January Snapshots
We are in Thailand at this time. We are keeping busy during these two weeks. We will share more about this trip in our next newsletter.
Our Littlest Addition
It is always exciting when we are able to bring another child into Gethsemane Home. Even though it’s sad to hear about the kind of environment most of these children come from, it is also rewarding to know the hope they are receiving. We would like to introduce Lada. Lada is four years old and her mother, who is Black Lahu, died when she was eight months old. Lada’s father is Chinese, but from what we understand is not a part of her life. Lada loves going to school. Titus says that when the children get ready to leave
for school, she is first in line for morning prayers. She also loves being the one who wakes Titus each morning when they are ready to go to school. We have fallen in love with this sweet girl!
Patang MuSur Mission House
A little over a year ago Judah and Leah became a part of Under the Son Ministries. They help with evangelizing in the Om Koi district with their main purpose being to care for the spiritual growth of the Christians in Patang MuSur village. Our original plan was to build a mission house on some land a Christian family owned. The needs of that family changed and so did the location of the mission house. The Under the Son Ministries staff went to Patang MuSur in late October and started building the mission house next to the church. They spent two weeks working with local villagers in the rain and the mud to finally get the roof on and the block walls laid. In early December a return trip was made to pour the concrete floor and shop (make smooth) the walls both inside and out. The mission house will soon be ready for Judah and Leah to live in. Thank you to the individuals and churches that made this possible.
Christmas Homes Tour
We are always looking for ideas to help fund our educational needs. The fundraising we do is used for university expenses, high school tuition, uniforms, and English supplies. These expenses are a growing need at Gethsemane and will give our children better opportunities in the future. We decided this year to have a Christmas Homes Tour to help with these needs. Five homes were opened on December 3rd for ticket holders to tour. Over 160 tickets were sold, and this will certainly become an annual event. We are so thankful for the couples who were willing to open their homes on that day. Delbert and Dorothy Biehle, Coby and Teresa Hayes, Doug and Annie Thomson, and Bill and Steph Walker we want to thank you so much for your generosity! Also special thanks to the businesses who were willing to sell the tickets: Ferluknat Farm, La Chic, Maryville Florist, Minnie Lane, On the Spot Designs, and The Nesting Place. Keep Sunday, December 2nd, open on your calendar in 2018 for our 2nd Annual Christmas Homes Tour.
Christmas at Tak
On December 15th, twenty-four people from Gethsemane Home and Huai Pong village traveled six hours to Ban Gao village in the province of Tak. The next day over 100 Christian and non-Christian people came together from several local villages to celebrate Christmas. During the afternoon, they played several games with the village children.
At night the children from Gethsemane Home performed a play telling the story of Christ’s birth. There were also special dances performed by the girls from Gethsemane and Huai Pong. During the worship service, there were a few non-Christians who came forward for prayers. We hope to continue ministering to these people by spending time with them. Please pray that God will bless this new ministry.
