We had a summer filled with visitors and folks coming to help the ministries here and a bit of traveling. We were blessed to share some time with Brother Curtis Hall and two of his daughters, as they came to visit many different missionaries in the region and work at the Bible warehouse in Bangkok. Brother Hall works with Missionary Bob Bowen and B.E.S.T. Missions in the ministry of Bible distribution to Southeast Asia. Through this ministry, we can supply our new converts and church members with a copy of the King James Bible in their native language.
As mentioned in our previous prayer letter, we also had the Beils (Jon and Brittany, who are on deputation to join the team sometime in the winter of 2019) and our nephew, Matthew Bosje, here to help and learn more about our work and ministries. It is exciting to see the visitors whom the Beils and Matthew brought to church still coming each week. Please keep both the Beils and Matthew Bosje in your prayers as they continue to follow the Lord in His calling to be missionaries to Thailand.
Missy had one of her dear friends, Jennifer Bailey, come to visit for two weeks. This was a wonderful opportunity for Jennifer to see the work in which she has personally invested. It was a time of great encouragement for Missy to share our life and ministry with her friend.
In July, Mark, Lauren, and I traveled to the States for Youth Conference and Missions University (at our mission agency, FBMI); both took place on the property of First Baptist Church, Hammond, Indiana. This was a tremendous time of learning and growth for our children, as it was their first Youth Conference. They both made important decisions that week. We are thankful for godly ministries that invest in our Christian youth. We were also able to be a part of our Shook family reunion in Tennessee. My entire family (all seven siblings and their wives, with most of their children) was there, along with my parents, who are on their furlough. This was the first time in many years that we have all been together. What a wonderful reunion we had!
We are meeting and planning with the team for many upcoming ministry events. Please pray for our Bible English Camp, which takes place in October. This is an outreach ministry for children ages 5-12. We teach English and the Bible and use this time to reach out to the families in the community. Then we have new classes starting up at our English language school on Saturdays. Our language school is what provides our team missionaries with work permits/visas, which allow us to stay in the country legally.
We are also preparing for our public school Christmas programs. Each December, we present a drama of the Christmas Story, present a clear presentation of the Gospel, and give out a small Christmas gift to each student. We are working to get into more schools this year and would appreciate your prayers as we plan, practice, and prepare for this important time.
Missy and I enjoy the many different times we get to go out soul winning and visiting every week, whether it is together or with different people on our church staff. One week Missy, Lauren, and I were out soul winning down a small street when we met this elderly lady. Missy began talking with her and handed her a tract from our church. The lady smiled and said that she had already been given one a few weeks back. As we continued to talk with her, she told us that the people she met (who had given her the tract previously) were so kind and that she had read the paper several times since then. We talked with her for a while, and she sweetly accepted Jesus as her Saviour.
Periodically we will be including fun pictures in our letters to give you a little window into the Thai culture and everyday life. Thank you for your faithful prayers and monthly support as we do HIS work.
Tim Shook and Family
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- Dog on a scooter
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- Baptisms
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- Baptisms
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- Elephant near our house
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- Soul winning
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- Jennifer, Pi Dah, and Missy
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- Lunch with Bro. Hall
