We had a great start to our New Year, celebrating with our family and church family. On New Year’s Day, we gathered at church for a thanksgiving/prayer service to ask God’s blessing on the New Year. We praise the Lord for our health and strength, especially during this difficult season with COVID-19 affecting the whole world. We are unable to meet together but are hoping to work out a way to encourage our members and reach others for Christ. Isaiah 26:1-4 really spoke to me, and I was inspired to write a song in Thai and in English based on these four verses. The government is encouraging us to stay at home and away from people as much as possible, but God is encouraging the believers to share the truth and to trust in the Lord. We hope to do this by going to each church member’s home to sing, pray, and have a little Bible study with them once a week, as long as we are able. Prayerfully, other members in their family will join in on the Bible study and come to know the Lord as well. We are praying for all of your churches and for God’s wisdom and provision.
Visitors
Each week in January, we had at least one new visitor. There is nothing more exciting than to hear the words, “Ajarn T, I have a friend coming. Please stop here to pick him up.” Every visitor didn’t just come one time. They trusted Jesus for salvation and kept coming back to church. We also had a returning young man who hadn’t been in church for a couple of months. We also got the news that my mother-in-law would be coming for a two-week visit at the end of January. She came at the perfect time, right before the situation with the virus escalated. What a blessing and encouragement she was to both of us. My wife’s mom spoiled us with goodies and helped us so much while she was here. We also enjoyed spoiling her back. Our church also had a great time with her on a church picnic to a waterfall and hot spring. Right after my mother-in-law left, two of Nahrissa’s daughters came to stay with us for a week while she was out of town. We had a lot of fun having children in our home and being able to care for them during that week.
Baptism Sunday
With all the visitors starting to grow spiritually and understand more about their new faith, they decided to follow Jesus in getting baptized. A baptism day was set. What a glorious Sunday it was, and the excitement was in the air. After church we all headed to a nearby waterfall to watch 4 teen boys and 1 young man get baptized.
English Bible Club
With school officially closed by April, we had planned on holding our English Bible Club during the whole month. We had begun inviting people and planning. Sadly, due to the virus, we have had to cancel. Every summer, we look forward to this program. It is a great way to reach out to the people in the community and share the Gospel.
My wife will be sending out weekly emails to update you on our situation here in Thailand until this crisis is over.
God bless,
Teerapat and Tiffany Phaisarnpiwat
