You can make a difference! You can CHANGE THE WORLD!

Hey friends! I wanted to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who have prayed for us, and who have given financially to our journey! It's because of people who care about the kingdom of God that we can do this. Without the generosity of millions of believers around the world, missions would not be able to be supported on the vast extent that it is now! 

We are so pumped to hear that people actually read what we write! I know, crazy isn't it? I'm glad that our updates and experiences encourage you guys in your faith - we are learning so much and experiencing so much growth; it's pretty amazing! A lot of that is because of the leadership of Dave and Louise Sinclair-Peters, the team leaders down here who came 15 years ago with a vision, spent years and years in the trenches learning the language and building a ministry from nothing. Today they are leading a hugely multiplied and vibrant faith community here, with Thai and B*rmese churches, cell groups, and a large group of national leaders that they have raised up and given the tools to preach the gospel and spread the name of Jesus all over this country!!!

Goosebumps! God is at work in a powerful way here, and recently I've been inspired to do a little post about how you and I can get involved in the ministry here on the front lines! 

I don't know how many of you get Louise's newsletters, but they are filled with her prayers and dreams for the ministry here, and great stories! If you don't get them, get connected! Here is the link to the latest one. READ IT!

www.smore.com/6cgs1

Some of the things written there nearer the bottom blew my mind. The cost of things here are, relatively speaking, so low! As Jesus said in Luke 10:2, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few - I am inspired to change that! In Louise's post, she mentioned that to send a B*rmese believer to discipleship school costs 300 dollars for 3 months. Now, 3 months isn't a long time... but these guys are up at 5, praying, memorizing the bible, learning to lead worship, learning to preach, and learning to make disciples and multiply themselves. They are being hardened in the fire of passionate discipleship!! Each one comes out changed, and spends the 9 months they are not in school working with Louise and the pastors here to bring the gospel to the areas that the B*rmese ministry are involved in. After 3 years of this, they are wise, discerning, powerful intercessors and preachers. (Read Adrienne's post about the B*rmese trip that just happened to hear some awesome stories of what the interns that go to discipleship school do!!)

As they throw themselves into ministry, it means leaving jobs and depending on the Lord entirely for their support. Louise helps as much as she can, but they live with very little means. Can you imagine spending 900 dollars to pay for a 3 year discipleship program for someone? Or 150 dollars a month to support their life of evangelism and outreach? We have seen so many of the young people of Bang Sai declare a desire to be able to go to discipleship school - a fierce passion for God is rising up in them, and the only thing preventing them is the cost. 

There are SO MANY opportunities to make a difference here by giving. Every gift big or small makes a difference. From buying bibles to musical instruments, or paying for discipleship school, the church here is so blessed when we give. I'm not trying to twist anyone's arm; I just know it blew my mind, and I want everyone to have a chance to give if they are inspired to do so. Think it over, pray about it - maybe get together with a bible study group or Sunday school class and go in together! Louise's post has info for project numbers and how to give. 

Also, here are a couple videos of the brand new Bang Sai worship team! We have been so encouraged, as we teach music here, how passionate the B*rmese believers are about worship. They have lead worship for the past 2 Sundays, and it is so exciting to see new Christians becoming leaders! Htoo is leading, with one of the believers that he has been teaching guitar to, as well as 2 of my drum students!

Again, thanks for all your support! We are so encouraged to have you all behind us - God bless you!

The Church is Growing and God's Spirit is Moving!

"For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland" Is.43:19 (NLT)

God is doing something new! About three years ago the team of missionaries and national leaders began to really pray about taking the gospel into B*rma and planting churches. Many B*mese migrant workers, who had come to Thailand, had come to know Christ and now had a heart to reach their own people and their own country. This would be no easy task. Yet, no matter how difficult... NOTHING is impossible for God! So, they sent off their first group of young B*mese leaders to discipleship school, and began training them for ministry. People with MB Mission (in Canada) had also had B*rma on their hearts and felt that it was time to begin discerning how to move into the country.

On Dec. 21, 2014 they sent that first group of B*rmese interns (who had just graduated from discipleship school) back home, together with Pastor Isaiah and Pastor Mo Aung, to some of the same villages we visited in November and many more! For one month they went from village to village (20 villages in total!) and continued to share the gospel, and disciple new believers. Even more people came to know the Lord (over 200!), and many were baptized! Praise God! 

B*rmese leaders and interns!

So, now the pastors have returned along with one of the interns (who will continue to serve God in Thailand), and the other interns remain in B*rma - planting churches, discipling all these new believers, and giving their lives to follow God and build His kingdom! So please, join us in praying for these young B*rmese leaders! The work is intense and they can really use our prayers!!

Every Tuesday morning we have a leadership meeting with Louise, the B*rmese pastors, and the interns that we serve with (Sue and Htoo and Mary). Now that everyone was back from B*rma we had the privilege of hearing all their stories, and how God continues to move in powerful ways!

So, hopefully you remember some of our stories from when we were in B*rma. Jeremy had shared about a man that we met (who was a little drunk) that followed us for a couple days, just soaking in all that Pastor Isaiah had to say. He was hungry for God! He left with as many sermon cd's as he could get his hands on and went back to his village and blasted the gospel message over a loudspeaker! He also really wanted a church planted in his village. So... the interns made sure to go back to his village! They did a kids program, worshiped, prayed, and shared the gospel and about 70 people accepted Christ that evening! Isn't our God amazing! Some of the interns will continue to visit this village, to disciple and teach the believers (along with all the other villages in that area). They'll be busy! 

God is truly doing something new! Years ago many of us would never have dreamed that this would even be possible... but God was always at work there - making a way in the wilderness (or jungle and rice fields in this case). 

Jeremy and I also continue to be amazed at all God is doing in Bang Sai as well! We are so blessed to be a part of it! God's Spirit is definitely at work here!

In December, at the huge evangelistic crusade in Bangkok, there were a couple men from Bang Sai who went and were saved and baptized. Every day since then they've been coming to the church after work to read the word of God, to be discipled, and to learn guitar and drums. Even in just a few weeks we have seen such huge transformation in their lives! God has given them so much joy and peace, and freed them from addictions and bondage! We have homecell (small group bible studies in the believer's homes) almost every evening, and every time we hear them share stories of God's goodness, provision, and power! So, now the people that they hang out with and work with have started to notice a change in them - they're not drinking, not smoking, and there's a joy that radiates from their faces. Their friends have started asking questions, so they're sharing about how Christ has worked in their lives and totally transformed them! Wow! So, this Sunday, the one man is hoping that some of those friends will come to church with him! Please pray that they will, and that God will open their hearts!

The believers in Bang Sai are all very new Christians, but they have a desire to grow, study the word, and share the hope that they have with everything they know! Some of the people we've been teaching music to have now started leading worship in church! We're seeing new leaders being trained and discipled, and are so encouraged with all that God is doing. Many of the new believers here would absolutely love to be able to go to discipleship school to study the Bible, so pray that God would provide a way! Again, we know that nothing is impossible with God!

Jeremy and I, Sue and Htoo with baby Gabriel (who's 2 months as of today!)
Louise, Hay Man and Mary

This is our family here in Thailand, and Jeremy and I have loved getting to know the people here, and building relationships. We love being able to worship, pray, and study the word of God together with them. There are times where we have really missed English community - it does wear on you a bit when you can't worship in your own language, or hear a sermon that you totally understand, or have a really in depth conversation. But we wouldn't trade it for the world! And God continues to encourage our hearts and speak words of life to us as we spend time in His presence and with His people here. But, we definitely don't mind getting the occasional encouraging message or e-mail from back home either :D

So please continue to join us in praying for the people here! Here's some specific ways you can pray:

-pray for the B*rmese leadership team. We are in a time of transition. Sue and Htoo (who we've been serving with in Bang Sai) will be moving to the newest church plant in Bo Thong to provide leadership and encouragement there and to reach out to the many B*rmese factory workers in that area. Pray that God will provide a room for them to live there, and that God will strengthen, encourage, and equip them as they serve. This also means that Mary (one of the interns who just came back from B*rma) will be living in Bang Sai now, which is really exciting! So pray for the leaders, and us, as lots of changes happen, and as they continue to reach out and share the gospel!

-pray for the believers in Bang Sai, as they reach out to the people they work with

-pray for Din Myo Oo and Hay Man (two of the believers here) who really have a desire to go to discipleship school and study the Bible

-and pray for us as we continue to rely on the Holy Spirit and serve with the people - pray for energy and strength, and that we will continue to be flexible and serve with humility

-and for discernment. We are at the half-way mark of our time here and are still praying about what is next for us. We have peace and trust that God will lead us, but please join us in praying and discerning our call to ministry

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support! And don't hesitate to drop us an e-mail or send us a verse that encouraged you!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everybody! 2015 is going to be amazing!

I figured that a lot of you might be curious as to where in Thailand we are doing ministry! It's a big place, with 75 Million people, and being able to see where we are can help you visualize what we are up to better. So, here are some maps!!

This is Khlong Luang Phaeng - the street adress in the search bar is actually Dave and Louise Sinclair-Peters house! They live in a small town 30 minutes outside of Chachoengsao city (you can see it south-east of them). Chachoengsao city is home to the Hope Centre, one of their big thai ministries. The B*rmese churches that they have planted are located in Bo Thong (bottom right of the map), Bang Sai (in Chon Buri City, south of them; we live there!) and in the town they live. 3 strong churches! It's very exciting to be a part of their growth.

This is our street address in Bang Sai, a section of Chon Buri. The city is home to a million people, so it's very big and busy! You can find us on map programs by inputting that address!

This is our neighbourhood! Isn't technology amazing? At the centre of the picture, there is an intersecrtion. We live in the apartment on the upper right corner of the intersection, and the church is one building up and one building right from us!

We also thought you might like to see where we are up close, so here is a video walk-through of our place! (it's not much to look at, but it's home!) In case you are wondering, I'm no sure if videos work on the Mobile Blogger site - desktop computers/laptops show them just fine though!

It's a new year, and we are so excited for what's to come! we have another 4 months here, and we are praying that we learn and grow in a lot of ways. God is teaching us so many amazing things, and I wanted to share a couple stories with all of you from the last while.

During the Bang Sai Christmas outreach, we played music and praised God until late/early! After that, we were packing up and tired and in the hustle and bustle of the end of the evening, we didn't notice that someone sauntered in and grabbed the High-Hat from the drum kit! The next day we realized it was gone, and were pretty sad about it - a good high-hat and stand can be over a hundred dollars here! God's hand was at work, however!!! A few days later, Louise and us were there for church, and a lady approached her - she was a scrap seller, who operates from right across the street from us. Someone had come up to her and sold her the high-hat and stand for 30 Baht! (about 1 dollar). She had been watching the Christmas Party while she worked, and had talked to Louise a lot; she gladly gave us back the high-hat and wouldn't even take any money for it! God touched her heart for sure that night, and made a way for us to have our drum set part back! It's little things like that that remind us that God has our back.

The week of the parties, we were madly getting presents ready for a kids club, and had a lot of stapling to do. With 16 presents left, I realized that we only had 8 staples, with no more in the building. We kept going, and all of a sudden the last bag was stapled! I had to laugh, because it was like Elijah and the pot of flour and oil, except it was a box of staples! God is good.

Hope you are encouraged! Blessings!