Prison ministry

This week we went to teach the Bible for 2 days in the local prison. One of the prisoners brought his friend to me and said : "We need a word of encouragement. We are both HIV positive." I sat down and talked to them and shared the Gospel and His love with them. No matter who these men are or what happened to them, God loves them. They gave their lives to the Lord that day. They are so hungry to know God more and He is the only hope that they have. Please pray for them.

 Another prisoner wrote a letter to me saying that he will be released from prison this Friday. He wants to go to church. He wants to serve God and he wants to come back to the prison to share about God with the other prisoners. Isn't that amazing?

God truly loves each of us. No matter where we are at, or what we have done. His love is unconditional and cannot be held back by the walls of a prison.

December 2010

The month of December is always a busy one for us and this past December was no exception. We ran 2 of our own Christmas parties, and lent a helping hand in many more that other people were organizing. We also hosted our second camping trip, and were part of organizing the first joint Christmas event in which almost all of the local churches in Ratchaburi participated.

Burmese Christmas party
This year was the third year that we have had a Christmas party in the community of Burmese laborers that we minister in. This year we had mainly non-perishable food items to distribute, as well as a some larger items for a few of the families. Friends from many churches in Ratchaburi and outside of Ratchaburi worked together to help make the evening a success and a good time was had by all. At the end of the evening many of the people in the community responded to the message of the Gospel. After three years of working in the community, we are sure that God is working amongst them and we continue to look for ways to show His great love for them and help them to learn more about how they can know Him more.

Mentally handicapped Children's Home

Our second Christmas party this year was in a Home for Mentally Handicapped Children. A friend of ours helped us to be able to buy pizza for each child - something that most of them have never had the chance to eat before. They played games and had fun, and learnt about God's love for them. We do not know how much the children understand about the Gospel, but we do know that God loves each of them incredibly and we want to be a part in showing that love to them.

The Lord's Tents camping 2
This time, instead of just the Burmese kids that we took camping last time, we were also joined by another 15 children from the slums in Bangkok. Our friends at ARK international and Kings Kids Thailand did a great job teaching and coaching the kids- loving on them and having fun along with them. The camp was a great success and it will definitely not be the last that we host.

Christmas day
On Christmas day, Noiy was on the military radio station sharing about the real meaning of Christmas. It was the third time that he has been invited to share on this particular radio show, which is broadcast to 12 provinces in Thailand. We are so thankful for this open door and pray that they will continue to invite Noiy to share and that the hearts of the listeners will be open to the truth.

Ratchaburi Christmas Event
Our hearts were filled with joy on the day when we finally saw the churches in Ratchaburi working together towards a common goal. During the 5 years that we have been in Ratchaburi, it has been heavily on our heart to see the churches begin to work together. On the 28th of December, the churches gathered to host a Christmas event - the numbers of people that attended greatly exceeded expectation and we are certain that the churches were encouraged by the outcome of the day. Our prayer is that this will only be the start of greater unity.

Every event that we hold, every camp that we host, every time we speak on the radio, we have expenses that we must cover. We want to say a special thank you to those friends that support us and our ministry financially, particularly over the Christmas season when there are so many events that we participate in over one month. Thank you for helping us to make a difference in the lives of the people here! 

Rice Seeds library

'Books can be dangerous.  The best ones should be labeled "This could change your life."  '~Helen Exley

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."
Dr Seuss

When one ministers in a poor community there are endless things that you can do to show the people that you care for them. Our number one desire for the people in the community of Burmese laborers that we minister to is, most definitely, that they each one of them would come to know Jesus Christ intimately as their Lord and Savior. However, there are many other desires that we have for the community - one of those is that we desire to see the children being allowed to stay in school for longer, being allowed the time to have their world view broadened and possibly have a  chance of getting a job somewhere other than the construction site that their parents work on. Leaving school at age 12 is most often the norm in this particular community, and when the children leave school and begin to work, their childhood abruptly comes to an end long before it should.

There are 18 children in the community that we raise support for on a monthly basis in order to help their parents to keep them in school through our Child Sponsorship Program (Read more about Rice Seeds Child Sponsorship Program). Not every parent understands the importance of staying in school - in fact very few of them do. For them, taking their children out of school when they are old enough to begin to earn money for the family means another salary to help to lift the family financial burden.

We know that we cannot keep all of the children in school. We can provide help for those families who decide to keep their children in school, but ultimately the future of the children is in the hands of their parents. We can however encourage the children, and the community as a whole for that matter, to continue to learn even when they are not at school, or are no longer of school going age.

We have begun collecting books and some toys to set up a small library in the community. Very few of the children in the community have ever owned their own toys, and it is unlikely that any of them have books of their own. We have been given a room in the community which we will decorate and make into a special place in the Burmese community. We will begin with the decoration of the room at the end of January and will continue collecting toys and books to add to the small collection that we have started.

We have some lovely English picture books, and we would like to be able to purchase a number of Thai books too. We believe that  books can give the kids in this community a lot of joy and a glimmer of hope - as well as a way to continue learning while they are not at school. If you would like to be a part of this project, you can give online at : http://www.ywamthai.org/donate/?to=Ratchaburi

(Please state that it is for Ratchaburi and specify that it is for the Rice Seeds Library)

or for other ways to give, please contact us: ratchaburi@ywamthai.org

It is our differences that make the body of Christ whole

Churches of different denominations working together in unity for the Kingdom – I believe this is a beautiful picture that makes our Lord Jesus smile. We were made for this! Yes – we are different. Churches are different from one another. Their lives are different. Sometimes their way of thinking is different. But despite our differences, we can have unity -because it is our differences that make the body of Christ whole. 

I believe that everyone is going through different things at different points in their lives. Some people may be happy, some may be sad – some may feel like life is quite normal –without many ups or downs at the moment. But we all have something that’s the same no matter where we are at if we know Jesus – we have His love and grace to take us through any situation.

Five years ago, when we first moved to Ratchaburi, the one big thing that was on our heart was to see the local Christians working together in unity.  Throughout the five years, we have prayed and we have shared our heart to see unity. We started to work alongside the local church – each church individually first. It was not easy – but we desired to be God’s instruments- in any area that could help to bring unity in the body of Christ here.

Some churches took more than a year before they would even begin to work with us. Some churches thought that we were like “wolves’ coming to steal their ‘sheep’. There were many walls that we have had to overcome, but God helped to us walk in love; sincerity; and faithfulness in serving them. Over the years we have begun to see the walls breaking down.

We have served the churches without thinking of any benefit that we ourselves might receive. Some people may wonder if nobody ever remembers your name should you continue working day in and day out without ever being able to claim any of the fruit as your own. I guess that’s the beauty of being a part of the Kingdom of God. The picture is much bigger than we could ever imagine – and while we might never be remembered one day for what we are doing in the church here and we will never be able to claim any fruit of our labor – it all belongs to Jesus at the end of the day. We work for His Kingdom… every Christian belongs to Him, no matter what church they attend.
The thing that I want people to remember, much more important than my name, is the name of Jesus, and His love for them.

Throughout the time that we have been working with the churches here, we have often felt that we could not see the fruit of what we are doing, but when we look back now we can clearly see that the fruit of what we are doing is: friendship, faith, trust, belief in one another, a sense of family, a feeling of being a part of the same team – that the churches have given to us. This is so valuable and means so much to us. Through all the things mentioned above, God has answered our prayers. Not just our prayers, but everybody’s prayers for unity.  On the 28^th of December, many of the churches in Ratchaburi will join together for the first time ever – and as YWAM Ratchaburi we will join them –holding an evangelistic Christmas event.

Through the friendships that we have developed over the years in all the churches, we are the one organization that everybody sees as neutral and I feel honored to have been asked to be the chairman of the committee that is organizing this event. We have named the planning committee – Ratchaburi 2010.
No matter how many people attend the Christmas event that will be held on the 28^th of December, we know that God will be pleased to see his body in Ratchaburi taking a big step towards working together as one. Loving one another and valuing one another for who He made them to be. All glory be unto Him!

Christmas in Ratchaburi

“Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.” Dale Evans Rogers Celebrating Christmas in Thailand is quite strange. It’s not a public holiday, and even churches only have a Christmas service on Christmas day if the 25th happens to be on a Sunday.(Otherwise it's the Sunday before or after that a Christmas message is shared at the regular church service). There are big dancing Santa Clause mannequins in the supermarkets, complete with Christmas music (usually the same old cd played in every supermarket all day long for the entire month of December), and some fake Christmas trees and Christmas décor on display.

This will be my 8th Christmas in Thailand and being here each year has made me think a lot about the real meaning of Christmas. I do celebrate on the 25th of December, but to me it really isn’t much more special than any other day anymore. I now consider Christmas an extraordinary opportunity to share God’s love with other people. Every day is an opportunity to share God’s love and celebrate what God did for us through his Son Jesus, but Christmas opens a special door for us to take the Gospel to those who have never heard it, and to bring gifts to those who have may never have received a gift before.  For the past few years in Ratchaburi, we have travelled around to different places in and around our province throwing Christmas parties for different groups of people. We have been to many schools; the local university; a large village; the local prison; a home for mentally handicapped children; a community of Burmese laborers; slum areas in town and worked alongside many of the local churches to help them run their own Christmas parties.     This year we will be running 2 Christmas parties of our own. The first will be on the 10th of December in the Burmese community, and the second on the 20th of December at the home for mentally handicapped children. We will be helping with the organization of many of the others that the churches will be running. On Christmas day, we will also be sharing the message of Christmas on the military radio station. We usually collect second hand clothes for the Christmas party in the Burmese community and also collect donations of non-perishable foods and toothpaste, shampoo etc (or monetary donations to purchase such items). We also provide a meal and some special gifts for each location that we host a Christmas party at. If you would like to be a part of helping us to do that this year, you can contribute online by clicking here Donate towards YWAM Ratchaburi's Christmas parties or contact us for more details on other ways to give. (If you donate online, please be sure to state the purpose of the donation as "Christmas party".) Every little bit makes a difference! If you are in Thailand and would like to join in the fun – please come and join us – we would love to have you!    Our prayer over the Christmas season is that, in the heart of everyone that hears the Christmas message of God’s love and hope for them, a seed will be planted that God would water and cause to grow. Please pray with us. Christmas began in the heart of God.  It is complete only when it reaches the heart of man. --Anonymous

YWAM Ratchaburi November update

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

When months go by without an update from us you can be certain that it is not because we have nothing to say, but rather that we have much to say, but often have run out of time to say it! We have begun to prepare ourselves for Noiy to take on the new position as Central Region leader of YWAM Thailand as we mentioned in our last update, while still continuing the ministry here in Ratchaburi. New things excite us and we are truly excited about what God has for us in this new position and to be a part of what he will continue to do in Ratchaburi.

Radio show

There are also new things happening in the ministry in Ratchaburi, one of which is that Noiy was invited to speak on the military radio station about Christianity during the month of October. The host enjoyed the show so much that she invited him to come back again.  The next radio show will be at the end of this month. If you are in Central Thailand and would like to listen, you can do so on FM 99.25 MHz from 14:00-15:00 on Saturday the 27^th of November. Please pray for Noiy as he shares - it truly is an amazing open door through which we believe so many Thais can be reached with God’s truth and love.

Rice Seeds Child Sponsorship

Our Child Sponsorship Program is now into its fourth month and we are so thankful to the sponsors who are helping the families of the 18 children involved to stay in school. Our hope is that when the new school year begins in May 2011, families will be willing once again to allow their children to stay in school when they would otherwise have stopped school and begun working (usually at the end of Grade 6). Please pray with us, and if you feel on your heart to help with the sponsorship program please contact us – we still need sponsors!

December

We had planned a camping trip for the Burmese children’s church during the month of October, but the trip fell through and we had to postpone it until December. It is coming up on the 17^th -19^th of December and the kids are really excited. We have found another beautiful location that we have been granted use of for free! Praise God for the things that He puts on our heart to do that we don’t always have the finances for; He always has a way of making possible!

December is always an exciting month for us with the Christmas parties that we run. It is a chance to share God’s love and to be a blessing to those who are really in need during the Christmas season. This year we will be running Christmas parties in the Burmese community that we work with and a mentally handicapped children’s home, as well as a many alongside churches that we work with both in Ratchaburi and the surrounding provinces. If you would like to give towards our Christmas parties this year, please contact us. We always collect second hand clothes from people in Thailand for distribution, but we also purchase non-perishable food items for the people in the community and provide a meal at the Christmas party. If you are in Thailand we would love to have you join us this year!

Family 

It’s been more than a year since Noiy’s father passed away now, and while his mom and sister have been attending church most weeks, they just didn’t seem to be growing in their understanding of what it meant to be a Christian. Noiy made a commitment a few months ago to meet with them and teach them the Bible once a week and they have since grown a great deal. Discipling one’s own family members is a unique challenge –please pray for Noiy, his sister Patchali and his mom Piew.

We have just had a short but wonderful visit from Bronwyn’s mom and will have her dad visiting with us in December.  We are also planning a visit to South Africa in February/March 2011, so lots of special family time coming up in the next few months.

An answer to prayer

We have begun travelling to visit different ministries in the Central Region to see what is in store for us next year and we are truly blessed by what we have seen. There are many more visits to come and much more travelling to be done. Noiy is doing some of the trips alone at this stage, but we hope that next year we will be able to do many of them together. One of the things that we have been praying about since considering taking on the position is a helper for our family – someone who can help us at home when we need to work, and who can come and help us take care of the kids when we need to travel and have meetings. We have found someone to help us – and what a blessing she has already been! Her name is Daow. Please pray for Daow – she is wonderful and our children love her – we would love to also have the opportunity to lead her to Jesus while she is working with us. 

 Much work is ahead of us – but we take every day as a new and exciting challenge. To quote Dr. Seuss:  “Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So… get on your way.” 

Blessings

Noiy and Bronwyn

The Lord's tents Camping 2!

 In April, we helped to make the dreams of a group of Burmese children come true by taking them camping for the first time. With the help of friends who helped us to purchase tents and sleeping bags for the first camp, the trip was a huge success. We now have the equipment that we need and have decided to take the kids camping a second time.

On the weekend of the 22-24 of October we will be taking our Burmese Children's Church kids on a camping trip. The team from Kings Kids Thailand will be joining us again and we are looking forward to more learning experiences for the kids. Our prayer is that they will learn more about living life with Jesus and that He will meet them where they are at during the time on the camp.

Please pray for the time that we will be camping and also for the time leading up to the trip. We had to contend with some spiritual warfare during the last camp with some of the parents having dreams that harm was going to come to their children and then preventing them from joining us for the trip. We pray that this time all of the kids will be able to join us and that the parents would be happy to let them do so. We also pray for  protection during the camping trip and travel to and from the campsite.