Boondeekhun's Bulletin

At the end of October the Ban Dara Church went on their annual camp up at the Queen Sirikit Dam. It was a great time of fellowship, food, fun and studying God's Word together. Several family members, who are not yet Christian, joined us and it was an eye opening experience for them.

In November, the new pastor, Newton, began at the Maesan Church and he is doing a great job so far. The congregation have quickly taken him to their hearts and vice versa. He has even begun to learn the Mien language! As well as preaching, teaching, visiting and leading Bible studies, he has also started teaching English at the local primary school as a way of reaching out to the community.

Christmas came early to Uttaradit, with our first event at the Tao Hai primary school on the 6th December. Our friends Lou and Gail, visiting from Melbourne, Australia, were able to help us lead games, songs and stories to tell the children the true meaning of Christmas. They also helped at the Ban Dara English class and Youth group. Please pray for all the teachers and young people who are pondering the message that they heard.

On the 8th December there was a joint Christmas celebration for Ban Dara and Wang Daeng in the new building. Many parents, friends and neighbours came along to join in the fun, which was great to see. For some it was their very first time hearing The Christmas story so please pray for them.

Christmas is probably the time we miss our family the most, but we praise God for the internet which enables us to have regular weekly chats with them all. Our daughter Josie and husband Niall are enjoying life in Leicestershire and are hoping to settle there permanently. In contrast, our son DJ and his wife Hannah are nearly at the end of their course with Wycliffe at Moorlands Bible College and are planning to relocate to somewhere in South-East Asia next spring. Our little granddaughter Juliette is now 1 year old and is such a bundle of joy, always ready with a smile!

In rural Thailand many people suffer strokes and the after care is almost non-existent. An example is our neighbour Somsong who had a stroke 5 years ago and is now bed-ridden because of lack of physiotherapy. We visit her regularly and praise God she has accepted Christ and enjoys listening to Bible stories along with her husband Chalong. We also do some physio exercises with her and have seen some improvement, but she really needs regular treatment from a professional. This is true for so many people in the villages and we desperately need a physiotherapist, Thai or foreign, to come and help us. Please pray.

Please pray for Jaew, the mother of Thongpon, a lady in our Ban Dara congregation. She is blind, deaf and suffers from dementia. She is also terrified of doctors and of leaving the home so we have been unable to take her for any treatment. She moves by crouching down on the dirt floor and feeling her way around. We are hoping to help create a downstairs safe space for her to be in, especially when she is home alone.

Pray too for Thongpon herself who needs regular blood tranfusions for Thalassemia and for her brother Talay who suffers from the same condition.

Please pray that the believers at the church plants in Wang Daeng, Ban Dara and Maesan would grow in faith, love and unity. Pray that they would be bold to share their faith with their families, friends and neighbours.

For various reasons, the agriculture project has been postponed and needs to be either re-worked or replaced. Please pray for wisdom in making good decisions, and for unity and understanding amongst those involved in the decision making process.

Pray that 2025 would be a year of harvest - that many people would come to know Jesus both young and old.

Praise God for all the Christmas events that have happened so far and pray for those people who heard the true meaning of Christmas for the first time.

Pray for the Ban Dara Christmas outreach on Sunday 22nd December.

Have a Joyful Christmas and Wonderful New Year!

Blessings in Christ

Wit & Helen