Tim and Missy Shook Prayer Letter: Soul-Winning and Salvation StoriesSoul-Winning & Salvation Stories

March and April are the regular months of summer break for all of the Thai schools. This gives us an opportunity to have special outreach programs and extra activities for our church members.

We started promoting Easter Sunday and BEC (Bible English Camp), which is held at the beginning of April. While out visiting and soul winning one evening, Missy, Lauren, and Mark met a teen girl named Minnie. She and her younger sister and brother were playing in a field near their house. They were given invitations to the Easter Sunday service and Bible English Camp. Missy had the opportunity to share the Gospel with Minnie. She was open and receptive and readily accepted Christ. While Minnie was listening, her younger sister came by and sat in the grass by her feet. She also prayed and trusted Christ! Please pray as we visit Minnie and her family. It would be wonderful if her mother would come and bring her family to church.

On Easter Sunday, we had a wonderful service with special music, an Easter video depicting the Crucifixion and Resurrection, a time of preaching about our risen Saviour, and joyful fellowship, sharing a meal together with ice cream sundaes to finish the day.

One day while visiting our regular church members in Phetchaburi with our son Mark, Dton (a young man in our church who is interning), Tan, and Khun Sangad, we met a lady who had gotten saved during one of our special Bible studies we held there last year. She was so excited to see us again and shared how she has been praying for a permanent church to be started in their city. She is unable to travel each week to come to our church in Hua Hin. We are praying that God will open more doors regarding a church in Phetchaburi.

Teaching & Training

As we continue to follow the Lord’s leading and calling here and just stay faithful, we have the blessing of watching many of the young people grow up in the Lord and seek to follow Him with their lives. Two of our faithful teenagers, Jang and Dton, graduated from high school at the end of March. Though both of these young people have faced personal struggles and difficulties in their lives, they have remained strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! Dton has a real desire to serve the Lord with his life, and I have placed him
in an internship role within our ministry, working and learning with me and the other men at our church in Hua Hin.

Jang will attend a local university when the next term begins. She is faithful in church and serves in various areas in the ministry also. Would you please pray for these young people as they take further steps in their future to serve the Lord? We believe they are the future hope in reaching Thailand for Christ.

Bible English Camp

Bible English Camp (BEC) is a summer VBS-type program that incorporates English learning with Bible stories and practical Christian training. Our team member, Miss Shari House, created the program several years ago. It is a wonderful way to reach out to the young people in the community during their school summer break. The years that we have been able to run BEC, God has greatly blessed. This year was no exception. We had 50 students, and over 30 faithful church and team members volunteered to help. We had four awesome days of English learning, super- fun group games, an arts-and-crafts time, singing, and great preaching about the life of Joseph. Our preteen leader, Brother Tan, was the preacher for the week. We ended the week on Friday, at the end of the day, with a special program for the parents. Several of the students’ parents came to see what their children had learned and to see them receive their various certificates and prizes for their accomplishments. Brother Sakrapee gave a clear presentation of the Gospel at the end.

The following Sunday, there were several new students and parents who came to church as well. Please pray that the Lord will continue to use this yearly event to reach more folks for Him.

Blessings

Just about a year ago, our family was eating at one of our favorite local restaurants after church one Sunday afternoon. During our lunch, a tall man, wearing a shirt with the restaurant’s logo on it, came by. He introduced himself as Linsley, the new manager, and asked how our meal was. We chatted for a few minutes, and in the conversation, Missy invited him to come visit our church. I shared with Linsley that I was a missionary and pastor of the International Baptist Church in Hua Hin. His eye lit up as he told us that he also was a Christian. I asked him if he knew Jesus as His personal Lord and Saviour, and he said, “I am a saved, born-again believer. Amen!” We enjoyed our brief conversation, and he and I exchanged phone numbers to stay in touch.

As the months went on, we would see Linsley, here and there when we would eat at the restaurant. Each time he saw us, he’d say, “I want to come to church, but they have me working all these hours since I’m new here. Please pray that I can have time off for church.” On Easter Sunday, Linsley visited our church for the first time. He was so thankful to have the time to come and worship the Lord with other believers. He came last week as well. After the service last week, he said he felt at home and welcome at our church and was very grateful to have a church to attend where he feels like he is with family. Linsley is from the island nation of Mauritius, deep in the Indian Ocean.

I have thought many times about our first conversation with Linsley. What if we hadn’t brought up church or Jesus with him? Every interaction of every day can be an opportunity for us to share Christ with others. What a gift it is to tell people about our great Saviour!

Building Project

We are seeing the Lord provide, little by little, for the building project. We are praying for $155,000 more to complete the next phase, the building of a multipurpose educational building, which will serve as Sunday school rooms, offices, and a temporary church building.

Our family rejoices in 16 years as missionaries to Thailand at the end of April. God has been so faithful! Thank you for your support, prayers, and love these many years. We could not do what God has called us to do without your help. We love and appreciate each one of you! May there be continued blessings and fruit added to your account on behalf of our labors here.

For Him,

Tim Shook