TUESDAY MARCH 29TH

We begin our last full day in Chiang Rai getting ready for breakfast at Baan Immanuel. It's not raining (though its threatening rain and cool again today) - that means we'll attempt to travel to Huey Kok to visit the Hmong pastor and his church there. That's about 5-1/2 hours of driving today if the weather holds (we'll turn back if it's raining because the road up the mountain is treacherous). We'll definitely visit with a dear brother, Somsat in Chiang Khong on the way. He was greatly used as the host for our Hmong conference last week.

Tomorrow we leave for two days in Bangkok and then the long flight home on Friday. That will be odd because after traveling for 20 hours, it will still be Friday in L.A. when we land. We'll probably have to spend the night in L.A. because we'll arrive too late to get a connecting flight to Phoenix.

I think P'Paul told Somsat this was an American custom
to show respect. I don't think he believed that.

THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR US! It's been a fantastic trip and God has done wonderful things while we've been here.

WHY TRAIN PASTORS AND DO OUTREACHES IN THAILAND?

I think the pics speak for themselves:

VILLAGE OUTREACH - SUNDAY, MARCH 27TH

Today we drove to a Red Lahu village with some of the Baan Immanuel staff and kids for a medical and Gospel outreach. Although the outreach was at a church in the village, there were only a few believers there (before today, that is). They had done several outreaches here before, with more and more people showing up, but not much of a response to the Gospel. 

Today there were some skits, and music. Almost all women and children, but more and more came and then even a few of the men. After P'Jala shared, he asked how many wanted to obey Jesus. No one raised their hand. Then he said, if you don't obey what Jesus said, you can't go to heaven; and 23 people raised their hands and prayed to receive Jesus! 

This is a Red Lahu village called Massi Som 
(I have no idea how they spell it)

The young pastor and his wife don't usually have 
more than a handful of people at church

P'Jala shared the Gospel

 It works pretty much the same way anywhere in the 
world when the Holy Spirit moves on people's hearts

They played a bunch of field games with the kids and 
then invited them to get packages of food and gifts

FRIDAY MARCH 25TH

After the pastors departed on Friday morning, we headed up to Huey Lew to see the Yao orphanage there. God continues to use Baan Immanuel and several of the kids who have grown up there to continue  and expand the work that creates disciples among some of the forgotten tribal groups of Thailand and Laos.

The Yao orphanage in Huey Lew

Everything was quiet because the kids were in school 

We made new friends at the river on the way back

OUR NEW FRIENDS HEAD HOME

 A Hmong brother holds the new Bible he received

Headed back to Laos, equipped with a new understanding of the Gospel

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

We were expecting to have our last session on Friday morning, but we discovered that many of the Hmong pastors needed to leave right after breakfast. So we added another teaching and ended the conference on Thursday night.

In that last session we shared communion, heard some testimonies, gave out some gifts (everyone gets gifts in Thailand), and enjoyed a great time of worship. Just as one of the Hmong pastors finished praying to end the service and the conference, THE BUILDING STARTED SHAKING! (We felt that earthquake pretty strongly in Chiang Rai.) Some of the people (the ones with sense) headed outside, but most of us just looked at each other and then started cheering and praising God! The timing couldn't have been more dramatic. We all had a profound conviction that God had confirmed His Word and was sending them out in the power of His Spirit.

Obviously today we are saddened and join those praying for the injured and families of victims who were near the epicenter in Burma.

EARTHQUAKE IN MYANMAR (BURMA) NORTH OF CHIANG RAI

I'm posting this on behalf of Pastor Paul and Pastor Dan because I am unsure of their current capability to access the internet.

At about 8:25pm today, Thailand time (which is 6:25am, Arizona time), a 6.8 magnitude earthquake occured in Burma just 55 miles north Chiang Rai Thailand. The quake was felt as far a way as Bangkok which is nearly 500 miles south of the epicenter. Pastor Dan was able to contact his wife by phone at about 7:00am (Arizona time) and let her know that everyone is fine and that with the exception of a broken fish tank, there seems to be minimal damage at Baan Immanuel.

Please continue to keep Pastors Paul and Dan, Baan Immanuel and its staff and the Hmong pastors in your prayers. Pray also for the families and the flocks of the Hmong pastor, that the Lord would keep them safe as well.

Details of the earthquake were obtained at:
United States Geological Survey Website
The Bangkok Post Online

-=Scott DeRuiter=-