FLOODING DISASTER UPDATE IN THAILAND - September 14, 2024

 Dear Family, Friends, Partners in Ministry,

Thank you for your prayers over the last three weeks. Many things that we never imagined would ever happened here in this city of Chiangrai, have already happened and many hundreds of thousands of people in this part of God’s world have experienced a tremendous flood disaster that seems to now have reached it’s tipping point.  

As I shared in my last update on August 22, Thailand is in the heart of South East Asia and has been our home for over 25 years now. It is one of those countries that is absolutely beautiful from one end of the country to the other end of the country. We start with the beautiful beaches in the South and move all the way up to the breathtaking views on the mountains in the far Northern part of Thailand where we live.

But what is important for you to know today, is that all of this country is part of what we call the “tropics.” The tropics have what we call a “rainy season” where it rains for long periods of time. 

We are in one of those rainy seasons and it has been raining almost every day for the last two months and sometimes it rains for hours on end. When that happens, we have both “flash flooding” and “major flooding.”

The waters seem to be receding and we are now in the phase where hundreds of homes have been washed away, thousands of homes have been invaded by flood waters, and who knows how much damage has been done.

NTIM has always tried to be one of those “first responders” to natural disasters when they occur having helped with earthquakes, hail storms, wind storms, flooding and many other types of emergencies. It has also been good to work with Baan Eden this year as they have coordinated efforts to make food packs for distribution and many from our church have helped them in these efforts as well.

At 6:30 this morning, one of my staff and I were at Macro beginning to purchase extra supplies to pack and distribute to those in need. Shortly after that, about a dozen of our church folks met together at Baan Athitaan Church to begin another round of packing supplies and getting ready to begin some of the cleaning efforts and go out to some of the houses that were damaged the most and begin to get the dirt and muck out of their houses.

Here are a few of the pictures from this mornings cleaning efforts where we were able to break out into two teams and clean 3 houses.

I am confident that none of these homes that have been flood affected have any kind of “flood insurance” and all of this damage will be “out of pocket.” We cannot help everyone, but we can help some. We would love for you to pray about helping us by giving to NTIM during this Emergency Crisis so what we can provide some assistance to those who have been affected in our realm of influence and in the name of our Savior. 

These are times when “acts of kindness” can go a very long way in breaking down resistance to the gospel of Christ as we do things that reflect the love and compassion of Christ in ways that reach the heart.

Would you first pray for God’s mercy for all those who have been affected in this natural disaster. Secondly, we would you to consider sending a donation to NTIM, either in the form of a check to our Birmingham, AL address or give on line at our website at www.gontim.org and look for the “donate” button.

May God bless each of you for your prayers and your gifts given in the name of our great Savior Jesus Christ.

Until all the people living in and around Northern Thailand have a chance to become followers of the One True God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Michael for the team…

“For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5

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

Financial support can be given through NTIM....

Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM), P.O. Box 26115, Birmingham, AL 35260 USA 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, 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 People in God’s World, through acts of love and compassionate as the light of Christ, is what NTIM and our ministry team is all about.

URGENT PRAYER FOR FLOODING IN THAILAND - August 22, 2024

Dear Family, Friends, Partners in Ministry,

Today’s update is not really an update like normal updates. Today is an urgent prayer request more than anything else.

Thailand is in the heart of South East Asia and has been our home for over 25 years now. It is one of those countries that is absolutely beautiful from one end if the country to the other end of the country. We start with the beautiful beaches in the South and move all the way up to the breathtaking views on the mountains in the far Northern part of Thailand where I live.

But what is important for you to know today, is that all of this country is part of what we call the “tropics.” The tropics have what we call a “rainy season” where it rains for long periods of times.

We are in one of those rainy seasons and it has been raining every day for almost two weeks and sometimes it rains for hours on end. When that happens, we have both “flash flooding” and “major flooding.”

We are in a critical condition. There are places in Chiangrai where we live and places in neighboring provinces that are experiencing majoyr flooding.

Here are a few pictures of some of this flooding that has been taking place in “our neck of the woods.”

The Board members of our Thailand foundation (Channel of Blessing Foundation or for all practical purposes NTIM Thailand) met together today to discuss the possibility of trying to raise some support for some of the flood victims here in this part of God’s World.

There are two areas that we are very concerned about where the damage seems to be great and these areas are two of the home areas of two of our Thai staff members. One is in the area of Jay’s home in “ampur wiangaen” in Chiangrai province and the other is in the area around Ball’s home in the “ampur tueng” area in Chiangrai province as well.

We are beginning to research and identify ways in which we can help but two ways we have already identified is 1) helping provide equipment or materials for local schools in those areas where the flooding created great damage and 2) helping provide assistance in the form of living supplies to some of the homes in villages that were most severely damaged.

 These are times when “acts of kindness” can go a very long way in breaking down resistance to the gospel of Christ as we do things that reflect the love and compassion of Christ in ways that reach the heart.

Would you first pray for God’s mercy for all those who have been affected in this natural disaster. Secondly, we would you to consider sending a donation to NTIM, either in the form of a check to our Birmingham, AL address or give on line at our website at www.gontim.org and look for the “donate” button.

May God bless each of you for your prayers and your gifts given in the name of our great Savior Jesus Christ.

Until all the people living in and around Northern Thailand have a chance to become followers of the One True God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Michael for the team…

“For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5

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

Financial support can be given through NTIM....

Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM), P.O. Box 26115, Birmingham, AL 35260 USA 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, 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 People in God’s World, through acts of love and compassionate as the light of Christ, is what NTIM and our ministry team is all about.

 

Wow. 5 Years Ago Today - July 17, 2024

Dear Family, Friends, Partners in Ministry,

Wow. 5 years ago today we were pouring concrete. Here are a few pictures from that day 5 years ago.

God has been good to us. Thank God for all of you who gave to this building project through giving to Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM). The building has now been officially named the "LLC - Lighthouse Learning Center" based upon the original vision the Lord put in our hearts for Chiangrai to have a "Lighthouse" for the nations. Here is what the building looks like today.

As I write this note this morning, there are about 20 Christian Pastors/Church leaders (including 3 from our own team) who are studying for their Master of Divinity degree meeting in our building this whole week as they study an intensive course organized and operated through the Thailand Baptist Theological Seminary (TBTS) where Ajaan Chaiwat serves as the leader of the TBTS. We are thankful to God to play a small part in using this facility to reach some of the least reached people groups in our world today but also to build up future Christian leaders in this part of God's world.

May God richly bless you. Thank you for your generosity and for sending us to Thailand. Any gift you would like to make to our normal, everyday ministry, no matter how small or how large, helps us reach and disciple people whom many are the first persons in their entire families to know Jesus Christ.

Until all the people living in and around Northern Thailand have a chance to become followers of the One True God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Michael

“For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5

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

Financial support can be given through NTIM....

Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM), P.O. Box 26115, Birmingham, AL 35260 USA 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, 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 People in God’s World, through acts of love and compassionate as the light of Christ, is what NTIM and our ministry team is all about.

Do not believe everything you hear . . . . July 16, 2024

Word of Encouragement from Northern Thailand - July 16, 2024

There are many voices speaking into our lives today and many of those voices want to take us down the road of destruction and heart ache. But God has another path and a better path, a path that leads to peace and healing.

As a result of God’s desire to bless us, God moved the Apostle of Love, also known as the Apostle John, to write 1 John 4:1-6 to encourage every follower of Jesus Christ to not believe everything that you hear but to become what I like to call “A Discerning Christian.” Here is the message that I shared with our church family here in Northern Thailand this last Sunday July 14.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwkitHOgysY

This teaching is in both English and in Thai. My Thai translator was the first Thai person to be led to our Lord Jesus through the ministry of Baan Athitaan Church some 20+ years ago. She is also the first Thai person in her entire family to become a follower of Jesus and she is from the 3^rd largest unreached people group in Thailand. 

Listen to and be blessed and then share this link with friends and other brothers and sisters in Christ that they too might be blessed and grow toward more Christ likeness. Blessings from God and from Northern Thailand.

Thank you for your faithful prayers for us and for God’s work in and through Baan Athitaan Church.

May God richly bless you. Thank you for your generosity and for sending us to Thailand. Any gift you would like to make to our normal, everyday ministry, no matter how small or how large, helps us reach and disciple people whom many are the first persons in their entire families to know Jesus Christ.

Until all the people living in and around Northern Thailand have a chance to become followers of the One True God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Michael for the team...

“For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5

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

Financial support can be given through NTIM....

Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM), P.O. Box 26115, Birmingham, AL 35260 USA 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, 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 People in God’s World, through acts of love and compassionate as the light of Christ, is what NTIM and our ministry team is all about.

 

URGENT PRAYER for Outreach with Volunteer Team from Gulfport, MS in Northern Thailand - June 28, 2024

 

God is using English in mighty ways to reach the hearts of children, young people, and adults and to build His church in one of the most beautiful places on God's green earth. Northern Thailand is very beautiful, yet it is one of the most needy places in God’s world today when it comes to issues of “lostness.” Northern Thailand if filled with dozens of some of the least reached people groups in our world today. Millions of people live here and more than 99 out of every 100 persons do not have a personal relationship with Jesus and many of them have never even heard the gospel message

Even in the midst of millions of people who have never heard, God is using NTIM, Grace Language School (GLS), Baan Athitaan Church, and many of our volunteer teams and partners to make a significant impact in people’s lives. Because we have a legitimate English language platform whose ultimate purpose it to glorify God and expand His kingdom, God has given us great access to people through the educational system here in Thailand and great favor with the government of Thailand.

Today, June 28, as I write this prayer request, Grace Language School along with a team of 10 volunteers from Gulfport, Miss, have gone into a kindegarden school less than  where we are5 miles from GLS doing what we call an “ENGLISH FUN DAY CAMP” for about 172 kindergartners. In the next 6 days, we will be doing 4 “English Fun Day Camps” and hosting a major 4^th of July celebration just to name a few things. Here is an older picture of camp to give you a snapshot idea of what these camps look like.

Please take a moment and pray for us and for us to be the salt and light of Jesus here in this part of God’s World.

It takes a lot of time and resources to build relationships of genuine trust with people but we are thankful to God for allowing us to be a small part of His plans to draw people to the cross and to a personal relationship with Jesus.

 

Thank you for praying for us as reach into our community and teach English with integrity.

Thank you for praying for us as we seek to lead others to Jesus and disciple them. Thank you for coming on mission trips to help with God’s work.

Thank you for giving through NTIM so that we can serve here and insure that the gospel reaches into some of the least reached people groups in our world today.

Thank you for sharing with others about our work and being an advocate for us and for being an advocate for the unreached people groups that we are targeting.

Our ministry with children, young people, and university students has continued to grow and blossom and we are in need of some additional resources to help us teach English with excellence. Would you please pray that God would provide us with additional resources that would be used for reaching the nations for Jesus and expanding the kingdom of God in Northern Thailand?

Your Servant to the Nations in and around Northern Thailand,

Michael for the team

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

Financial support can be given through NTIM....

Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM), P.O. Box 26115, Birmingham, AL 35260 USA Main Website: www.gontim.org

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=C55G7YXG2PX6C

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, 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 People in God’s World through acts of love and compassionate is what NTIM and our ministry team is all about.

 WHAT AN AMAZING GOD WE SERVE - GOD AT WORK IN THAILAND – A NTIM Update – June 04, 2024

Dear Family, Friends, Partners in Ministry,

We are excited about what God is doing here in Northern Thailand. One of my favorite verses is Habakkuk 1:5 which reads this way, “"Look at the nations and watch-- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”

We serve an incredibly amazing God who is at work all over the world drawing people to our Lord Jesus Christ and this amazing God invites us to join Him in His great work of both reconciliation and discipleship. Here are a few highlights of what God is doing here in Northern Thailand.

BAAN ATHITAAN CHURCH

This last Sunday was our 6^th message in a new series of studies through the Book of 1^st John. It has already been a good study for us as our church here in Northern Thailand is filled with people who are first generation followers of Christ much like during the times of the early church when 1^st John was written. God is at work transforming the lives of people from dozens and dozens of the least reached people groups in our world today. Since the first of the year, God has allowed us to be a part of seeing not only 1^st generation believers from Thailand become the first persons in their entire family to become followers of Jesus, but we have also seen at least 1 university student from the “C” country be the first person in his family to become a follower of Jesus and then was able to help him celebrate his new life in Christ in a more “private” type baptismal ceremony just a little over a month ago.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as John wrote in John 2:18, “it is the last hour….” Please pray for us as we reach out to millions here in Northern Thailand and see many people become the first person in their entire family to become a follower of Jesus. Pray that God’s Word would continue to change the lives of people here in the middle of Northern Thailand. Here is an encouraging message that I shared with our people here this last Sunday on “The Last Hour.” Please take a listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH8QsrQCVfo

As you pray for us and the work God has put in our hands, remember that our church family here in Chiangrai is a very culturally diverse group of people from many different ethnic people groups and countries. We can identify over 23 different people and language groups that make up our church family, most of them from UPGs here in Northern Thailand. Many of the people in our church family are the first persons in their entire families to become followers of Jesus. Pray that these new followers of Jesus would learn to “sanctify Christ as Lord in their hearts.”

There are many - do I dare say “all” = in our church who struggle with the pressure they get from trying to live a God honoring life in the midst of a community where 99% of the people do not know Jesus as their personal Savior and who live out a very different set of values and priorities in their lives.

Since we are deeply committed to being a “community church,” welcoming everyone in our community into the family of God, we also have a good number of missionaries and expats who are involved in various ministries in Chaingrai who love Thai people and want to be a part of helping them grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus. They also need to be encouraged and strengthened as well to “sanctify Christ as Lord in their hearts” and to be encouraged to continue to improve their walk with God and their partnership with God in His work in Thailand and in neighboring countries.

I share all this background to help you know how to better pray for us because we really believe the Bible when it says, “the effective prayer of a righteous person accomplishes much.” We also believe that part of our role before God is to encourage, invite, and provide opportunities for you to join God in what He wants to do in this part of His world.

God is doing some amazing things here in Chiangrai, and using your prayers, your donations, your missionaries, and many, many different people... but we, specifically as a Baan Athitaan Church family, desire to honor God and join Him in what He is doing in this part of His world.

Thank you for your faithful prayers for us and for God’s work in and through Baan Athitaan Church.

I want to close this update today differently than normal by sharing with all of our family, friends, and partners in ministry something that is on my heart.

My heart is full today as I have taken some time to reflect over the last 25 years that God has allowed Hope and me to be your ambassadors for Christ in this great country of Thailand. January 13, 2024 marked the 25^th year of the day we landed in Bangkok, Thailand That day was January 13, 1999. We were here because we believed God had called us to move here and join Him in what He wanted us to do in Thailand. We want to declare today, that we have witnessed the mighty hand of God to save and transform and draw people out of darkness into His marvelous light over these last 25 years of serving our Master. It has not been without great difficulties and many tears from time to time. But we can truly say from our hearts, along with the writer of Lamentations, that “The Lord’s lovingkindness indeed never cease and His mercy never fails.” We can also affirm what Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 17:7 that “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.” These 25 years have passed quite quickly and with the blessing of God. We are looking forward to continuing to join God in all that He wants to do in and through us in the days to come for the glory of His name and for the advancement of His kingdom.

We are also wanting to announce the birth of our latest grandson, Theodore James Vaughn, who was born on April 10 at Mae Fah Luang University Hospital. This is a picture of Pawpaw holding him close to his heart shortly after his birth here in Chianrai, Thailand.  

Please remember to pray for us as we continue in obedience to seek to join God in what He is doing and wants to do here in Northern Thailand.

Today we wanted to update you on God’s work here and we wanted to thank you for your prayers and for your financial support as we together join God in His great work of Redemption of the Nations, especially here in the heart of lostness in Southeast Asia.

May God richly bless you. Thank you for your generosity and for sending us to Thailand. Any gift you would like to make to our normal, everyday ministry, no matter how small or how large, helps us reach and disciple people whom many are the first persons in their entire families to know Jesus Christ.

Until all the people living in and around Northern Thailand have a chance to become followers of the One True God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Michael

“For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5

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

Financial support can be given through NTIM....

Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM), P.O. Box 26115, Birmingham, AL 35260 USA 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, 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 People in God’s World, through acts of love and compassionate as the light of Christ, is what NTIM and our ministry team is all about.

 

Urgent Call To Prayer For ESL KIds Outreach - March 16, 2024

 

“Urgent Call To Prayer” - A NTIM Field Update - March 16, 2024

Dear Family, Friends, Partners in Ministry,

This will not be long but very important. As I begin writing this prayer request, we have a large rented bus out front waiting to load about 30 children and 11 adults to go from our “KIDS ESL PROGRAM” field trip outing today.

Please pray for an extra measure of grace and God’s blessing on this awesome opportunity to take the kids and a fun filled morning to Singha Park and interact in English with these 30 or so Thai children. Pray that God would open the hearts of these children as we have fun together and explore some of God’s creation including a small zoo inside Singha Park.

Thank you for your prayers.