Happy Fall to all of our friends and ministry partners! It's hard to believe that we are experiencing our last fall for the next four years! We are excited to share that we just picked up our close Thai pastor friend, Dtong, up in the USA last week! This is his first time in the USA, and he is traveling with us to the 20+ events we have scheduled through October to share about Thailand and invite people to serve in Thailand with us!
We need all of our funds in by the end of March to process our Thai visas in time to be back. If you would like to make a one-time or monthly pledge to help our family get back to Thailand to share the Gospel with people who have never heard it before, we would be so appreciative! If you have previously made a pledge prior to our last term and would like to update (increase or stop giving), letting us know when you can would be super helpful, as we are confirming how much is needed before we can finalize our schedule to return.
Check out the rest of this newsletter for more info on what God is doing in Thailand and what our family is up to!
-Brandon and Rachel
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Former Monk becomes Christian
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Dtong, our Thai pastor friend who is visiting the States with us this month, was once a Buddhist monk. He first heard the gospel when he was 8 years old, when a Christian team came to his school to share the story of Jesus. Early in his teenage years, like many Thai boys, he entered the monkhood to help make merit for his family and dive deeper into the teachings of the Buddha. As a young man, he realized that his sin was too great and there was no way he alone could live a life good enough to receive the rewards promised to those who follow 200+ laws of Buddhism.
But he never forgot the stories of Jesus. Dtong was blessed to have one of the few Christian churches in Thailand be right next to his father's auto repair shop. He would hear the worship music coming from the church all the time, and eventually was invited to come to the church. At age 15, he made a very conscious and informed decision to follow Jesus!
His hope for Thailand is that young people would have the opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel so that they might find the same hope and peace that he has found! It has been our great honor to serve with him in youth prisons and schools, and to see his passion for young people as he shares the Gospel with them.
If you would like to pray for Buddhist people around the world to come to know Jesus, be one of the 50,000+ prayer warriors who pray each week for the Buddhist and Hindu world! You can sign up at the link below, which will take you to the website Changethemap.org
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We are now officially taking applications for short-term teams, 3-9 month interns, and long-term assignments to help us open doors through various outreaches. We have more open doors than we have time or people to respond! Would you like to help us by being boots on the ground?
Since we last shared this, we now have several short term teams signed up, and three individuals planning on doing internships! There are plenty of spots left over the next 4 years, we would love to explore options with you if you are interested!
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The last school year state-side for the next four years has begun! Lena started 2nd grade, and Jori has started Kindergarten at a local school in Green Bay, WI. The girls have really begun to grasp the Word of God and spiritual principles. Thanks for praying for them in this season! We can't forget about Leo . . . this little boy is 7 months and full of Joy! He's already close to sitting up, and his favorite hobbies include playing with the dog, people watching, and trying new foods!
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