Dear Partners in Ministry,

February always tricks me by ending quickly.   We have just returned from our team retreat: five days of fellowship, teaching and planning.  Five days where we were able to look back at where we have been and look forward to where God is taking us.  Five days of prayer and intercession.  Five days of playing with our colleagues’ kids.  Five days of meals prepared for us.  A good time but it is good to be home.

Eating and Training

We have been having problems getting together with church leaders for training days.  It has seemed impossible to find a day when we were all free.  Recently we decided that evening sessions more often would be more likely to work.  Our new format is to meet for dinner and do an in-depth Bible study and then have a “how to” session.   This month’s how to lesson included creating teaching aids to bring easy understanding to points in the lesson.  Larry had fun with candles and lights.

No Peeking

Mae Un, Mae Kwii’s sister, has been coming to the leadership sessions and is starting to teach at one of the home groups.  Too embarrassed to teach in front of an “expert,” she chose to do her first lesson on a week when no experienced teachers were going to be there.  By all accounts she did well!

Joy and Pain

Payameng Rai is about a three-hour drive from here.  God used us in getting the church started a number of years ago.  We go back occasionally to touch base and encourage the folk there. Our longtime friend and colleague, Tom, was recently ordained, and it was good to be there for that.  Unfortunately, churches have their problems, and a couple of families left this one a while ago.  Now both parties are wanting to see some sort of reconciliation, and we have been asked to help facilitate this.  We joined the church for their thanksgiving and baptism service a couple of weeks ago and took the opportunity to visit individuals, and this week we have invited some of the main players to go out for dinner together.

We pray that you may know the joy of being part of the kingdom.  Thank you for your continued partnership.  To God be the Glory.

In Christ,

Jan and Larry 

Sometimes there is no grace.

In rural villages we tend to share.  We share a compound with our landlord.  We also share our pets.  Technically we have the cats that supposedly patrol both homes for rats, and they have the dogs.  We supplement the dogs’ diet with food scraps and get royally welcomed home.  Yesterday there was only one dog in the welcome committee.  The other one had bitten a neighbor and had been sold.  We suspect it was dinner up the road.  Praise the Lord there is forgiveness for us in Jesus.

Prayer and Praise

Praise God for our retreat and the time of reflection and planning.  Pray for wisdom as we move forward.

Pray for the leadership development training sessions, that they might be practical, helping the leaders have a better understanding of their faith and be better communicators.

Praise God that the church at Payameng Rai wants to honor Him through reconciliation.  Please pray for wisdom for us as we minister in this situation.

Pray for the people we are ministering to on a daily basis.  May they see Jesus! 

Dates

March 1               Jan has a board meeting in Bangkok.

March 3-4    .       Visit to Payameng Rai

March 6 & 12       Larry has meetings in Bangkok

March 11-14        Our coordinating body in Thailand is having its annual consultation.   Jan will attend as the missionaries’ representative.

March 14             We are taking our vacation this month and will visit Larry’s mom.   She is 91 and going strong. 

Easter we will be in the U.S., but the house fellowships here will celebrate.