Merry Christmas

Make a free ecard - it's easy!

Asked to Evacuate

Hello! Our family wanted to inform you all about a possible flooding to our area. The Poo Yai Ban (village leader) has been broadcasting regularly asking everyone to evacuate our village between December 22-24 because high tides are expected. High tides that could cause severe flooding.

If you do not know, we are serving the community of Baan Nam Khem Thailand. This fishing village was the hardest hit area in Thailand by the Tsunami. Half the community was lost. Needless to say, the community has taken this notice very seriously.

There are 3 landmarks that attract much attention to our village. They are large fishing boats that washed up with the Tsunami. The boats were left there as a memorial, and have helped in local business through tourism. These landmarks have been moved. Moving these boats is not small thing - they are huge boats and required cranes and took a lot of effort. So the community is bracing itself for the "High Tides".

Please keep us and the local believers in your prayers. The people we serve are the poorest of the poor. They have precious little, and are Burmese. These people live in fear everyday. Fear of everything. Fear that they will be sent back to Burma. Fear of evil spirits. Fear of the Thai. Fear. We are praying for a FREEDOM IN CHRIST that will break these strongholds & maybe the Lord will use this time as we trust in Him.

We are trusting the Lord to lead our family & to lead the people.

Chew on this:

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he….. Proverbs 23:7

 

It is so crucial that our thoughts be centered on God, not our desires!

 

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. ….Philippians 4:8

 

Feel free to post your comment……..

An elderly man.....

As God's chosen people…clothe yourselves with….kindness. (Colossians 3:12)

There is an old story of an elderly man who always carried a little can of oil with him everywhere he went, and when he would go through a door that squeaked, he would squirt a little oil on the hinges. If he encountered a gate that was hard to open, he would oil the latch. And so he went through life, lubricating all the difficult places, making it easier for all those who came after him. People called the man eccentric, strange, and crazy, but he went steadily on, often refilling his can of oil when it was nearly empty, an oiling all the difficult places he found.

In this world, there are many lives that painfully creak and grate as they go about their daily work. Often it seems that nothing goes right with them and that they need lubricating with "the oil of joy" (Ps. 45:7), gentleness, or thoughtfulness.

Do you carry your own can of oil with you? Are you ready with your oil of helpfulness each morning? If you offer your oil to the person nearest you, it may just lubricate the entire day for him. Your oil of cheerfulness will mean more than you know to someone who is downhearted. Or the oil may be a word of encouragement to a person who is full of despair. Never fail to speak it, for ourlives may touch others only once on the road of life, and then our paths may diverge, never to meet again.

The oil of kindness has worn the sharp, hard edges off many a sin-hardened life and left it soft and pliable, ready to receive the redeeming grace of the Savior. A pleasant word is a bright ray of sunshine on a saddened heart. Therefore give others the sunshine and tell Jesus the rest.

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love (Romans 12:10)

I would like to personally thank those of you have shown kindness to me in love, care & friendship! You are gifts of God to me!!!!

I took the above story from the devotional Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman & wanted to share it because it was a great story!

Church Service

Hello! Most of the time I use this blog for more personal things and the newsletter for the Ministry. But! I thought you might enjoy some pictures I took from church last night.

We often have the children upstairs during service. There we love on them & play with them while the adults get ministered too. These kids have precious little, and it is a great ministry of love. We do share a personal message with them after the service downstairs is over. We only have 1 Burmese person, Laid Laid, that speaks English to translate and share the Word with the children.


Laid Laid preaching to the children



Quizing them over past lessons to make sure "they get it"



Ok, this is just an "extra"! These brothers LOVE EACH OTHER!

Church Pictures

Above: Man Tan Zin & Bou Bou & Dowie.



Braden & Laid Laid before service



The kids and I went upstairs and had some fun!

Trinity lost her FIRST TOOTH!

Wow! My baby lost her 1st tooth!



She is big stuff, now!



Trent, my handsome hubby!!! Doesn't he just make you smile? Awe...



PRECIOUS! Thank You God for my babies!!!!

Trinity's "Girly Room"

Recently we have begun to have the children express their need for "privacy". Up to this point we have had all 3 children in the same room. We were not sure what to do about this need, but found a way! Now Trinity has her very own room & the boys have a boy room! Everyone is happy :)


We did not have another room, but were able to drape a curtain up with a shower rod and move a book case to seperate off "a room" for Trinity. It actually looks pretty cool!



This little princess needed a "girly room" & it just turned out Royal! All we had to buy were hooks and up her dress up gowns went and "Princess Room" it is!


Of course we already had some "flair" to hang! Thank you Danielle & Jesse for the Name plate to add to this addition :) Perfect!


Trinity and I had so much fun seperating all things "girly" as the boys worked on the "boy room". We even decorated the back of the book shelf. We had a precious moments book & cut out the pictures and put in the middle of scrapbook pages to add a "girly" touch! Everything is all about being "girly"!

The Boy Room

Braden & Jackson in the bunk beds. Jackson, as always sitting on his head..... He is ALWAYS sitting on his head?????



Superhero suits hung & ready for play


Braden with "Fwoggy" turning him into Batfrog......


Daddys idea of fun. Rules. You have to love Trent & his demand for order! Jackson and Braden with their rules under their "Code Names" Isaiah & Ezekiel.

Picture Time! A few pictures to share of recent days :)

Who needs a swimming pool! Braden and Trinity are slipping around in the rain (parent supervised) on remains of the house next to ours. The remains of a house that was destroyed in the Tsunami.



Ok, Mommy made them pose! Are they not the cutest?


Day after Thanksgiving we put up the Christmas tree.


Jackson with his favorite Christmas tree ornament. He IS DADDY'S SHADOW!

Amy’s example on Lonliness & A.W. Tozer on Lonliness

So how can a mother of 3 with a wonderful husband feel lonely? Well, it happens. I think I have found that although there are a billion things that I could do to keep me occupied & 1 million questions my lovely 3 children can come up with to keep me entertained – there is just something that only God can fill. Not to mention the spiritual realm we live in. I mean, if we could just see the wars going on! But, sometimes that knowledge doesn't feel like the answer. Yes, I am sharing maybe more than you would!

I've said it before….this past year on the mission field has been by far the toughest year of my life. However, I am so thankful to the Lord for all He has done in my life through those trials. That being said, on to the next "work" the Lord is doing in my life…..

So I am sitting here thinking about Thanksgiving and holidays back in America, my Mom's birthday I wasn't there for, friends and even a real grocery store & I begin feeling a bit glum. That being said - tonight the kids and I stay home from church. I am not going to go and put on a "happy face". I am not a good liar, so I will just give myself to the Lord & let Him settle it! Trent encourages me to pray that a "wall" is down. I am not threatened by that. In fact I am encouraged – Wow! An answer! That would be lovely. That does sound a bit sarcastic, but I meant it.

Yes, I have taken the bait the enemy has put before me! I am welcoming the "pity party" – after all I am the guest of honor! But I still know this is wrong thinking and I just want the Lord to take it!!!! Can you not just see the war waging!! The devils on one side showing me all things great & luring me into despair – then Jesus reaching out His hand of truth! I have decided to reach for His hand! Lord help me!

Then I come across this writing by A.W. Tozer on Lonliness. It encouraged me so, that I want to let you read it.

The loneliness of the Christian results from his walk with God in an ungodly world, a walk that must often take him away from the fellowship of good Christians as well as from that of the unregenerate world. His God-given instincts cry out for companionship with others of his kind, others who can understand his longings, his aspirations, his absorption in the love of Christ; and because within his circle of friends there are so few who share his inner experiences he is forced to walk alone.

The unsatisfied longings of the prophets for human understanding caused them to cry out in their complaint, and even our Lord Himself suffered in the same way.

The man [or woman] who has passed on into the divine Presence in actual inner experience will not find many who understand him. He finds few who care to talk about that which is the supreme object of his interest, so he is often silent and preoccupied in the midst of noisy religious shoptalk. For this he earns the reputation of being dull and over-serious, so he is avoided and the gulf between him and society widens.

He searches for friends upon whose garments he can detect the smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces, and finding few or none he, like Mary of old, keeps these things in his heart.

It is this very loneliness that throws him back upon God. His inability to find human companionship drives him to seek in God what he can find nowhere else."

Ok! So did you get that last part? The part of how lonliness throws him back upon God? Well, it all made sense. I mean, I had heard the saying, "You'll never know Jesus is all you need, until Jesus is all you have." Well, I can't say I do not have anything else. I do have a lovely husband & children I adore. I am not sure where that quote originated from & I am sure I am in no way at a loss of people/things as the author. But! What I have been missing is the Christian fellowship. So, to have read this – it comforted me.

Not to mention that just this morning I was reading in Hebrews about how Jesus suffered being tempted, he is able to succor (help, relieve) them that are tempted. This passage brought me to tears as I meditated upon it! Hebrews 2:18 Jesus mercifully sympathizes with us because he too suffered and was tempted!!!

I share my heart openly. I am sure there are people out there more spiritual than me, and not as weak. But to those who have hardships I pray that the Lord will allow His light to shine through this cracked vessel to encourage you too!

Thankful for lizard poop ?!?!?!?!

"Trent!" I yell! "Get the camera!"

"O.k." Trent says. He then comes to the front porch not sure what I am wanting to take a picture of.

"Just take a picture of me cleaning the lizard poop." I say, happily.

"O.k." he is a little concerned about how long I have been in the heat....

I explain it is because of the revelation I had while cleaning the lizard poop!

It is this: I am outside and my porch is covered in lizard poop. I mean it has been atleast a week since my porch has been clean & I can stand it no longer!!! I have to clean it! So after about an hour of scrubbing with my hands, I realize that I have been interceding for people the whole time.

So! That is why I am thankful for lizard poop! I had no music on. The kids were staying clear of Mommy. Everyone knows when the tile is wet - you may not enter the area! It is too slippery. So, I had an awesome time of prayer with the Lord!

Do you have lizard poop? Maybe not, but maybe other very tedious tasks that can be an opportunity to pray!!!!

Jax - trusting child

I love all 3 of my children, but today Jackson was on my mind. Jackson is a very typical little boy! He loves bugs, frogs, gecko’s, any super hero, can hardly sit still & very curious. His curiosity reminds me of Curious George. Curious George never really did anything intentionally, but boy did some things happen. I am happy to report that since the 2005 flooding of our house by the “commode incident” there has not been another monsterous disaster!

Anyway, I am looking at “Jax” (as we all call him) and just totally taken with his carefree attitude.

“Mommy I’m hungry.” He says.

“Peanut butter and Jelly or Ham and Cheese?” I ask as if I do not already know the answer. Ham and cheese it is!

Jax is off swinging a rubber snake crazily through the house.

He just told me he was hungry and knew Mommy was going to handle it & then just went back to what he was doing.

This got me to thinking. It made me think about how God provides for me. How God is so faithful to provide our every need. Yet, sometimes I give him my needs or my “anxieties” and I do not go in believing that it is “handled” as my son did. So many times I give it to God, only to take it back and carry a specific burden.

If Jax would not believe that I would feed him, I would be hurt – insulted. That I wouldn’t provide for my child? I think not! But now I have to think about how my unintentional holding of the things I give to God, only to take back hurts my Heavenly Father. Lord forgive me!
Through my son the Holy Spirit ministered to me.

Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Thanksgiving because you trust in Whom you have asked – Amen!

De Tway

One of the believer in our church, De Tway, has a very special place in my heart. I have had a heart for her since the 1st day she came to Thailand from Burma. I see her daily & have been so encouraged as she has continued to grow in understanding of Jesus. There have been changes in her life in response the gospel.

However, I am sad to say that while we were in Malaysia a marriage was planned for her. We are getting mixed information from rape to consent, but the Burmese culture is that either way there must be a marriage following. So, she is set to marry in the morning.

My heart is heavy as this man is a Buddhist. He did come to church and ask us for prayer & we pray that is the beginning of a life surrendered to Christ. The heart breaking part is that the marriage taking place is in Buddhist tradition. These traditions are demonic & the sacrifices and offerings to other devils have begun. In addition there is a welcoming of the "spirits". Tomorrow morning a monk is coming to "bless" their marriage.

My heart is burdened that De Tray is being married in this demonic activity. Pray for her. I am not sure she really believes she has a choice. We have shared the Word of God with her & shared our love personally for her. She has made the choice to move forward. My heart prays that as she seems "smitten" with him, that she make Jesus number 1 in her heart.

In addition to this we had to decline the invitation to the wedding. She understood as we explained to her in the Word where we stood. We have taken a stand for Christ. Now we are not in fear of physical damage, but there is already "backlash" towards our stand. Our stand is not cultural, but with Christ. Pray for peace and reconciliation.

Amy

Birhday, Visa’s & Friends

Hello!!!

We are back & refocused & refreshed!

First for those of you who have been waiting to hear our VISA update……We applied for 1 year, and were given 3 months. This family of 5 has to be out of the country February 5^th. We are going to be in Dallas & possibly other areas while in the U.S. sharing our hearts & reapplying for 1 year VISA's where we are most likely to get them. Pray for opportunities to share and for finances to cover this trip.

The boys birthday celebration! It was more like a week long celebration. On the way to Malaysia we pulled over in Hat Yai to eat. The idea was we were driving straight through!!! Well, getting prepared for the border I reach in our bag to get our passports ready & THEY WERE NOT THERE! At the last minute we decided to downsize our luggage & I forgot to repack our passports! Trent being the servant & wonderful husband that he is put the kids and I in a hotel & drove back to Ban Nam Khem to get them. This was no small task. It is an 8 hour drive to Hat Yai & he had to come back!!!

While in Hat Yai we were able to contact a family we just adore. They have a 2 little boys Josiah age 5 & Jude almost 2 - our kids play so great together. So the fun started there! There was an indoor park and the kids got to ride rides & even eat at a McDonalds! Very different from the village life!

Once Trent returned we were on to Malaysia. There we applied for our visas & got to relax a bit. The visa procedure takes 2 days. So we waited for the results and celebrated Jackson & Braden's 7^th Birthday. The boys had so much fun! What a wonderful way to celebrate!

On the road.......

Hello Friends and Family
Thursday morning (Nov. 2) we are off to Malaysia! Our 1 year visa expires this month & we will be applying for another one. 1 year visas are harder to come by outside of your home country for Thailand, but we are going to move forward. We know that God is in control! We will keep you updated on the outcome.

Today is a busy day (Wed.) as we are wrapping up our obligations for the upcoming week. Brad from our American team & Laid Laid our Burmese partner will be running the ministry in our absence. Pray for them too that they will walk in the Spirit and lead in His ways.
Please also pray as our church family is seeking the Holy Spirit this week! It is an amazing time! We pray that next week as we return for Intercession and prayer that these followers will indeed be filled!

In other news….. Jackson and Braden are turning 7 on November 18th! This is crazy to me! They sure are growing up. I love them so much & their personalities are amazing! We will be celebrating their birthdays in Malaysia to make it an extra special time. There is a REAL toy store in Malaysia!!!! Trinity is still in the process of losing her 1st tooth (age 5). She was horrified at this at first, but now excited – well as long as I will not touch it. Ha ha!

Just last night the kids thought we should call a meeting. They had it in their heart to to bring a “Word!” Is that not too cute! Yes, we had demonstrations with Trinity’s Barbie’s and the boys dinosaurs about forgiveness, kindness, love & hell. Wow! They sure know how to bring it!

Ok, it is time for me to get ready for Home visits J God bless you!
In His love,
Amy

When life gives you lemons, let your kids make lemonade!!!

Well it is the 28th of the month, which regularly seems to be a time of great “stretching” financially. The Lord always provides our every needs & it is up to us to use what He gives us J So, Trent and I are putting together with what we have left for the month & making do. Then I start thinking about “beyond the necessities” and about my kids snack time. I figure I can make cookies to make yummy treats to keep things going.
So here I am, Betty Crocker I am NOT, and I am cooking away! I do not have the ingredients to make the normal favorites & decide to get creative……Hmmmm….. Not always a great idea, but I have to do with what we have. Ginger Treats it is! After all, I have had my sister in laws & they were very good.
As I am bringing the final ingredients into mixture I decide to give it a taste……..EW! Disgusting! I have come to learn that these were not the cookie recipe I thought that it was! So, I am thinking….what have I done!! I have used our resources & these are going to be horrible!! A flood of emotions run through my mind, but I resist all those & decide I can fix it!
Adding a bunch more sugar, brown sugar too, a little bit of this & a whole lot of that….and well, it is edible. I am disappointed, but going to keep experimenting, but before I do I will see if they taste better “baked”. I bake & pull out. I sample, and still not that good L Jackson (my pickiest eater) come running in from playing in the rain & asks, “did you make cookies!!!???!!” I respond hesitantly…..”yes…” He replies very excited with big eyes, “can I have one?” “Yes” I reply. He takes a bite, “mmm Mom these are so good. Very good!” He had no idea that I messed up the recipe, but He liked it!
My next test….Trinity. She takes a bite, “mm, can I have another?” Oh yes you may! I think to myself that I have increased the batch to feed our entire village by trying to “improve” it.
Finally, Braden…..Well, Braden always likes ANYTHING – so he did indeed like it! He even liked the burned ones!
In summary, I may never make these cookies again, but my kids were happy and blessed & have what they think are yummy treats – I am so thankful!
I have been blessed with AWESOME KIDS!!!

Here for Him!

One thing I have become completely certain of is that we are here for Him alone! I think when we left to come onto the mission field, we came as world changers. There is nothing wrong with wanting to serve the Lord, but we had ideas. We had plans. We were in the way!

Looking back over this year (which has been the hardest year of my life) I realize that it has to be ALL for HIM. People's lives go on back home. The people you are serving never say "thank you". You serve day in and day out & it is never enough. The food is just horrible. The smell of our village is repulsive. We are in a nice sweat all day. We are persecuted behind our backs. The people even just finished a festival in which the people paraded down our very street daily for 10 days boasting of their devils. We can pour out our hearts and love the people with brotherly/sisterly love, but only God can change a person! We have shared the Gospel so many times and as a whole the people's hearts are so hard. They want something. They want money. They want food. They want the shirt off your back if you will give it. Only a few have truly pressed into wanting Jesus.

But we have to stand in His love, so that we can share His love. The Lord is teaching us to love the unlovable. We were the unlovable when our lives were apart from Christ! We are tired, but He gives us rest. We do all of this for His Name to be known, Him to be praised & to be challenged into deeper communion with our Lord!

Pray for our renewed strength & for the people's hearts to want HIM!

Thailand

Who are we & what are we doing?

Trent, Amy, Jackson, Braden & Trinity Pruett –
Serving the Lord in Thailand

The ministry here in Ban Nam Khem, Thailand is focused on prayer, discipleship training & church planting. The Lord has placed upon our hearts to reach the needs of the community to share the love of Christ as described in Matthew 22:35-40
“For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.”
We do our best to live up to this expectation of our service to the people - in the Name of all Names – Jesus Christ!

At this time we have 2 weekly church services with a children’s program, 2 school days & daily outreach, evangelism, and follow up in the community. There is also a night of Intercessory prayer as the Lord is hearing our prayers and teaching the people to Come to Him! He is the “I AM” of their every need!

Prayer Request

I was just putting together some information about our family & I thought I would share our prayer request here too.

Anointing: Pray that we will experience a continued fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit's anointing upon our lives and ministries.

Encouragement:Discouragement can easily set in amid heavy workloads and adjustments to cultures. Pray God will strengthen us spiritually.

Evangelism:Reaching people for Christ is the heartbeat of missions. Pray that the Spirit of God will move mightily in crusades and open hearts in personal evangelism.

Family:Missionary life requires commitment and sacrifice from every member of a missionary's family, even those we have left behind in America. Pray that God will strengthen our family members and draw them closer to each other in the Lord.

Health:Many missionaries battle physical illness. Pray for continued health and sustained strength for the task.

Projects:Numerous projects are under way on the mission field - church planting, Bible schools, day cares, renovations, etc. Pray that materials, workers, and finances will be provided to complete these projects.

Protection:Spiritual warfare is real. We often come under Satan's attack. Pray that God will shield us from harm and give us victory in overcoming spiritual darkness.

Provision:Needs in some countries are especially great. Cost of food, utilities and other supplies can be staggering. Pray that God will provide for day-to-day needs.

LOVE, AMY!

Kids Say the cutest things!

October 05
Kids say the cutest things!
I see Jackson laying on my bed and he looks very sad. Curious I go and ask him what is going on....
"It's just....I don't want to say it...." Jackson says.
I think......Oh no! Then calmly tell him, "It's okay Jax, you can tell Mommy."
Jackson says, "It's just....(tears welling up in his eyes).....it's just that I....(now looking at me heartbroken and teary eyed)....I like Spiderman more than Batman now"
I am shocked, relieved & trying to stay just as serious as him, "Jax it is ok. Spiderman is a good guy & you can still play with Batman sometimes"
Jackson, "Ok, but you better call Mimi and let her know. (just as he wipes his eyes dry!)
As if you couldn't already tell....Jackson has had a very serious liking to Batman for over a year now & he is such a loyal little guy that this was serious business!
Mimi is my Mom and knows of his former love and devotion to Batman :)
***************************************************************************************************
Now for those of you who do not know, Braden has started talking about his wife since he was 4 years old. This is not prompted by me at all. He is truly very curious about this wife of his. This is a recent random conversation.
Braden (VERY SERIOUS), "So Mom, how's it gonna happen?"
Me, "How is what going to happen Braden?"
Braden, "You know, love. How am I going to start loving my wife?"
What do you say to that! Ah!!!
Me, "Well, Braden I am not exactly sure. But the Lord is preparing a beautiful little lady for you! It will probably go something similar to this. You will see a girl & your heart will skip a beat. She will be beautiful to you & the more you get to know her, the more you will like her & then you will love her."
Braden, "Really? Oh, ok. Jackson you wanna play?"
***************************************************************************************************
Trinity overhearing this conversation with Braden.
Trinity, "Mommy I don't have to get married to somebody because Daddy says I can marry Jesus! Really!"
I just smile and nod as I know her Daddy has been at work here over his precious little daughter!

Let the children come!!!

October 03
Tuesday Night Service
written by Amy

Tonight we have officially started the childrens program! I am so excited as this has been on my heart for quite some time :) There is more love & play that actual ministering as we do not have another translator for the youth.

I was so excited as 2 of the boys I used to work with out at the jungle site came. Same and A Thone. It was so great to see them!!! I have missed the children in Ba Ny Si greatly, but know the Lord has me where he has me. We also had 3 new children come.

In spite what happened (the attempt of a girl being taken) last week, I am UPSTAIRS safe and sound with the kids! So, all you children lovers rest assure the children are safely upstairs & they always have the Lord watching over them.

Keep us in your prayers. We are praying for another translator! Until we welcome all children to play and share in action the love of Jesus!

Sunday Night Service

October 02
Sunday
2 weeks ago we took, on appearance, a huge loss to our church family. The 3 main people wanted to walk away. We pray that the Lord captures their hearts once again & brings them to repentance quickly! The first week we had a very humble congregation during our weekly services. Many people in the community were confused & then the 3 that left were telling them not to come. Well, Sunday we had a great showing, to the Lords delight. People are getting over the intimidation, and coming to church despite the resistance they are getting within the community.
Recently we are hearing from the believers that they are being threatened by beatings, even at knife for coming to church. Their friends are making them choose between them or the Lord. Most of the threats are by scared neighbors and family. They are being told that the spirits will come and kill them, bring them bad luck, and torment them if their is a Bible in their home or that these people worship Jesus. Fear had a short victory, but just this week the women started coming back!!! Praise the Lord!
Tonight the Lord had a full audience. Just as the word says, the devils came too. We had hecklers in the crowd, we were mocked, there were major distractions by a man totally out of control of his emotions(manifesting), and a man grabbed a child and ran out DURING CHURCH! The mother quickly was told by another woman & the child was recovered within seconds, praise God again! We pray that as the Word was spoken that it will shatter these hard hearts and set the captives free! Despite all these distractions there were hearts surrendered to the Lord! Take that devil!
We are so excited to report that we are finally getting a greater child showing at church. Next week will begin getting started with a fun atmosphere upstairs at the church for the children to be loved while the mothers get fed spiritually. We are praying for another translator so that their can be a ministry to the children. We are starting with showing love & leave the rest up to the Lord! I am personally very excited about this as I have had it in my heart for quite some time. Please join with us in prayer over this flock!
Also be in prayer for Mynamar!!! Our church here is to the Burmese/Mynamar people and their hearts are greatly being pulled over their loved ones back home.

Missions?

September 10
“It is the Holy Spirit who calls you to be on mission. Satan would never tempt you to missionary service.” -Henry Blackaby
"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?" -- David Livingstone

Why Missions?
So why would anyone go to another country to tell people about Christ? Why go to a place where another language is spoken, the food is strange, and you have to squat over a hole to go to the bathroom? Shouldn't we worry about our "own backyard"?
We work to establish Christian community among peoples without access to the gospel because it is God's plan for us - and it makes us happy. God's gift of salvation produces joy in us that can't be contained. Missions is an overflow of the joy and mercy that God has given us. It's got to come out! Knowing that, for some reason, God chose for us to know Him, is astounding. Knowing that there are many people in the world that couldn't know this same joy because there is no one to tell them is heartbreaking.
Every day, people die without ever having known Christ or the true purpose for their existence. Can you imagine what your life would be like if you had never been given the opportunity to know God? What if you had never experienced the joy and peace in knowing your eternal destiny? We the church have the incredible privilege of working side by side with God Himself to reach those who otherwise would be unreached. God makes it clear to us in His Word that our most basic reason for being is to glorify Him. We also know that God is glorified when people come to know Him. God will receive most glory when all the nations are reached. There are hundreds of nations (people groups) that are still completely unreached. As we work to reach these people we change the world one life at a time.
Because History Awaits the Fulfillment of the Promise (Matt 24:14) – Not sure how it’s all going to play out, but if God has promised that all nations are reached and Jesus says here that the gospel will be preached to all nations…then the end will come – it just seems logical. The story of history seems to be arranged on the thread of this mission, even the history we are a part of today. That is exciting!

I thought you might like to have a few quick facts about THAILAND.
Map of LostnessThe map shows the percentage of lost in each region. The black-colored regions are areas of the world where there are few if any believers in Christ. The white regions show a high percentage of people who profess Christianity. The United States represents one of the few areas of the world where the majority of the population professes Christianity.


The Asian ChallengeThis chart shows the distribution of people throughout parts of the world. Asia clearly makes up the majority of the population. This chart presents a strong challenge to take the gospel to areas such as Asia, where there are few if any followers of Christ.

(The above information I got off the International Missions Board web site.)

Quick facts about ThailandPopulation: About 65.5 millionEthnic groups: 75% Thai, 14% Chinese, various other groups 11%Capitol: BangkokReligion: 94.6% Buddhist, 4.6% Muslim, 0.7% Christian, 0.1% various otherThe three provinces in the south have a Muslim majority. Most of the Buddhists in the country are from the Theravada tradition, a conservative form of the religion.Traditionally founded in 1238, Thailand was never colonized by a European power. The word "Thai" actually means freedom. Today Thailand faces challenges such as the seperatist movement in the south, and the threat of disease, especially AIDS.The beauty of Thailand has drawn an unusual number of tourists over the years. Not only is the country breathtaking, the history of temples and ancient kingdoms fascinate people around the world.The national sport of Thailand is Muay Thai, Thia Boxing.

Picture of a Buddha Temp
A little bit of our heart to reach the lost for the Glory of God!

A Beautiful Sunny Day!

September 08
A beautiful sunny day!
Today started off just beautiful! Today is Saturday and it is family day! Woo Hoo! 1 day the kids get both Mommy and Daddy all to themselves, and we get them to ourselves :) Well, we are all getting ready to go to a nearby park when the boys notice a very unfriendly visitor trying to enter our home. We have seen his kind before. Here is a picture of this kind of visitor I am talking about.
DO YOU SEE THIS! AH! Just looking at this picture gives me the "willies".

The first time went something like this..... It was a Tuesday night and Trent was at church preaching. The kids and I do not usually go on Tuesday nights. This particular night I was waiting up for Trent. The meetings go pretty late. I had been in bed about an hour. Trent comes home and we are talking about the meeting. About 30 minutes pass by and I feel something slither across my arm! Instantly I take my other arm grab it, and at the same time jump up and throw my uninvited visitor to the ground! I had no idea that I had just grabbed, with my bare hands, a poisonous centipede! Ugh! Trent gets this thing with our electric mosquito zapper and the thing will not die! Trent relocates the intruder outside. Trent takes down the centipede. Yeah Trent! We have been here almost a year & this is the 1st we had in our home.
Now a beautiful sunny family day & another tries to come. Praise the Lord that the boys see it before he makes his sneaky entrance! Trent wins again! Oh my! Life on the mission field. Thank you Jesus for your complete protection!
Well, we have all smiles now. Take a look at me and Braden enjoying our victorious day!

Update

August 26
Update
I know, it has been way too long since we have checked in! Trent and I both are trying to be more regular with this, but obviously y'all (yes I am from Texas) could pray over this for us, ha ha!

Anyway, the last few weeks have been so amazing! The School of Young Prophets at the Discipleship is up and running. There are 11 regular students & they are soaking up the Word of God! We have been given some books on discipleship in both Burmese and English to go through. God is so amazing providing our every need! In the midst of starting up the school, we have also began more personal community evangelism. Mondays and Wednesdays Trent is at the school. Tuesdays and Thursdays I (Amy) go out with the disciples on home visits. Fridays is mainly a day of prayer. Sundays church and visiting the Ba Ny Si jungle site. We are there encouraging our teams 1st missionary Si Mo Mo. The team here is still doing services on both Sunday and Tuesday & have begun prayer with the Burmese on Thursday nights :)

Recently we had began praying for a more fluent Burmese translator. I personally was praying for a friend! As the new schedule was in place, my 1st day I was scheduled to go on home visits and this woman was there. To my surprise she speaks fluent English & she had attended Bible School. Her name is Laid Laid. She came here with NOTHING! She said the Lord gave her a vision to come here. She had no idea we were here & we all instantly new God had given us each other! She is translating very clearly for us & she is my new friend!!! Thank you Jesus! It is so wonderful to have another Burmese woman on "fire" for the Name of the Lord to be known, received & WORSHIPPED!!!! Thank You Jesus for Laid Laid!

As you may have seen in previous posting we had our 1st Baptisms. What a wonderful declaration!! It made a true impact on the people in the community. One woman I met with on home visits, name Way Way, said they wanted to know more of Jesus. From what they knew and had heard they wanted to get rid of their idol houses and worship Jesus & be baptized! God is moving!

Prayer Points if you want to pray for us:

The Holy Spirit would pour out on Ban Nam Khem & Ba Ny Si
That the people would have softened hearts to receive the Word of the Lord
Tent making plans to have the discipleship sustain finances itself. If you have questions feel free to email.
Continued hedge of protection over our marriage & family
We would walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh
Our personal intimacy to stay 1st priority
Grade 1 starts 1st week of September (pray for Mommy & the gang)
Amy is in language school - pray over language
We are praying about getting a cover on our truck. We drive the people home from services 3 to 4 times a week and we are in rainy season - the cost $1300!!! Must have prayer!
Visa expires April or May depending on allowance of our extension. Pray for God's Will for what our family is to do. Thailand visa rules are very strict.
Thank you so much for all of your prayers and emails.

In Christ, Amy

Invisible

July 31
Invisible
There are always a million things going on around here. The last Short term missions team just left. Todd & Renee (Carrie) and their precious children went on a 5 month furlough to America :( . Our local Burmese disciples moved under 1 roof at the "Discipleship Home". God is moving!
However, through the last 2 months I have really struggled trying to find my place around here. I was teaching in Ba Ny Si & now our "Burmese missionaries" are permanently out there and doing the teaching. When teams are here Trent is super busy from sun up to sun down (I barely see the man). I am unable to attend all meetings with our children. All of this leading me into frustration!!! I know, I should know I am in God's Will. Sometimes that truth is easier to give than to receive. I can not understand why am I home most of the time???? In America I think I regularly did more evangelism than I had in the past couple of months!!! Well, I was just encouraged as I was offered a book to read. So, to all the other Moms out there - be encouraged! Sometimes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, laundry and daily tasks do not feel so meaningful. Well, there is something to our "invisibility". It is this by Nicole Johnson, "Invisibility is not inflicted on me; it is a gift to help me truly serve." Isn't that beautiful? When only God sees - Isn't that what it is all about? Serving God.

Update Little Burmese Girls Mom

June 14
Update Little Burmese Girls Mom
Just the other day the Little Burmese Girl (Trent & I call her "Apple" b/c she is the Apple of Gods Eye) - well her mother was beaten by her boyfriend/husband. I am not clear on this. This man took a 2 by 4 and beat her across the face and thigh. It is a horrible thing! The woman ran in defense and has run to our church! Wow! This is totally Gods timing because we have 35 people in from America evangelizing with us on a mission trip. These people have BURMESE translators! So, this women is in the right place at the right time! Pray for salvation & healing & that her heart would be genuinely converted!!!!!!!!!!!

Little Burmese Girl

June 10
Little Burmese Girl
I have to share a story with you all. There is a little Burmese girl in town that has been in our lives as of late. She is maybe 3. She has a mother, but her mother doesn't really want her. The sad part is this little girl is greatly neglected, her mother also will not give her away. I keep calling her "the little Burmese girl" because her mother hasn't bothered to name her & doesn't want to. The Burmese community has taken to her, sort of. They will feed her as she comes when they eat. We have prayerfully considered this little girl. We know that being Burmese she is already at a disadvantage. So pray for her as led. She is the apple of Gods eye. She is the orphaned! Trent and I will love on her, as will our team. We have to build up trust every time we see her. She does not know love. I pray that her mother would come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior & that she would be the mom that the Lord wants her to be. I pray for this little girl to find perfect love in Christ!