Dear Partners in Ministry,

Greetings from Ban Luang. The farming cycle is slow right now as people are working with the last of the corn and waiting for the soybeans to ripen.  Winter is quickly leaving and the days are hot and dry.  I often refer to this as the “dust season,” because the air is full of smoke as our neighbors burn off the hills that surround us.

Kids

As many of you know, we don’t have any kids.  But our lives always seem full of children. We teach English in primary schools, and high school kids come to our home, but we also seem to have other kids around us all the time.  Recently a group of kids came wanting to make a cake.  We made an appointment for early Saturday morning. When it was finished they asked if they could eat it at our place.  So we had an impromptu party.  "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."  Mark 9:37

Kids

Last May our neighbor who lives with her four-year-old granddaughter, Cow-Port, asked if we would teach Cow-Port English.  We don’t usually teach kids that small, but we said we’d teach her on an ad hoc basis if she and Jan were both free at the same time.  Cow-Port has been very regular, and we have been doing English, math, and computer on a regular basis.   - look after orphans and widows James 1:27

Kids

We have taken over the children’s church on Saturday evenings since Villy and family went on home assignment.  We take turns and have a group of five to seven kids that come on a regular basis.  It is a real privilege to teach them about Jesus.

Kids

Then, of course, there are the children with special needs that we work with. We share the love of Jesus with these families in practical, hands-on ways, massaging, exercising and driving them to therapy sessions. 

And more kids

Over the years we have been blessed to have our colleagues’ children call us “Auntie and Uncle,” though these days it feels like it should be “Grandma and Grandpa.” Sometimes Jan has taught them a day a week, if there isn’t a tutor available, to give Mom a break and an opportunity to “get out into the community.” Right now Grace comes over every Wednesday for three hours while her mum, Carolyn, goes out visiting.

And finally pig kids

Last Saturday Cow-Port came over and asked if we would go to her place. We went in time to see their pig give birth. Eleven piglets! In fact, we got to help.  We were glad the event was at 10 a.m., not 2 a.m.  Since then we have been asked to “baby sit” them a couple of times. Hmm

Over the years God has blessed us in many ways, and we trust that you, too, can see His constant hand in blessing lives.  Again we thank you for your partnership.

In Christ’s love,

Jan and Larry.

Prayer points:

·         Pray for Frances, a physical therapist, as she prepares to come and help with the special needs kids 

·               Pray for a tutor to come help with Dema and Carolyn’s children.

·               Pray for Richard and Maxine as they prepare to join us in ministry here later in the year.

·               Pray for the fellowships at Ban Sra. Praise God for Long and the initiative he is taking in tweaking the way we do things.

Something new in at our place

High speed internet!

Events this month

March 9-10    Team meeting in Chiang Mai 

March 12       Larry will attend a meeting in BKK

Bible verses quoted from the NIV

 If you would like to support this ministry you can do it through the IM web page at http://www.internationalministries.org/teams/76-martin