Pictures

Nothing terribly interesting has happend this week for me to write about, so here are some pics from the past month for your viewing enjoyment.

Village English

RCC staff and members have started an English ministry in the slum village near the Watcharapon church (where we once helped with a Children's Day event). We are hoping to get the Watcharapon members involved in this outreach project in their own area.

This passed Sunday was our first Sunday there. We plan to go every Sunday afternoon for a few hours to teach English and play games. We divided our students into four age groups since we have everything from 4 year-olds to adults. We have one American, one Thai translator, and several helpers from each group. I get to lead the 4-6 years old class. This passed Sunday we had a class of about 20. The kids are so precious. My helpers were great, and we had lots of fun, though it was very hot; we teach in the village school house, so we had some shade, but that's about it.

Thank God for blessing us with this outreach opportunity, and pray for that we will find the time and people to keep it going, and that we will be able to get the Watcharapon church members involved.

Tak and Gie

Gie and Tak were baptized on the 27th of February and 7th of March!

God is so good. He has given us one new sister each week for the passed four weeks: Jeab, Poopay, Gie, and Tak.

With these new additions to the new-Christian-group and the young women that have been added to the RCC through the recent LST efforts, we have quite a large group of women to minister to right now. Pray that God will give us wisdom and ideas to grow in our women's ministry.

LST Team

We have a 5-member LST team working with us at the RCC right now; they will be here for two weeks. Each of them will be reading with 3-5 readers every day. Hopefully, once the team's time here is done, a number of their students will want to continue reading with us and frequenting the RCC. It's great having the help and being able to bring more people in. Everyone in the LST team is enthusiastic and lots of fun.

One thing I had not expected in all this is the something of reverse-culture-shock I am experiencing being around so many Americans. I hadn't realized how unused to Americans I had become, and how much I have changed culturaly in so short a time.

Spiritual Camp

This passed week-end was spiritual camp (an RCC camp geared toward our readers who are seriously considering Christianity). We traveled to the mountains on Thailand's border with Burma (a beautiful, though COLD, location). We had lots of class time, small group time, and also game times. It was a crazy fun and uplifting time for all of us. Please pray for Tak, Gie, and Aow, the 3 readers whom we focused on at the camp. Tak and Gie especially are thinking very seriously about following Christ. One realy neat thing we got to all do at camp was share and hear everyone's stories about how they came to be part of RCC and something of their spiritual journeys.

A new sister!

We have gained another sister in Christ. Her name is Poopay. Poopay was an English student at the center various months ago, but had stopped reading one on one; she continued though having some Bible studies and often came to Wednesday evening worship. Poopay has believe in God for some time, but said she didn't want to get baptized against her family's wishes. However, this passed Wednesday she chose to dedicate her life to God and be baptized! Keep our new sister in your prayers as she begins her walk with God.

Rejoice with us

Jeab was baptized late this passed Wednesday night!

For some months now Jeab has believed in God, but she had been putting off dedicating her life to God and being baptized. Our whole team had been encouraging her to act upon her faith and praying for her so fervently, and at last she has chosen to take that final step and begin a new life in God!