Ministry Update March 2023Image of Thailand Flag

BY Lilian Yang | March 7, 2023 | min read

BY Lilian Yang|March 7, 2023

min read

Greetings

Sawattdee Ka! Warm greetings from Northern Thailand! Local people are celebrating the reopening of the border of Thailand and Myanmar which has been closed for three years. Initially, the closure was due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then political unrest in Myanmar. The opening of the border will greatly affect the lives of local people and our ministry. As we begin our mission work for the new quarter of 2023, I want to share some ministry updates. It is always a blessing to have your prayers and support in my ministry.

Ministry/Project Update:

We are excited about the successful completion of the first session of Thread of Hope Inside Myanmar project which provided sewing training to women in Myanmar. A total of 12 women participated. The second training session began in January for another 12 women. Beneficiaries shared with us the joy and hope they received from this project. One of the trainees said, “I had been looking for sewing training classes for more than three years. Unfortunately, the training fees made it impossible for me to learn. Now, I thank God for this sewing class. I am really enjoying the course.” The sewing skills they demonstrated from the course is leading them to a better future in addressing the poverty crisis in Myanmar due to the unrest.

The final quarter of 2022 for Lahu project was a harvest season as Rev. Thaw Thu and the team brought 38 villagers to Christ. They decided to give up their former beliefs and turn to God. They were baptized by Rev. Thaw Thu. They experienced peace and freedom that they had never experienced before. During the trips, the team also visited the old villages and encouraged the believers. Despite the challenges, the trips were fruitful. One of the new believers shared, “When I heard that Jesus is calling us to put our burden on him and he will give us rest, I was really happy to hear this good news. I found the hope that I am looking for. This has changed my life and my family’s lives.” This villager lived in poverty because his former belief demanded he give everything to the gods in exchange for good health. Now he has been set free by God and lives without fear.

The two student centers are saying goodbye to students who completed their studies and will either move on to further studies or get a job. New students are enrolling. They are able to access education and better living conditions which are unavailable from their home communities. The students in both centers are in good health and growing in every way. In the last quarter, the Canada SENT team visited one of the centers and had fellowship with the teachers and students in the center.

A total of 113 graduates are expected to graduate from Thailand Bethel Theological Institute in March. Graduates from the past three school years are included in this number. Myanmar students are excited to be able to return to campus now that Thailand-Myanmar borders have reopened. The pandemic and the border closure had reduced the number of new students over the past three years. We hope that this new semester, which begins in May, will see more students joining TBTI’s programs and be equipped to respond to the calling they received from God.

Family Update:

Thailand’s northern region is about to experience its hottest season of the year. We usually have a severe smog problem around this time every year. Smog has adversely affected the health of many people in the area. Several members of my family were suffering from common colds and coughs.

Currently, I am taking online courses for my ThM spring semester. In order to fulfill the course requirements and complete my work, I had to adjust my timetable. I thank God for blessing me with sufficient grace to endure a busy schedule, but I must admit it was packed.

My husband Joseph and I have finished our teaching at TBTI for this school year. This March, TBTI will hold its graduation ceremony.

My daughter Sophia will finish her last semester of 7th grade in a couple of weeks. Her schoolwork is going well, and she enjoys spending time with friends. Please remember us in your prayer, praying for our health, having enough strength and wisdom to overcome the challenges we face every day.

Prayer Requests:

  • Please pray for new TBTI graduates as they step into the mission field, may God guide them and protect them from every danger.
  • Please pray for our mission projects in Myanmar, Thread of Hope Inside Myanmar and Lahu project, pray that the leaders of the projects will have the wisdom and strength to run the projects in challenging circumstances.
  • Please pray for the students in Zheng Zhu Center and Chen Guang Center to live and study in health and happiness.
  • Please pray for an upcoming project that will be launched this year, Operation Dawn Discipleship Training project. As we plan and implement this, please pray that God will guide us through.
  • Please pray for my family to have good health and strength.

It is exciting to see God at work. Despite challenging times, local mission ministries in the Golden Triangle keep growing by the grace of God. To Him be all the glory. I am grateful for your prayers and support in my ministry. I believe that God always works through our prayers. May our Lord Jesus Christ bring you and your family peace and joy.

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