Dear Partners in Ministry,
 
3 funerals, 2 teams, and a …
It sounds like the name of a movie or a song!
 
This past month has been plenty busy as we have not only involved ourselves with our community but have also had visitors wallowing in mud among the community, helping with some late rice planting.  I think it will rate as a good experience albeit not that enjoyable.   More popular was making Somtum, a spicy salad made from green papaya.  Our English students, now “teachers” as they taught Thai to our visitors, enjoyed the experience too.
 
The weather continues to confuse and confound, and some of our neighbors are still talking about planting rice as the rains dribble in, even though it is very late in the year for it.
 
We also involved ourselves in the greater missionary community and were blessed to attend conferences at the beginning of the month.  We had a good time catching up with folk we see only every year or two, doing some of that necessary business stuff that groups need to do, and taking time for renewal.
 

Wallowing, massaging, and blessing
 
Bua Kaew has been unwell and needed to be hospitalized, giving us the extra privilege of showing God’s compassion to her and Yot.  Because hospitals require a family member to stay with the patient, Yot had to stay with her.  This meant he was unable to work to pay back neighbors for help they had given him in his rice fields.  He was worried he would have to pay them in cash, and he didn’t have any.  Larry and Michael seized the opportunity and spent their day off working off his debt.
 
Larry continues to teach them and their neighbors stories of Jesus.  Bua Kaew is particularly perceptive spiritually and draws good parallels and conclusions.
 
Bus and his mom, Tuk, benefited greatly from the two weeks in the rehab center in Chiang Mai.  Jan and Julia have been learning the new exercises and massage techniques from Tuk and are amazed how much Bus is improving.  The family, seeing the improvements, is supportive and is willing to loose Tuk from the work pool to go again this month.  

Inn continues to weaken, but her love for life and being part of things doesn’t.  This month she came around to make a birthday cake for her nephew. Beyond that, her ability to understand deeper truths from God’s word is growing as is her desire to share with others.

World Mission Offering 2009

World Mission Offering provides the largest single source of funds to support IM’s mission around the world. By making a donation to the 2009 World Mission Offering, you can help! 100% of your gifts will be invested in the work with and through your missionaries and the Christian partners with whom we serve in more than 70 countries around the world. $0 goes to administrative overhead. The World Mission Offering goal for 2009 is to stimulate a rebound from the recession and achieve $3.7 million for mission as we did in 2007.

Your gifts to World Mission Offering are more important than ever.

No kids, no grandkids, but we still get to do fun stuff!
 
Ban Luang is close to the back of nowhere, so when three elephants came to town masquerading as a show, it was a big deal.  What we needed was an excuse to go… kids, family. We invited a neighbor, her grandchild, and Inn for our excuse and off we went!  At the ticket booth our “family” grew to the extent that we got a group discount.  The show was a bit tacky, but we and our “family” really enjoyed it.
 
Our prayer for you is that you are finding ways of blessing those around you and that you are blessed by knowing that you have been used of God.  Thank you for the blessing you are to us and those around us here in Ban Luang through your prayers and support.
 
Because of Jesus,
 
Larry and Jan
 

Praise God for the Plunge Youth Teams that visited us this month.  Pray that these young people will be touched and challenged to share Jesus.

Praise God for the opportunity Larry and Michael had to work off Lung Yot’s debt.  Pray that his neighbors will understand that it was “because of Jesus.” Pray that the group that meets in his home will grow.
 
Praise God for Bus’s improvement. Pray that his family will open their hearts and minds to Jesus.
 
Praise God for Inn.  Pray for her as she battles with her physical problems, that she will continue to grow spiritually and that family and neighbors will see Jesus being formed in her.