Come Support Us!

As our trip nears, there are many opportunities coming up to hear first-hand about the trip and talk with our members!

Sunday, July 3: Kara & Josh will be sharing in College SS, 9:00am

Wednesday, July 6: Thailand (and India) team will be prayed for in ESPM, 7:30pm

-- For collegians & young adults, a free dinner is provided if you RSVP. Contact Noreen or leave a comment below if you'd like to be counted!

Sunday, July 10: Worship@11 is commissioning the team, 11:00am

Thursday, July 14: Send-off, time/location TBA

This past Tuesday, Noreen and Kara were able to share about Thailand with the Primary VBS students. The 1st and 2nd graders filled crosses with sand to remind them to pray for students in Thailand. They also learned to say, "Sawadee ka/krap! Pra Yesu rak khun!" (= Hello! Jesus loves you!). It's very encouraging to have so many people praying for our team :)

2 weeks left?!

Wow, wow, wow. There seems so much to do, but God continues to show himself so incredibly faithful! Just from last Sunday's meeting, it seems like our team has come together really well-- perfect timing, since we are planning in overdrive right now. Pray that God will continue to be close to each member as we prepare in the next two weeks.

Pray for the students that we will be working with! 10 classes x 60 students per class x 3 grades = 1800 students!!! Pray that in the short amount of time we have, that good relationships will be built with them. Also pray that many students will come to our afterschool program, which will give us a better chance to share the gospel and get to know the students 1-on-1.

Missions Monday:

Pray for Thailand: for our own missionaries Peter & Lillian as well as many others who continue to labor among the Thai people; for softened hearts of the Thai people and their salvation.

P&L's bi-weekly prayer requests:

(getting ready to apply for Taiwan citizenship) pray that the Taiwanese officials will approve Peter's application soon; wisdom, compassion & patience for the students during the training; good communication with FCBC college STM (9/15-8/1); God would bind Satan's powers; open the hearts of the principal, teachers, and students so that they can receive salvation; team safety & physical strength

Countdown!

Wow, this time next month, our time in Thailand would be almost at it's half-way! Time is moving quickly and there's quite a bit to do.

Our team to-do list includes:
- classroom lesson prep (we're expecting classes of 60 students each!)

- day camp prep (one with an English focus at the school, the other more fun to encourage the orphans we stayed with last year)

- evangelistic party prep (pray that this party can even happen!)

- training with various evangelistic tools

- etc.

Some exciting things...

- Kara and Alisa are getting baptized this Sunday!! Praise God!

- Look for our team members sharing in College SS, 11:00 service, ESPM, etc. over the next few weeks.

- Our team is hosting a missions center in Primary VBS next week. Hopefully our kids can learn more about and how they can pray for Thailand!

Throughout all this, continue to pray that God would be glorified in everything that is said and done. Continue to pray for our team members that they would focus not only on the physical preparations, but the spiritual preparations as well. Pray for wisdom for Sonny & Nor as they continue to plan and lead meetings.

MISSIONS MONDAY:

Pray for Calvin Ma and his family: PTL that He uses them not only in their work, but in their role as they help to equip and prepare many other missionaries as they go to the field.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Things have gotten very busy for our team, trying to finalize details, plan lessons / afterschool activities, collect money, etc. It is very exciting to see everything come together, but God continually reminds us how important prayer is. With God at the center of this trip, we need to be seeking His guidance every step of the way.

Missions Monday
Pray for Austin, Benjamin, Bianca, Denise, and other short-term missionaries from our church who are joining mission opportunities of other groups; their prep; to connect with many who will be able to pray and partner with them as they go.

Today's Prayer Focus

God would bring transformation to His church; we would embrace God's work in our hearts; changes in our lives would impact our families, workplaces, neighborhoods, cities, our world.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

-Philippians 4:4-9

Pray that God would be glorified in the way our team prepares for this trip. Continue to pray for wisdom for leaders and for the spiritual preparation for each member.

Prayer Focus

The tribal peoples, largely marginalized, are responding to the gospel in significant numbers. Many workers are needed to win and disciple tribal peoples. Pray for:

• The multiplying, but scattered congregations among the northern Hmong, Lahu, Lisu, Akha, and Karen peoples. Nominalism is a problem in most churches. The Buddhist Shan and Taoist/animist Yao are less responsive.
• The Kui, Khmu, and Khmer peoples in the east are still unreached. They are responsive to the Christian & Missionary Alliance (CMA) working in the area, but their workers are few.
• The Golden Triangle, the area where Thailand, Burma, and Laos meet. Opium poppies are a lucrative cash crop for most of the northern tribes. Cultivation is a huge temptation for Christians and a formidable barrier to repentance for non-believers. The narcotics trade breeds insecurity and violence. Pray for believer and missionaries in sensitive areas.
• Training for tribal Christians. The ministry of Chiang Rai Bible Seminary and several other Bible schools have yielded native-planted churches among many ethnic minorities, not just in Thailand but also throughout the region.

We have worked with Akha people in the past, and Peter and Lillian Liang regularly minister to many of these tribal groups. Continue to pray that God moves within these peoples!

More team updates tomorrow! :)

God is good ALL THE TIME

With just over a month to go before we leave for Thailand, things are getting busy!! Starting from this Sunday, we will have meetings every Sunday before we leave! A wonderful way to support our team would be to check in on any of our members and ask how they're doing and how you can pray for them. :)

Last week Justin Lee taught our team about classroom management and other useful tips for teaching high schoolers. Classroom teaching partners were also announced, plane tickets were bought, and things are coming together quickly! This week, we will be working on our lesson planning and performance ideas for the trip. Hopefully we will have many creative ideas on how to teach and present the gospel.

Prayer Requests:

-Half of our team have FINAL EXAMS and are ending school this week. They're probably exhausted and running on little sleep, so keep them in prayer.

-Alisa and Kara's upcoming baptisms on June 26-- come out & support :) Find their testimonies on the bulletin board in the courtyard after service.

-Pray for good communication with Lillian & the school administration. It's been a little tough coordinating times to Skype, and the school administration seems hesitant to answer many of our questions. Pray for patience as we work with this new school.

Missions Monday!

PTL for the successful ministry opportunity among the Navajo people over Memorial Day weekend. Pray for the ongoing follow-up ministry of the Twin Mesa Bible Church and the surrounding community.

Check out their blog to see pictures of their weekend: fcbcnavajoministry.blogspot.com

Operation World

Sorry for the blog hiatus... here are the country prayer requests from our last few meetings:

1. Particularly Needy People Groups:

• Children in crisis—1+ million child laborers, including 40,000+ sold into sex trafficking as a minor. Tens of thousands of homeless street children. Many are from foreign background. Children are subject to all kinds of abuse and ill treatment.
• HIV/AIDS sufferers—highest infection rate in Asia, with at least 700,000 affected. Much in part to the combination of the bustling sex trade and drugs.
• Students—many are responsive to the gospel, but backsliding is a huge challenge. Pray for the 1.3 million students who remain unevangelized.
• Buddhist monks—number 300,000+ and highly honored in Thailand. High-profile scandals and being targeted by Islamic insurgents in the south have troubled the monastic institution. Pray for Christian outreach to them—many are true seekers and open to the gospel.
• Refugees—Thailand has long been a haven for those fleeing neighboring countries. Notably, the 1.2 million from Myanmar, where many are from persecuted minorities. Most refugees are illegal and face harsh exploitation, from dangerous manual labor, to sex slavery.

2. The historic lack of Thai leadership in churches is part of the slow growth, the failures of rural churches and the lack of vision, but this is rapidly changing. 1,500 attended evangelism training in 2010, and there are 20 Bible schools and seminaries and 17 seminaries and 17 TEE (Theological Education by Extension) centers, in addition to many informal training programs. Pray for the shaping of Christian leaders who demonstrate vision, integrity, and wisdom and who assist in the flowering of a truly Thai Church.

3. Chinese-Thai Christians are a significant minority in the Church, especially at the leadership level. The charisma and financial clout of this community could be very beneficial for evangelism if fully activated. But many are deeply embedded in sin-- prostitution, gambling, drugs. The Chinese-Thai community as in the last few generations increasingly assimilated into Thai culture. Pray for more Chinese-Thai Christians to be called into serving in and supporting full-time ministry.