Thailand Team – Update #6
We went to be on mission for Jesus in Thailand, but we think maybe we have been just as ministered to if not more by God through Paul and Karyn and family, Seed of Hope, the children, the stories, and believers that we are meeting here. It would be impossible to put into words all that we are experiencing. Know that your prayers are so felt and God is on the move.
This update is to share about our final days at Seed of Hope dormitory. I think we keep telling you about our early mornings meeting for coffee and pre-breakfast fruit and snacks around Lawpa and Byracks porch table because it’s been very meaningful for all of us to start off each day together that way.
After the children left for school, we were driven to Parkerland. It’s Seed of Hope’s farmland where chickens and fish are raised to help feed the children at the dormitory. Also, it is where about twenty of the children’s parents recently participated in planting the latest rice paddy crop. They are hoping that more families will continue to be involved in this important community work.
Next, Paul and some of the staff took us to experience the Monday Market where locals set-up tables and booths selling a variety of items ranging from raw octopus and other meats, t-shirts, shoes, sunglasses, frogs, to fresh fruit. We ended our time out having some delicious coffee and Thai soup with the staff.
We headed back to the dormitory to spend time with the children and prepare for our final night of program. We’ve all been very blessed by the fun times with the kids! While waiting for them we did a prayer walk around the campus. We thanked God for all He’s been up to and what He will continue to do. We also had already been praying for preparing of hearts… for any responses to the gospel and also knowing that our time would soon come to an end with all of these special people.
For our final program night Ann shared about the vastness of God’s love so much that it can’t be measured with a tape measure or measuring cup. She shared from Ephesians 3:17-18. Tina shared the gospel, and invited the children and staff to close their eyes and join in prayer to receive Jesus into their hearts as LORD and Savior. We asked them to tell an adult later if they had put their faith in Jesus and told them that would be the most important decision they could make in life. The translators did a really great job and we felt a bond in serving with them. Also, we were each gifted a Thai shoulder bag and thanked by Lawpa and staff. Then the older children performed a dance to a christian worship song for us. It was quite an evening! There was a mixture of feelings of enjoying the last night with the kids, being tired, and also experiencing some sadness of heart knowing our time here was coming to a close.
Tuesday we woke and had our final coffee sipping fellowship and also spent some time with the kids at breakfast and seeing them off to school. Before they left, some of the older girls were expressing some sadness and wondering if we would ever come back. Most of us really want to come back! We also shared with them that we hope and would like them to remember us as people of Jesus that came to spend time with them and show His love and NOT remember us as people that went away! And, we trust that Jesus is always with them and we love that they are being taken good care of at Seed of Hope. They seemed to appreciate hearing that perspective. We are looking forward to what the LORD holds for the future and next year of when we might get to see each other again.
Please continue to pray for us as we are in our final days in Thailand, for our travels, and God to protect any team members or those we served from any potential discouragement but to be encouraged. Also, please pray for the children to continue to grow closer to God and for their parents to be moved into more involvement and support practically and spiritually.
Thank you!