July 2023 Newsletter

Dear Brethren,

I am looking forward to coming to America to give reports about our work here. My trip is growing near. I have been working on my report, the presentation table, and other lessons that will be given while I am in America. I will be leaving here in less than two months. I am excited to come and give reports in person so that you can know more about the work that we are doing together for the Lord here in Thailand.

Much of this month was spent in teaching Bible to the young people throughout Northern Thailand. On the 10^th and 11^th, we spent time in Khun Yuam. On Saturday morning, I taught the Bible for three hours. We ate lunch with the young people. On Saturday afternoon, we spent time going over their homework from school and helping them understand and finish their work. On Monday, we picked up two young ladies and helped them get to their university in Lampang. Monday night they stayed with us in the dormitory in Chiang Mai. On Tuesday we took them the rest of the way to Lampang.

On the 18^th, I preached here in Chiang Mai and then I drove 3 hours to Fang and held a worship service and Bible class there. After that I drove back to Chiang Mai for our evening service. That makes for a long day. But it is wonderful to spend all of the Lord’s day with the Lord’s people doing the Lord’s work.

Since our Bible camp this year we have had a problem.  It is something unique in my lifetime. We have young people calling us and begging us to pick them up for worship every week. Usually, we have trouble keeping young people once they get into their teens. They have many other things that draw them away from God and worship. I am thrilled that so many young people want to go to worship every week. Our problem is a logistical one. In Chiang Mai we have 16 young people that come to worship every week. In Khun Yuam we have 9 young people that come to worship every week. In the Maelati area we have 60 that come to worship every week. However, we have 4 in Mae Hong Son that want to worship every week, but we can only get there once a month, but we are going to try and go twice a month. We have 20 in Maethawa that want to come every week. Another 5 that live in Tha Song Yang. There are another 17 that live in Mae Oomki that want to come to worship. Another 5 that live in Lampang that want to come to worship every week.  The first 85 young people are not the problem.  Although it is a lot of work, we manage to get them to worship every week. It is the other 50 young people we are concerned about. We have prayed and planned. We do not want these precious souls to fall by the wayside. So, we came up with a plan for 2 Saturdays each month. We will take the young people to Maelati and teach them the Bible all day Saturday. Those that live far away, around 60 young people will have to spend Saturday night at Maelati. The girls in the new chruch building and the boys in the old church building. Then we will take them back on Sunday afternoon. While one group is taking people home, another group will go to another place to worship. In doing this we will be able to have all of them worship 2 Sundays a month and most of them worship 4 Sundays a month. We will have two Saturdays with 6 hours of teaching each Saturday. This is the best thing we can come up with for the time being. So far, we have had 137 young people sign up for the Saturday/Sunday twice a month program. Believe it or not, that does not include the young people from Chiang Mai, Khun Yuam, Lampang and Mae Hong Son.  We feel like we have to do something, because if we don’t do something we will lose all these young people. On Saturdays, our plan is to have everyone together for the morning session. Then in the afternoon, Kung will teach the girls who are Christians. I will teach the boys who are Christians. Passakorn, Chaichana, and Suchat will teach the rest. We will have to use 5 vehicles to make this work. Those who live close enough to Maelati will have to go home on Saturday night. That will leave us with around 60 young people to stay overnight. The expenses are: gas money for five vehicles to pick up and take back young people. Food for everyone for lunch on Saturday. Supper, breakfast and lunch for the young people who have to spend the night. The last one we had had 96 in attendance… It is the rainy season here and some were unable to come. One whole village we did not allow to come because half of the young people from there had Covid. The other half was very sad… but we felt like we needed to protect the health of the other young people that came. God has opened a door for us and we do not want to pass this wonderful opportunity by.

May God bless continue to bless us as we continue to work together for Him,

—Michael