University Bound
Three of the children at Gethsemane Home are now attending universities in Northern Thailand. Two are still in Chiang Mai, and one is in the province of Chiang Rai. They are all doing well.
We are so appreciative of their sponsors who are helping to make this possible. We knew when these young people graduated from high school that they had achieved something that many village children do not have the opportunity to accomplish. Now they are being given the chance to further their education, and we are excited to see what their future holds.
We recently purchased laptops for all three to help with their studies. They have become excellent role models for the other children at the home. Please continue to pray for these students as they become acclimated to university life.
Mission Trip 2016 Update
We will be returning to Thailand on December 31st. This year Wayne Boswell, Brandon Jensen, and Suzanne Harris will be traveling with us. Matt and Debbie Carver will be joining us a week later.
Our main focus for this trip is to conduct an evangelism seminar for Christian leaders from remote villages in Northern Thailand. We will also be painting the new wall surrounding Gethsemane Home.
We will soon be asking for donations for supplies to take with us. We also ask for your prayers as we make final preparations. You can contact us at 660-254-5775 if you would like to help in any way.
Flower Fundraisers
Last fall Donella’s sister, Kathe DeMott, approached her with an idea of raising money for Under the Son Ministries educational fund. She had talked to Blooming Gardens in St. Joseph, and they agreed to sell us flowers at wholesale cost as a fundraiser for the ministry. We were too late to put an order in for geraniums in the spring, but they agreed to give us what they could. In early May we received 50 geraniums of assorted colors and were able to sell them rather quickly. The process was repeated in early September with mums. We traveled to the nursery and returned with 60 mums of assorted colors and soon found ourselves going back for 25 more. With the support we have received for this venture, we have already placed an order for 200+ geraniums next spring. In November we will be placing orders for mums that we will receive next fall.
A special thank you to Donna Lance and her wonderful brother, Bill, for making this possible.
Sigma Society Fundraiser
It seems we are approached by individuals regularly with ways to raise funds for Under the Son Ministries. Donella’s niece, Molly, suggested selling items from Thailand at the Union on the campus of Northwest Missouri State University through Sigma Society. It just happened that the Fundraising Chair this year for that organization was a former student of Donella’s in grade school. God is good!
The organization is selling Thai pants, Lisu coin purses, and wood bracelets. They also have Karen bags, winter hats, and bracelets made by the family at Gethsemane Home. There will be several times that they will set up in the Union to sell these items.
Proceeds from these fundraisers will be used for the Educational Fund to further the education of Gethsemane children beyond high school.
A special thank you to Molly McVinua and Shea Miller for making this possible. If you have any other fundraising ideas, please share with us. We are trying to think outside the box.
New Truck
For the last couple of years, Titus has been faced with two issues with his old truck. The first is that with its age, it had seemingly become in constant need of repair. The second is because it is a short box pickup, he was unable to haul as many people in the back. Both of those issues were addressed a few months ago when we agreed that a new truck was needed. The new truck is a single cab with a long box. After the truck was delivered, a “roof” was installed in the bed. In the past the “roof” would have been constructed from a combination of metal and canvas. The new all metal roof makes riding in the back much safer. The children can also ride more comfortably when going to school and church. We thank God for making this purchase possible.
Water Shortage in Thailand
One of the prayer needs that we mention when we visit area churches is the water situation in Northern Thailand. Ever since the flooding that occurred during the rainy season of 2011, rainfall amounts have been below normal. Even though it is hard to tell how much below normal the yearly rainfall amounts are, we have seen other indicators of a shortage of water. The water level at the Mae Kuang reservoir which is near Gethsemane Home is sufficiently lower than it was a couple of years ago. This reservoir supplies water for flooding the rice fields and other agriculture needs. Water from the reservoir is also used for tap water, which includes producing drinkable water.
The direct effects of the current water situation can be seen in the lower water levels found in the pond that supplies water for washing clothes, washing dishes, and bathing at Gethsemane Home. Titus has lowered the pipe used to pump water out of the pond several times in the last couple of years.
In recent months one of the neighbors near Gethsemane Home had a well dug on their property. The man that dug the well agreed to dig a well for Gethsemane Home and said there would be no charge if he did not find water. An adequate water source to support a well was not found.
Please continue to pray that we will find a solution to this problem.
