Boondeekhun's Bulletin

In Tao Hai we still carry on with regular visiting and we have been delighted to see Somsong's faith growing as we share Bible stories with her and her husband, Chalong. Please continue to pray for her healing both physical and emotional.

The church in Wang Daeng continues with many ministries with the aim of blessing the local community and sharing faith. Recently they helped a couple whose business is recycling, but had let the rubbish in and around their home get out of control. A team of church volunteers helped to bag it all up and it was taken away by the council. The local villagers were amazed at the transformation and it is a wonderful witness of the love of God in action.

In Ban Dara we have seen answer to prayer in that most of the leaders have been doing training in how to teach the Bible to children. Now they take turns in leading Sunday school which means that the responsibility doesn't all fall on one person to teach. It has also enabled them to grow in confidence and in leadership skills.

Last month we had a team from Bushey Baptist Church come to visit. With most in their 70s and an average age of 68, they wowed us with their energy and enthusiasm. We took them out visiting and they shared testimonies and prayed for many people. They also went into two local schools and met with the Wang Daeng church youth. We are so grateful for their visit and believe it will have a lasting impact.

After the mission team visit we were able to go on a pastors retreat at a resort not far from Bangkok. It was good to be able to worship together and to encourage one another in ministry. There was also some time to relax and spend time walking along the beach and exploring the area. Then later in September our daughter and her husband came to visit for a week and we had a great time together, pretending to be tourists in Pattaya!

Finally, we have just returned from the TBMF* conference in Chiang Mai which was inspiring and encouraging, but also challenging. As they were celebrating 50 years, many former missionaries returned to join in the celebratory service on the last day. It was a wonderful time to look back and give thanks as well as looking forward to the future.

On Sunday 13th October we had our new church building opening ceremony, with around 180 people from 18 different churches from Uttaradit province and other parts of Thailand, and Peter and Louise Lynch as representatives of BMS. There were also several people from the local village community, although not as many as we had hoped. It was a wonderful occasion full of ceremonies, performances, worship, prayer and speeches. During the procedures there was also a time to honour and dedicate Moses and Mary as pastors of the Wang Daeng church. Praise God for His amazing provision of this building and pray that it may be a place that would draw many into the presence and knowledge of God.

On a much smaller scale, the building of a pastor's room and Sunday school room at the Maesan church was completed at the end September. The children, and their teachers, love it! The other good news is that we have finally found someone to pastor the church which is so important for the discipleship of the members and evangelism of the community. He is a young man called Newton and he will start in November, so please pray for him as he begins this new role. He has already come up for a visit and met with the church members, who seem to have very quickly taken him to their hearts.

Pray for the Ban Dara church camp at the end of this month - for a good time of fun, fellowship and learning together.

Pray for the leaders' Bible training programme that will begin in November - for emerging leaders in Wang Daeng, Ban Dara and Maesan.

Pray for the agriculture project that will begin in December which we hope will bring in finance for the Wang Daeng church enabling it to become more sustainable in the future.

Pray for the early Christmas outreach event when a team from the Sacred Light Church in Bangkok will come to run outreach events in all three locations.

Pray for outreach to the parents and grandparents of the English students and football team and School of Life kids in Wang Daeng - Also in early December.

Blessings in Christ

Wit & Helen

* Thailand Baptist Missionary Fellowship