One of our weekly activities here in Mai La is prayer walking. We pray for Mai La and talk with anyone we meet along the way. Last week we were welcomed by an elderly lady living on her own. One of the first things she said was how she wanted to go to the temple to talk to the Monks and make merit and shared how she was lonely. We used this as an opportunity to share with her about how God is always with us and we can pray anywhere. She listened to what we had to say, we prayed for her and then carried on our way. Near the end of our walk we met a friend of Trish’s. She asked where we were coming from, as Thai people do. We said we had been walking and blessing the community (more understandable than saying praying). The next day Trish met her friend for lunch and she said, “It’s good that you can pray anywhere”. The comments from these two ladies reminds me of all a relationship with Jesus has to offer, that the Thai people need that message and to be thankful for a God who is with me always “…and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”) Matt1:22.
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- Written by Lee-Anne
- Category: Personal Reflections
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It is so easy to go through each day with monotonous repetition, fulfilling all the tasks and responsibilities we bear. Life is full of things that have to happen and its often difficult to add one more thing to our already busy schedules trying to achieve everything on our agenda.
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- Written by Bruce Bartleet
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This previous Sunday while buying chicken from my usual seller I commented on the fact that the seller next to her was new. This is not an uncommon occurrence in Thailand as many Thai’s start-up a market stall, sell for a couple of weeks and then move on, but the previous market seller had been there for a number of years.
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- Written by Bruce Bartleet
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I was really encouraged this morning as I read aloud to my seven year old from a book titled "Missionary Stories" about a man named Ralph Palmer. This man was so persistent that in a day he would pass out about nine to ten thousand gospel tracts to people who rejected, rebuked,laught to his face, took tracts just to throw it away.Only a few people received it and read through it. Yes, he was discouraged to see so many people who didn't care much about their souls but that did not stop him. He perservered to hand out those tracts even in harsh circumstances. One day he received an email from someone who read the tract to say how it changed his life and he had been saved.Out of the nine to ten thousand gospel tracts being passed out that day one person was saved.
I was encouraged to read about the perseverance and faithfulness of Ralph Palmer. So often when we give out these gospel tracts to Thai people we are discouraged when they don't show interest.
"Lord help us persevere when we feel discouraged to know that the seeds are being sown and that You are at work."
Not all the seeds sown will fall on good ground. But just to know that even one is saved is worth it.
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- Written by Genine Thomas
- Category: Personal Reflections
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