Ministry News from the Needhams

Air pollution has been a big factor in our lives the past two months. March and April are considered to be the the "hot season" in Northern Thailand. It is also the driest time of year with no rainfall from February until the end of April. Burning straw in rice paddies and other agricultural waste, as well as burning the forest floor, is a very normal part of this season. So it is hot, dry, and smokey. But this year was different in that the smog hung much thicker and for longer than other years we've been here, with visibility of only a few hundred yards on the worst days. You cannot see clouds, and the color of the sky is a dull grey.
The region of Thailand in which we live had the worst air quality index in the world for quite a few days. Breathing masks were necessary anytime we went out of the house and yet we still had headaches, coughs, and burning eyes for weeks. Grace International School canceled for a total of seven school days due to the extremely high pollution levels. We felt the need to get out of the pollution for a week to let our bodies recover so we drove the 12 hours south to a retreat center where we found several other families from our area doing the same. Thankfully, now more than one week after we returned to our home, the pollution level has dropped significantly and the negative symptoms we were experiencing are gone!

Left: Bla Gaw
Owen still loves fishing and we had the opportunity to do some near-shore saltwater fishing. Though we didn't catch anything big, it was a great day out on water. This fish was his first catch that afternoon, a "bla gaw" which apparently can fetch a good price at market (if it is much bigger than this one:)
Right: Happy Song Kran!
The traditional Thai New Year is celebrated April 13-15. Titus is wearing a shirt that most Thai men will wear when going out during this holiday. The Thai New Year also celebrates the soon-to-arrive rains. If you go out, you'll find a nation-wide water fight in the streets!

Saying Goodbye
Jake's teacher left Thailand earlier this month. We can't express how much this young woman has done for Jake these past three years! He has developed tremendously with her help.
We are very excited to announce that Grace International School has been able to find another teacher for the next school year. We're so amazed at the level of support the Lord has provided for Jake here in Thailand!

For the past couple of months I (Faith) have had the opportunity to teach English at a business here called Bliss. I also organize monthly fun events. This month I taught a cupcake decorating class, and everyone had a blast!

Crossworld Thailand News

Our ministry team grew significantly in 2018. For 2019 and beyond we're excited about TEAM, The Evangelical Alliance Mission, and Crossworld combining efforts for the Thailand Teacher Project by way of mobilizing teachers to join our project. We anticipate receiving another teacher in August to train and place. Following that, we're praying that the projected number of possible new teachers for 2020 becomes a reality. We have said that ten teachers going through training would be our maximum capacity, and we might have that number!

Prayer Needs:

Crossworld and TEAM's recruiting efforts for English teachers
Faith's new training role at BLISS
Eric's preparation for the government's Thai language fluency test in November
We're seeing some of our friendships grow and opportunities to share Christ more often. Pray for soft hearts
Praise! A teacher has been found for Jake for the 2019-2020 school year!

Join our Team!

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