Family and Friends,
We pray this update finds you well! We were reflecting as a family the other day that our experience of COVID-19 is officially a year old now. I still hear the word ‘pandemic’ at times and think it is in relation to a sci-fi movie and not real life. Praise God that He makes all things new and works everything for good. What has God taught you through the last year?
Highlight
There are seven main tribes in northern Thailand. These tribes span across international borders and each have a distinct culture to include their own dialect. The Lahu are one of these tribes. They originated in the Tibetan highlands. Today approximately 80,000 of the over 1.5 million Lahu reside in northern Thailand.
We had the opportunity to visit a Lahu Village for 3-days. Our main focus was to support a 2-week Bible Leadership Training seminar. Three seminars are held each year over a three year span for each cohort. The current cohort is in their third year. We were so blessed to be able to begin to build relationships with the people, experience their culture, and see their love for Jesus and one another. We even attended a wedding and a house dedication!
One of our favorite memories is getting woken up in the mornings before the sun by one of the students worshipping God with their whole heart! Eirenee’ did an amazing job capturing the event through her camera, conducting interviews, and building relationships with the women using Thai! Ross was able to teach one session on growing in intimacy with God. His first experience teaching through an interpreter was a fun challenge!
It was an amazing trip. We felt like we were back on our adventure across America - meeting new people, outside all day, and showering out of a bucket. It’s fun to get perspective and see how our experiences are beginning to build upon one another. To God be the glory!
What else are we up to?
Eirenee’
She continues to manage Chiangmai Christian Fellowship (CCF) and FCF's social media account while conducting interviews for their website and will do so until the end of April. Her favorite part of her job is visiting projects and meeting people who are on fire for spreading the gospel to Thai people and ministering to their mind, body and spirit. She has officially become one of CCF'S worship leaders and is enjoying the challenge very much! One of her highlights this month was visiting missionaries in Chiang Rai as well as finally meeting a Thai family that is very close to her heart.
Ross
He was able to extend his visa for another 60-days! His prayer is that in May he will be approved for a 1-year visa to give many options for the future. He also began volunteering on 3 March with LIFT International. His focus has changed slightly and he will now be designing and implementing a training and development program to activate the growth and empowerment of their staff and partners. Ross was also excited to team up with others at CCF to build and hold their first Next Step event to connect and grow new people in the church.
Thank you, thank you for your continued prayers and support as we continue on this journey! Stay tuned for next month’s update as we hope to unveil more about where God is leading us for the next 6-months!
How can we pray for you? Reply and let us know! |