Dear Partners in Ministry

      Happy New Year!

Hosts, helpers and hangers on

That’s us; we checked all the boxes during the Christmas-New Year period. There are many opportunities to share Jesus with our communities.  It is fun to look and see how we have to change our role as we engage with different groups.

At schools we hosted parties for kids and teachers.  We went in with a party package, games, gifts and, of course, the message of Jesus, the greatest gift.  This year we used a four-minute video clip to tell not only the how but the why of the incarnation.  At the monk school (grades 7-9 novice monks) Larry said he wanted to do a Christmas program with the students.  The teacher OK’d it.  A few minutes later he came back and told Larry that we shouldn’t worry that it is a Buddhist school, and he should tell the kids all about Jesus.  We were going to anyway, but it was good to have his blessing.

At our home we also had a party for neighbors, and again we were hosts and shared Jesus through some fun events involving food and gifts.

Bringing others on board

It was the first Christmas for the Ban Luang house church. They put together a wonderful meal and participated as we celebrated the coming of Jesus.  Some invited family and friends to come.  Tong’s closing prayer was significant as she asked God to help us all be lights for Jesus in our community.

Then we moved more into a helper mode as we worked with the more established house churches, responding to their requests and encouraging them to share with their family and friends.  Neuk, Long and the crew did a great job at Ban Sra. We were proud of them as they shared with their community, and were pleased to be there to encourage and help.

Hangers on

Yes, we went to Payamengrai (where we had been involved in starting a church a number of years ago) for an event as attendees.  We were planning to be there and encourage them and to have some fun with some of our brothers and sisters in Jesus.  Unfortunately Tom, the Thai pastor, was sick, so we were asked to bring the message at the last minute and, of course, a few games

It is great to see how God is bringing different groups to maturity, giving them a vision to reach out and equipping them with the ability to do the task.     

We hope you had a great time over the holidays celebrating Jesus’ coming, and we pray you know His close presence in the New Year.

May God bless and keep you throughout 2014.

Jan and Larry                    

Prayer and Praise

• Praise God for the Christmas season that brought so many evangelism opportunities.
• Praise God for the strength we see in the Payamengrai church and the joy they have over their new radio station.
• Pray for the planning of the church camp, there is some trouble with the dates.
• Pray for the Ban Sra house church as one of the key leaders is going to Bangkok to find work and they will have to find new leadership.
• Pray for a teacher to home school Grace and Daniel starting in April next year. 

This month

• Jan  3       Combined Thanksgiving service at Ban Sra house church
• Jan 8-21 Physical Therapist from Australian church  comes to help in Ban Luang
• Jan. 20     Meetings in Chiang Mai
• Jan. 26   Dema and Carolyn and family return from home assignment  
• Feb. 7-9   Church camp

House churches meet every

Monday, Friday, & Saturday evenings