10 Years and Counting
For us, starting Under the Son Ministries began before June 17, 2011, but that was the day, along with Bobbi, we arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Five days later we were introduced to Titus and Newa, along with the six orphan and at-risk children they had recently taken in. Titus and Newa had been praying that someone would come to help
support them as they raised these children. Almost immediately we knew God had sent Under the Son Ministries to be the answer to their prayers. Little did we know what else He had in store for this ministry.
We would like to thank all of you who have supported this ministry over the past ten years with your prayers and financial support. Your support has enabled us to build a new building at Gethsemane home, renovate the existing building, purchase land, build a wall around the property, and dig a well for an adequate water supply. Many children have been blessed by all of this. Multiple other projects have taken place such as a mission house in Patong Muser and a multi-purpose training center at Antioch Church. These are all valuable outreach projects which aid in spreading the Gospel in Northern Thailand.
Gethsemane Baptisms
In a conversation with Titus in late May, he told us that Wanchai wanted to accept Christ as his Lord and Savior. Wanchai came to Gethsemane Home when he was four years old. Titus said there were some other young people, including Moses’ son Joshua, who also wanted to be baptized. Titus then spent some time holding classes to teach these young people what it means to be a Christian. On June 13th, Wanchai, Joshua, and Nong Tee went with several other Christians to the klong (canal) near Gethsemane Home. There they were baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. One thing Wanchai told Titus was that with everything that was going on in the world today, he did not want to wait to become a Christian. Oh the joy these young men will know the rest of their lives as they grow in their faith and trust in our Lord.
Pandemic Setback
As the month of April began, we were very optimistic about the hope of Thailand opening up after the pandemic. The Thai government had lowered the quarantine time for international visitors from 14 days down to 7 days for fully vaccinated people. Titus and Newa had recently had a large group at Gethsemane as they celebrated Samuel’s wedding, and a youth camp at Nong Kheo village was planned.
Soon after, there was another surge of cases in Chiang Mai, and the area was once again shut down. The possibility of
vaccinations is still very uncertain for all of them. Vaccines are not readily available yet, and some of the vaccines they have tried have had bad side effects. They are even having to pay for the better vaccines. We are still happy to report that none of our children or staff have been infected.
We were hoping to return in September but have now decided that it would be best to wait until the new year. We know we need to return, but it is all in God’s time and planning.
7 University Students and Counting
Thiti graduated from high school in March and has recently begun his university studies. He is the seventh student that Under the Son Ministries has been able to send to university. He is majoring in business with an emphasis in Japanese. He would some day like to be a Japanese guide or interpreter.
Titus recently purchased a laptop for Thiti to use for his university studies. We were able to do this because of your generosity in supporting our Under the Son Ministries Educational Fund. Thiti told us it has been very helpful with his online classes and also when completing assignments in Japanese.
Excited to see what the future holds for this young man!
UTSM Staff Outreach Continues
Each of us can all probably look back over the last year and see how the COVID virus has kept us from doing things the way we were used to doing them. The vaccines have helped us get back to what we might consider “normal”. In Thailand it is a much different situation. Many times, when cases of the virus were higher, travel was restricted between provinces. Many villages are still afraid of getting the virus, and there have been times they wouldn’t allow people from the outside to come in.
During these uncertain times, our staff is still spreading the Gospel. With so many villagers not knowing who or what they can trust, our staff members are sharing with them that Jesus is the only one they can put their faith in. Simeon has baptized new believers in Patang Musur. Bandit has worked with Andrew in Doi Mod to evangelize in that village. Titus, Judah, and Moses have baptized new believers in Huai Pong.
Upcoming Fundraising Events
We want to thank everyone who purchased geraniums the end of April. All 350 were sold before delivery! In this seventh year of the fundraiser, it is the first time all were spoken for before they even arrived at our house. What a blessing!
Soon we will be taking pre-orders for our mums fundraiser. We will have bronze, yellow, red, and purple colors available again this year. They will be delivered after Labor Day. We’re hoping to participate in several craft fairs this fall. If you know of any that might be beneficial for us to be a part of, please let us know. We are also already
securing houses for this year’s 5th Annual Christmas Homes Tour. It will be held on Sunday, December 5th.
Proceeds from all of these fundraisers are applied to our educational fund. This money is used to pay tuition for children at Gethsemane Home that choose to attend university or a technical school, high school tuition, and so much more. We hope to see you at one of these events. Thank you again for your continued support
