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Monthly Update
from Jeff and Tammy: Jan 2006 |
| Dear Friends and Ministry
Partners, |
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Heartfelt
thanks to you... some words from Jeff |
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Thank you for
praying for us dear friends. We have a very wonderful year and we are
believing God for a better year ahead, it's a joy to be in His service
and so are all of you that prayed, came or gave. We do not believe that
missionaries are a special elite force called by God to take the land.
It is just that we have found our place in Him. There is always a place
for everyone; it's just the question whether everyone is in their God-
given place. I do not consider myself to be special, but I'm sure many
people think that we are. My place is in the Vine; it is through the
Vine that the branch can grow. Therefore my place is in Jesus first,
then Thailand. The right place for all of us to be in is the Vine and
nowhere else because apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).
Success in missions does not depend on
the candidate that is sent out; it depends on the team that is put
together. There are the plowers, sowers and the reapers in every field
that God has call us to, but the tendency is to look at the reaper and
say," You have done a magnificent job." I am not a specialist, I have a
team. I do not specialize in mission but I am a opportunist;
because in every place that God has called you to, there will be
opportunities. Sometime it takes a while to stop fighting with ourselves
and see these opportunities. So brothers and sisters, we are called to
Jesus first, then called to a purpose. I pray that we will seek Him
first in our lives first this year.
God bless. |
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Children's
Day at the Nongkhai Boys' Home |
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Imagine being
swarmed by kids, all aiming for goodies and prizes at your little game
stall. A never-ending line of chirpy children wait eagerly as you twist
and squeek balloons into an alien-looking balloon animals. Little
ones plop themselves into the "Colouring Corner" and happily colour
every last bit of the illustrated worksheet, producing green lambs,
technicolour angels and abstract Baby Jesus.
These are the
pictures in our mind, darling memories of our Children's Day in the
Nongkhai Boys' Home in January. We saw scores of village kids
living near this orphanage come and enjoy themselves. The Nongkhai
church members and we helped to organise fun and games, to provide
merriment and give out illustrated children's tracts in this bustling,
chaotic and fun day.
Pic (left): Tammy and Ajahn Hong
create a number game. |
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Pic (right): Our game stall was a big
hit, drawing scores of children. We had to call Vincent in to help
with crowd control.
Pic (left): Jeff and Ajahn Tong
play songs, tell Bible stories and play games in another tent. |
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Pray for Pastor
Thamanoon and Sister Sommai |
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Pic: Pastor Thamanoon and his wife
Sommai |
While we are back in
Singapore for 2 weeks for Chinese New Year, Pastor Thamanoon was in the
hospital for treatment of excessive iron in his blood. It is a very
painful and costly ordeal for him, but necessary for him to stay alive.
Doctors marvel at him; according to them, no other patient with his
illness has ever lived past the age of 25.
But Pastor Thamanoon
fights on, for a lifelong vision that he has yet to fulfil, a dream that
his people in Thailand will all come to know Jesus as their personal
Lord and Savior. And that is why we are here in Nongkhai, because God
has revealed this vision to us too.
So while Pastor
Thamanoon presses on by the grace and mercy of God, please take your
stand together with this man. Pray for him. Support him. After all, we
do not walk alone, and we are one body; if one part of the body fails,
the whole body suffers.
Pray for his health,
healing, strength for the entire family. And if you wish to help with
the hospital bills, please contact us. |
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Women's
Ministry in Nong Khai |
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I (Tammy) am helping
Sister Sommai with taking care of a women's cell group. These women are
much older than me and most have come from broken and abusive marriages.
Some cannot read or write, but they come faithfully every Tuesday
evening to listen to the Bible teaching. I see how the Word of God
slowly transforms their lives and countenance and builds up their faith.
Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, which is true here in this
little cell group. As they are healed and strengthened in the Lord, they
begin to get bolder in sharing their testimonies of how God has blessed
them or helped them in time of need. This year, I hope this women's
group will grow stronger and be able to minister to new ladies.
What may be
challenging for me this year..... is to have to learn how to teach the
Bible in Thai! So far I speak Thai just a little; I have to buck up now!
Last year I was very blessed to have Sister Ratree, a Thai lady who
lived in Singapore for many years and speaks English well, to help
translate for me, whilst I shared the teachings in English. She has had
to return to Singapore, so God now needs to give me another translator
or some divine gift of language!
We have found a house for Dao, May (a
strong youth leader) and other ladies that we may want to house and take
care of, as the Lord leads us in this new year. Please pray for Dao,
that she will grow to be a godly young woman and as my mouthpiece to
lead other women out of the flesh industry. And pray for patience,
confidence and obedience to God's guidance for me. I really thank God
for all the brothers and sisters that God has given me to develop this
project. It is a vision that is so big, that it scares me sometimes! But
I know that Lord will bring it to pass, because He has promised me in
Jer 33:3. "Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and
unsearchable things that you do not know." |
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Please
Pray For Us and For Nongkhai! |
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1. We are doing an
English camp in Prathumthep School in March. Please pray for us as we plan for it. We
look forward to getting to know more teenagers and invite them to our Youth
Service during this camp.
2. Please pray for our
Youth Ministry in Nong Khai, that we will be able to raise them up to become
new leaders, something that is seriously needed in the church!
3. Please pray for the
Women's Ministry as we continue planning for the business project and in the
outreach too.
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Thank you for being
part of our lives and work here in Nong Khai!
May you be so
thoroughly blessed by the goodness of the Lord this new year!
Most
Appreciatively,
Jeff and Tammy
Yuen
8 Feb 2006
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