Thanking God for the confirmation He chose to give us through the International Mission Board in our response to our sense of God's leadership to obey His leading to move our family to Thailand and begin following His leadership of learning how to love Thai people, to adjust our lives to live in harmony with Thai people, to learn one of the most difficult languages in the world, and to begin the process of planting a church in Thailand that God had in mind.
What a joy it was today to worship with that church family that we now call Baan Athitaan Church in Northern Thailand made up of over 23 different ethnic/linguistic people groups and some of the least reached people groups in our world today. What a great journey of faith this has been for us. We have stumbled from time to time and not always done everything right. We have had hardship and pressure to change the course, but God has been faithful to allow sinners like us to be a part of His great plan of redemption among some of the kindest, gracious, and most gentle people you will ever meet but among a people where 99 out of every 100 persons do not have their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life. We are grateful to have had a small part of serving an awesome God but we are not done!!!!! and are looking forward to serving God for as long as He allows us to serve Him. We are grateful for the awesome Thai partners God has placed in our lives for such a time as this.
Thank you to our awesome children that were patient with us in this new land. Jessica Davenport, Liz Vaughn, Josh Johnson, and Caleb Johnson
Thank you Sutasinee Srijai, Jay Lee, Boum Boom, Nattapong Khakaew, Bee Orranee and thank you to two great interns serving with us at this moment: Marut Taptimtait and Monrada Archa. Also grateful for our Western Partners who are serving with us today: Thank you Derek May, Jodi May, Alexa Diane, Keith Lihaven, Taran Lihaven, and Gary Gary Peña.
Have I told you lately I love my church family! Let us work together for the advancement of His Kingdom in and around Northern Thailand with all of our hearts for the glory of God. Much Love, Pii Michael
P.S. The news article write up was from the Goshen News in Goshen, IN after IMB Appointment July 21, 1998. Our family landed in Thailand on January 13, 1999 and at that time our family of 6 (Hope was 7 months pregnant with Caleb so we included him) landed in Bangkok along with about 15 or 16 pieces of luggage and began our awesome journey of joining God in His work of redemption in Thailand. Jessica Davenport was 9,Liz Vaughn was 6, Josh Johnson was 1+ and Caleb Johnson was "in the oven" and was born two months later on March 10.1999 in a hospital in BKK. We want to declare as the Psalmist declared, "The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3.
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