After
years of being apart, we are finally reunited with John and Anna! This
long-awaited family reunion couldn't have come at a better time as we’ve spent our
time together making the most out of summer through various Christian
ministries, serving the community, and having quality family time. To add to
the excitement, Stephen started teaching a group of Lisu leaders at a Master’s
level, and their efforts have led to many families finding Christ. Furthermore,
our other ministries are doing exceptionally well in transforming individuals,
families and communities with love and hope. This summer has certainly been one
that will be remembered for years to come!
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| Reunited! |
ThailandIt’s
evident that the ministry in Thailand has been growing at an astonishing pace.
In particular, Stephen has been playing a crucial role in teaching a group of
Lisu leaders at a newly established church in a village about 30 minutes north
of Chiang Mai. The results have been remarkable as these leaders have been
going out to evangelize, converting several families to Christ in recent
months. Praise the Lord!
What
is particularly exciting in Thailand is the revival that is currently underway.
People are yearning to get back into the Bible. The Word of God is having a
significant impact in transforming the lives of those that seek its wisdom. To
take part in teaching the people who are hungry for the Word is absolutely a
blessing since that is what we have been praying for in our mission field.
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| 1 Corinthians class |
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| Baptizing locals they have been evangelizing to |
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| More Baptisms in another village |
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| New family in Christ |
During
April 24-28, Stephen offered a week of intensive Bible study on 1 Corinthians
to a group of leader-students. Most of these leader-students have a very high
profile in their professions and educations. These leaders-students include a
person who earned their PhD in Buddhology (Buddhism), the other one has passed
the Bar test in Law and the other is heavily involved in Bible translation
works. Some are Christian song composers and others are church planters. Of
course, all of them took theology courses in Thailand. All of them have been
deeply in touch with the Scripture and are not wanting to miss a single class. One
of the students even asked his surgical doctor to postpone his surgery
appointment in order to attend this class! Oh how the people hunger for His
Word!
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| The class visiting sick elderly and praying for them |
Stephen
is planning to equip this group of leader-students to be his teaching team, rooted
in the Scripture, in order to reach out to many other leaders in Southeast Asia
and China. Our coming intensive course will be on the Gospels. Besides
teaching, sometimes Stephen goes into the mission field with this group of
students showing them how to apply the Word of God into different contexts and
cultures, particularly baptisms and memorial events. We greatly appreciate your
prayers for this ministry. Laos
In
Laos, the ministry is thriving and growing! Recently, Nick made a visit to the
country and was able to catch up with some friends in the ministry. They spent
their time updating about families and ministry advancements, exciting news all
around! During their meeting, they additionally discussed strategies on how to
further spread the Word of God throughout the country. It's humbling to see
evidence of God's work in Laos as people are coming to Christ and giving Him
praise. With each week that passes, more people are coming to join His family;
making it clear that God is at work in Laos!
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| A local bus ride from Thailand into Vientiane, Laos |
Please
fervently pray for our college student ministry in Vientiane. This college
ministry has been very effective in evangelism in Laos as it offers safe
shelter for students who come from underprivileged backgrounds and also reaches
out to college students in the area (University of Laos and several smaller
colleges). Most of the students living in the center have now given their lives
to Christ and they are very active in sharing their new faith with their peers.
The communities in the area is being transformed daily as more college students
are coming to Christ.
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| One of the college student devotional groups |
Recently,
the place which we have used as the college outreach center, providing housing
for 30 college students consisting of 2 small houses (one for male, one for
females), will no longer be available for rent in a few months. The landlord
recently, out of the blue, decided that they would turn this house into a
different business. This is a big challenge because the college students will
no longer have a place to live in the upcoming semester. You can probably
attest to this, challenges tend to occur in the most inopportune times. This is
where we pray for Faith and know that God has got our backs because we have
witnessed it countless times before!
Of
course, AFC’s plan is to have our own outreach center down the road as we know
that challenges like these could occur, but we were blindsided by this sudden
news. Prior to hearing this news, we’ve made some progress in recently
acquiring a small plot of land, but we have not reached our fundraising goal in
buildings and constructions. In order to build a more suitable housing/center
we need to bring in electricity and water. In the meanwhile, we are asking for
your fervent prayers as we try to come up with funds and resources to build a temporary
wooden shelters for the students to at least have a roof over their heads until
we have the means to build a more permanent building.
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| Nick with our friends in Laos |
MyanmarNick
and Becky are making a real difference in Myanmar by teaching English Bible
class to students with the help of a servant-hearted team of teachers from
Hawaii. The class is organized around popular Bible stories that many of the
Myanmar Christian students are not familiar with. As they go through these
stories, the teachers have found that many of the students lack a basic
understanding of some of the popular stories, such as the Tower of Babel, the
Israel and the Passover, and even Jesus the Messiah being explained in the book
of Isaiah. The students have asked great questions that resulted in very productive
discussions about the Bible. This is a ministry that has been a blessing for
both the teachers and the students. What was moving was the students have
voiced that this class is one of the highlights of their week as their country
continues to go through political unrest and war.
Stephen
is still continuing his online classes for Lisu leaders situated all over Asia.
With the rise of the students in his online class, it's sometimes alarming to
think if any of those students have sinister motives since some of the
countries where the Bible class is taught are not that receptive to
Christianity. Nevertheless, the majority of the attendees are grateful for the
knowledge they've learned and we believe that God is with us in all that we do.
Even though we may have fears, we have faith that many are benefitting from
these classes and that God is pleased.
Family
The
family is together for the first time after gaining two daughters! Nick
recently married Khao at the beginning of this year. John and Anna got married
a few years ago but unfortunately during Covid-19, the family could not attend
their wedding. Anyways, the reunited family is absolutely over the moon about
spending time together again. It’s been over three years of being apart, so
every moment feels like a gift. The family has been keeping each other
entertained by playing games, having meaningful conversations and even enjoying
the beautiful beaches in Krabi. Isaac was on summer break, so he was able to go
and thoroughly enjoyed swimming and seeing monkeys on the beach. For most of the family, Krabi was the first time they ever traveled to the beach in Southern Thailand. It's such a
joy to laugh and enjoy each other's company. Knowing that we have only have a
month together, we are determined to make the most of every moment!
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| First time for many of them to visit Krabi, south of Thailand |
John
has been visiting churches with Stephen and have even given several sermons to
encourage the locals. The people are very encouraged by the message and have
invited John back to preach a few more times before he travels back to America.
Anna has been taking some time every day to learn Thai language and connect
with the family of different culture. We are so glad to have Anna and Khao be a
part of this big family. |
| John and Stephen giving a encouraging sermon |
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| John preaching at a new church plant |
In
Chiang Dao, Mary set up a family get together in order to remember her father
who passed away last year. There was a small gathering as people prayed and
enjoyed a meal together. It has been easier for the family, especially Mary, to
have peace in Jeremy’s passing because we all have the same hope in Christ that
he did. On top of this, everyone sat around reminiscing the great works that
her father and the other missionaries have done in their lifetime. Because of
their dedication to God, many people have come to Christ. |
| A fellowship meal at Mary's father's memorial event |
The
growth and revival in these countries are inspiring, and it's heartwarming to
see how people are coming to Christ and spreading His love to others. Even in
the midst of challenges, we see God's hand at work and we trust in His
provision and guidance. Our family reunion is a joyful reminder of the
importance of relationships and the blessings that come from spending time with
loved ones. As we reflect on these recent events, we are filled with hope and
gratitude for the ways in which God is working. May we all continue to be a part
of God's transformative work!
