God’s Provision
Philippians 4:19, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” God wants us to put our trust in His provision for all our needs. He doesn’t promise us that we won’t have times of difficulty, but He does promise that He is always by our side giving us the strength we need to make it through anything. When we truly put our faith in Christ, we will find God’s provision in all areas of our lives; this includes God’s protection and the care He has for us. There are occasions when we can’t help but see that God is intervening in the course of our
lives in a unique and special way.
In early October we received a message from Titus letting us know that the tires on both trucks had “expired” and needed to be replaced. I told Titus to get a price from the shop where we had purchased tires in the past. It wasn’t long before we had quotes on three different brands of tires. We immediately transferred the money to Titus and later that same day we received pictures of new tires being put on both vehicles. Within a week after putting on the tires, the ministry received two special donations that covered the cost of the new tires. God’s provision had supplied this need. Under the Son Ministries is grateful for all the gifts we receive from those who support the work in Thailand.
Christmas/New Year’s Celebrations
As the year 2020 drew closer to its end, Thailand saw a rise in COVID cases. This caused government officials to
again tighten restrictions on travel and gatherings.
Gethsemane Home and members of Antioch Christian Church planned to hold a combination Christmas/New
Year’s celebration on December 31st. Earlier a government official told them they would not be able to have a
gathering at the church. Instead of eating at the church, each family ate their evening meal at home. Titus and
Newa held a moo kata for the family at Gethsemane that evening. Everyone also received a new shirt. Several
families still felt the need to meet so about 11pm they went to the church to share gifts followed by worship at
midnight. The next morning the church gathered again for another worship service. We were glad to see that
most of our university students were able to join in the celebration.
We would like to thank the couple whose donation made this all possible.
Long Awaited Project
Steve made Under the Son Ministries’ first visit to the Omkoi district of Chiang Mai province in April
2014. It was during that visit that Steve met Simeon who is now part of our staff. Simeon lives in
the village of Na Khrai and is also evangelizing and shepherding the Christians in other area villages.
On that first visit it was obvious that the church building in Na Khrai was in poor condition. Even though the church has continued to deteriorate, other building projects have taken precedence in the past. Simeon has been very patient, and we feel that now is the time to build a new church in Na Khrai.
On December 1st (Giving Tuesday), an appeal was sent out to several individuals as a kickoff for raising the $10,000 needed for this project. At this time we have raised $3,950 and hope to soon share this news with Simeon. If you’re interested in helping to build this church in Na Khrai, please contact us. We know Simeon would be truly grateful.
A Helping Hand
A couple of our children at Gethsemane recently made the decision to attend a technical school. Chalit is one of those children and is studying vehicle mechanics. Chalit has been at Gethsemane Home since the ministry started in 2011.
Our students who attend the technical school qualified to receive a monthly stipend from the government while attending the school. This school is in the city about thirty minutes from Gethsemane so transportation back and forth each day was needed. Titus helped Chalit borrow money, using his stipend to make payments, to purchase a new motorbike. We appreciate all that Titus helps these children do to prepare them for the future.
Villagers Celebrate the Harvest
Here in the States the Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November with many families
getting together sometime around that date. In the villages of Thailand, the date for celebrating the harvest is chosen by each individual village. Most of these celebrations are held during the months of October and November, but
some even extend into December.
Villagers with animistic beliefs bring their “first fruits” and offer sacrifices to the spirits in hopes of appeasing them for a good harvest. For the Under the Son Ministries staff and other Christians, this is a great time to show others that it is God who we all need to thank for the blessings we receive and the way He takes care of us. It seemed like members of our staff were sending us pictures on a weekly basis telling us of another harvest celebration they were participating in. Most of the time they were being asked to attend because the Christians in the village wanted them to share a message from God’s Word with the villagers.
Christmas Homes Tour
Our 4th Annual Christmas Homes Tour took place on Sunday, December 6th, in Maryville. God gave us a
beautiful day with temperatures in the upper 40s. Over 140 people toured four homes that day. With COVID
restrictions in place, we had to take special precautions to make this day possible. A special thank you to
Victoria Hollar and Jacob Vollstedt, Paul and Cindy Kessler, J R and Sarah Kurz, and Josh and Kim Lefeber
for opening up their homes.
This fundraiser has been a great addition to our Under the Son Ministries Educational Fund. With four of our children in university at this time, these fundraisers are truly a blessing. We are grateful for your support! Mark December 5, 2021, on your calendar for the 5th Annual Christmas Homes Tour. We are already lining up homes you won’t want to miss!
Our next fundraiser will be the selling of geraniums in a few months. We will soon be taking pre-orders.
