PRAYER REQUEST - Teaching English and Sharing Culture to Advance the Kingdom - November 27, 2019

Dear praying friends,

As I write this prayer update, I am sitting in the auditorium of one of the largest and best schools in the city of Chiangrai, Thailand where we have lived and served for the last 18 years after we had spent our first 2 years in Bangkok in full-time language study of Central Thai. 

This is a time of the year where we see God working in some amazing ways. Those of you who know us well, have heard me say many times that God is at work in mighty ways here in Northern Thailand. You also know that we believe in prayer and we are asking you to pray for us in a special way from now until the end of the year. We currently have a great partner team from Australia that is with us including the Pastor and his wife and two of their children as well as some great friends from their church in Glouster, Australia.

This past Sunday night, these awesome volunteers helped us with our Christmas Soccer Outreach to about 80+ university students. We not only had fun playing soccer with these young men, but also had the opportunity to share with them the greatest message the world could ever hear and challenged them to consider how they should respond to the love of God displayed through Jesus Christ.

If you have Facebook and want to see all of our pictures of this Christmas Soccer Outreach, please click the following link: https://web.facebook.com/groups/1497387907237512/photos/

Yesterday and today these volunteer partners from Australia helped our English language platform called Grace Language School reach out into our community with what we call an English Fun Day in one of the schools here in Northern Thailand.  Yesterday we lead over 100 children grades 1-3 in an all-day activity we call “An English Fun Day” which is basically a mini camp. We used the American holiday of “Thanksgiving” as our theme for the outreach. Here is a picture from yesterday.

We also had the chance to lead another 100 children grades 4-6 today in an all-day activity we call “an English Fun Day.” We used the same material and simply did the same kind of thing we did yesterday with the children at CVK School in grades 4-6. Here is picture of the camp today.

Here is a short video clip of one of our awesome Thai Staff doing a dance with one of the children at CVK. Who said you can't have fun while you are working hard?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYwaM_zRbSA&fbclid=IwAR2i5CaTZk-25uKaZ17S4pzSEN07HwdVUTiGQ6NMNFkWdx74nN4ojUI9Icc

If you have Facebook and want to see all of our pictures of these two English Fun Day Outreaches, please click the following link:

EFD Day 1, Grades 1-3: https://web.facebook.com/pg/GraceLanguageSchool/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2650940564981867

EFD Day 2, Grades 4-6:

https://web.facebook.com/pg/GraceLanguageSchool/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2653190841423506

We are just getting started with our outreaches during this awesome time of the year and we want our friends and partners to keep us before the throne of grace as we seek to light up the darkness in our communities with deep intentionality. Would you please take a moment now and pray for us? Then, please keep us in your prayers each day until the end of the year as we reach out to some of the least reached people groups in our world today.

Please also continue to pray for us and for the funds needed to complete our first ever building project we are calling "The Lighthouse Learning Center," and for the continuing outreach and discipleship ministries that go on every single day here in Chiangrai, Thailand.

We will update you very soon on our building construction process with a video clip.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

As we shared with you, we have been using the theme of “Thanksgiving” as our theme for our English Camps the last couple of days and are reminded of how thankful we are for our relationships with all of you. Some of you reading this are family members wanting to keep up with us and what God is doing in and through us. Most of you reading this are friends who know us personally and support us as we seek to do all that God wants us to do as we continue to serve God on your behalf in the country where over 99 out of every 100 people do not know Jesus nor have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. 

We are also so very thankful for those of you who realize that we could not live and serve here in Thailand without your financial support. Thank you for loving us enough to give. Thank you for loving the Lord enough to give to missions because you want to see the precious Thai people have a chance to be blessed by the one true God we serve.

Here is a reminder of just a few of the ways in which NTIM reaches out into this part of God’s world with the love and message of our great Savior. Remember these as you bring us before the throne of grace in your prayers.

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."

1 Corinthians 15:58

Michael for the team.

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST FROM THAILAND - OBEDIENCE - Update Oct 14, 2019

Dear Friends, Family, Partners in Ministry,

I realize that many of you are wanting to know where we are with the building and we will give you an update very soon but during this whole building process one of my roles as Vice President and Director of Field Operation for NTIM is to help us all maintain focus upon what God is doing, why we are here in Northern Thailand, and what He is doing each and every day in the hearts and lives of people.

We still have many things to share with you about the building but please let me ask you to remember that we need your prayer not just for the whole building process but we need your prayers every single day as we seek to be deeply involved in making disciples and giving our lives out every day for the advancement of the great commission to some of the least reached people groups in our world today.

Today, I want to ask you to pray for me personally as I begin this Monday morning preparing for the important work of speaking God’s Word this coming Sunday morning here in Northern Thailand among both missionaries who need to be feed and among dozens and dozens of people who are genuine 1^st generation followers of Jesus. God is raising up a new generation of believers to reach this part of the world and what we do here every Sunday morning is important to building the right kind of foundation in God’s church that we call Baan Athitaan Church.

Please pray for me as I begin to seek God's understanding and heart and begin preparations for preaching/teaching this coming Sunday morning on the very important topic of "Partial Obedience" from the life of Saul in 1 Samuel 15. Such a very rich passage and so many things that could be said.

Please pray for me that I would discern the most important things to say and to say them in a way that others may hear to Spirit of God speaking to them. Our church is filled with dozens and dozens of 1st generation followers of Jesus and there are many things that are will be difficult for them to hear but important that they understand the Holy and Righteous God that we serve that says, "to obey is better than sacrifice." 1 Sam 15:23

Much Love & Prayers from Northern Thailand. 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 some of the least reached people group areas of God’s World today through acts of love and compassionate is what NTIM and our ministry team is all about.

A Call To Renew The Tenderness Of Your Heart - Update October 12, 2019

This update will be a very different than our regular updates. Today, we want to speak renewal in the heart of all of our friends, partners, and prayer warriors.

Today I feel a special need to speak some encouragement in your personal relationship with God. 

I simply ask you to do 3 simple things, 1) Open your heart to hear what God wants to say to you through this song, and 2) Click on this video clip and take 4 minutes and carefully listen the words that are sung, and 3) thank God for His goodness to you in your life.

May you draw near to God…..He will draw near to you my friends.

Here is the song: 

May God continue to be pleased to use broken vessels like us for His glory and the advancement of His Kingdom.

Michael, for the team.

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James  4:8

God Is Raising Up A New Generation . . . . Update Oct 9, 2019

Hello Friends. My name is Michael Johnson. Well over 20 years ago, the Johnson family sensed God’s call on our lives to leave our country of origin in the United States and follow God’s leadership to a place literally on the other side of the world that we call Thailand. We moved to Thailand as an act of willingly surrendering our lives to join God in taking the love and message of our Great Savior to the people living in this beautiful country of Thailand. Over the 20 years that we have lived here, God has allowed us the great privilege of seeing hundreds of Thai people and other Asians become the 1^st or 2^nd persons in their entire family lineage to become followers of Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, just yesterday, one of our staff members was able to lead a Chinese university student into the loving arms of Jesus. Yet, still today, 1 in every 100 Thai persons is lost without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the staggering reality that grips our hearts all the time is that most Thai people have never even heard a clear presentation of the gospel. 

Yet in the midst of millions who have never heard, God is at work transforming people’s lives. Here is a recent testimony of one of our awesome Thai Staff who has been serving the Lord with us for almost 16 years. She was the first person in her entire family to become a follower of Jesus from the 3^rd largest Unreached People Group (UPG) in Thailand. She is now serving as one of our key “mentors” and meets every single week for one-on-one discipleship with 12 university students most of whom are also 1^st generation followers of Christ. Take just a moment and listen to her testimony before reading on.

It is clear to us that God has been moving and working in the hearts and lives of Thai people drawing them to Himself but we sense that God wants to do something very special this Christmas season of 2019.

We have almost a dozen Christmas Outreaches planned already targeting some of the least reached people groups in our world today. But in order for these outreaches to truly make a difference for the advancement of the kingdom of God, we are coming before the universal body of Christ and asking you and the local church you belong too to help us make a difference in Thailand this Christmas Season. 

What are the three ways each of you can help us? 

1) The first area you can help us make a difference is through your individual prayers. The Bible over and over encourages us to pray and even tells us in James 5:16 that, “…The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."

The famous Christian prayer warrior Corrie Ten Boom once said this, “the wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something, and enter God’s realm where everything is possible. Nothing is too great for His almighty power. Nothing is too small for His love.”

Please pray for the millions of Thai people to hear and receive the gospel this Christmas Season and for their hearts to embrace Jesus as their Savior. The first area we need your help is in the area of your individual prayers.

2) The second area you can help us make a difference is through advocacy and mobilization. Please tell others about this opportunity to make a difference in Thailand this Christmas Season. Help move other people onto God’s Agenda and forward this message to other followers of Jesus. Advocate and share this message with any Christian small groups you are involved in. Share this message with the leaders in your church family and ask them to pray as well. One person can truly make a difference but if we mobilize others as well, then our effect is significantly multiplied and others will be moved more onto God’s agenda. Let’s make a difference in a special way in Northern Thailand this Christmas Season through advocacy and mobilization.

3) The third area you can help us make a difference is through your giving. Jesus tells us the importance of storing up treasures in heaven. Your gifts, your donations, and your generosity toward missions is the 3^rd way you can help us truly make a difference among some of the least reached people groups in our world today.

We seek to provide good quality evangelistic outreaches that touch the heart. We do not consider these “expenses” per se but rather we consider them “investments” into the lives of people for the purpose of the expansion of God’s Kingdom and for the glory of God. We are estimating our “investments” for all of our Christmas outreaches in Thailand to be somewhere between $6,000 and $10,000. Please prayerfully consider making a special donation to NTIM to help and to join God in what He wants to do in Northern Thailand this Christmas Season. We begin doing Christmas outreaches in November and do them all the way up to Christmas. Your generous donations allow us to be the hands and feet of Jesus here in the heart of the 10-40 Window.

We realize that some of you give to a Christmas offering like “Lottie-Moon” and I, too, give to that as well and, we would encourage you to continue to give to those offerings this year as well. However, let’s also make a difference this Christmas Season specifically among some of the least reached peoples in our world today through giving generously to NTIM on behalf of reaching the unreached in and around Northern Thailand.

May God richly bless you and your church as we join together to make a difference in Northern Thailand 1) through our Prayers, 2) through our Advocacy and Mobilization, and 3) through our generous donations for the advancement of the gospel among 100s of UPGs in and around Northern Thailand.

Until all the people in and around Northern Thailand have a chance to embrace our great Savior,

Michael

For those living in the USA, click here to make a tax-deductible donation to NTIM:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=NgpZ7HqJurZSMEnklJhZwH-m65MMl4JjV4b2IwapamkItXOGO-2EQusGTTTXXZkAicW0X0&country.x=US&locale.x=US

2 Minute Video Building Update - September 20, 2019

We are pleased to provide for you a short video update of the construction on The Lighthouse Learning Center here in Chiangrai. Two days ago we sent you a long written version update with lots of pictures but today we wanted to send you a video update. It is only 2 minutes long so please take a moment and watch it and then take some time and bring us before the throne of grace where with God, all things are possible......

Please pray for God's Work of transformation here in Northern Thailand and remember the words of Corrie Ten Boom who once said, "The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something, and enter God's realm where everything is possible. Nothing is too great for His almighty power. Nothing is to small for His love." 

From the Team, Bro. Michael 

Praying Friends - Need for Prayer - Northern Thailand Impact Ministry Update - Sept. 18, 2019

Praying Friends - God is at work in mighty ways here in Northern Thailand and today I want to encourage all of you who pray for us with a quote I recently read from Corrie Ten Boom talking about the very strategic nature of prayer. Corrie Ten Boom once said this "The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something, and enter God's realm where everything is possible. Nothing is too great for His almighty power. Nothing is too small for His love."

Please continue to pray for us, the funds needed to complete our first ever building project we are calling "The Lighthouse Learning Center," and for the continuing outreach and discipleship ministries that go on every single day here in Chiangrai, Thailand.

We are pleased to announce that the construction on The Lighthouse Learning Center here in Chiangrai is continuing to progress. Most of these pictures were taken today but a couple of them taken last week. We are at the stage of beginning to pour concrete for the second floor structure and wanted you all to see the progress being made - even in the rainy season!!!!! Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to press on with construction and as we continue to raise funds for this very strategic building that say to the darkness here - God's Work of transformation is here to stay!!

Here is a link to all the pictures we have on Facebook that you can look at:  https://www.facebook.com/pg/www.gontim.org/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2903477329668065&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARABk0Q8dVTpQIDVMVEcvzDk270j3LBKw3Ts5jc__ANsoPsFChWcXUZ_ZpKcd8Qg7UHEwivnd9DDFKVSwkz4orfEInOa5sBw8UZz6o5FVx5L5rNI-hcCgQloeqjbjKkvmpcg5qh6LAoWTqghQke-bjTJus1_8oqpgEe5XwxKCHpJ-svMpdhEt2cV_pHjBxlapkJRqv1LdobeP6a_ykVAK6npuWB2wDJV8bMcCH39BlN7HGVZv7R3kk_AH5fC0mhX_yM49hJiQ_d-Yv8tgmfVNnB7qoYNpVzE3Se69tU52TahEPmNZCMa_MWSV_6Dk9ijo9tH75dhfPsSNe9K5TPF9TPJH0W8Sv-0TZa5BJTj-DdC9kG27JB0S1GJr-YZjfTrkrZsCBrySy0ovlecrwnhf4DXAqGDMCmbm6ErtEXC53e3ifddNTFwrltkwFsIrGQV-yYrdUVkXECXTPnR_Gg1zhqg6t7pIiM&__tn__=-UCH-R

Please continue to pray for us, the funds needed to complete our first ever building project we are calling "The Lighthouse Learning Center," and for the continuing outreach and discipleship ministries that go on every single day here in Chiangrai, Thailand remembering the words of Corrie Ten Boom,  "The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something, and enter God's realm where everything is possible. Nothing is too great for His almighty power. Nothing is too small for His love."

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:58

Michael for the team.

Celebrating a Special Day - NTIM Update - Sept 11, 2019

September 11, 2001 is one of those days that is now a significant day in world history, especially for those of us who consider ourselves either Americans for friends with Americans. It was a day that culminated in reflecting a deep hatred in the heart of a small, but very powerful group of people who hat America and despise some of the values that are reflected in America like freedom, liberty, love, and tolerance of others. This day was a painful day in the lives of many but it was also a day where the courage of men stood strong and where people gave their lives to protect and defend others who only sought after harm and destruction.

Not only is September 11, 2001 a day that all of us at NTIM will remember, but 2 years after this horrible attack of 9/11 something very positive happened in the heart one of the great states of Alabama that reflected another value that most Americans share and that is the value of the freedom to take the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ into all the world. You see, on September 11, 2007, two of board members – David Howell and Michael Johnson – went down to the Jefferson County Office in Alabama to register the Articles of Incorporation of NTIM as a charitable, non profit organization committed to taking the love and message of Jesus to some of the least reached people groups in our world today living in and around Northern Thailand.

After almost two years of seeking God’s face, praying, planning, casting vision, organizing, recruiting, installing board members, and writing up Articles of Incorporation, God birthed NTIM. September 11, 2007 was that day and since that day some 12 years ago, God has allowed friends, family, churches, volunteers, and NTIM personnel to join Him in transforming the lives of thousands of people, one life at a time.

My family has now lived and served our great Savior, for 20 years and we are so thankful to all of you who have supported us through your prayers and financial donations to the work the God has placed in our hands to lead.

As I sit at my office this afternoon on September 11, 2019, and write this update, I want to encourage each of you to do all that God has called you to do.

Words cannot express the great joy I have in my heart when I reflect upon the last 20+ years our family has lived in Thailand and the awesome experiences we have had. We have had so many opportunities to learn how to walk with God in obedience in the work He has put in our hands to do.  God wants to use ordinary people like you and me to respond to Him in Obedience and join Him in His work to reach the nations and all the unreached people groups in His world today.

PRAY, GIVE, and GO.

Would you also please consider giving a special donation to NTIM as a “birthday gift” and help us continue to make a significant impact in this part of God’s World.

To God be the glory for the great things He has done.... and is doing.... and will do in the days ahead! Not for the glory of a man or of men, nor for the glory of an organization, but for the glory of the One who chose to leave His throne in heaven and become a man, to go to the cross and pay the ultimate penalty for the sins of all men, and then to empower His followers to go to all the unreached people groups of the world today with the message of our Savior, remembering that "all authority has been given to Jesus" and that Jesus said He will build His church "and the gates of Hell will not be able to stop it."

May God continue to be pleased to use ordinary people like us for His glory and the advancement of His Kingdom.

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 reaching some of the least reached people groups in our world today and are focused in the heart of Southeast Asia where poverty is high, educational needs are great, unreached people groups (UPGs) are all around us, and the love and message of Jesus is needed to transform lives.