and it begins...

“sing unto the Lord, all the earth; shew forth from day to day His salvation. declare His glory among the heathen; His marvellous works among all nations.”
~1 Chronicles 16:23, 24

hey guys and gals and everybody,

God is doing some great things in thailand. from simple things like basic provision to relationships built to abundant opportunity to preach, there has been no shortage of uplifting evidence of a loving mighty God. we just finished the move to galasin (or kalasin as google would say) and are stoked to be here. earlier this week we were able to meet with pastor wenai and get sorted as far as work goes here in town. we will be mixing in-town outreach with discipling and evangelizing in the outlying 1,500 villages. there is such darkness here. and it’s no wonder, as this has been nothing but a haven for the devil for so so long. in this province alone there are around one million unreached people, and virtually all of these people are involved in an animistic, buddhist, demon-worshipping religion that quite frankly sets a perfect stage for the enemy and his servants to wreak havoc. you can feel the oppression here, and yet we know that Jesus overcame satan and therefore we have nothing to be afraid of. still, it’s not without its challenges. as you might imagine, there is a lot of pain and death here in galasin, really in all of thailand. there are prostitutes, orphans, sick, dying, lonely, afflicted people everywhere, unaware that Jesus exists, biding their time until the grips of hell finally pull them under. it can be overwhelming to see the devastating need out here, particularly in this the poorest part of thailand. sin is rampant. std’s, particularly AIDS, are through the roof in galasin. these people need your prayer. their lives depend on the healing that can only come through Jesus Christ by way of His saints. don’t neglect to pray for them.

some of the thousands of kids in the villages

in other news, language studies go very well, and God has given me more grace than i deserve in learning thai. it is an incredibly difficult language, but He knew this when He called me here and i am confident He will continue to give me understanding. there are around six total english speakers out here among the million, so our language is basically obsolete. if you think to, prayer about language and communication for dave and me is so appreciated. as far as the place of galasin itself, it is just gorgeous. poor, yes, but abundant in natural beauty that screams the name of its Creator. lakes and rivers and jungles and purple plants that don’t look quite real and cobras and toads and elephants and sunsets that look like nothing i’ve ever seen are all to be found out here. the cuisine is very good as well, although it might be a bit intimidating to the western palate (it has been for me, that’s for sure.) we’ve had the…pleasure…of eating crickets and grubs and silkworms and fat little larvae things and ant eggs and five-inch praying mantises and raw beef and raw squid and a host of other strange things. these things are quite the norm here in galasin. fortunately, there is far more ‘normal’ food (according to our western way of thinking) and we have been happy to partake of more simple dishes, like rice and pork and veggies. in fact, that’s about eighty percent of what we eat. but i’m rambling

dave repping well near the town center

as it turns out, i am planning on living here indefinitely, whether that means three years or twenty i do not know, but i most certainly feel called to stay out here for as long as the Lord will allow. with so much need, so many lost people who might otherwise never hear the message of salvation, i have decided to stay and work as the Lord allows. i do plan on returning to the states for a few months at the end of this year in order to tie up any loose ends and to raise support, but other than that it looks like i’m in this for the long haul. and for this i rejoice. sure it will be difficult, but God is bigger than difficulty and He sustains. so i thought it important to let you all know.

certainly God is moving, and the response to the gospel is very favorable out here. one sister has led thirty-two people to genuine relationship with Christ in the last two months alone. as we work out here alongside our brothers and sisters, the plan is to disciple the young believers to go into their villages as evangelists, and to plant home churches as well. it is such a privilege to be a part of this movement, and to see first-hand the deeply effective working of the Spirit on these people. please continue praying for them.

my backyard

for now, that’s all i got. thank you all for reading, thank you for your interest in all this, thank you for your prayers, thank you for your support. i pray for you guys, that God would continually work in your lives and the sweetness of Jesus Christ and the joy of His salvation would never once be taken away from you, and that you would be encouraged and moved to reach the lost as you go about your lives. to Him who has done a perfect work in overcoming death and hell, rescuing us from our just damnation,  be all the adoration in our lives.

love you!