Dear Friends,

 

Brently and I just returned from a trip to Thailand and we wanted to give you an update about the work of the Thailand New Life Foundation. Our family returned from Thailand to the U.S. in March of 2008, and we felt like this was a good time for us to make a visit to the New Life Home, and to catch up with friends and family in Thailand. 

 

The highlight of our visit was definitely our time with Suwit and Ying and the kids in the Thailand New Life Home. They have all grown so much since we last saw them, and it is exciting to see how well they are doing in their schooling. All of the kids in the home are attending the Sarisak School which is a private school in Bangkok. It is exciting to see how they are learning English and progressing in their studies. 

 

We stayed several days with Suwit and Ying and it was also encouraging to see how kids from their neighborhood would come by after school to play with the children and spend time with Suwit and Ying. It is obvious that this family is having a big impact on their neighborhood and the children in this area.

 

A few months ago Suwit lost his job at a local factory that produced seats for automobiles. With the downturn in the global economy this company was forced to close its doors. Since then Suwit has been trying to find work, which is difficult in the present situation in Bangkok. He has a part time job driving their van and picking up children for the Surisak school, and he has also begun selling products for a company called “Gifferine” which is similar to Amway in the U.S.

 

I was encouraged to see how Suwit and Ying have been trusting God to provide for them during this transition.   They have also been growing in their influence in their community and in sharing their faith with relatives, friends, and neighbors. I can tell that God is causing them to be more bold in their faith and giving them opportunities to be an influence for Christ.

Another highlight of our trip was spending time with the True Friends Fellowship in Pattaya. This is the church that we worked with our last year in Thailand. I was given the opportunity to preach, and we had a leadership retreat for the leaders of this group.   During the retreat I was able to use some of the team building activities that I learned from my training as a teacher at Caprock High School. The team in Pattaya is composed of some really great people who love God with all their hearts. As a part of our time there we also did another bar outreach. I think the thing that encouraged me the most was to see how the leadership team has grown to the point where they can now do these outreaches on their own. As a part of our vision casting time we tried to encourage them to be more intentional about planning these types of outreaches on a monthly basis.

I want to personally thank each and every one of you who has had a part in our ministry in Thailand.   As I spent time with the kids in Suwit and Ying’s home it is hard to imagine how different Suey, Grace, and Ploy’s lives would be if they had not been taken in to this home. They have each grown in confidence and you can sense the joy that the security this environment of love has brought them. Suwit and Ying have grown in their love for each other and these children to the point that members from their church, friends, and neighbors ask them how they have such a close nit family. The answer of course is Jesus! He came that we might have life and have it to the full. They have met the Lord, and He has had a profound impact on their lives.