A MONTHLY PUBLICATION FROM The Grace and Peace Baptist Church ~ December 2024 Wichai Jalor: Wichai2serve@gmail.com Moses Wataniyamintra:...

Flooding in a nearby village. (Not my picture but copied from Facebook.) It was like standing under a waterfall. In Oklahoma, the rain...

If only they hadn’t set that empty chair beside me on the porch. If only they hadn’t so kindly and so sadly commiserated with me. I...

Celebrations! We’ve had a lot. Thanksgiving season started in October and continued through December. We had many of those – sometimes...

Bright eyes and chubby cheeks – what could be sweeter than a new baby? We have a little bundle of joy around the house now. Timmy...

“What did God make on day five?” I asked the roomful of preachers. “Fish and birds,” the enthusiastic men chanted in chorus, showing five...

They poured through the door, giggling and chattering. Fourteen girls. Girls! In our ten years in Thailand, we have had boys almost...

The waterfall splashed over the rocks into the pool below, sending ripples across the water. What a beautiful place for a baptism!...

The birthday cake caught on the lump in my throat and I had a hard time swallowing the cake along with my tears. It was a party, but one...

In just a moment everything can change. I was determined to get the boys back on track with their schooling after our big building...

The morning sun burned away the heavy fog, and the boys industriously mopped up the moisture the mist left behind on the long rows of...

The raging storm beat against the house with fury. The wind was so strong the whole house shook and swayed. The drapes swung back and...

The flashing lights of the ambulance and police blinded me in the dusk and froze my heart with terror. The truck was smashed against a...

The stench of rotting flesh wafted into the air as I unwrapped the dirty bandage. I stared in horror at the open wound… I always like to...

The dogs flew out of their yard, barking and howling like they planned to eat me alive. They stopped. A strange expression of wonder and...

Ow, ow, ow! Vacation didn’t go as planned – well, not as I planned, anyway. We had hoped to make a trip to America during the kids’ fall...

The smaller children crowded around the table, their eyes focused on the picture I was holding and listening with rapt attention to the...

It was a miracle. Danny had always been a challenge. We understood. He endured years of abandonment, neglect, and abuse before he came to...

The angry little girl stood beside me with stiff shoulders and a mulish expression on her face. Paul and I were smiling in the picture,...

It was such a blessing to gather with the preachers for our Preachers' Training this past month. We had 25 attending. I began a series on...

The Lord has brought us through another year and we are looking forward to what He has for us in 2021.

The pickup rounded the corner onto our property – and what I saw in the back almost made me cry with joy.

A guttural, outraged growl suddenly shattered the peace of the seaside. The lighter feminine voices screamed and the little ones...

Home at last! We are finally moved in and mostly settled in our new building. What a joy it is to have all the kids and activities close...

Home dedication ceremony. I slung the heavy, wet blanket over the clothesline and stretched my aching arms. This was load number 12 of...

The blinding rain fell in heavy sheets of water. It's like standing beneath a waterfall, I thought as I slogged through the mud to the...

“Can I have this, Grandma?” one of the kids asked, holding up a pair of snazzy sunglasses. “Sure,” I replied cheerfully. “But you will...

“The spider I saw in the kitchen was as big as the palm of my hand!” I exclaimed. Molly wasn’t impressed. “Lahu people like to eat them,”...

The smoke hangs in the air like a heavy fog, hiding the sun and making it difficult to breathe. The slash and burn agriculture at this...

The young man’s face was usually jovial and smiling, but that day it was solemn and earnest. “Thank you,” he said, “for coming to teach us.

I carefully stepped around the pungent piles of pig manure. Next time we come, I vowed silently, I will bring a shovel and at least clear...

They swarmed in, clutching their coloring contest pages and grinning in anticipation. It was English Camp day, and we had more than 100...

Faster than a speeding bullet. No, not Superman, but our lives. Some seasons of life are waiting seasons. Even here in Thailand, we...

“HOW many people are coming?” I asked in disbelief. “They said 100,” Nora answered. We had heard that some people from a nearby village...

It was such a joy to gather with a group of men who had such a heart as this! Their hunger and attentiveness to God’s Word was so obvious.

“Grandma, I’m sorry for yesterday,” she said. Her eyes were soft and a little abashed and her tentative smile was sweet. Best of all, she...

It’s a new year, but we are still finishing up with Thanksgiving celebrations here in Thailand.

I looked with surprise and some dismay at the bright pink tent. It was a very nice tent, but its location was troublesome. “Um. We...

I was going to fall. The tires skidded in the soft dirt on the shoulder and slid sideways. Desperately I tried to regain control of my...

More updates are coming soon, but I wanted to make sure everyone knows about our big news. Here is Paul’s latest newsletter in case you...

“Why did they think this was a good idea?” I muttered.  I stopped to catch my breath and looked with dismay at the steep path still...

Sweat dripped into my eyes as I bent down to open yet another box. I sighed. Why was this move more difficult than the others, I...

We sat in eager anticipation, not really minding the discomfort, because it was a big day. Graduation day. Each of the graduations are a...

Some days make all the trials fade to nothing.  Some days are worth it all. Like Sundays when we have baptism. We had that joy recently....

I shoved the last book into the bookcase with a sigh of satisfaction. Empty boxes and packing paper still littered the tiny living room,...

The boy’s brown eyes lit up and a smile broke across his grubby face. The stuffed toys we brought were unceremoniously A ladies’ group...

I plopped down on the chair and looked at the clock.  Only 7:30 in the evening.  I sighed.  I’m not quite old enough to go to bed at...

The truck shuddered and slipped sideways on the slick clay. With a bang it slammed into the side of the mountain. We all gasped and clung...

Running sores dotted the baby’s legs and he looked lethargic and ill. That’s not what concerned the mom, though. Moses translated, “He...

I grabbed my stomach and groaned. “I have diarrhea and vomiting,” I bellowed. “I have diarrhea and vomiting,” the crowd of men shouted...