Thank you for your continued prayers and support for the work of Team Thailand! Our families are privileged to work together and blessed to serve with wonderful Thai, Burmese, and Karen Christians.
This year, we are focusing on canvassing our cities once again. We have, in the past, covered the north side of Hua Hin, central Cha-Am, and all of Nong Phlap. This year, we will focus on central and southern Hua Hin, the perimeters of Cha-Am, and the highways and hedges in between all four major areas that are home to most of our church members.
It seems that each month, new villages are found, new neighborhoods are being built, and people are moving to our part of the country at an astounding rate. We will soon surpass 100,000 residents in Hua Hin alone, and with no signs of slowing down, the workload continues to grow. Please, when you think of us and when you pray for us, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” It is the cry of every great mission work throughout the ages, “The door is open, and who will go?!” “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.”
Jesus said these weighty words 2,000 years ago, immediately after observing the multitudes that were fainting and scattered abroad, “as sheep having no shepherd.” There is certainly a dearth of qualified spiritual shepherds here in Thailand. It is evident in the lives of directionless youth and capitulating adults. It is evident in the harried and hurried lifestyles of these precious people, many of whom struggle to provide mere daily provisions for their families. It is evident in the 40,000 temples where no hope of eternal peace can be found but where opportunities to pay for fortune and good luck abound.
Every time our faithful team members go out soul winning on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and all days in soul-consciousness, I am perplexed by the fainting and scattering abroad, the lack of direction in the lives of young men, the lack of discernment, the lack of critical thinking that goes beyond, “What will we have for lunch?” or “Where will we hang out tonight?” In spite of the overwhelming obstacles, praise the Lord, when labourers go out, the seed is sown and never returns void! Just in the past 2 weeks, our team has seen over 30 souls saved, 12 of those attending church, and several baptized.
A young man named Golf drove up to the church on his motorcycle two Sundays ago. He came in and sat down for about 10 minutes in an agitated state and then left. About an hour later, as we were finishing lunch, he returned and asked if anyone in the church could tell him about Jesus. Golf sat down with two of our soul-winners and heard the Gospel clearly for the first time in his 28 years of life!
Golf is struggling with years of addiction and now, with the side effects of going clean and detoxing his mind and body. The Saturday after he visited church and heard the Gospel, I went by to visit him with several of our young men. After presenting the Gospel to him again, he very gladly accepted Christ as his Saviour. He had been given a Thai John & Romans after his first visit to church. When I sat with him on the floor of his one-room apartment, I encouraged him to read God’s Word every day. He sheepishly apologized and said that he had only read to John 6 so far that week and that he had missed one day of reading his John & Romans! Not bad for a brand-new Christian! Sunday last, he returned to church and was baptized. Pray
for this young man as he grows in the Lord; pray that he will stay clean and stay in church. The fellowship of God’s people in the local church is a lifeline of edification and encouragement that we all need and at times take for granted.
Many special events have occurred since our last update. February saw the marriage of Bro. Tan and Mrs. Pim. Bro. Tan is a faithful member of our team and has been an integral part of our ministry for many years. God has blessed him with a wonderful wife and loving, caring family.
We also welcomed Matthew and Katie Belle Bosje, along with their young son Mikey, for their final survey trip before returning in 2025 for full-time missions service with our team. If you do not yet support this couple, please consider them for financial support. Matthew spent the better part of his youth here in Thailand, is proficient in the Thai language, and will be an extremely valuable part of our work for years to come.
In March, we celebrated Easter with many new visitors, salvations, and baptisms. In April, we held our yearly Bible English Camp during the hot-season school break, with scores of children attending and all hearing a clear presentation of the Gospel. This is a wonderful ministry opportunity that attracts families who might otherwise be unwilling to attend a church meeting.
After the busyness of big days and a week of camp, several team families were able to take much-needed vacations. The Inman family traveled south to Phuket for a few weeks, and Miss Shari House went to Huai Yang for a week with friends in a quiet seaside cabin. Pastor Pong and his family traveled north to visit their parents and siblings in the beautiful province of Chiang Mai. Pong’s father has been a pastor for over 50 years and still preaches as his health will allow. Thank God for these amazing servants of God who work and labor in love to reach Thailand for Jesus Christ.
Please pray for the Shook family, as we will be traveling to the States soon to take our daughter Lauren to college. It is hard to believe that we came to Thailand when she was only two years old. She has grown into a lovely young Christian lady and has served faithfully as our church pianist since she was 14 years old. It will be a real loss to the ministry here but not a loss for the cause of Christ. She will be attending Golden State Baptist College in the fall and will need your prayers, as will we all.
Several more thrilling events have occurred here with Team Thailand, but time and space will not allow me to share them at this point. Please stay tuned for our next update coming soon hopefully!
When you pray for our team, please remember these important needs:
• My family – Tim, Melissa, Lauren, and Mark Shook – as we prepare to say goodbye to our oldest
• The Inman family – Chad, Sarah, Harmony, Autumn, and Forest – as they continue to serve and labour at International Baptist Church of Nong Phlap
• The House family – Shari and Evelyse – as they continue to work with the Heavenly Treasures Project, supporting orphans and serving alongside my family at International Baptist Church of Hua Hin
• The Matthew Bosje family, as they power through the last eight or nine months of deputation and prepare for their big move to Thailand!
All of these dear servants of God are faithful to work and make Team Thailand a success. Please do pray and consider a visit to Thailand. It will change your life!
With gratitude and thanksgiving,
Tim Shook & Team Thailand
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