Dear Partners in Ministry,
 
Pray for Rain:  This is a request we have been getting a lot lately.  The rainy season is late and people are worried about it.  The corn is in but the rice that is the staple for life here is the important thing.  Rice needs a lot of water.  When you plant it you are standing in water up to your shins and it needs to say that way for the next couple of months.  A good hard rain to get things started is needed and then some rain almost everyday.

Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime;
    it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds.
  He gives showers of rain to men,
    and plants of the field to everyone.  Zec 10:1

We did get some rain last week and some people have started planting.  I would have thought that we would have lots of rain and there would be plenty but actually there is just enough.  One family fills their field with water and plants their rice.  Recently while out planting rice, the family we were helping filled one field at a time with water, just in time for us to plant it.  Then they let it drain into the next field and that family plants their rice while the first field dries up.  Everyone is hoping that more rain will come to keep the fields from drying out completely and to fill them all up again.

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  Matt 5:45

We will need more rain before the season ends but everyone is thankful for the water we have now.  There is a lot of sharing going on and a precious resource is being used.  God has given us enough, but not too much.  God is good.

Frogs are Growing: Another thing that comes with the rain is frogs.  These are a good protein source and the people are counting on them every year at this time.  The frog projects we are helping are going well and the frogs are growing quickly.  They will soon be tasty mealtime events.

A birthday party: Bus turned 5 this week.  Jan and Julia took a cake over and his mother enjoyed feeding him some and sharing it with the neighbors.  Bus is not developing like most children his age but he is growing physically and getting bigger and stronger.  It was good to use this opportunity to pray for him and his family.

No car: Our car is still not back from being repaired.  We have a promise that it will be back together sometime this month.  In the meantime God is providing and we are getting where we need to go.

We hope that all of you are finding God’s peace in your lives and you are growing in your understanding of God’s will.

 In Christ,
 
Larry and Jan
 
Prayer and Praise
• Praise God for the rain
• Prayer for more rain
• Praise God for Bus’s life.
• Pray for the little brother or sister that Bus will have in another couple of months
• Pray for recently started frog and fish projects, designed to help poor families with protein and income. 
• Pray that Inn’s strength will increase and she is able to help herself some.
• Pray that our support will go up to the level that it needs to be.  We are still about 10 percent short of the goal that we need.

Upcoming Dates:
August 13-15 Team Meeting        
August 26 Jan and Larry have meetings in Bangkok