“He who began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 A Successful Furlough We spent just over a year on furlough. It was a busy time but yet a refreshing time as well. It was good to get re-aquainted with friends at our church and make some new ones. We were able to report back to most of our supporting churches though a few just couldn’t fit into our schedule. We praise God for a couple of new churches that have added us to their missionary staff. Getting Back to Business After our arrival back in Thailand in April, we immediately began the clean-up process on our building. After all, we hadn’t lived in it for over a year. Much time was spent scrubbing bathroom floors and walls, scrubbing mold from the refrigerator, and general cleanup and maintenance. We are now settled in well but have returned to a water-system problem. We are trusting the Lord to supply the necessary funds needed to put in a new system. SBC Team Thailand In June a team of 16 individuals from our home church, Shenandoah Baptist Church in Roanoke, VA came to assist us in the ministry. God opened a  door of opportunity to do an English Camp in a Thai, Bhuddist, public school. During those four days we were able to preach the gospel via the “wordless bracelet” to almost 1,000 students, most of which have never heard the gospel. Praise the Lord for the seeds that were sown. We thank the Lord for each member who labored with us for two weeks. Spiritual maturity and a servant’s heart were very evident in each of them. They greatly encouraged us and they continue to do so as many of them keep in touch with us regularly. More Interns After the departure of SBC Team Thailand we received two interns from Elkhart, IN that assisted us for three weeks. We thank Deidre Serven and Bethanna Clarke for their time and heart for the ministry.
| New Coworker Jenni Starkey has reached 100% of her support and is getting ready to come and join us. She is scheduled to arrive on September 25th. She will come straight to Kabinburi to assist us as we are the only ones left to continue to do the work here.
Mark Hopkins, SBC Team Leader preaching with Ed interpreting
Family Update We praise the Lord that Josiah trusted Jesus as his Savior in May. What at a joy it was for us! We see more maturity and more interest in the Bible as the days go by. We thank God for his sweet spirit. Boaz loves to copy his big brother. He is full of life and energy.
Darlene is now into her 7th month of pregnancy. It has gone well and she is going as strong as ever. We anticipate our new little one around the 3rd week of October.
Praise and Prayer 1. Praise God for the smooth transition back into the ministry after furlough. We thank God for the Beckmans, Amanda and Sawin’s labor in our absence. 2. Praise God for the SBC Team’s ministry in our Student Center and at the local public high school. 3. Pray for the spiritual growth of the believers here. Some are showing growth, some are struggling spiritually. 4. Pray for Jenni Starkey as she packs and prepares to say goodbye to family and friends in the States. 5. Pray for continued good health for Darlene and the baby these remaining weeks. Pray for our preparation for the baby’s arrival in October and for God’s provision. |
