January started out as busy as 2024 had ended. Right after celebrating the new year, Tiffany’s brother and his family came for a visit for the first time. We made many memories getting to know our nephew and introducing them to our life and ministry here in Thailand. Thai Children’s Day is always a highlight and a great way to reach out to our neighbors. Our goal was for 80 children to join us for games, bounce castles, prizes, and, most importantly, to hear the Gospel message. Tiffany and our sister-in-law bought snacks and prepared a special lunch. To our surprise, not even half of our regular children came. All around Chiang Mai, free activities and special programs were prepared for the children. Several parents came by with their children after the other activities had finished. We loaded them with treats, Gospel tracts, and invitations for Sunday. The next Sunday, we had new visitors from the invitations given out on Sunday. Time after time, God shows us how His time and plans are always best.

God used the Christmas school outreaches to help grow the church in Chom Tong and develop relationships within the community. As mentioned in our last letter, an invitation was given to our church to speak at one of the schools for a special day to expose them to different religions. The teacher who organized this special event has been attending our services on and off. We praise the Lord for the several students and teachers who gave their full attention and responded to the message about God’s love and the Gospel message given by Pastor Abel. Afterward, the principal suggested that what they’d just heard was just fables. A few of the teenagers in the San Sai church decided to follow Christ in baptism. Some other children understood how big this decision was. To them, it meant that they were officially becoming Christian and leaving Buddhism, the religion of their family and culture. The young people often feel conflicted and feel like they are half-Christian and half-Buddhist. Their home life surrounds them with the traditions and practices of Buddhism, while the few hours a week they are with us, they learn to grow in Christ and His love for them. Please pray that these dear children will have the wisdom, strength, and desire to give their all to our Saviour and that their lives will continue to change and be a light to their families.

We try to make every holiday a little extra special and encourage our church members not to participate in the many traditions that are part of festivals that are related to Buddhism. During the month of February, we had an emphasis on the love shown by our Saviour and how we are to display God’s love to others. The Sunday after Valentine’s Day, we had a special day at both the Chom Tong and San Sai churches. Everyone enjoyed exchanging flowers and small gifts, a Bible quiz game, and special treats. Many of us were covered with heart stickers, as it is tradition, especially among children, to put heart stickers on their friends and the people they care for. That Sunday at our San Sai church, we were blessed with the visit of my eldest brother and sister-in-law, who pastor a church in another province.

School is out, and summer weather is officially here, bringing nearly 100-degree weather every day. Children often go to stay with relatives in the mountain villages during the summer break, and we weren’t sure if we’d have any children for our Saturday program. Unlike previous years, Saturday attendances keep growing each week, and we have been having visitors nearly every Saturday. Some of the girls we pick up have been coming to our house to make treats with Tiffany and spend time with us. We are thankful for each moment given to invest in the lives God puts in our path. In April, we will be taking our teens to a three-day Youth Conference at a church two hours away. This conference is taking place during the Songkran Festival, which is also Thailand’s New Year. It is tradition during this time for boys to become temporary novice monks at the local temple to bring blessings to their families. Please pray for many to attend and for lives to be changed.

Thank you for remembering us in prayer and financial support. At the beginning of the new year, Tiffany and I discussed our plans for the year and what God’s theme is for our lives in the upcoming months. Sadly, in the past, I’ve often let opportunities to serve God pass me by. God has touched my heart to make an importance on taking advantage of any opportunity He puts in our paths to serve Him. An allotted time is given to us to obey; if we don’t follow God’s nudging, we just might lose our opportunity to touch someone else’s life for Christ. Please pray with us for new opportunities and that we won’t waste the opportunities that God gives us to serve Him in 2025.

God bless,

Teerapat & Tiffany Phaisarnpiwat