TEAM Isaan

Last week we saw clear testimony on how the Lord our God has been using your prayers to do more than we can ever ask for or imagine.  We heard from EQ last week that a son of one of the families in the Winon Niwat group just recently received Christ into his heart.  His said his heart was opened by the changes he has seen in the lives of his family over this past year.  Praise the Lord!

Last Friday, I (Jon), went inside the Nong Bua Lamphu prison with a couple of local pastors and a Korean missionary.  To my knowledge this was the first time a Christian group has been allowed inside the prison.  We have been trying to get into this prison for the last couple of years as we know some women and a man that was transfered from the Christian groups at the Nong Khai prison.  To keep a long story short, when we got inside the prison we joined at least 50 men and women in a time of worship together.  The way these men and women sang, especially the men, astounded all of us visitors.  One of the pastors said that this group sang with much more love and zeal for the Lord than the people of his church do.  Please pray for "Big" which is the name of the leader of this prison group.  The Lord has used his life in a powerful way ever since he was transferred to that prison last January.  Also pray for Pastor Kim as he takes this ministry on with the help of others.  It sounds like the prison will not allow Pastor Kim in more than once every two months, but hopefully that will change after the officials observed the great time we had together.

God is doing amazing things like this through the power of your prayers.  Thank you again for joining us in being a part of what our awesome God is doing here.

Less than two months ago, Jang, a member of our women's group in Sawang Daen Din was released.  Her home is only 15 kms away from EQ's village.  Jang has already begun to share the gospel with her family and they are interested in hearing more.

For the past year, EQ has been praying that God would provide him with a Christian wife.  Since Jang was released, her and EQ have started dating.  They would like to get married, but first EQ has to raise the money to pay her family a dowry.

Please pray that God would provide EQ's financial need in order to get married.  Also, pray that EQ and Jang would glorify God in their relationship.  And finally, pray that Jang's family would commit their lives to Christ.

We praise the Lord that today we were able to host the first of three days of mushroom training here at the Center.  Besides our regular workers, we had several members of the local community join in to learn about raising mushrooms. Throughout the day the learners had pretty happy attitudes, knowing that this was going to help them earn some much needed income.   Originally we had planned to host the seminar next week.  But when our trainers showed up at our front door last night instead, we scrambled around to gather all the needed materials and contact everyone who said they were interested in coming.  Tomorrow we expect at least one more person (EQ) to join in. Please pray that God would bless the work of the hands of all the seminar participants.

Last  Saturday we were able to spend the day in EQ's village, encouraging and praying for the church group.  The rains have not come yet, (to EQ's village)  and with each passing week they are feeling more discouraged and wondering what God's plan is for them.  Please remember to pray for them and that they would keep their eyes on the Great Provider to meet their every need.

Standing together with you in prayer,

This week we'd like to introduce Pim, the only female worker at the Center.  Her family lives in the same community as the Center and she first really began helping here when we had the fish raising project.  Eventually, all the fish died and Pim's family helped a great deal in helping prepare them to sell them immediately so as to minimize the loss to the Center.

Pim has been joining in the worship services regularly and Montri has shared the gospel with her on many occasions.  She says she's interested in becoming a Christian but she's not ready to make a commitment yet.  Not long ago, she shared in a  Sunday worship service  that since coming and working at the Center, she's had more job stability  (and consequently life stability) than ever before in her life,  and she's very happy here.

Please pray for us as we continue to share our faith with Pim and show her what it means to be a Christian in daily life.  Please also pray that very soon Pim would make a whole hearted commitment to give her life to the Lord.

The month of June is when the rice farmers start getting their fields ready for planting.  The essentials of getting their rice fields planted are water and workers.  We always enjoy this time of the year because the country side turns from the dry-brown color from the hot season into a green lush view that makes us want to get out and run around in it.

We are rejoicing in the Lord of the Harvest, who has been changing many spiritually dry people into people who are growing fervently and bearing much fruit.  Last May Payu was released from the Sawang Daen Din prison (he received Christ in the second men's group at SDD) to return to his family in a small city close to Udon.  He tried to find TEAM Isaan at our old address, but could not do it.  So, he wrote us a letter which included his phone number for us to call him.  When we read the letter, Montri immediately called Payu and told him where the Center was.  The next day after that call he showed up on our doorstep ready to be trained spiritually and vocationally.  He is the first person from our prison groups that have taken us up on our offer to come and join us to be trained at the Center.  He also has a big ten-wheel truck that can be very handy for using in varioius projects at the Center.  Presently, Payu has returned home to get his truck fixed in order to bring it to Udon.   Please pray that God will continue to grow the seed he put in Payu's heart to cause him to bear much fruit for His glory.

Please also pray that God will send the rain needed for EQ's family fields.  It has been very dry there this year.

Thank you for joining with us in prayer for the many people like Payu who God is preparing as workers to go into the harvest field.

Last week was the big move for our family to live at the Center.  Sorry we missed sending out a TEAM Isaan update but we didn't have internet for several days after the move. We praise the Lord that we had a lot of help from our TEAM Isaan crew and some other friends.  We were burglarized within the first few days of living here.  Please pray for protection (for all of us who live here) as we work out how to make the property more secure.

We have received word from the Sappias that they arrived in the States safely.  Please continue to remember them in prayer as they make the transition to being in the U.S.A. and begin to prepare for their year of ministry at Alliance Theological Seminary.

Last week Friday EQ was invited to share his testimony again, this time at a local middle and high school.  He will be going to another school this Friday.  Please pray that the Lord will guide his words and use them to impact young lives for Christ.

Thanks for your prayers,

Last Friday, after studying the passage of Philip and the Ethiopian in Acts 8, we had four people who wanted to make a public profession of their faith in Christ.  These four people included an elderly couple, we call grandpa Wai and grandma Det, and both of Montri's sons, Boom and Bank.  This baptism took place in the village of Baan Taat where some of Montri's relatives live and where one of Team Isaan's farming projects has been started to help people earn a living.

It is amazing to watch how God has been transforming the lives of these people during this past year since the group was begun.  We hear there are many more who are interested, but not yet courageous enough to join the group.

Also, this is our last week with the Sappia family before they head back to the States for their one year home assignment.  We will miss their fellowship, their passionate hearts to fulfill God's Great Commission, and their insights in dealing with life and ministry.  Please keep them in your prayers during this time of transition that will see them eventually end up in Nyack, New York serving as Missionaries in Residence at Alliance Theological Seminary.   They will be leaving Udon on June 9th and flying to  the U.S. on the 15th.

We thank you for all your prayers that give us the strength and encouragement to keep on going, wherever the Lord leads us.

TEAM Isaan's  Development Center is a place that we use for training our workers in ministry and farming projects. It has also served as the home for Montri and various other temporary workers.  Recently, both of Montri's grown sons have come to live and work there. Montri's oldest son, Boom, has already received the Lord a couple of months ago.  His youngest son, Bank, just returned last week from Bangkok and is also open to learning more about God.

In addition to Montri's family, there are two teenage boys whom Montri has taken under his wing who also stay at the Center.  They are Montri's apprentices that he is training to be contractors in the future.  Also, Montri's friend Pim and some of her family members also work (or just hang out ) there during daytime hours.  We are happy to see the Center becoming a place of blessing for our workers and members of the community.  However, we have realized the need for some stable Christian family to live there and serve as on-site managers for the purpose of discipling the workers and making sure the place is being used as it should be. So next month, our family (the Chases) will be moving to the Center to live there.  Right now, refurbishments are being made to the part of the building which will become our living quarters.  We also praise God for provision being made to put a new roof on the entire building, just in time to keep the rain off our heads as rainy season is already starting.

Please pray for us as we make the transition from having a very private home situation to living at the Center where we will be living "in community" 24/7.  Pray for the prosperity of the farming projects (mushrooms and chickens)  that they would make enough money to support all the workers.

Thank you for partnering with us in what God is doing here Thailand.