Dear Friends, Family, Supporters, Partners, and Prayer Warriors,
Please take a moment and look at this picture that was taken
sometime in January 2015. This picture was taken 5 years ago with my
“level 5” class at our English language school called Grace Language School (GLS)
where we have the privilege of serving as Founder, Director, and Teacher of
this awesome school.
When I look at this picture, I am reminded of several very
important things that we want to share with you today.
The first thing that we want to say is that when this picture
was taken 5 years ago, I was the only follower of Jesus in that room on that day.
I was there in my role and in my vocation as an English Teacher. I have not
always been an English teacher but God has convinced me over the last 20+ years
that one of the ways I can join God in what He is doing among the least reached
people groups in our world today is to be willing to teach English with the
best of my ability and with intentionally seasoning my words so that trust is
built and I am allowed to be the salt and light of Christ and help direct conversations
in the direction of spiritual things.
You see God wants to use ordinary people like you and me to join
Him in His great work of reaching the Lost, especially the “Panta Ta Ethnae” (“all
the people groups” in every nation) that Jesus referred to in His Great
Commission. God wants us to go into the world with the greatest message that
can ever be told. Please take a moment and watch this short clip “Go into the
world.”
You have to understand, we live in Northern Thailand which is a
place in God’s world where only 1 person out of every 100 persons know Jesus as
their personal Savior. We live in a country that is made up of almost 70
million people. All of these people are Thai citizens but that does not mean
they all speak the same language. No, as a matter of fact, according to Joshua
Project, there are 113 different language/people groups living in Thailand. Some
of these people groups are made up of millions of people and are some of the
largest unreached people groups in our world today.
I didn’t really know it on the day this picture was taken, but
God was at work in a mighty way in the lives of at least two of the four
students in that classroom. God was using many different people (including some
former colleagues Josh and Jessie Grammer and many others), some through our
language school and others not related to our language school at all. God was
using all of us to play a part in helping two of these four university students
take steps closer to Christ.
Little did I know that 5 months after this picture was taken,
that the young man sitting on my right in the picture – Nong Ball – would give
his heart to Jesus and become the first person in his entire family to become a
follower of Jesus.
Not only that, out of the 100+ people groups that make up the
people of Thailand, Nong Ball is from the 3 largest Unreached People Group
(UPG) – The Khon Muang or Northern Thai. This UPG is made up of about 7 million
people mostly living in Northern Thailand but some also in Laos and in Burma
and possibly in Southern China.
Since Ball graduated from Rajabhat University over a year ago, God
led us to bring him on staff with us and he has been serving in many different
roles and has been growing deeply in his walk with our great Savior. He is
learning how to serve the Lord with all his heart and we are very glad to have
him as part of our team. Here is a short video clip of Nong Ball’s baptism on
September 13, 2015.
Not only was God at work in Nong Ball’s life when this picture
was taken, but God was at work in the life of another university student that
was sitting on my left.
About 7 months after this picture was taken, the young lady that
was sitting on my left – Nong Nok – gave her heart to Jesus and become the
first person in her entire family to become a follower of Jesus. Similar to
Nong Ball, out of the 100+ people groups that make up the people of Thailand,
Nong Nok is from another unreached people group called the Lu Mien or the Yao.
This UPG is made up of about 1.6 million people primarily located in China, Vietnam,
Laos, and Thailand.
Nong Nok has since graduated from Rajabhat University and became
a teacher and last year spent her first year after graduation teaching at the
school she went to as a child in her home village. She is now teaching in a
school in the Chiang Saen area about 1 hour from where we live. She is
continuing to grow in her relationship with the Lord and is active in sharing
her faith with her family, and with her students and with those around her.
Today – April 28 - is her birthday. Happy
Birthday Nok!!!!
God is using Grace Language School in a very powerful way to
truly reach into some of the least reached people groups in our world today and
to make an impact in the lives of young people especially those studying at one
of the two universities that are near our work.
Please remember to pray for us and for our team as we seek to be
used by God in greater ways in the days ahead and pray for all the Thai and
international students that we come in contact with that their hearts will be
open to hear the greatest message which is “good news for all the people.”
Until the People in and around Northern Thailand know Him,
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
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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, unreached people groups (UPGs) are all around us, and the
love and message of Jesus is needed to transform lives.
Reaching, Teaching, Caring, 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.
