Saturday, July 07, 2007

Another update

The mission training hall is almost finished

Mission training class holding session at the church library

The mission training school is on its second week. Two more missionaries commit themselves to teaching some courses. Our vision is to have these students deployed in the villages to do evangelism and church planting. Pray for the unity, love and trust among the “faculty” as we worked together. Pray also for the five students that they may be trained and equipped to do what God has called them to accomplish for His glory. God has also provided us a good interpreter. We also praise the Lord for the financial provision for this ministry. We also thank the Lord for PBTS and CSM for helping out in teaching materials that we can use for the training.

Narlin turned down another offer to teach English in a foreign-owned language center here because she does not have the time to do it. All her time is spent in the Primary School and Grace Home. There are times when we are tempted to work so that we can have regular source of income and reduce the stress of thinking if our support will come on time or not. God has been showing us that He is the God who never fails to provide. Please help us in prayer and mobilizing regarding our financial support.

Jeph Garcia, another Filipino missionary serving in Chong Tawng , up to the mountains in the outskirts of Chiang Mai, has given us his Nissan Urvan that we will use as school bus for the primary school and Grace Home Daycare Center. Isn’t this really a good reason to praise the Lord?

Again, we are going to Chiang Mai on the 10th for visa extension, we all beg you to please include us in you prayers.

The whole family wants to thank those who take time to respond and tell us they are praying for us. I guess, you don’t have any idea how those small acts give encouragement for workers like us.

June Update

We want to thank you for your untiring prayers. God’s blessings are pouring upon us because we know that you are all praying fervently for us and the ministries that God has entrusted to us.

  • Please pray as we are going to extend our visa for another year next week. The immigration rules have been changing a lot lately and immigration officers have a hard time implementing them thus many foreigners are having a hard time extending their visa. Please pray that everything will go smoothly. We also thank the Lord for using people to help us financially specifically for this need.
  • Pray for Narlin as she runs the Grace Home Kindergarten Center. We hired a staff that will help in cleaning and cooking. The salary will be taken from our personal support. She is also work as acting principal and adviser of the newly set up Mae Sai Primary School and Orphanage Center in our church. We have more than 30 pupils from grade 1 to grade 5. Please help us pray for a van that we can use as a school service. She will also be coordinating educational training in the community this year in partnership with our church and World Education Consortium (WEC). In addition to this, she is still holding English club (free English lesson) every afternoon in the community. Please pray for strength and wisdom.
  • Please pray for the start of the Mission Training Center today. Five students out of seven people passed the screening and interview. The participants come from different tribal groups both in Myanmar and Mae Sai. Joey will be teaching full time (3 hours a day) together with a partner from the US. This is nine-month training for future pastors, evangelists and church planters. Joey is also acting as the Pastor of the International congregation of Mae Sai Grace Church by which the community have been working together to reach the lost people of the Mekong Region.
  • Pray for the Dela Paz children—Jared, Jillian and Reuven as they struggle to adjust in the community and their home schooling. It has been different when they first arrived, when they thought everything seems new and exciting, when the neighbors are excited to see the strange neighbors. The novelty and excitement are gone and they are faced with the reality that they don’t exactly fit. Home schooling is tough for them and for us as well. We need help.
  • We praise the Lord for the unexpected support that has been pouring upon us. But there are months when support doesn’t come as we expected it to be. This month of June is one of those months. Although we have received substantial help financially for our visa this month, part of it had been used for our daily expenses. Please pray for a more regular support.