Happy New Year! It’s been a while since I was able to sit down and write a prayer letter. My computer crashed, which was a catastrophe in many ways. I had to leave all my books behind when I came here to Thailand. It’s only through online sources that I have access to books and commentaries. It’s also only by way of computer that I have a way to communicate with the churches. Without my computer I felt like I was dead in the water! I’m so thankful for one of our supporting churches who purchased a new MacBook Pro for me.
It reminded me anew of our purpose here. The tribal preachers don’t have either books or computers. They also don’t have the blessing of sitting under sound men in Bible conferences or learning from great and godly men of the past by way of their writings. They have me. It’s my calling to pass on to these men the great and glorious truths which we have seen and heard. (II Timothy 2:2)
Please pray for these men! And pray for those who will be following after them and be taught by them. Especially beseech the Lord with us for protection for these precious brethren from wrong doctrine. A denominational group with no lack of money but a lack of truth has been laying snares for these men. They have offered to buy buildings, give a salary to the pastor, or even buy the pastor a car, if they will align with them. That would be tempting even for people who aren’t living in the extreme poverty these pastors face daily. The “missionaries” from this group are under pressure to perform and will go to extreme lengths to have successful reports to send back to their mission board.
Meanwhile, we keep on teaching the truth and encouraging them to follow in it.
We “did medicine” at Sa Li Kam, too. We went there last Sunday. It’s a Lisu village and we have no Lisu interpreter, so Matthew, another Lisu pastor, preached. We don’t know for sure what he said, but the people seemed responsive
to his message. This church has a pastor but no building. Duang Suan is a fiery and enthusiastic preacher and a devoted pastor to this church. On Sunday we met on the porch of a member’s new house. They have had land donated and we hope to see them build soon.
As for our land and future building – it is being held up by one phrase that needs to be changed. The change in thedocument has to be okayed by a government official. Sadly, he has been sitting on it for weeks. Please pray with us that the Lord would move him to get it back to us, and to speed the way for the sale to be finished.
Thank you for your sacrificial support! May the Lord richly bless you! For Christ count everything but loss…. Bro. paul
Photos and captions added by Susan: