We would like to thank everyone who took the time to wish us a happy anniversary and for the sweet messages and notes. We had a wonderful day out together. Our anniversary is in the middle of Songkran (“Water Festival”) or Thailand’s New Year. It is celebrated for three to four days, which makes it a little hard to get away from the busyness of activities. Most of all, thank you for your prayers and support. While February was a little slow and a time for preparing for March and April’s business, with your prayers and support, we have been able to keep serving our Lord and Saviour.
Divine Appointment
We went shopping for some skirts for a teen girl who attends our church. I asked my wife if we should stop at a secondhand shop we had often passed. She wanted to check the market first, but we didn’t find anything. Again, I suggested going to the secondhand shop. While my wife and the teen girl were shopping, the worker asked them if they were Christians. The conversation progressed; this broken and hurting worker was looking for a Christian school/children’s home. Her friend had advised her to pray and ask Christians for help. With her husband recently sent to jail, this stay-at-home mother didn’t know how to handle taking care of her five young children alone and didn’t want to go to the witch doctor in her village for advice and help. She got a temporary job at the shop, and God sent us to meet her. I was able to lead her to know our Saviour, and we have begun teaching her about God and helping her. The peace of our Lord is changing her outlook on life. Please pray for wisdom for Nahrissa and that her husband will get saved in prison.
English Bible Clubs
In March, schools closed for Summer Break–April is the hottest month of the year. While school is out, we have English and Bible classes three times a week during the day. We have a program similar to the Vacation Bible School many churches hold for a week in the United Sates—but with an English lesson added in. A church in MaeSot asked us to hold a program at their church as well. What a blessing it was to do a three-day program, “Take Action for Jesus,” at their church. We are just finishing up a month-long program at our church teaching on the Fruits of the Spirit. We have had young children all the way up to young adults attending the classes. The opportunity to learn English from a native speaker for free is a big draw. The neighbors are seeing us teaching and are beginning to ask “why” and wanting to know who we are. Young people who had gotten out of church have come back. A few have gotten saved or gotten a greater understanding of salvation, and God has been working on their hearts. The English Bible Club has taken a lot of time and work but has given us such joy to see how God has been using the classes. God blessed us with Pastor Fort and Teacher Roselin coming to help us for the first week of our program.
Please keep us and our ministry in your prayers. We had a wonderful Resurrection service. The Lord’s Supper caused a boy to question about salvation and baptism. This past Sunday, he got saved and will be baptized next Sunday. He has been attending our church for a year now and finally realized his need for salvation. In February, we celebrated a year of ministering to the people in Maeku and having a building to hold services in. Currently, God is using me mostly as a youth pastor. We don’t have any adults attending faithfully yet. We are enjoying this stage and covet your prayers for provision, wisdom, and God’s direction.
God bless,
Teerapat and Tiffany Phaisarnpiwat
