Hello again friends and family,
I hope that everything is going well with you and that you are enjoying the warmer weather that seems to be happening everywhere! I remember you all in my prayers and thoughts, and can't find words to express my gratitude for your constant support and encouragement.
Many of you are wondering more details about what happened during our time in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and I'm so excited to report back to you that the Lord moved in incredible ways while we were there!
During the first week we were there, we visited a slum on the outskirts of Chiang Mai, where we helped to paint the side of their school, played games and did crafts with the children, and then put on a presentation of the Gospel in the evening. This was a powerful time, in which we did a drama, shared a couple of testimonies of salvation, and then laid out the Gospel of Christ. Afterwards we asked the crowd of about 30 people who wanted to draw nearer to the Lord, and everyone stood up, including children. After this we started to pray for healing over those who had injuries, pains, and illnesses. This is when the Holy Spirit fell powerfully, and many people who had back problems, knee pains, depression, etc, where being healed! There was one woman who was suffereing from depression and asked that we would pray that she would feel loved and happy, and we prayed for her, and she felt the prescence of the Lord and started crying and hugging everyone around her that she could.
Then there was a woman gripping a plastic bag that me and a couple of others were praying for who had a back problem, and while we were praying for her, she appeared to be manifesting in the demonic. After praying we asked if the pain was less or gone, and she said no, it was still there. So we asked the Lord again, to come and heal this woman. And this time He did. She said that the pain was leaving and she felt the Lord. Then she explained why she was holding a plastic bag, which explained the demonic manifestation. She shared with us that she once went to see a witch doctor to get healing, and that dark spirits had possessed her. Ever since then, if a Christian ever prayed for her, she vomited uncontrollably. This time we were praying for her, she didn't vomit! Praise the Lord, His love for this woman is more powerful than the enemy!
We also spent another day in the mountains and put on an all day "English Camp" at a Buddhist school for about 100 children. During the day they went "around the world" to different English speaking countries and did activities to practice English, then at the end of the day we presented the Gospel of Christ to all the children. When we gave the "Thai appropriate altar call" 15 children decided to follow Jesus that day and dedicated their lives to Him. Then we prayed for healing over those children as well, and there were several children to ask for prayer. I know that all of heaven was rejoicing for those little ones that day.
Some other things that happened during our two weeks in Thailand was, we held a 48-hour non-stop time of prayer for the country of Thailand, which was a powerful time of interceding for this country. Also, I got to work 3 days with a ministry called TawSaeng that is a "safe-house" for children at high risk of being trafficked, who sell flowers all night right in the middle of the Red Light District, and get offered more for their bodies than for the flowers they are selling. This was a blessing to be able to love on so many children who might not get it from anywhere else. We also dedicated an evening of our time to praying over each of the Bethany College of Missions Missionary Interns (which is what I did a year ago in Nantes, France) in Chiang Mai, as well as, some local missionaries. This was a great encouragement to them. We had a class about human trafficking in Thailand, and learned more specifics about that issue there. And finally, we had one day that we went to a hill tribe in the mountains, rode elephants and bamboo rafted down a river.
To be honest, I am surprised to find that I enjoyed the Thai culture. I learned so much about the Lord's faithfulness and favor on this trip where we saw Jesus break through what seems like impossible walls of darkness. The Thai people invite the spirit of Buddhism on all levels, and so darkness has been invited to reign over these people. But when we asked the Lord to move in specific peoples lives, He effortlessly broke through the darkness and brought His glorious light.
Thank you to everyone who was praying for me and my team during this time we had in Chiang Mai, Thailand. If it was not for the Lord moving, then nothing of true significance would have happened.
Please let me know what has occurred in your life over the last few weeks, because I would be encouraged to hear how the Lord was moving in you, as well. Also, please let me know how I can better be praying for you and your family.
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