If we did not move to the TMM Mission Center, we would have lost everything!

A Special Request

Each year churches, church groups, and individuals have taken special offerings for large needs and projects with the Thailand Methodist Mission.  One of the growing pains that our mission has is that we need a mini-van.  At the present time we have a sub-compact that has been the workhorse of the mission and still is.  But we need to be able to take teams of missionaries, interns, and volunteers around to the many ministries of TMM throughout Thailand, and we frequently must rent vans which can be very expensive.  Owning a mini-van would allow us to focus more funds directly with ministries to Thai people and less on transporting teams. 

We ask for all churches, church groups, and individuals that pray for and support Thailand Methodist Mission to take up special Christmas offerings and donations and help us to buy a mini-van.  We need $24,000.

If you would like to donate for this special project, write “VAN” on the memo section of the check or on the special designation field on the online giving form. 

Checks can be mailed to:

TMM

P.O. Box 56

Mannsville, KY 42758

Or give online at thailandmethodist.org

We are called to be pastors for those who serve sacrificially.

We have had the privilege to host many meetings and overnight stays at the TMM Mission Center, and it is an honor to host and serve those who serve sacrificially.  The TMM Mission Center is a place of healing and refreshing for Thai Pioneer Pastors who serve on the front lines in very lonely and difficult places that have not yet been reached.  Many Thai pastors have sat at the dining room table in tears talking about how difficult life is for them, and that it meant the world to them to come to the Center and be refreshed and to know that there are Christians in the States who love them, pray for them, and support them in their work for the Lord.

We also have the privilege of being pastors to the missionaries and mission interns who serve with TMM.  When we go to recruit missionaries, we speak very straight and let them know that TMM missionaries serve in the most difficult of places and circumstances.  This is not the life for those who want comfort or who want to be surrounded by fellow Christians who can speak the English language.  TMM missionaries are called to shine their lights where it is darkest, to serve in places where the need is most dire.

We tell Thai pastors and leaders that the most difficult facet of life for TMM missionaries is Sunday mornings.  All TMM ministries are Thai ministries.  That is our focus and purpose.  So the worship services are always in Thai language.  Which means that the for the first 2-3 years, missionaries will understand very little of what is being sung, preached, and prayed for in the worship service, until their language skills are strong enough to be able to fully partake in worship.

All of us are used to being spiritually fed on Sunday mornings at worship service.  We have the joy of singing worship songs, praying fervently, and hearing the Word of God in preaching, and these all fill us up spiritually.  But TMM missionaries go to church on Sunday for the first few years and do not yet have the language skills to understand everything.   So they must sit and look at the joyous faces of the Thai Christians as they worship.  They must watch others being fed spiritual food while being on a “spiritual fast”.  We tell the Thai pastors that this is like being invited to a nice restaurant with a group of people, and then you are told you must enjoy watching other people eat but you cannot eat yourself (even though you are hungry).  And there is joy in watching others eat spiritual food and being filled up.  But it can also be lonely and difficult.

It is in this context that Sherri and I serve as pastors to the TMM missionaries who devotedly serve Thai people with great fruitfulness.  TMM missionaries meet each month at the TMM Mission Center for a time of refreshing fellowship, passionate worship, and learning and reflection.  It is a time that is very much needed, so they can go back to their places of service and fulfill the call that God has placed upon them. 

So please keep the TMM missionaries and interns in your daily prayers, especially on Sunday mornings.

Serendipities from God

Serendipity

ser·en·dip·i·ty

ˌserənˈdipədē/

Noun

the occurrence and development of wonderful events that are not looked for.

We are constantly blessed by God with serendipities, which we would define a bit different from the dictionary.  Serendipities are blessings that God bestows that we did not see coming that leave us in awe of the Lord’s grace and providence.

Here are some of the serendipitous blessing God has poured out upon us during the past two months.

1.  “Oh, by the way, we planted a new church in Sala Lamduan in Sakaeo Province.  And we built a church building too!”

            These were the words of Pastor Banya of Life Center Church in Pattaya just 2 months ago as he was leading a caravan of mission team members from Kentucky to visit this new church.  The members of Life Center Church have been taking special mission offerings every Sunday morning for the past several months to support mission projects like this church plant in Sakaeo province.  Pastor Banya and Elder Nopadon of Life Center Church alternate weekends preaching at three locations in Sakaeo province and the first weekend of every month, the members of the church send a team to do children’s ministries and food relief efforts as well.

            This new church plant, the first Christian church in Sala Lamduan county, is some of the fruit of their ministry.

2.  “Oh, by the way, we opened a new Blessing Home center in Ta Phraya.”

            These were the words of Pastor Banya when we went to Ta Phraya two months ago and saw this sign on the building used for the church.

Pastor Banya has trained Elders Det and Dao, a couple who he has disciple over the past three years, to lead children’s ministries and relief efforts in Ta Phraya.  Now the Thailand Methodist Mission has provided scholarships to Det and Dao as they have begun studies towards their Bachelor of Ministry degrees through the Distance Learning program at Global Theological Seminary.  Now, children are being helped with food assistance and Christian witness through their fruitful ministry.  Starting in April 2016, scholarships and educational assistance will be provided to needy children in Ta Phraya.  Our goal is to have every child in this community go to school and stay in school to high school graduation.

3.  “I have good news, I started a cell group at my university!  And we meet every week for Bible study, prayer and worship!”

            These were the words of Kao Poat, one of the Blessing Home Isan students who has graduated from high school and is now receiving a full scholarship to earn her B.A. degree in English Studies at St. Theresa International College.  The nearest church to Kao Poat is almost an hour’s drive away by bus.  There is no church in the county where St. Theresa International College is located.  In fact, there is no church in the whole Ongkarak district, which has a total of eleven unreached counties.  Now this 18 year old Freshman college student has started the first Christian cell group in the whole district!

            Kao Poat could not contain her joy about the cell group and we are very proud of her.  She really made our day!

4.  “Did you know that I am working together with another Thai pastor to train pastors from Laos in Biblical Studies?  They are persecuted by their government and cannot receive training in Laos, so we bring them here.  I teach both the New Testament Survey and Old Testament Survey classes.”

            These were the words of Pastor Peak, a TMM Pioneer Pastor far in the northern region of Thailand near the border of Laos.  And we had no idea that Pastor Peak was also serving as a missionary helping pastors in a foreign land. 

This year, Pastor Peak graduated with his Master of Ministry degree from Global Theological Institute, the Bible college that TMM sponsors in Northern Thailand.  And now he is using his education to help Laotian pastors who are starved for a Biblical education.  The Laotian pastors come across the border early in the morning and study all day.  Then in the evening, they go across the border back into Laos.  Each course if for one to two weeks in length.  Not only has Pastor Peak planted the first Christian church in his county of Fai Khwang, but also making an eternal difference in the lives of Laotian people as well. 

GOD IS GOOD!  May the Lord receive all the honor, praise and glory!  We are greatly blessed to work with such devoted Thai Christians who sacrifice deeply to serve the Lord!

Kentucky Annual Conference Volunteers in Mission Team

We want to thank all who sponsored members of the Kentucky Annual Conference Volunteer In Mission Team.  They were a great blessing to us and the Thai people and it was your prayers and support that made it all possible.  The Kentucky VIM Team worked hard to get the new expansion of Blessing Home Ground Zero completed for the arrival of our new missionaries, the Johnston Family.
We think we wore as much paint on our bodies as we applied to the walls!

The team also did English Mini-camps at Blessing Home Isan and at Ta Phraya, one of our Pioneer Pastor church plant locations.

Pastor Banya, the director of Blessing Home, has opened a new branch location of Blessing Home in Ta Phraya.  Every weekend, Pastor Banya and Elder Nopadon take turns making the 6 hour drive to Ta Phraya to preach at two church locations and conduct children's Bible clubs and English mini-camps.

Ta Phraya contains some of the most crushing poverty we have seen.  There are many families here that consist of seniors in their 60s, 70s, and 80s who are caring for toddlers and children.  They do not have enough money to buy food and they and the children go hungry.  Malnutrition is rampant.  A very high percentage of the children cannot go to school.  There were also many seniors who were shut-ins that did not have financial support.  These shut-ins were not only lonely, but suffered from malnutrition because they depended upon the generosity of impoverished neighbors for food and water, and these neighbors were also deprived of adequate food.  Many of the shut-ins told the Kentucky VIM team that they go for many days without food because no one can help them.

The church at Ta Phraya has set up a relief program to help these starving families and seniors, but they do not have enough resources on their own.  The Christians of Life Center UMC in Pattaya as well as the Thailand Methodist Mission are now providing funds to provide food and potable water to these desperate people.  The village chief in this town expressed his great appreciate for the compassion in action of Christians.

We are in the process of making detailed plans with Pastor Banya for opening a new Blessing Home center here in Ta Phraya and planting multiple churches in this unreached region.

Fun and Games with the students at Blessing Home Isan

The Kentucky VIM team danced with the members of Nonsomboon church with traditional Isan worship music,

The sign for the new Blessing Home branch in Ta Phraya.  At this time it is very rustic!

The Kentucky VIM team

Team Thailand 2016

First, we want to invite all who are interested in serving on a mission team to join Team Thailand 2016.  Click on this link to go to the Team Thailand 2016 Website for all of the information and forms.

Next, we invite all to come to our booth at the Kentucky Annual Conference on June 8-10.  As always, we will be selling goodies from Thailand and we have many new items.  Also, it is a good time to talk with us if you want us to come speak at your church or group in the future.

This mission is possible because of your prayers and support.  

If the Lord leads you to give to the Thailand Methodist Mission, you can do so by sending a check by mail or give online.

Checks can be made to TMM and sent to:

TMM

P.O. Box 56

Mannsville, KY 42758

or you can give online at the TMM website at

http://thailandmethodist.org/donate.html

We have met the GOAL!

First, we want to say "Congratulations" to Pastor Banya on earning his Master of Divinity Degree.  Pastor Banya is the Pastor of Life Center UMC in Pattaya and the Director of Blessing Home.  Thank you for your support which sponsored his tuition, books, and fees over the four years of his study at the Chonburi Seminary.

Second, we want to shout "PRAISE THE LORD!" because all of the funds for the expansion of Blessing Home Ground Zero have been received!  Thank you to all who generously donated to make this happen.

So here is the giving chart, totally colored in with orange. God is good!

Here are some pictures of the work going on to modify the new building.

The new building has a fenced and gated area in the front to provide secure parking for the new missionaries, the Johnston family, that will arrive at the end of July.  This will be the entrance that they will use to enter the building,   It has not yet been painted.

The walls have been removed to expand the sanctuary and new tile has been installed in the new section.  Now we can accommodate more people in worship at the church and also more guardians at training events and special days.

A new roof has been installed in the back "kitchen" area of the new building.  This will be used as a laundry room for Blessing Home.

New walls and closets are being framed on the second and third floors of the building, which will expand the Blessing Home ministry on the second floor and will provide missionary housing for the Johnstons on the third floor.

Pioneer Pastor couple facing difficult spiritual batttle needs your prayers

This is one of those times that we know we are blessed to have prayer warriors like you who we can entrust prayer requests to knowing that many hundreds of God's faithful are lifting up the request before the Lord's throne in prayer.

Pioneer Pastors face much opposition, but few have faced the spiritual warfare that Pastor Peak and Nam endure.  Pastor Peak graduated this year from the Global Theological Institute, the Bible college that is sponsored by the Thailand Methodist Mission.  Peak earned his Master of Ministry degree through Distance Learning and pioneered the Church of Grace in the Fai Kwang County of Phayao Province.  Church of Grace is the first Christian church ever planted in this county, so Peak and Nam are expanding the borders of the Kingdom of God, bringing the gospel into new territory at great sacrifice to themselves.  They have given everything to plant this church.

A few months ago, a church in Bangkok came up to encourage Peak and Nam and pray with them.  The team of Christians from Bangkok did a Prayer Walk, beginning their prayers at Church of Grace and walking and praying throughout the village and making a circuit back to the church.  This caught the attention of the Buddhist villagers and the abbot of the Buddhist temple.  Two days after the Prayer Team from Bangkok went home, the monks from the local Buddhist temple and many villagers arrived at the front of the church, beating their drums and chanting.  Many villagers hurled hateful insults and threats at Peak and Nam.  Then the monks beat their drums and chanted prayers and walked on the same path that the Christian Prayer Team did 2 days earlier, trying to undo the effect of their prayers.  Since that time there has been tension with some of the locals.

Sherri, Nam, Pastor Peak, and Mike at Church of Grace in Fai Kwang.

We will be working with Pastor Peak and Nam to develop some ministries that will be valued by the local residents to build up community relations so they know that as Christians, we come to build people up and to do good.

Please pray for Peak and Nam that they may will persevere and not be discouraged.  Please pray for the new Christians at Church of Grace that they will overcome opposition to become strong disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Pray that God will make their ministry fruitful and will surround them with many faithful encouragers and supporters.  Your prayers move mountains.

Building Fund Update

Sherri and I are back in the States and will be raising funds to complete our Building Fund campaign for the expansion of Blessing Home Ground Zero in Pattaya.  $91,000 has been raised so far and we need $19,000 to complete this project which will expand the seating capacity of the church, expand Blessing Home and increase our capacity for providing services to the children, and also make a new missionary apartment for Joshua and Jessica Johnston and their three daughters.  The Johnstons are long term missionaries who will be serving at Blessing Home and they are answers to our prayers.  This apartment will be safe and affordable housing for them as they serve.

As you know, we have purchased the building already, but must make many modifications to make it useable, and this is what the remainder of the funds are needed for.  Work has already begun on the building.  A security fence was installed outside and walls on the third floor dividing the new building from the old one are being knocked down (as you see in the pictures).

If you would like to send a donation to help with this project, please be sure to designate it for the Building Fund.

You can give via internet or snail mail.

If you are sending a check, make it out for TMM and send to our treasurer at:

TMM

P.O. Box 56

Mannsville, KY 42758

OR, you can give online on the TMM website at thailandmethodist.org

Pioneer Pastor Program in Action

We know you are praying for the Pioneer Pastor Program, because God has produced a bountiful harvest recently.

TMM's Pioneer Pastor Program (PPP) sponsors the Global Theological Institute, which trains Thai Christians who are called by God into ministry to serve as pastors and ministry leaders in churches.

At this year’s graduation ceremony on March 25th, twenty four students graduated with Master of Ministry degrees, Bachelor of Ministry degrees, and three diplomas in Biblical Studies.  These graduates are serving in churches across Thailand and some are pioneering churches in unreached counties in Thailand.

2015 Graduation Ceremony at Global Theological Institute

Global Theological Institute Graduates Pastors Somsri and her daughter Win

We would like to introduce you to a graduate from this class as well as one current student.  Somsri is from Khlong Khwang county in Nonthaburi, an unreached county with no church of any type.  The Lord led Somsri to study the Bible at Global Theological Institute (GTI) through Distance Learning six years ago.  Somsri earned her Bachelor of Ministry degree at our first graduating class in 2013 and went on to graduate with a Master of Ministry degree this year.

Halfway through her B.Min. studies, the Lord led Somsri to start a cell group in her home and this cell group rapidly grew to become the Fire of Glory Church, and now they have recently purchased land for building their own facility.

As is typical of new churches, one new church plants another new church.

Pastor Somsri has been involved in planting a church in Sukhothai province with a current student at GTI named Santi, who was moving back to his home county which is Ban Dan County in the Lan Hoi district.  There was no Christian church in Ban Dan County and Santi was called by the Lord to plant a church in his hometown.  Santi is a currently studying at GTI through correspondence courses and is well on his way to earning a B.Min. degree.

Pastor Santi inviting the children to come up front to sing.

Ban Dan Church

 Pastor Somsri and the members of Fire of Glory Church in Nonthaburi nurtured Santi, helping him to plant a cell group at this location and nurturing the new Christians there through frequent visits to encourage and train them.  Last month (March 2015), Pastor Santi moved to this location to become the pastor there and open this church.

Pastor Santi supports his family and ministry by growing taro on his family farm, so the church is self-sufficient.   We will be providing Christian education resources and training this year to Ban Dan Church so they can start a Sunday School and send teams to do Bible Clubs in the more distant neighborhoods.

Please pray for Pastor Santi and the members of Ban Dan Church that the Lord will bring a great harvest to their ministry.

On the next blog update, we will tell you about a second Pioneer Pastor church plant from another of our recent graduates from Global Theological Institute.

TMM Founding Board Member Karen Prince is home with the Lord

Sherri and I, and all of the Board members and Missionaries of the Thailand Methodist Mission, extend our love and prayers for the family of Karen Prince, a founding member of the TMM Board.  Our hearts go out to Thad, Adam, Christine, Terri, Janet, Tony, and all of Karen’s family.

Karen and Thad Prince

The Founding Board of the Thailand Methodist Mission. 

Usually Sherri and I do not post about our own personal lives and connections, but try to focus on the mission.    But today is different, because we want everyone to know how much Karen and her family mean to us.  If there is any family who has ever adopted us, it is the Gabehart family.   Our adopted family ties go very deep, so for us this loss runs very deep.

Karen is our quiet and strong sister, possessing more talent than any one person deserved.  Art and music came natural to Karen.  When a task needed to be done, she was the servant leader who made it happen without the need for fanfare or acclaim.  Her deeds and words were guided by her solid love and devotion to her Lord, Jesus Christ.  We are honored to count her as our friend.

We will miss Karen until the day of the Great Homecoming when we shall meet together in Heaven.  

Triage and College Scholarships

Schools across Thailand are closed for summer break during March and April, and this is the time when Pastor Banya and TMM missionaries do triage.  There are always many more children who need help than what we have resources for, so we must determine which children are at the greatest risk, so that we can give them the limited spots on the Blessing Home roster.  At Blessing Home Ground Zero, Pastor Banya does this through interviews, and everyday there are people who bring children seeking to get them enrolled in at Blessing Home.  Carol and Vicki at Blessing Home Isan do home visits and interviews to find the children who have the greatest need.  We do triage so that we can make the very best use of the funds that you generously donate to save and protect children.  We want to make the most impact with the gifts God has given to this ministry.

Because of your generosity, we now are giving full college scholarships through Blessing Home to deserving young adults who would never be able to go to college without major assistance.  You have already met Bo and Sopita, who have completed their freshman year at university.  They have done well and will receive scholarships for study again this year.  

Kao Poad is receiving a full scholarship from the Thailand Methodist Mission through Blessing Home Isan

Today we would like to introduce you to one of our new college scholarship recipients who is very special to us.  Her name nickname is Kao Poad which means “Corn” and she leads the Praise Team at her church in Nonsomboon.  Kao Poad’s parents, Maeng and Saow, are devoted Christians who are tenant farmers who work hard but only can barely sustain their family.  Kao Poad and her niece Namtaan live in the same household and both are students at Blessing Home Isan.

Maeng and Saow say thank you for helping their family.  Their granddaughter Namtaan (on the far left) is a student at Blessing Home Isan and their daughter Kao Poad (on the far right) is receiving a full college scholarship.

Kao Poad began her studies as an English major at St. Theresa International College this week and we are proud of her because she overcame many obstacles in life to be able to qualify to be a student at this college.  Kao Poad is the first person in her family to attend graduate from high school and go on to college.  Please keep her in your prayers.  Kao Poad is attending a competitive university and she must “run with the horses” to make good grades at St. Theresa.

We have had several people email us asking for information on how to donate, so we thought it would be good to include that with this prayer blog.  Your donations make the mission possible.

You can give via internet or snail mail.

If you are sending a check, make it out for TMM and send to our treasurer at:

TMM

P.O. Box 56

Mannsville, KY 42758

OR, you can give online on the TMM website at thailandmethodist.org

Update and Praise on the Blessing Home Expansion and a Big Praise at God is Good Church

Praise God, over $88,000 of the $110,000 needed for the Blessing Home expansion in Pattaya has been raised.  We are very close and need $22,000 to complete this project.
And we have some very good news.

The money we have received so far has been enough that we were able to purchase the building next to Blessing Home!  So we do not have to be concerned about the building being sold to someone else before we came up with enough funds.

But the rest of the $22,000 is needed to make the building usable.  And we need to get this is in the next two months if possible, so please pray that we can complete this project soon.  This is essential because the Johnstons will be arriving this summer and we must have this building prepared so their family has a place to live.

The building to the left of Blessing Home has now been purchased!  Praise the Lord!

The remainder of funds is needed for the following needed modifications.
1.  Build a "storefront wall" and residential entranceway to the new section.
2.  Separate the church electric system from the residential electric system.
3.  Install locking door on the new stairwell.
4.  Install kitchen on third floor.
5.  Knock down dividing wall on all three floors and install floor tiles and ceiling where walls used to be.
6.  Install several TV monitors in the new sanctuary.
7.  Install 4 new air conditioning units.
8.  Painting and more painting.
9.  Install security wrought iron on windows and doors in the new section.

So please remember the Building Fund during this Easter season as we make a final push towards completion.

NOW FOR ANOTHER BIG PRAISE!

God is Good Church in Ban Bueng was planted on Easter of 2013, just two years ago.  They quickly built a sanctuary, but they have been overfilled for a long time.  We have been talking to Pastors Peter, Nuc, and Pimjai for quite awhile about the need to expand the sanctuary.  We said the lack of room was a great problem to have.  It is a wonderful problem when more people are coming to church than what you can fit into the building.

So three weeks ago, Pastor Peter surprised us by saying they were going to expand the sanctuary to be twice the size and that they were commencing work the next day, and they would complete the work in less than a week!  He then invited us to come to the first Sunday in the newly expanded sanctuary.  I (Mike) told Peter that the new sanctuary would be adequate for the next six months, but they would then need a new sanctuary.  Peter smiled and replied, "You are wrong, Mike.  It will only be three months!"  And I replied, "Peter, I am wrong, it will be only 1 month and you will need to build a new sanctuary because the expanded one will be overfilled."

Well, Sherri went to God is Good Church the next Sunday for worship, and the newly expanded sanctuary was completed and very beautiful.

Pastor Peter praying in the newly expanded sanctuary at God is Good Church

Well, we are thrilled to report that the first Sunday the new sanctuary was over-filled.  There were already too many people to fit into the sanctuary comfortably.  The chairs had to be compressed to the point where we were right on top of each other.

This is a panorama picture of the 16 new believers receiving Jesus Christ that Sunday at God is Good Church.

God is Good Church is filled with gifted evangelists and every Sunday we visit we meet new believers there.  This past Sunday, 16 new believers professed their faith in Jesus Christ during morning worship.   God is Wonderful!

Your prayers made an eternity of difference

Whenever we send a prayer request to you, our prayer warriors, we know that you are faithfully lifting up our needs in prayer because we see the fruit of God's handiwork here in Thailand.

We asked you on our last blog update to pray for the Santa Clara KUMC mission team the Thai evangelism team that would be working with them.  And we know you prayed because it was a tremendous success.  Hundreds of people were served, receiving eye glasses, portraits, health checks, and electro-accupuncture.  And at the four locations this team served, over 70 Thai people were saved, receiving Jesus as their Savior.  Praise the Lord!

Here are some pictures of the outreaches.  If you do not receive the pictures, please click on this link and go to our blog to see the pictures  >>> http://msmorrissey.blogspot.com/

A woman receiving Jesus as her Savior!

A new believer who has cancer receives the prayers of Thai Christians.

This was our first experience with electro-accupuncture, which uses electricity rather than needles for therapy.

The queue was long at Ta Phraya.