It is almost hard for us to believe that we have been in Thailand for nearly three years. It is amazing how fast time moves. As we reflect back on our time here, we realize how blessed we have been to not only have the opportunity to impact the lives of many people here, but to have our lives be forever changed because of the people we have had the honor of serving with. We are better people because of them.
Can you believe December is upon us? We can hardly believe how fast this past year has gone…but we feel like each year seems to be going as fast. Hope you all had an incredible Thanksgiving and are anticipating the joy of this Christmas season. We are enjoying our “cooler” temps here (ok, maybe you wouldn’t call 85 cool, but we sure do!).
In the three years we have worked with Zoe in Thailand we have seen firsthand the life changing impact a true encounter with Jesus Christ can have on a young life. Thank you for sending us here, to Zoe, to Thailand and to those hopelessly caught in the human slave trade. Thank you for allowing us to follow the dreams God has given us and allowing us to impact these young lives. We are very thankful for the time we have spent working alongside the amazing Thai National staff and missionaries at Zoe.
We wanted to take a moment and share some exciting news with you. Some of you have already received an email from us with the news, but some of you haven’t heard yet and we are excited to tell you! But first, we really just want to thank you for all you do to support us out here in so many different ways. We appreciate all the love and encouragement you continually send to us. Thank you! As we look forward to 2017, there are many changes taking place, but we believe that God has been preparing us for it.
In the beginning of this year, God began stirring something in our hearts and challenging us to trust Him more. After visiting some friends who live on the border of Thailand and Myanmar (Burma), we began feeling like God was calling us there to help. He opened our eyes to the needs on the border, to the vulnerable children and the refugees who are struggling there, and He began speaking to us about moving outside of our “comfort zone” in Chiang Mai and follow His direction for us.
After seeking counsel from our Pastors, mentors, trusted friends and family, we made the decision to move our family from Chiang Mai to Mae Sot, Thailand. (Mae Sot is located about 4-5 hours southwest of Chiang Mai.) And, we are excited to announce that in February 2017, not only are we moving to Mae Sot, but we are also launching Freedom Rising, a non-profit whose mission is to go.love.serve.restore.
Freedom Rising will exist to:
Go into all of the world
Love all people like Jesus loved all people
Find and serve the lost and oppressed
Help to restore the broken hearted through the love of God
We have already partnered with a local organization in Mae Sot to help in the fight against human trafficking on the border. They have been working there for over 8 years and currently care for about 70 rescued children. Starting in February, we will partner with them to help in their efforts to spread the Gospel, combat human trafficking and care for those who have been rescued.
Some questions you may have:
Your donations
Right now you don’t need to change anything. We will continue to serve at Zoe and receive your donations through Zoe for the remainder of our time here. In the coming weeks we will send an email with information on how you can transition your support from ZOE to Freedom Rising.
What you can do now
Right now we ask that you pray with us….
Pray that we will continue to have people like you support the work here in Thailand.
Pray for the safety and spiritual health of our family.
Pray for our children as they finish their school year and prepare to say goodbye to their friends and move to a new area.
Pray that the governments of Thailand and Myanmar (Burma) will continue to grant us favor and allow us to continue the work of God in their countries.
Pray that God will continue to work in the hearts of the people of Thailand, that the people of this nation would be open and receptive to the message of the Gospel.
Pray for the rescued children, for their hearts to be healed. That they would open their hearts to their loving heavenly Father and allow him to do a healing work in their life.
Thanks again for all your support, we couldn't be here without you!