Wongs on October

Great time with the family
The last couple weeks have been a lot of fun due to the children being out of school and Stephen’s biblical class for Thailand Christian leaders being on break, so did Mary. Recently we have had a lot more time to spend together as a family by watching movies, playing games, bowling, and other fun activities. Just about two months ago Thomas has joined us here in Thailand to help with our mission. It has been a blessing having him on board. Especially now that Stephen has a mission buddy to travel, sleep, and chat with along the way.

Our ministry
Our ministry will now be more focused on reaching out using outdoor ministry because the rainy season is now over. The last couple of months have been primarily focused on teaching indoors due to the rain.

We have been preparing for the leadership conference in Burma, we will leave the 31st of October and will return the 12th November. We are planning to host over 100 Christian leaders, including teachers, pastors, and other leaders from around central Burma. We are planning on using wholistic missions during this trip. Beside of teaching biblical and theological courses, with the help of IDES, we will provide medications for various diseases and mosquito nets. This leadership conference has been requested for over three years, and finally God has prepared the personnel and finances to make this trip happen. Your prayers for safe traveling and support concerning this trip are much appreciated.

Group meeting to prepare for Leadership Conference

 

We are praying more ministry will be done in Burma now that the country is starting to become more open to ministry. We are hoping that we will make an evangelistic trip as a group all the way from Thailand to the Border of India coming this March and April. With this evangelistic trip, we are hoping to sweep through most of the villages in the region. If God is willing we will harvest many souls. Since no one has done this before, it is important that you lift this plan up in prayer.

Reaching out to Shan people

Shan are immigrant from Burma coming to Thailand to sell their daily labors. They had to leave their own homes and lands due to the unstable condition of Burma in the past. As being alien, most of them are living in very poor condition. Shan has been our target of the wholistic ministry, we are reaching their children through free English teaching and sport ministry program. Almost every evening their children would be packed at our place, playing soccer, running around and sometimes eating dinner with us.

Shan children playing soccer

Last week, just after finishing dinner, one of our Shan neighbor women brought her old mother to see us at our house. Her mother, name Buo, was very sick with TB and needed help financially to pay for medical treatment. We offered to pay the $30 for her treatment and she kindly accepted. Stephen asked if we could pray with them, but they refused prayer. However, before they left our place, Stephen challenged the sick mother to ask help from our living God.

The next morning we received a message, “The Mother and daughter would be back tonight to receive prayer!” The night before, when the sick woman had arrived home she prayed to God just before laying down for bed. That night she had pleasant dreams. It was the first time in a long time her late husband wasn't haunting her dreams by beating her. The next morning she found she could function properly, eat well, and most of all she had peace in her heart. The mother and daughter have been back twice since that night to receive prayer and encouragement with the Word of God.

Buo and her daughter

A non-Christian friend of Stephen, name is Noi, who is a great musician used to go with Stephen to the villages to hear him preach the Word of God. However, we have been disconnected for the past 10 years or so. As it turns out, Noi has really been struggling with spiritual issues lately and has been searching for Stephen for past 10 years. He knew Stephen had preached God’s word for many years and could lead him down the right path. He received our contact information somehow and ended up finding us this last week. He told us that he remembered the words Stephen had spoken over ten years ago! He was very eager to discuss spiritual issues with him. After spending most of the day with our family, Stephen challenged him to consider and pray to the God our family is serving, the God of the universe. Mary handed him the Bible and as he left he was moved to tears. Please pray for Noi, that God would lead him into Himself and praise God for the work He has been doing!

Please keep our family in prayers, Johnny has been struggling badly with his tonsillitis and we are praying to find the best solution for this issue.

Again, thank you all for your faithfulness in supporting us prayerfully and financially. You all are in our daily prayers.

For the Sake of His Kingdom,
Stephen and Mary

Ps. Various mission works are needed at Grace Intenational School, please check out the website www.gisthailand.org