N.T.I.M. newsletter
Taking
the Gospel to the Heart of the 10-40 Window
Greetings from Chiang Rai – NTIM Field Update – October, 2013
God continues to work in
supernatural ways in Northern Thailand. Below you will see how
NTIM is entering the most exciting, and challenging time of our existence. We are seeing
lives change as increasing first generation believers are
living for Him. God is opening up amazing doors of opportunity
to impact not only villages throughout Northern Thailand, but also
people groups in other countries in Southeast Asia. Finally, God has set in motion a
God-sized vision
for NTIM for 2014 and beyond.
As you will see below, in order to equip our team to obey these promptings, we are calling on our
faithful supporters to join us in a 30-day prayer
covenant as we seek direction and guidance.
God is at Work Changing Lives
God is changing lives in Northern Thailand. We have 10 people who have committed to
follow Jesus and who are ready for baptism to signify their commitment to Christ. Many of these new believers are 1st generation believers. A
first generation believer is a person who gives their heart to
Jesus and becomes a follower of Jesus as part of the first generation in their
family to become Christians. All 4 of our full-time
Thai staff members that partner with NTIM are 1st generation believers, with 2 of them being the first person in their family to give their heart to
Jesus.
God is Opening Doors to Plow New Ground in Neighboring Countries
We are very excited
about the doors that God has opened for our team to go into a neighboring
country through our Grace Language School. We
have had two very positive meetings with government officials from the Ministry
of Education in that country to discuss our English language program. A
team from a partner church in Tuscaloosa, Al – my place of birth – will be joining us soon in this country as we put on a 3-day teacher training program for
them. We see this as a first step of
being salt and light in this very needy
country. We do not want to mention the name of this country
since it might jeopardize our opportunity, but please know that
your prayers and your financial support are being used to take
the light of Jesus into many very dark places.
Operation: Listening Videos
Many of you know that
God is using English in a major way to build bridges to the
hearts of the lost in this part of the world. We are so
thankful for our partnership with First Baptist Church-Florence, MS who have
taken on a project of preparing “listening videos.” We use these videos to
help provide our ESL (English as a Second Language) students with
opportunities to listen to native English speakers who speak slowly,
clearly, and briefly as they answer some very simple
questions. This partnership with FBC Florence, MS is one example of the exciting opportunities we have
to partner with churches and teams to
impact lives in Thailand.
Other Upcoming Events
We are looking forward to spending a few days in Chiang Mai
with a team from Shades Mountain Baptist Church in November as they host
a Missionary Retreat that will include the
Johnson family, several partner friends, and Zoe International in Chiang Mai. Please pray for a time of refreshing and renewal for all.
We are also in the beginning stages of our Christmas programs that we will host in December. The celebration of Christ’s birth provides one of the best opportunities we have each year to clearly share the Gospel throughout Northern Thailand.
Baan Athitaan Church
Most of the people whom we see come to Christ through our church are either the first person in their entire
family to know Jesus or they are in the first generation of
people who are embracing Christ. God is moving in Baan Athitaan
Church as we seek to reach whole families with His love
... one heart at a time. God is truly changing lives through the
power of His Word. Our family of faith is made
up of over 23 different people groups from all over the 10-40 Window. Our desire is to lead a purpose driven church that welcomes
every ethnic people group that comes through
our doors.
A Call to Prayer: 30 Days of Prayer for NTIM Nov 24, 2013 – Dec 23, 2013
We urge you to join
us in 30 days of focused and fervent prayer
for the work of NTIM. Mark your calendars for November 24, 2013 through
December 23, 2013. We are asking all of our
friends and friends of friends to join us in 30 days of concentrated praying for various individuals, people groups, ministries and opportunities for
NTIM’s
work.
We will send additional details in mid-November, including
information on how you can receive daily prayer requests
and encouragement during this Call to Prayer.
“Holding The Ropes” for NTIM
Although all of you may not be able to join our work on the ground in Thailand, you can help “hold the ropes” for
us back home. The Bible clearly teaches that God is in control of all the affairs of men. We believe this is one
of those times. We are keenly aware of the difficult
economic
times that the United States has experienced over the past
few years. This has resulted in a
significant reduction in the number of NTIM’s regular contributors.
As a result, we really need your help at this important
time to finish the year out strong and prepare for 2014!
When
God entrusts us with God-sized vision for His Kingdom,
He shows up to supply our every need. God is entrusting us with such a
God-sized vision for NTIM. We believe that God
is calling us to make a bold statement that we are putting down roots for long
term through creation of a “beachhead project” that strengthens our roots in
Chiang Rai. As we prepare to commence this journey
to expand God’s Kingdom in 2014, we ask you to join us in praying
for God’s provisions for NTIM during this critical
time. We also encourage you to make a tax deductible donation.
You can send donations to support God’s work to NTIM.
All donations
made are tax deductible and can be made either online at www.gontim.org or mailed to NTIM, P.O. Box 26115, Birmingham, AL 35260
If you have Facebook and would
like to keep up with our church happenings and
see lots of pictures, please go to the following link:
If
you would like to get on our email update listing, please send me an email at
pray4ntim@gmail.com.
