Download our Fall 2021 Newsletter and Read an Inspiring Story to Lift Your Spirits

We know we are biased, but we think our Fall 2021 Thailand NOW newsletter is filled with good news that will lift up your spirits. Go ahead and download it and read by clicking this link >> Thailand NOW Fall Newsletter

Please feel free to send this email to others and download the newsletter to distribute at your church.

On a different note, Sherri and I and all of the Thailand NOW missionaries work with Thai staff and pastors who are absolutely amazing people. It is our great honor to serve side-by-side with them and we want you to get to know their stories too. So, we would like to share the story of Ploy, who works with Thailand NOW missionaries David and Allie Houle.

Hello! My name is Ploy, I am 27 years old and I have worked with David and Allie for 1 year and 7 months. Allie and David asked me if I would share with all of you more about my story. I am from a less than perfect family. My parents divorced when I was 15 years old. They decided to split up because of financial problems, they are not good at managing money. I was okay with their decision to divorce, I knew that they had raised me the best they could. They wanted the best for me, and they wanted to teach me to be a responsible person and to always be considerate of other people. 

My parents had 3 children, 2 sons and 1 daughter. I was the middle child. My brothers and I loved to play and go exploring together. Sometimes we argued, but we always loved each other and were very close. After our parents divorced, my father moved away to Bangkok (he went to live with his relatives there.) My older brother became a soldier (he did not want to, but he was drafted to serve for 2 years). My mom, my brother and I moved to Pattaya, but I didn’t stay in Pattaya for long. My mother was unable to work and take care of us, so my brother and I moved back to our hometown, Khon Kaen. There we were able to rent a room for just me and my brother, I was 16 and he was 13.

It was important for my mom to make money to support us. Sometimes she would have to ask my dad to help and send money for us to go to school. My mom had to make money to pay for all of our living expenses. When I moved to Khon Kaen with my younger brother, I tried to find work to help my mom with paying for everything. I took care of my younger brother and I worked part time selling fried chicken and orange juice at the market. I would make about $5-6/day. 

I applied for all the school scholarships I could find, and I took out student loans to finish high school and to go to university to study Thai Language. While I was in university, I was involved with many clubs and activities and volunteering, which helped me to get a scholarship. Because I completed all of my credits in 3.5 years, I was able to do a Work and Travel program for my last semester. I went to America for 5 months. This program was for students to go and work part-time and to learn about American culture. I went to Destin, Florida and worked at McDonalds. 

After I came back to Thailand, I moved back to Pattaya to live with my mom and to work in property management at a condo. I worked 6 days a week, but I asked for every Sunday off so I could go to church. On Sundays I would go to church for worship and serve God by doing activities with the youth. I would be at church from the morning until the evening every Sunday. I met David and Allie at the church where we would do lessons and activities for the teenagers together. I worked at the condo for 2 years before David and Allie invited me to work with them. Then I quit my job to go work with Thailand Now.

I thank God for finding me. I know that I always had God’s grace in my life. Even though I haven’t been a Christian my whole life, I believe God chose me long ago. Through elementary and high school I went to a Catholic school. I was able to make friends who were Christian. I had the opportunity to go to church many times. When I went to University, I met my boyfriend, Run, who is a Christian (we are still together). I went to church with him and learned about God through Run’s life. After we had been together for 2 years, I decided to devote my life to Jesus. Right after I became a Christian, my family was not accepting of it. My whole family was Buddhist, and in Thailand, almost all Thai people are Buddhist. Buddhist people follow the teachings of Siddhartha, Karma, and they have to make merit so they can come back in a better life, and to help their ancestors get to a better place. When we would go to the temple to make merit, we would buy snacks and bring money for the monks and make offerings to the idols in the temple. But once I was a Christian, my family could see that I was different, and they weren’t happy that I wouldn’t go to the Buddhist temple with them anymore. But this was not an obstacle for me with my belief in God. Because I stand firm in my belief in God (and I can be stubborn).

In all the time that I have known God, I am always discovering more and more how good God is. I thank God that he has prepared a way for me to come and serve God with this ministry and at church (and wherever else he will lead me to serve). Recently, my mom has come to know God and accept Him. I believe that everyone in my family will see God’s goodness in my life. All of them see the love and care from David and Allie and all of my church family. I believe that my family will come to believe in God. God has not stopped working in my life. I am just the first one in my family that He has called. Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has a heart for helping our brothers and sisters, and the children here in Thailand. God bless you all.

If you feel led by the Lord to support this mission, you can donate by check or online. 

1. Send a check to: 

Thailand NOW 

P.O. Box 56 

Mannsville, KY 42758 

OR 

2. Give online at https://thailandnow.org/donate/

We are happy to report that it looks like Thailand will be re-opening both internationally and domestically soon. This is not a sure thing. In the past, there have been news reports of re-opening, just to have the situation change at the last minute. So prayers are needed. Here are some of the prayer requests: 1. Sherri and I have booked tickets back to fly to Thailand on December 22. We need to obtain visas and Certificates of Entry, which are very complicated to complete. Every month,the requirements and procedures change, and it is difficult to hit a moving target that is random. Dealing with this is a bit stressful. Please pray that we can get all of the needed documents and approvals in a timely manner. 2. At this time, churches in urban areas of Thailand are not able to meet. Meetings of more than 5 people are not allowed in areas considered "deep red" for COVID. As you can imagine, this has had severe consequences for the members of these churches and their pastors. A domestic re-opening is needed for the churches and ministries in Thailand to thrive. The hard domestic lockdowns in Thailand, that restrict travel between provinces, has been a significant reason why we had to delay our return to Thailand. As long as the lockdown remains in place, we would not be able to preach and teach in the urban churches and would need to do online Zoom meetings rather than in-person events. So it was better for us to remain in the States and do Zoom meetings from here. At least we could itinerate among supporting churches and still continue to do online ministry in Thailand. 3. Thailand NOW missionaries, Carol Fare and Vicki Brown (they serve at the Special Blessings Korat Center), have still not been able to be vaccinated. The supplies for FDA approved vaccines have not yet reached their city. 4. While we were here in the States, our Thai staff moved to Buriram province, which will be the location of our new training center. We gave them our furniture and kitchen items for use in their new home, since it was going to be more expensive to store the items and move two households worth of furniture, than it would be for us to just start over. May and Teddy, who serve with us, are looking for a house for us to rent. Please pray that they will find the right place, one that is functional and affordable. They will have a lot of work to do, because most homes are bare shells. We will need to paint the walls, install window treatments, air conditioners, water heaters, water purifiers, and purchase furniture, appliances, and sundry items. We are thankful for your faithful prayers. Later this month, we will send an announcement about Phase 2 of the Abundant Life Training Center.

God is doing great things through our Thai brothers and sisters!

First, I (Mike) want to thank all of you for your powerful prayers for me while I was in the hospital.  I had a prostatitis for a few years (and didn't know that I had it) and it turned into a sepsis infection that damaged my heart and organs and I also developed pneumonia.  Praise God, the damage to my heart and organs has reversed and my lungs are clear.  God is good!  I was healed by God through your prayers.  Thank you!

Now that I am healthy again, I will be re-scheduling to visit churches from September through December.  If you would like for us to come to your church, contact us via email at morrisseys@thailandnow.org.

Chonburi Province

Second, I would like to announce that our mission is working together with Pastor Pranee to plant a new Pioneer Pastor church in Thungkwang county in Chonburi province.  This county has no Christian church and over 5,000 people live there.  Last year, Pastor Pranee planted a Pioneer Pastor Church in Huathanon county, 12 miles away from this location.  She will serve on this circuit of two churches, proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in an unreached places.  Because of your faithful giving, we were able to give funds to help Pastor Pranee to build a simple house in Thungkwang, that will serve as her residence and also as a home church.  Please keep Pastor Pranee in prayer.

78 year old Payom receiving baptism from Pastor Somchai. 
Thai new believers are of all ages!

Both of these Pioneer Pastor Churches are daughter churches of Promise Church, which is led by Pastor Somchai.  Pastor Somchai sent us a video of baptisms of new believers at his church.  

Please take time to watch the video and enjoy.  It will warm your heart and is worth taking time to be blessed by it.

Finally, I would like to thank you for your faithful support that has allowed us to send food relief to the Thai pastors serving in urban areas.  The lockdowns in the urban areas of Thailand have devastated the economy.  This lockdown will continue for many months because the Delta Variant of COVID has spread to all of the provinces in Thailand.  At this time, only 14% of Thais are vaccinated.  Please pray that the vaccination efforts will increase.  Your prayers make a difference!

Healing through your prayers & Feeding hungry people in crisis

First, I want to thank everyone who prayed for us during the past few weeks while I (Mike) was in the hospital.  If you had not heard, I had to get rushed in to the hospital because of an infection that became sepsis.  The first 48 hours in the hospital were critical, because the sepsis affected my heart and breathing.  And then God's people prayed, and I have been getting better every day.  I have been at home for a week now, and I still have several appointments with a cardiologist and with the internal medicine specialist.  Sherri and I have been showered with encouraging notes and calls, meals brought to us by awesome neighbors, and powerful prayers of healing.  We are very blessed!

Next, I want to thank you for your faithful donations to the mission throughout the COVID crisis.  Thailand has avoided the spread of COVID for many months through hard lockdowns which have destroyed the economy.  During the first lockdown in the summer of 2020, Thailand NOW mission was able to provide food relief to our Thai brothers and sisters in the urban churches where people could not work because of the lockdown.  With your help, nutritious meals were provided to sustain over 500 families.

Even though last year's lockdown was effective for a while, COVID eventually started spreading in Thailand in March 2021, and a second hard lockdown commenced.  This second lockdown is worse than the first, because many in the urban areas had to move in with relatives in the rural areas, where people were already doing subsistence living only.  Now both rural and urban communities are in crisis.  

Because of your faithful giving, Thailand NOW has had the resources to provide special food relief to both rural and urban churches where people are in crisis.  The food relief packages include protein in the form of 3 dozen eggs and/or 6 cans of fish, cooking oil, rice, ramen noodles, and fish sauce (an essential for cooking Thai food).  We have focused the food relief towards families of Blessing Home children, abandoned seniors (ones who receive little or no support from family members), and seniors who take care of children but do not have income.

The top picture is Pastor Santi, a Pioneer Pastor in Sukhothai province, providing food relief to a grandmother who cares for her two grandchildren but did not have money for food.

The bottom picture is of Pastor Det, a Pioneer Pastor in Sakaeo province and Co-Director of Blessing Home TaPhraya.  Pastor Det is bringing food relief to abandoned seniors in his county.

2 Ways to Donate: By Mail or Online

Checks can be mailed to this address:

Thailand NOW

P.O. Box 56

Mannsville, KY 42758

or Give Online at:  https://thailandnow.org/donate/

Praise God! A Fourth Blessing Home Center is opening this month!

It is with great joy and praise to our Lord who makes all things possible that we announce the opening of the fourth Blessing Home Center, which is located in Nonthaburi Province, west of Bangkok. Blessing Home Nonthaburi is located at Sai Noi at a Pioneer Pastor Church that was planted four years ago by Pastors Somsri and Warin of Fire of Glory Church (in the picture above). Pastors Somsri and Warin have been serving the families and children in this poverty-stricken neighborhood for many years through food relief programs and children's Bible clubs and Bible studies for adults. Children in this neighborhood are at great risk of being trafficked in the child sex and drug trades because of the soul-crushing poverty and it's close proximity to the brothels of Bangkok. Pastor Somsri has taken several teens into her home to save them from being trafficked, even though she and her husband Samai could barely afford to live themselves. Thailand NOW missionaries David and Allie Houle, who serve as Field Directors for the Blessing Home Centers in Thailand, will be spearheading this effort. We want to thank all of you for your prayers and financial support which make this new Blessing Home Center possible. You are saving the lives of innocent children and giving them hope in the Lord Jesus. God is good!

We can tell you are praying for Thailand NOW. March was a month of rejoicing!

Sherri and I are always aware that you are praying for us and the Thailand NOW mission. We feel it every day. And we see it too, because the Lord is working through your prayers to do great things. God is good! Every year in the month of March, we give praise to God to be able to send a large amount of support to all of the Blessing Home Centers so that the directors can purchase school uniforms and supplies and pay other school fees for the Blessing Home kids. It gives us great joy to see our kids in their school uniforms, because a child in school is being developed and protected from traffickers. It would not be possible without people like you. Most of our children receive three types of uniforms so they can go to school: a regular uniform, a scouting uniform (all Thai students are scouts), and a physical education uniform. You can see the pictures below to see the three types. The new school year begins in May, and Thailand NOW missionaries Allie and David Houle are busy traveling to all of the Blessing Home Centers to do interviews and home visits with prospective new Blessing Home scholarship kids. We try to choose those who are at greatest need and at greatest risk for being trafficked. Your prayers for the Houle's as they prayerfully select children to receive Blessing Home scholarships.

March was also the month that five of our Pioneer Pastors graduated with their Doctor of Ministry degrees. Pastors Banya, Wassana, Peter, Warin, and Somsri all worked hard to earn their doctorate degrees. We give praise to the Lord, because the abilities and resources to train Thai pastors and Christian leaders has increased. When you pray, give praise to the Lord for these five Pioneer Pastors!

Finally, we give praise to God that Phase One of construction of the Abundant Life Training Center has begun, and the retainer wall is being built. This is an answer to our prayers. Below are some pictures of the construction. Please pray for two of our Thai staff, May and Teddy, as they and their four children move with us to Buriram, where the Abundant Life Training Center will be located. Moving children from one school to another is very difficult in Thailand. Public schools in Thailand are not obligated to enroll children who live in their geographical area. When they applied to schools in the town where the AL Training Center will be, they were told that the school was filled and would not receive their children. They found another school down the road, but they will not know until the first week of May if their children are actually accepted or not. This is a critical situation for them, so please keep them in your prayers.

Developing Leaders and Constructing Campuses

The other day, I was shopping online at a Christian bookstore website and it was overwhelming the amount of Christian education resources available. There was no need to "re-invent the wheel". You could choose any age group and any topic or book of the Bible, and there would be hundreds of books available for teaching Sunday School and Bible studies. In fact, there are so many choices, it seems a bit overwhelming to try to sift through them all to make a choice. But in Thailand, it is a very different story. There is a real paucity of Christian education materials, especially for Sunday School for children and teens. For many years now, we and our fellow missionaries serving with Thailand NOW have been creating Sunday School material and providing it to churches throughout Thailand for free. Each year, Sherri and I have provided trainings for Sunday School teachers, so they can receive curriculum and know how to use if effectively. This past month, Thailand NOW missionaries (Carol Fare, Vicki Brown, David Houle, Allie Houle) as well as our Thai team (Dr. Prai and Miss Supaporn) provided a seminar and workshop for Sunday School teachers in the Korat area. The event was held at Special Blessings Korat, the Thailand NOW ministry for families of special needs children. The Thai Sunday School teachers received curriculum and training on teaching catechism as well as training on how to develop their own curriculum. Carol and Vicki will be following up with the teachers through social media to continue to provide resources and helpful tips. Five churches participated in this training, and we ask for your prayers that word gets out and many more churches will participate in the next seminar. Below are some pictures from the training event.

Last week, we began construction of the retainer wall around the campus of the future Abundant Life Training Center. Pictured below are trucks that delivered some of the construction materials. There is a crew coming with pile-driving equipment to hammer in all of the support columns. Each support column is 24 feet long and there are over 200 columns to hammer into the ground. After the wall is complete, we will have a few hundred truckloads of dirt brought in to raise the land by over 6 feet, so the buildings will be far above flood level. Our prayers are for construction of the retainer wall to be completed before rain season begins at the end of May.

We had a few more people contact us asking about how to donate. You can donate by mailing a check to: Thailand NOW P.O. Box 56 Mannsville, KY 42758 OR give online at : https://thailandnow.org/donate/

God has provided all that we needed! Praise the Lord!!!

First, we want to announce a HUGE jubilant word of PRAISE. We have received all of the donations needed for construction of Phase 1 of the Abundant Life Training Center! God is good!!!

Now we have all of the funds needed to build the retainer wall around the property that was purchased for the Training Center and fill it with 6 feet of dirt to bring it above flood level. Thank you, everyone who prayed and donated towards this important project. We and our staff have not been able to keep up with the demand for training leaders and members in the Abundant Life Savings Group program. When the Abundant Life Training Center is complete, it will help us to increase our training capacity ten-fold. We were all set to start construction on the wall this week, but a second wave of COVID has hit Thailand, and most of the nation is under hardcore shutdown. No one can travel between provinces without special permission and documentation from the police. So we and our team will make the most use of the time to continue producing resources for the Abundant Life Savings Group program and the Pioneer Pastor program. Second, we want to give a shout out to all who generously gave to Operation Christmas Child, the ministry of Samaritan's Purse that most churches participate in each year. Every year, our Thai churches have Christmas outreaches and these shoe boxes filled with Christmas gifts that you have prepared are given to the children. The gospel of Jesus is preached at these events and many people come to Christ, both children and adults. This Christmas, our pastors reported that over 600 people gave their lives to Christ! What most people do not know, is that Operation Christmas Child does not end when the gifts are given to the children. There is also a high quality 8 week children's Bible study that the churches use to start a Children's Bible Club. The children learn about Jesus and are discipled and the Thai Christians reach out to the families of the children too. Many of their parents and grandparents come to the Lord too.

Above our pictures of school children at one of the outreaches, and you can see the Bible study books that they received with their gifts. It is very common to see other family members borrowing the Bible study books so they can read it too. We praise the Lord that we get to work cooperatively together with many organizations like Samaritan's Purse and the Gideons. Finally, Sherri and I wish you a Blessed New Year. We are grateful for your prayers and support which make this mission fruitful and possible. Praise the Lord!