Our First Boys
A few years ago, Carmen made friends with some nuns at an orphanage for kids with HIV. Since then, she has arranged for many teams to go and do carnivals there. The head nun expressed that she needed a place for 5 boys who were 10 years old, and that she would love if they could come to our home and continue to learn about Jesus. (Their mandate is to care for
younger children.)
Over the last month, we have talked with the head nun and have all felt that The Abundant Life Home would be a perfect place for the boys. It is summer holidays here now, so this month is a great time for them to make that transition. The entire Catholic orphanage came to TLC the other day to see our townhouse for the boys, and they all loved it and are excited to move in.
A couple of weeks ago, I met with the principal of the elementary school where the boys will attend. He was hesitant to grant them admittance, but when I offered a foreigner to stay with them and teach some English, he agreed and we were all happy.
The next week, the teacher of the grade 5 class where the boys will study, started to raise a big fuss about not wanting the boys. It is an akward situation for a teacher from our church who is helping us and the principal.
This Wednesday, we are all meeting again at the school, including the teacher and the head nun. If we can all come to agreement that this will be a good and healthy environment for the boys, then the boys will move in within the next 2 weeks. The head nun's main concern is for a good school and for christian role models for the boys, if those are in place she is overjoyed the boys will be in our christian home.
Pray for us this week as we meet with this one teacher who is causing problems. Pray that God will touch her heart and also for her salvation. Pray for a good experience at this school for these boys, and for their transition as they move in to The Abundant Life Home. Pray too for P'
Ganiga as she cares for them and for the Falls family from Richmond, BC who are coming to help run the home and care for the boys. We praise God for the Falls who are in the middle of packing up to move here, and who come complete with one very tall, very godly male role model as a part of the package! God knew what He was doing when He called them here!
Pacing Out The Land
After 3 different prayer times to send them out, Dan and Agnes Ratzlaff arrived to a whirlwind adventure that God had ready for them. They shared in our Thai service at TLC, taught English to University Students, shared at Thai cell group... and more!
We were dismayed to find out that the piece of land we wanted was subdivided and not for sale. It seemed perfect, and we had so many people who had emailed and said they were praying for the landlord's salvation. But God has a sense of humor, and He led us across the street to talk to the owner of another big piece of property on our main street.
As Dan and Agnes and I talked to the landlord, it felt like God had ordained all those previous prayers and that He wanted this man to know Jesus. The landlord said he didn't want to sell the land, but wanted to know what we wanted it for? We told him it was for a church, an orphanage a community park and a regional centre for mission teams and training.
He began to share that he had wanted to be a christian since he was about 10 years old. He attended a christian school in Bangkok and loved everything he observed about Christians, and could still remember all the songs from chapel. His parents did not let him follow Jesus, but since then he has been very disillusioned with Buddhism.
While we paced the land, he kept offering story after story of things he has experienced with the church and with God. At the end he told us he had been watching our team and our church for 2 years and had said to himself, "Someday, they are going to come and ask to buy my land." He was excited to live next to us and help us with the orphans and kids we do outreaches with.
We are waiting to hear from him if he wants to sell and for how much. God gave us much favor with him, and he loved Dan and Agnes ( he kept telling them how beautiful they both were! We had some great laughs! :) ).
Please join us in praying that the landlord, P' Lek, and his family, will all come to faith in Jesus through this. Pray too that he would sell us the land... and at the market price.
Cancer Story
For the last few weeks, P' Ganiga, one of our newer believers, has been sharing her burden for her boss, P' Laan. P' Ganiga was able to walk with her boss as she discovered she had breast cancer, and went to Bangkok with her to visit the doctor there. P' Ganiga was burdened for P' Laan because she did not want to obey the doctor and have her breast removed.
Carmen got a group of us from TLC together and we went to share Christ with P' Laan and pray for her. During this time, it just so happened that Dan and Agnes Ratzlaff from Abbotsford were here scouting out some land for our church. A few years earlier, Agnes had experienced God's grace while fighting kidney cancer, and she was happy for the chance to share her story with P' Laan. We went last Monday afternoon and Agnes shared some scriptures and her story and then we prayed and laid hands on P' Laan. Her surgery was scheduled for Friday.
On Friday, P' Laan went to Bangkok for her surgery, and the doctor examined her before the surgery. He told her to go home. She was cancer free!!! Amazed, P' Laan admitted to P' Ganiga that she too had prayed that Monday after she received prayer. She prayed her very first prayer and silently told God that if He would heal her, she would go to church every Sunday.
Yesterday, P' Laan came to church for the first time ever, keeping her promise to God. She loved it all...the worship and the preaching and the fellowship.
Pray for P' Laan to meet the God that healed her and to grow in her new faith.
