After 15 years & 9 months of praying, waiting & preparing, our family is finally here in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We arrived on the evening of September 26, 2022, at Chiang Mai International Airport and were welcomed by our family from With Reach Global Foundation. It’s an entirely new season for our family to be out into the mission field pursuing the heart of God for the unreached people group in Thailand.
The Peace in the midst of the perfect storm.
Our coming to Chiang Mai was full of excitement. A month before our departure from the Philippines we encountered a problem with our visa application which we tried to find a solution to up to the last minute. We ended up pulling out our application and our passport and decided to travel to Thailand on a tourist visa. It was a step of faith that we know we have to do in order to get to Thailand.
To add to the excitement, the night before our flight to Thailand a category 5 typhoon landed in the Philippines passing through Manila with massive rainfall and very strong wind speed. Both international and domestic flights started to get cancelled one after another. Worried that our flight will be cancelled we prayed and declared God’s word for us in Revelation 3:8 which says
Revelation 3:8 New American Standard Bible
8 ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have followed My word, and have not denied My name.
We held tight to His word and peace rested on us as we endured the typhoon’s pounding overnight. The morning revealed God’s glory as the sun peaks through our window – the storm is over and our flight was not cancelled, we are clear to go! On September 26, 2022, we boarded Thai Airways flight TG621 on a one-way ticket to Chiang Mai, Thailand.
New Family. New Territory
Two days after our arrival we met our Within Reach Global Foundation family who welcomed us warmly. In this family, we have Chinese, Americans, Thais, Latinas & Filipinos laboring side by side to go into the unreached people groups of Northern Thailand to share the gospel. We were thrilled when we heard the many stories of God’s divine movement in many different parts of Thailand.
To date, there are only .77% Christians in this nation, this is despite the fact that the gospel has been in Thailand for 194 years. For years many missionaries from different parts of the world had labored to further the spread of the gospel to different provinces and people groups but to very little result. But a new day is dawning on the horizon for Thailand. The seeds that the early missionaries sowed in this nation are slowly sprouting.
The past few years, especially during this pandemic have been different. There are pockets of spiritual awakening that have never happened before and it feels like God is about to bring a massive harvest of souls to this nation. The people, especially the younger ones are more open now to listening to the gospel. There is an increasing hunger for the Holy Spirit among believers and church leaders. I believe we are at the “tipping point” for the greatest spiritual awakening in Thailand and what an opportunity to be here at such a time as this.
Very recently, we traveled to Lamphun, a province about an hour and a half outside Chiang Mai. We met with the local pastors to see how we can assist them in their ministry. It was also a time of cross-pollinating our vision in advancing the gospel in this part of Northern Thailand. We feel the spiritual atmosphere shifting in many different provinces of Thailand and we are privilege to be here to see the spirit of God move across this nation.
VISA
Our family will be traveling to Hanoi, Vietnam to process our Non-O visa (missionary visa). Please pray for God’s favor to be upon us and that the Thai embassy will issue us the visa.
MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY
- ALPHA COURSE TRAINING
This coming month of November, we will be leading an ALPHA COURSE leaders training among Thai & Chinese leaders. These leaders will be tasked to start alpha course groups in different spheres of influence. Help us pray that this effort will result in opening doors for campus and workplace ministry.
- DISCIPLESHIP AND MENTORING
We will also start our discipleship training with some of the leaders of our Thai and Chinese team. Pray that we will be able to establish a strong relationship with everyone as we take the journey of discipleship.
KIDS’ EDUCATION
Please include our children and our whole family in your prayer. Our kids are adjusting to our new life here in the field. All three of our kids are now doing “homeschooling”, this is a totally different experience for us.
FINANCES
We want to ask you to pray for our monthly provision while we are here in the mission field. Pray for more churches & individuals to partner with us who will help us sustain the ministry work we are doing here through their giving.
