Rain is A Blessing

We woke up with the sound of pouring rain and soft thunder, a welcome relief to long scorching summer heat. The rainy season has officially begun in Thailand. We have waited longingly for this season when the air is now refreshingly clean and cool, the grass and trees will be greener. It soon will be beautiful out here.

I (Joey) was preparing a message for Sunday when I came across this verse reminding us of God’s faithfulness in our life.

"The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands." - Deut. 28:12

Thank you so much for your love, support, and prayers. We are sharing with you how God is working in our lives these days.

The Kids Are Back to School

The school opens on the second week of May. The children were so excited to go back to school. They have new uniforms, bags, and school supplies. They would meet their old friends again and would make new ones as well.

Four of the children, Sam Ching, Dina, Jai, and Muey made it to the senior high. Ai Pang did not move up because his average grade is not high enough. He is now studying at a vocational school taking up hotel and restaurant management. The rest of the children are in elementary school.

Your support and contributions have helped the children to continue their studies. Two more years and four of them will be in the university. God has faithfully provided for their educational needs

The Exciting News

We hint about this in our previous newsletters, the exciting news is that the Lord has given us the opportunity to expand our children’s home ministry. It may take a whole year to work out the details before it can come to fruition. The initial meetings with Divine Inheritance Foundation (DIF) have been encouraging.

We have been envisioning to take in more children, but our space and resources are limited. The founder of the DIF met with us and allowed us to use a portion of the property (which has not been used for more than a decade) for our children's home. The Foundation was established to help children-at-risk and our work fit in perfectly with their purpose.

Please help us to pray about this next phase in our ministry. We are praying to have another batch of ten to twelve young children next year. Pray also that an MOU favorable for both parties will be drawn. Please help us to pray for volunteers and paid staff who can help us. We do not know yet how this ministry will be supported but we have proven that God throughout the years that He is faithful.

By His stripes we are healed

He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed. -Isaiah 53:6

In about two days Narlin and I are flying back to Mae Sai. We have been away from home for practically three months. The longest time we have been away since we came to Thailand in 2006. It is also the longest time we are away from the children. We couldn’t wait to see them again. We are grateful to the Lord that under Jillian’s watch they did well performing their household duties and other responsibilities.

The unexpected surgery, the pains and the initial false-negative biopsy results had led to confusion about my disease. It is only after the further immunostain test and consulting with the oncologist that we understood better.  The oncologist told us that the tumor is renal cell carcinoma, a kidney cancer. The urologist’s decision to remove my kidney was right and probably eliminates cancer.  The only serious threat is if the cancer cells had already spread to the other organs.

Thankfully, the bone scan reveals that there is no evidence of tumor invasion to my bone. However, she suspected that the tumor has spread to the liver hence she will closely monitor it by having CT Scan every three months. Just in case cancer has spread to the liver then I have to undergo targeted therapy by oral medication.

Please pray for Narlin too as she needs to take care of her heart. Her doctor diagnosed that one of the chambers heart is getting bigger and because of her family’s health history she needs to take preventive medication.

Please continue to pray for complete healing from the surgery and total cure from cancer. I’m hoping this will be my last update regarding our health because we believe God will heal us sooner.

He Is Indeed Faithful

We had a great time spending a week in the Philippines with our youngest son, Reuven. We joined him on his graduation day. It was one of the happiest moments of our lives.  We realized just how we missed our son. We are thankful to the Lord for making a way for us to spend time with him.

If you are a parent, you would understand how sad we were when we left him especially when we had been with him for a few days. As we were walking away and waving goodbye, Narlin said, “I can’t help but cry, I am sad we are leaving our son again but joyful just to remember how faithful God was to see our children through college.”

God’s provision for our children’s education is one of the most beautiful testimony we share about God’s faithfulness in our lives as missionary. We know some people who believe that God has called them to mission but could not go because of their children’s schooling. Likewise, we know people  who were in the field but decided to go home for the same reason.

When we went for mission, our children knew that they need to make sacrifice especially with regards to their education. We did our best to put them to school. The homeschooling didn’t work because travel and materials cost were way beyond our means. Moreover, International Schools in Thailand are catered for the affluents.

To make a long story short, the Philippine’s Department of Education came to Thailand to conduct Equivalency Test and all our children passed the test  that made it possible for them to go straight to college. God is faithful.

Sewing Ministry

It has been over a year since we left the sewing program. But it doesn’t stop Narlin from helping and teaching young women how to sew and make small items such purse, bags among others. The only setback for a while  was we didn’t have a sewing machine.

One night, out of the blue, a friend sent us a text message asking if we want to continue the sewing ministry. When we answered yes, she told us that she would give us the money to buy a new sewing machine. It is a miraculous provisions for a specific need. Narlin is now helping a lady by teaching her how to sew and to extra income by making items.

Praise the Lord that even though we don’t have resources to run a training center, God provides the opportunity to continue helping young women.

God's Assurance

We were invited to attend an opening of a new children’s home in Chiang Mai. And we could not help but feel a little bit insecure thinking: How much money has been spent buying the property and constructing the buildings? What does it cost to run the Foundation and paid the staff?  We never in our wildest dream could afford any of these frills.

But then God assures us that the success of our ministry is not measured on how much property we owned, how beautiful our house is, or how much money we have. It is about caring and loving the children, teaching them  to be good person, to believe in God and to be like Christ. God assures us that we are doing well with the resources that He has provided.

We thank you for your partnership in the ministry, your support and prayers surely helps us to continue  to love and care for the children and do other ministries that God wants us to do.

Prayer Concerns

Once again, we want to share to you our thanksgiving and prayer concerns.

1. We thank the Lord that our work permit problem is resolved.  The Rainbow Foundation helped us to keep our visa in spite of our cancelled Work Permit.  But this cost us to pay more fees to the Department of Labor. The only positive upshot of this hurdle is that we will be given a two-year work permit. Thank you Lord.
2. Pray for the children’s national ID (Thai citizenship). To be honest, we don’t have any idea how to do this.  We are expecting our friends to help us by giving their testimony to the government in behalf of the children but they refused. Please continue to pray for this as we gather information about the process.
3. The school term is about to end. The children are having their final exam next week. A long three week vacation is waiting for them to enjoy. Pray that they will do well on their final exam and for their needs for the second semester. We are preparing activities for the long break.
4. Please for us, Joey and Narlin, for safe trip to the Philippines . We were invited to attend a Missionary Care Conference on September 24-29.  Although, we benefited from several Missionary R&R here in Thailand, it is the first time in twelve years that we have the privilege of being invited to  events like this. Please pray for safe travel and provisions.
5. Pray also for our ministry involvement in the church. We are actually involved with two congregations. The children lead worship at a local Thai church and I (Joey) preached once a month. We also do the same tasks in an international congregation (which gathers once a month) composed mostly of Filipino English teachers and few people from Thailand, USA and Europe. We started this fellowship since we came here twelve years ago. Please pray that these ministries will be a blessing to the community.
6. Please also pray for the Philippines in the aftermath of the category 5 typhoon, Mangkhut. Please pray for those who are greatly affected especially in the northern part of the Philippines.

Please continue to include is your thoughts and prayers. We appreciate your partnership in our ministry.

This is also posted in my other blog and sent in email form to our family and friends.

Quick update

We have been preparing for my trip to the Philippines on September 4 to finish my study. Working out the things we need to do before I leave.  Talking with Pastor Shin Maung about my extended absence (3-5 months), he volunteered to drive the nine children to and from the school. We do not know how it will work out, but we are glad enough that the church will help us all the way.

We had not thought, however, that Narlin would go home earlier than I do. Her father died last August 3. We thought she would not be able to get out of the country to mourn with her family and friends back home because our visa is still being processed at the immigration and will not be finished until August 19. The Foundation advised us that we could not go out of the country until after that date. Narlin was devastated.  We strongly felt that she should be home. We called the Foundation and asked what could be done so that she could go home. We found out that she could go provided she will return before the 19th, the day we need to go to the immigration office. She went to the Philippines last Thursday and will be back on the 17th.

Tatay was brought to his final resting place in Dagupan early today (August 7). He will be best remembered for the good things he had done for the Kingdom. He was a Bible teacher, evangelist and preacher. Many people came to believe in Jesus through his ministry. Incidentally, today is also Nanay Linda’s (Narlin’s mother) birthday. Family and friends have a double celebration, as we know by faith that Tatay is probably now enjoying his face to face moments with Jesus.

Once again, we thank everyone who readily helped. Our church (Mae Sai Grace Church) extended their comfort and assistance. We also thank our fellow Filipino missionaries in Mae Sai and Chiang Rai for being there physically praying for us. We want also to thank our friends back home and on the Internet, thank you for words of comfort and encouragement.

When Narlin return in a week we will go to Chiang Mai for our visa to the Consular Service extended to Chiang Mai by the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok. We will be spending a lot of  time preparing for my departure. We need to check and pack our children’s PACEs among other things. My ministries will resume when I return from the Philippines but Narlin’s works will continue and it will be doubly difficult for her in my absence. Pray for her.

Please continue to pray for us. We are assured of God’s provisions but He uses people like you to make it happen. And we can testify how God do this all the time. Everything that we have here is an answered to prayers. Every work that we do happens because of prayers. Thank you for being a channel of God’s blessings to us and consequently to the people we are ministering.

Pray for Nanay Linda (Narlin’s mother), Narlin and her siblings that they could feel God’s comfort and presence as they mourn Tatay’s death.

Continue to pray for our visa extension. It is not over until it’s over (on August 19). =) Praise the Lord for those who obey God’s urging to give for this particular need.  Without the visa, we can’t even be here.

First Quarter Highlights

It has been a very busy month for us. I really have not been updating this blog as I should. Summer camp is going on now on the other side and we will be preparing for another camp in the mountains of Chiang Rai next week.

The first quarter of 2010 is over. Just like the previous years we are not certain how the year will end but God has shown us how it will look like. He constantly made us aware of His presence, power, protection and provision in our life and ministry. Your constant prayers make all these things possible.
We are sharing to you the  first quarter highlights.

•  A breakthrough happened this year when we were permitted to hold an English Camp in Pamuad School. More than one hundred seventy students heard the Word. Moreover, we have started a good relationship with the School's officers, teachers and staff.
•  Eight young people are ready to be discipled because of the camp. They are Noot's classmates who helped us to interpret for us. The young people became very close to us and consider us a family.
• Grace Home Kindergarten held its closing and recognition program last February 26. As usual the event was well-attended by the parents. Many of the parents are now Christian.
• Fourteen Wa Pastors and church leaders came to Mae Sai for a three-day retreat and we were humbled to be invited as one of the resource speakers.
•  As you are reading this, a PBTS Seminary Education by Extension is going on. Jimi and Nori have come to help us in this ministry. We envision to continuously provide quality training to qualified potential pastors and church leaders both from Myanmar and Northern Thailand.
•  Mae Sai Grace Church celebrates its sixth anniversary  on the 28th of March.  We were with them when they were just a young struggling congregation and we are proud to be with them as they are becoming a vibrant and growing community of believers in Mae Sai. It's ministry has expanded to include nursery, migrant primary school, children's home and micro finance for its members. We were flattered when Pastor Maung introduced us to his friends and visitors as the "Best Missionary Friends" of the church. Having said that, Pastor Maung requested Narlin to resume teaching and training the teachers of the primary school. A ministry that we gladly accepted.
•  This summer many Thai students are flocking to different tutorial centers in the town to study Chinese and English. This strengthen our resolve to start the training center in our house which we have been praying for since the first day we arrived in Mae Sai. However, this is a ministry that we can not do on our own. We need help. We are praying for people to come and commit their lives to this kind of ministry.
• Last February,  we were surprised to receive an email message from SEND International-Philippines. A team of eight people came to help with the English camp. The director told us that they have been considering North Thailand as one of their target areas and they will send missionaries in the near future. We hope we can be of any assistance to them.
•  God has given us opportunities to become "receiver" for short term missionaries from different Philippine based missions organizations.  We are expecting two teams from the Philippines next month including Asia Vision.