Good News from afar

News from our missionary friends in Thailand

Cool air has been blowing down our way from China. It is the time of year when we have many visitors out Thailand way.

Last week we had a pastor from Bhutan who is on study assignment in Bangkok. We were able to have him over to spend the whole day in fellowship with us in our home here in Chiangmai.

It was also a joy to have Bill C. in town for this month. Bill’s family spent 51 years serving here in Thailand. His son and wife and wee grandson Abe were also here with us for a few days. They are still serving the Lord in Thailand.

Bill has been staying with dear friends and helping at a Bible School, and at 86, still helping with translation of training materials into Thai language. Bill lives back home in N. Ireland now.

We all were next door to Bill this last weekend when with our office worker Pailyn, we cared for 10 kids. It was not penance, but rather an opportunity to give a small respite to the W’s. The W’s have adopted this group of 10 children and maybe a rabbit or two. The kids have special needs and come from various continents and countries.

Papa W lost his legs in Vietnam. His 25 years experience as a social worker well suits him for this work and calling. His wife also is specially prepared and called but we have observed she has a hard time saying no to people and especially kids in need.

When we talked with the kids about being a part of a big family (altogether more than 20 of their kids have grownup and "graduated" into adult lives) the older kids were saying that it seems small now. When they served eight years in Africa their home grew to 200 kids.

Anyway, Mom and Papa were looking a bit more tired than usual, so we came in to pinch-hit for them so that they could have a weekend away. This came at the time they received news that their home church was dropping them from their missions list. They are very active in their church here and are about to open a house group in their neighborhood.

For those of us who have had the privilege of working directly in church planting and nurturing ministries; we appreciate and honor the 90 percent who are in support work like translation, Bible schools and children’s homes.

All over the world the enemy likes to attack families. But our friends like the W’s not only teach principles of Christian family, but they are modeling it in a most extraordinary way as well. We bless the Lord for them and for all of you who are receiving this note as you live and model Christian family in the place of your calling so that others may hear and see and come to know the love of God.

We have known a family in Penn. that have been such a blessing to us. Now their younger son (who we used to watch in nursery) and his wife are serving the Lord here in Asia. I have enjoyed so much reading their reports and seeing their pictures. I really like how they sign their reports and would like to borrow from them, confessing that we all as Christians where ever the Lord has us and whatever He has us doing, we are:

"Learning to Love",