Michael’s Got This Covered
We are packing our bags and will be returning to Thailand for an extended period of time. Our first stop will be in Washington, D.C., to spend some time with Elli and our children. We will leave there for Thailand on July 5th and arrive on July 7th. Donella will stay through the end of July, and Steve will not return until September 16th.
With our return to Thailand in July, we were concerned about leaving our home empty for an extended period of time. Our hope was that we could find someone to live in our home while we were overseas. We were visiting with our nephew, Michael McVinua, one evening about needing someone. He said he was looking for somewhere to move. Michael has been living with us since May and will be taking care of our house, getting our mail, mowing the yard, and hopefully remembering to water our flowers. 🙂
We’re excited to have Michael with us and know God had this plan for all of us. It will also be nice to have him here when Donella returns the end of July without Steve.
Thank you, Michael!
Please pray for us as we travel back to Thailand and continue our work with Titus and Newa.
Flowers, Flowers, Flowers
April 13th began with great anticipation. It was the day that 215 geraniums were about to be delivered to our house as a fundraiser for Under the Son Ministries. That morning messages were sent out to all of the people who had ordered their geraniums last fall. We were so thankful for the response of everyone in picking up their orders and to all who purchased the extra flowers we ordered. All the money raised from this project goes to our education fund which is used to further the education of children at Gethsemane beyond high school. Don’t forget that we will be getting mums around the first of September, and we are taking orders now for geraniums for next year.
Digging It (Old School)
On the evening of March 3rd, we FaceTimed with Titus at Gethsemane Home. He had hired some men to dig a well, and he wanted to show us the progress. A truck was there unloading tile, “concrete circles” as Titus called them. Titus took his iPhone over to where they were digging and held it over the hole. All we could see was darkness as we looked down the hole, which was close to thirty feet deep. All of a sudden a man pulled on a rope that was looped over a pulley and up came a bucket of dirt. The next time the bucket came up there was a man riding in the bucket. When the men were finished digging the well, they had dug down 15 meters (49 feet), which included about 2 meters (6 ½ feet) of water. Finally 36 sections of well tile, measuring 1 meter across, and a pump were installed. A 2,000 liter (528 gallon) tank was also purchased for additional storage. We are so thankful that this project was completed since another year of below average rainfall is expected.
Huai Pong Church Makeover
Huai Pong is one of the first village churches we visited when we moved to Thailand. Titus had been evangelizing in this village for several years. This is the village where Moses and Yuri now have a wonderful ministry.
The church at Huai Pong is dear to our hearts, and we knew the building needed some upgrades. With the help of Clarksdale Christian Church, Under the Son Ministries was able to have a new ceiling and tile flooring installed in the church.
Living For Christ
This year family camp was held from April 11-16 at Camp Eden, which is near Doi Saket. Camp is a great way to learn more about Jesus and build relationships with others. The theme verse for camp was Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” There were 185 people who registered for camp this year, but Titus said that there was easily over 200 in attendance. Titus spent three days teaching classes on baptism: Day 1 – Repentance, Day 2 – Meaning of Baptism, and Day 3 – Communion. There were eighteen baptisms at camp this year, seven children from Gethsemane home. Titus and Under the Son Ministries would like to thank you for your support as we continue to reach these hill tribe people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
My Bags Are Packed
I was recently asked to speak at the Ladies Salad Supper at Ravenwood Christian Church. On April 25th I spoke to over 100 ladies from churches in Northwest Missouri. I had spoken at this same event five years ago a few weeks before we left for Thailand to begin Under the Son Ministries. It was great to share with these ladies how the ministry had grown in the past five years.
In my talk I made a comparison between packing my bags for Thailand and making sure I have my bags packed and ready for my final destination some day.
My Bags Are All Packed – Susanne Williams
Is today the day when You will come back?
I’m waiting Lord Jesus – my bags are all packed.
I’m waiting for You to appear in the sky-
I’m ready to leave and to earth say good-bye.
I’m ready to go where You’ve prepared a place-
I’m waiting to meet You and look on Your face.
If today is the day that You do come back-
You’ll find I am waiting – my bags are all packed.
Lahu Sheleh from China
For the last couple of years, Titus and other Lahu Sheleh Christian leaders have been going to China to evangelize to the Lahu Sheleh there. In late March a group from China, eight women and three men, came to Northern Thailand to be a part of a month long evangelism trip. The group’s visit started by attending an event in the Mae Hong Son Province from March 28-30. Over 800 people from thirty Lahu Sheleh villages came together for fellowship. During the day the different villages competed in sports such as football (soccer), Takraw (Thai volleyball-check this out on the internet), and volleyball. At night the ladies from China performed tribal dances and acted out the parable of the Lost Son. There was also preaching and time spent praying for the sick. Following their visit to Mae Hong Son, Titus and Andrew escorted the group to the Omkoi district where Simeon and Zaccheus minister. They also participated in the week at family camp and spent time visiting other Lahu Sheleh villages and churches before their return to China.
