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March 2013 Newsletter – Thai Summer Mission

Hey Everyone,

It’s Sunday morning for me and I’m on the way out the door to church.  Then, right after lunch, about 50 of us – (49 Thai, and 1 “Farang”) – will be on the road to that green place on the map – Petchabun, Thailand – for Thai Summer Mission 2013.  

What is Thai Summer Mission? (and why do you call it summer  – this is spring?)

Well, it’s summer here.  That was easy.  Summer Mission is when we, (ministry staff), get together with our students and GO to share the Gospel with our actions and our words.  We’ll be working with local churches and breaking up into small groups to go into villages and live with people, show the Goodness of God in tangible ways of service, and share the Goodness of God in the Gospel of Christ – and then teach those who respond.

Where (and what) is Petchabun?
It’s a province about 4 hours from Bangkok, Thailand – (remember, I’m not in Taiwan).  Here’s some numbers on Petchabun:

จังหวัด – เพชรบูรณ์
Province – Phetchabun
 
ประชากร   Population 990,807
จำนวนคริสเตียน   Total Christians 4,865
จำนวนคริสตจักร   Total Churches 50
ร้อยละของคริสเตียน   % Christian 0.49

There’s the story.  About a MILLION people – 5,000 Christians, and about 50 churches.  To put that in perspective percentage-wise – that’s about like Arkansas having only 1,500 Christians and 150 churches.

This is pretty much the national average for Thailand.  This is why we’re going.  This is why we do what we do.  We’re not about changing cultures or religions – we want to see God honored as we serve people and see lives changed as they encounter the life-giving and life-changing God through the Gospel of Christ.

What can YOU do?
Pray.  
– That we would follow God and do what He has prepared, listen to Him, love Him, and trust Him.  Help where we should help.  Serve.  Share.  Love People.  Teach Truth.
– For our student leaders as they lead small teams.  These are the guys who my guys mentor.  This is their time to step up and lead their teams.
– For me as I lead the 1 Day Training on God’s Heart, Our Role, and the Harvest Fields – on Monday before going out.
 
Our Group of Leaders

Rolling… in my 70+ point 0

This is how I roll.  In a Thai-style open-air bus, filled with 70+ Thai university students and recent grads, hanging on for a spot anywhere I can find it.

 

Up on the Roof

ontopofbus2

Here’s that same “bus,” once again.  The bottom was a bit crowded with 70+ sets of arms and legs hanging out everywhere – so a few of the “real men” decided to go up top for the ride.  Is this even legal back home in America?  Doubtful.

Building Student Leaders

What’s the reason for us all piling in this Thai limo anyway?  Well, October brings the mid-year break for the Thai school calendar each year, and this year, as in years past, our student ministries took off for the countryside for the mid-year Leadership Training conference.  Each year, we take the students who are involved in the campus ministries in big city of Bangkok, and make our way for the provinces for a week of Bible, Worship, Training, & Evangelism.

While personally, I felt that the training itself was rather weak and formulated, and taught people to share their faith like a robot instead of a loving person – (sorry, I have to be honest though) – the week as a whole and the overall atmosphere was really solid.  These camps are really great opportunities to get a bunch of young Christians together, to worship God, to learn, and to go share our faith with the surrounding community.  This year, I was a part of 2 such camps – one for each of the regions that I’m heavily involved with each week throughout the year – Bangkok North & Bangkok South.

The pics here are from Bangkok North’s camp in Suratthani, Thailand.  We went and served the local community in tangible ways by helping out at a local orphanage for the week.  Then we went out and shared the reason for our heart to help – the Gospel of Christ.  Not pictured here is another camp in Chai Nat, where I joined in with Bangkok South to do the same – learn, grow, worship, serve, and share.  Good times, and we are thankful for God’s using these camps to grow a lot of young people in their relationships with Him.

 

I Fooled You All…

Well, I’ve tricked you long enough.  It’s time to pray.

Yep, It was all part of my master plan.  Suck you in with pictures, videos, stories of grand travels to exotic island locales.  Whet your appetites for more.  And you fell for it.  Suckers!

I didn’t even want to go to any of those beautiful, tropical islands – or those mysterious churches tucked away in forbidden Burma.  It was awful.  Torture!  I did it all, gritting my teeth – for a purpose.  🙂

I did it all to lure you in – and when the time was just right… POUNCE!  SPRING THE TRAP!

IT’S TIME TO PRAY!

All joking aside, we need your prayers.  Why?  How about the OPPORTUNITY TO DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF CHRISTIANS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY OF THAILAND!?

 

 

On the Road to Every Province

Wednesday, 02 December 2009 05:35

100 plus Thailand Campus Crusade for Christ staff.  76 Provinces in Thailand.  2 Weeks to Reach Them All.

Time to hit the road.

With this goal in mind, we recently split up into small teams to make phone calls, set up appointments with churches, and then go.  Our objective is to help train pastors and church leaders in how to prepare for the Billy Graham My Hope project that has the goal in mind of sharing the gospel with 1 million Thai people from December 17th-19th.  At each meeting, leaders and pastors gathered from local churches to learn how they can go and train their congregations for this incredible moment in church history in Siam.

Take a look at some pics from my travels thus far below, but don’t miss the realty of the spiritual atmosphere in Thailand as you ponder the statistics.  Let the meaning of these numbers soak in… and then join us in prayer.

Saraburi Province:

Population:  615,756

Churches:  19

Christians:  687

Percentage Christian:  (POINT) .1%

Singburi Province:

Population:  215,653

Churches:  15

Christians:  450

Percentage Christian:  (POINT) .2%

Suphanburi Province:

Population:  842,584

Churches:  26

Christians:  1,118

Percentage Christian:  (POINT) .13%

Continuing the Journey

The numbers above aren’t isolated, strange occurrences.  They aren’t distant provinces deep in the jungles.  They are in fact, bordering provinces of Thailand’s capital monster-city, Bangkok.

These figures are found throughout the country, other than 3 northern provinces which account for about half of the total number of Christians in the entire country.

Should these figures make us despair and give up?  Certainly not, rather these numbers should make us fall on God in dependence.


Ang Thong Province:

Population:  284,406

Churches:  8

Christians:  150

Percentage Christian:  (POINT) .05%

Ayutthaya Province:

Population:  760,712

Churches:  15

Christians:  450

Percentage Christian:  (POINT) .06%

Lopburi Province:

Population:  749,821

Churches:  19

Christians:  623

Percentage Christian:  (POINT) .08%

Praising God Together at Church Before Our Meeting – No Front Door or Wall, No Shoes, Motorcycle Cart in Front – but Christ was there.  What’s Most Important to You?