Teerapat and Tiffany Phaisarnpiwat Prayer Letter: A Special Salvation

We are in the middle of monsoon season here, a time when it is wet and cold one day, dry and hot the next day, or pouring for a few days straight. With the constant weather change and damp air, many often get sick, including myself. I praise the Lord that, so far, we have stayed pretty healthy and are doing well. Our church is going through a low time for many of our youth, and the young adults are going off on their own path, whether it be for work or education. Please pray for God’s guidance, renewal, and good health.

A Missionary and Thai Pastors’ Meeting

In May, we were invited to join a 2½-day meeting with Baptist missionaries and Thai pastors. This meeting had a dual purpose for us—to meet other missionaries and Thai pastors, as well as to register our church. A church in Thailand must register their church under one of two umbrella organizations for churches and religious organizations to be recognized legally as a church by the Thai government. Registering our church doesn’t mean that we are under any stipulations or regulations by the government. Instead, it means we can put a sign outside our church, have rights when doing outreach work, and won’t be given a hard time when working with migrants or when neighbors call the village leader on us to complain. Being under one of the two umbrella organizations shows the government that we are actually doing what we say we are doing instead of something illegal under the name of a church. We were encouraged as we prayed, worshipped, and fellowshipped together. How great it is to develop friendships with those who have the same goal in spreading the Gospel all around Thailand!

A Special Salvation

Sandar Win, a Karen lady, and her young daughter have been coming to our church for about 2½ years now. When we met her, she was a young Christian looking for a Thai church to attend in hopes that one day her husband would join her in believing in God. Her husband still believed in Buddhism. Sandar Win simply lived how she had learned a Christian should live and at times told her husband a little about God. He would watch her pray with her daughter at meals and in the morning as they began their day. He’d watch them go to church, and over time, he became more and more interested in God and less interested in Buddhism. He wanted to meet us and treated us to dinner, but he still wasn’t ready to go to church or accept God’s gift of salvation. We just kept praying for him and for his salvation. Then one Saturday, Sandar Win called to tell us her husband wanted to come to church with them tomorrow. After the Sunday morning service, he listened as I explained the Gospel to him, and then he prayed and trusted Christ as his personal Saviour. Praise the Lord, a three-year prayer request has been answered!

Teaching English

Being able to speak English is a highly desired skill by everyone around us. In the past, we have done English Bible Clubs and English Camps in the local schools. Tiffany uses her skill of teaching English as a way to meet people around us and share with them about God when the door opens. Fran, her one adult Chinese student, has often brought up God or something with Christianity during their classes. Two weeks ago, she mentioned that she enjoyed reading the Bible, for it encouraged her and taught people to be good. She then told Tiffany that she could share with her a verse from the Bible each class. Recently, Tiffany has been teaching part-time at an all-English-speaking preschool. She was told from the beginning that the school was a neutral religious school, and she couldn’t teach about God unless asked. Already, questions have risen due to everyone seeing me drop her off and pick her up in our church truck, which has the church’s name and logo on it. Please pray that more opportunities will arise for Tiffany to plant seeds and be a testimony of our Saviour during the time she is at the school.

God bless,

Teerapat and Tiffany Phaisarnpiwat