He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the chariots with fire.

~psalms 46:9

hello dear friends,

i apologize for the communication-less gap that the last month became. lately there’s been no small amount of goings on, and i have more or less been right in the middle of everything. and now, with your pardon, i will update you with what exactly has been going on, from a beautiful wedding to a frightening bus accident to tearing down idols in a new believer’s home. so without further ado…

this month has been an adventure to say the least. God has been so good, and so faithful and merciful, but that always goes without saying. among many things that Christ was lifted up in was dave’s wedding. yes, for those who did not know, my brother dave and his fiancée oy were married just a few weeks ago. it was a beautiful wedding, in which Christ was glorified, and people rejoiced. i am thanking the Lord for yet another incredible couple who will, i am confident, represent Christ in their marriage till the day they die. they are the ‘perfect couple’, so to speak. both so well suited to each other, both so completely focused on sharing Christ with the lost and found alike.

obviously, this does change the living situation a bit, to wit, dave and i will no longer be roommates. marriage changes things! the Lord has provided dave and oy with a wonderful little house, one well- suited to the needs of a newly-wed couple. thanking the Lord for the almost immediate answer to prayer regarding housing. i will stay in the house we’ve been in, which is another awesome provision that the Lord has blessed me with. it’s a lovely little two-bedroom house, complete with a sizable garden full of fruit trees. you are invited to come and stay any time! no really.

i also mentioned a bus accident, so let me tell you about that. it really was a miracle that it went the way it did. as i was traveling south via 15-passenger bus at four a.m., everyone on board was getting a little sleepy (including the driver). we were traveling at a pretty fast pace, highway speed, when suddenly the driver completely fell asleep, and we went careening off the road into the jungle. we barely passed between two huge trees, careening into a deep ditch, which served as a sort of launch ramp, catapulting us further into the jungle, now on the right side two wheels only, and then proceeded to scrape three cement pillars on the left side, before stopping six feet short of a huge palm tree. windows shattered, bus totaled, people tossed around the cabin like so many pieces of popcorn, and not a single life-threatening injury. praise the Lord. you have to understand, there was literally no way the wreck could have gone better than it did. i assure you, had the bus been to the left or right even six inches, i am certain there would’ve been at least a few fatalities. interesting to note, right before the accident, i felt prompted to pray for safety—and i wasn’t the only one. turns out, about six other friends were prompted to pray about our safety too, right around the time of the accident. our Father hears, thank God! definitely the most intense accident i’ve ever been in.

also on the agenda: a woman whom the church here in galasin has been reaching out to recently accepted Christ as her savior—hallelujahx100. it’s so exciting to see people coming to Christ. well, as is customary in most buddhist/animist/demon-worshipping homes, there is usually a room dedicated to idol worship, demon incense sacrifice, and the harboring of spirits. our new sister’s house was no exception, and had the whole get-up of idols and altars. we had the privilege of going to her house, where we all heard a message from pastor wenai on the greatness of God above all other gods, and then after prayer, our sister brought us to the idol room, where we tore down everything devoted to false gods and got rid of it all (at here behest). being a part of this was such a blessing, it is encouraging to see the Lord smack down what the enemy has worked so hard at preserving.

in other news, ministry here has been wonderful, as we adjust more to work here and what the Lord has planned for us. i have been able to visit home churches in surrounding villages, bring the message of hope to villages who haven’t got a single shred of it, and hit the streets of this town with the Truth. i have also been teaching music at the church, and there are a few non-believing soon-to-be-saints who are planning to start attending class, and so i request that you pray for them, the whole class, that they would be moved close to Christ.

and speaking of prayer requests, please continue to pray for galasin. there is so much need, so much hurt, and the prayers of the saints do not go unheard. God delights in our prayers, and we must be faithful to lift up those who have no concept of the precarious position they’re in apart from Christ.

i want you to know, i pray for  you, my friends, back home, and will continue to do so. just as i have many requests for prayer, so i want to let you know that even though oceans separate us, my love for you has never been stronger, and our relationship as brothers and sisters in Christ prompts me to tell you that if you need specific prayer, or if you want to fellowship with me via skype or some such method, please do not hesitate to get in touch. although i find myself busy here, i am not entirely unable to stay in touch.

alright, i think that sums up the events of that last month or so, i want you guys to know how much i appreciate your prayers, your support, and your keeping up on what the Lord is doing in thailand. pray for thailand, preach the Gospel, and praise the Lord always!

love in abundance,

derrick