Friday, January 15, 2016

CELEBRATING 17 YEARS OF MINISTRY IN THAILAND – Update January 15, 2016



Dear Friends & Partners In Ministry,

This week has been one of those weeks of reflecting on the goodness of God and His faithful leadership in our lives. Two days ago (January 13) was a very significant anniversary in my life. It was a day when I looked back over the last 17 years and I see the very gracious hand of a loving God who has been leading and directing and guiding my family down a path of life that required and still requires faith, trust, and obedience to God and at the time 17 years ago required a complete willingness to follow the Lord to a place on the other side of the world from my birth. 
 
You see, 17 years ago on January 13, 6 Johnson family members were on a plane that landed in Bangkok, Thailand. Hope  and I (Michael) were in our mid/late 30s, our oldest daughter Jessica was 9, Elizabeth was 6, Joshua was 1, and Caleb was soon to be born on March 10. To the right is a picture that was taken just a few days before we got on that plane 17 years ago. Below is a pictures that was recently taken with the additions of two son-in-laws and a visible picture of Caleb who will be 17 years old this March 10th




As I look back over the past 17 years, I am grateful for the love and support of my awesome family and their willingness to support me in my sense of God’s call on my life. I am grateful for the love and support of the gracious Thai people and especially the awesome Thai staff that God has surrounded me with over the years. I am grateful for the love and support of churches and individuals that have helped the ministry to grow and flourish and especially those who stood beside us in our time of need and who still support us and God’s work through Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM). I am also grateful most of all for God allowing an ordinary sinner like me with no special abilities to be a part of joining God in what He has been doing in Thailand these last 17 years.

We have had the great honor of seeing God do some amazing things including seeing hundreds of 1st generation believers come to know Jesus from some of the least reached people groups in Asia. We have been very active in investing our lives in people and in making disciples these last 17 years and I just want to say that our God is good and is worthy to be worshipped and served with all of our hearts. We pray that all that we have said and done over these last 17 years for the sake of the gospel will always bring glory to God. Thank you for your continued partnership with us as we seek to make much about Jesus in and around Northern Thailand and as we implement an even more intentional strategy in 2016 to reach several key UPGs in and around Northern Thailand in the days to come.  

Your Servants to the Nations in and Around Northern Thailand,

Michael

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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, 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 through acts of love and compassionate is what NTIM and our ministry team is all about.