Today is Day 3 of our Season of Prayer and Spiritual Adventure of getting to know and then actively praying for Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM) and all of the various unreached people groups in and around Northern Thailand.
One of my favorite passages is found in the book
of Habakkuk. Listen to what God’s Word says in chapter 1, verse 5. “Look among
the Nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your
days that you would not believe even if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5
We want to testify of the truth of Habakkuk 1:5 as
it relates to Northern Thailand. God is doing some amazing things in our day in
this country we call Thailand. Many of the former missionaries in Thailand saw
very few people come to know Christ even though they worked very hard for the
glory of God, but let me say very clearly and for the Glory of God THAT IS
NOT WHAT WE ARE SEEING. We have seen hundreds of Thai people give their
heart to Jesus in the last 16 years. Not just Thai people, but we have also
seen dozens of Chinese, Laotians, and Burmese give their hearts to Jesus as
well.
We studied the Central Thai language in Bangkok
for the first 2 years in Thailand and then moved to the city of Chiang Rai in
the far northern part of Thailand to begin new work and have lived in Chiang
Rai now for 13 years.
Before we first moved up to Chiang Rai, we sensed
God wanted us to begin His work planting an urban based purpose driven model
community church by opening an English language school that started as the
Lighthouse Language Center. We called our vision “OPERATION CHIANG RAI.” We
worked hard to get all the right paperwork in order and submitted to the
government and with the blessing of God we officially began teaching English at
the Lighthouse Language Center on September Lighthouse Language Center was the
beginning of what has now become Grace Language School (GLS) which is owned and
operated by NTIM’s sister foundation in Thailand called Channel of Blessing
Foundation.
After two years of living in Chiang Rai and all of our beginning
team members faithfully teaching English and reaching out into the community
and sharing the love of Jesus, we finally saw the first two Thai people – Peat and
Mint - give their hearts to Jesus through our ministry during one of our first Christmas
celebrations in Chiang Rai in 2003. Here is a picture that was taken on the day
that both Peat and Mint gave their hearts to Jesus. At that time we had no idea
just how significant the celebrations and evangelistic efforts at Christmas
would be to God’s work here in Thailand.
What a great day that was. Today Peat works as an
English teacher in a local school. But on the day she gave her heart to Jesus,
on that day Peat was a teenager and a student at the Lighthouse Language Center
and became the first person in her entire family to become a Christian. That
was 12 years ago. The picture of the baptism here has very special meaning to
us because on that day both Peat and Mint were baptized, but our son Joshua was
also baptized on that day in the Mae Gok River in Chiang Rai, Thailand just
minutes from our home today.
Since that beginning move of God in 2003, we have
seen many hundreds of Thai people give their hearts to Jesus and most of them
are like Peat, the first person in their entire family to become Christians. Our
church – Baan Athitaan Church - is full of first generation Christians. We have
truly seen God moving here in Northern Thailand. We have also included a link
for you to watch a short baptism of a dear friend we know as Pii Pete who was baptized
two years ago so that you can get a glimpse of what God is doing. Pii Pete is
also a first generation believer and the first in his entire family to receive
believer’s baptism and God has now sent Pii Pete to another province with his
work and he is learning what it means to be a fisher of men. The link is found
at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYjM93EldyY&feature=youtu.be
God is truly working here in Northern Thailand.
Would you pray for God to continue to move in this part of God’s world and that
these first generation believers would follow Jesus and become great fishers of
men to their families, friends, neighbors and even be willing to take the
gospel to neighboring countries. Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you
fishers of men.” Matt 4:19
Prayer Example:
“Oh, Lord of Heaven and earth, we sense that you are moving in Northern
Thailand. We want to ask that you would be pleased to use these new first
generation believers and help them to become good followers and disciples. We
ask that you would help them to grow in their love for you and reach out to
their families, friends, and villages and even go into other neighboring
countries in this part of Your world with the love and message of Jesus. We
pray that you would continue to use Grace Language School and the teaching of
English to reach this new generation of young people. We also thank you for the
community church You have established in Baan Athitaan Church and ask that you
would use them this Christmas season to take the message of our Savior to
thousands who have never heard. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.”
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