8 years ago
there was a large group of Chinese students that studied at Chiangrai Rachaphat
University which is located just down the street from where we live. Many of
these Chinese students were from very poor backgrounds and from many different
unreached people groups. They were also foreigners in this land much like I too
am a foreigner in this land and I knew the importance of treating them well and
welcoming them to Northern Thailand. At that time 8 years ago there were some
600 or so Chinese students and at one point about a dozen of them began to come
to the church and I remember after just a short time of me and a friend (Harry
Brittan) teaching them the Bible in English, several of them gave their hearts
to Jesus before they returned to China.
One of the
"touch points" in their lives that God often uses to bring people to
Jesus is their desire to study and speak English. Since these Chinese students
were from poor backgrounds and were already spending all the money they had
studying at a university in a foreign country, we felt the Lord would have us
bless a few of them in a special way, so after counseling with our awesome Thai
staff, we decided to give some of them scholarships to study with us at Grace
Language School.
We
do not do that very often but we felt this was what our Lord wanted us to do at
that time and we did not announce what we were doing to anyone. No one outside
our team and these few Chinese young people knew anything about these
scholarships because we were not doing it for the praise of men but because we
genuinely sensed God wanted us to do this and join Him in what He was doing in
their lives.
When they
finished their studies and went back to China we thought that would be the last
time we would see them but OH WHAT A JOY it was today - August 16, 2018 - when
one of these former Chinese students who is now working full time in a city
close to Kunming, China came back to visit us along with her 6 year old
daughter, her mother, and a friend. She not only wanted to say hello and say
“thank you” but she also wanted to express her gratefulness for our kindness to
her and her friends 8 years ago by making a very significant donation to Grace
Language School.
What a
great joy it is to serve the one and only Living God in a place in the heart of
the 10-40 Window where millions of people from hundreds of unreached people
groups live and have very little access to the light, the love, and message of
our great Savior. Yes, God has placed us, our great team of Americans,
Canadians, and Thais, and this relationship intensive and influential platform
called Grace Language School strategically where we can have the greatest front
line impact in our world today and join God in His desire to change the world
one life at a time. A special thanks to all of those who intentionally give
through NTIM (www.gontim.org) which God uses to make all of this life change
possible among some of the least reached people groups in our world today.
Please
continue to pray for us as God gives us so much access to so many of the
unreached people groups living here in this part of God's World. What a joy to
see God remind us that He sees even the small good things we do in secret for
His glory. In His time, he reminds us and encourages our hearts to not grow
weary in doing good for the sake of the kingdom.
For those
of us who are followers of Jesus, let me take this opportunity to invite you to
consider joining God in what He is doing in and around Northern Thailand by becoming financial partners with us at Northern Thailand Impact Ministry. NTIM is a 501c nonprofit
charitable organization 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, unreached people groups (UPGs) are all
around us, and the love and message of Jesus is needed to transform lives.
Reaching,
Teaching, Discipling, Equipping, Training, and Serving Unreached People Groups (UPGs)
in and around Northern Thailand through education, sports, and acts of love and
compassionate is what NTIM and our ministry team is all about.
If you
would like to know more about what we do and how you can be involved, please
write me personally at pray4ntim@gmail.com
and I would be happy to share with you all that our great God is doing. May the
name of the Lord be lifted high in all that we say and all that we do for His
glory and the advancement of His kingdom on the earth.
Grateful
and Happy to be Serving Our Awesome God in Northern Thailand for such a time as
this.
From the
Fields of Northern Thailand, Michael Johnson
P.S. AN
UPDATE ON THE BUILDING PROJECT COMING SOON….
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