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 6th message
in a new series of studies through the Book of 1st 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 1st 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 1st 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 25th
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
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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, 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.
