URGENT PRAYERS FOR SOME OF THE YOUNG MEN IN OUR FAMILY – Family Update – February 17, 2017

We are so very grateful that God called our family to love and serve the Thai people. As I shared with you last month, on January 13 we celebrated 18 years of “Staying the Course of obedience.” We have seen hundreds of Thai people give their hearts to Jesus over the last 18 years and many of them have been the first person in their entire family to become a follower of Jesus. Many of them are also representatives of some of the least reached unreached people groups in our world today. God is up to something huge and we are honored to join Him in His work among the Thai people. In the context of all of that awesome work, God is also at work in our family building up followers of Jesus from our own children. Today I want to ask you to pray for three of the young men in our family that live here in Chiang Rai, Thailand, Joshua, Caleb, and Dallas. God is at work in each of their lives and I am asking all of our friends and prayer partners to join us in praying for them as they make some urgent and critical decisions about their future.

First let me start with Joshua or Josh and most of us call him. God opened the door for Josh at the end of last year to go through some training with an organization called Media Light. Basically, they are a Christian organization focused on helping train believers in how to use photography and videography as a tool to evangelize, to make disciples, and to expand the kingdom of God. That kind of training was “just what the doctor ordered” so to speak for Josh. He loves media and he has been able to use some of his skills and talents to assist the work of NTIM here as well. Media Light has opened up a new branch for training in Vietnam and Josh was recently asked to go and help them as staff on their first “training” offered through Media Light Vietnam. This is a temporary volunteer training opportunity for Josh to help others learn some basic skills and we would like for you to pray for him as he begins to make preparations to assist in this training and as He raises support for this 10 week “mission opportunity.” Because we live so close to Vietnam the total cost for this mission opportunity only comes to about $1,500 but is much more than we have to give him. Would you please take a moment and pray for God’s leadership in Josh’s life. If you would like to help support him in this endeavor, you can send a check to NTIM or go online at www.gontim.org and make a donation. If you do give, please write me and let me know so I can designate it properly on my end once a wire transfer is done from NTIM Birmingham.

Secondly, we would ask you to pray for Caleb as well. Many of you know that He is graduating from high school here from Chiang Rai International Christian School in May 2017. He is still in the decision making process of where he feels the Lord wants him to go to university. Some of that decision making process has to do with scholarships and funding. He has narrowed his choices down to Samford University, Calvin College, and Oklahoma Baptist University. He has almost perfect grades and has been an exceptional student but because we are no longer with the IMB, even schools like Samford and OBU do not consider us “Southern Baptist Missionaries” and do not get the funding so it creates somewhat of a hardship in making decisions about where to go. Please lift Caleb up in your prayers as he continues to seek the Lord about where he should go to study this fall 2017.

Finally, we would ask that you pray for Dallas. Many of you know that Dallas is married to our daughter Liz and they have recently moved to the field to serve alongside us. Liz works full time at Chiang Rai International School but also helps in the ministry here in many ways. Dallas, however, is serving with us full time but on definitely on a very small “missionary” stipend. Dallas has been thinking a lot about continuing his education and getting his Master’s Degree through a program in a Seminary in the U.S. that will allow him to still serve here on the field. They still do not have children yet so the timing is great for him to do this but we are hoping that he will be able to receive scholarships and funding so that he will not have to increase the educational debt he and Liz already have. Would you please also take a moment and pray for Dallas as he seeks the Lord’s will regarding getting a Master’s Degree.

Thank you for understanding the importance of not overlooking the discipleship needs of our family while serving on the Field. Thank You for praying and loving on us.

Your Servants to the Nations in and Around Northern Thailand,

Michael for the Team

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donations can be sent to:
Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM),

P.O. Box 26115, Birmingham, AL 35260 USA
or given online at our main website:
www.gontim.org 

NTIM is a non-profit 501(c)(3)charitable organization based in the USA. We are committed to connecting people in need with people who care and are focused in the heart of Southeast Asia where poverty is high, education is low, needs are great, darkness is everywhere, and the love and message of Jesus is needed to transform lives.

Reaching, Teaching, Discipling, Equipping, Training, and Serving People in God’s World in the heart of Southeast Asia through acts of love and compassionate is what NTIM and our ministry team is all about.