sàwàtdii khráp

Hello from Thailand! 

This past month has brought with it many rich opportunities. At the beginning of October, we went on a tour with our new classmates of the historic downtown Lopburi area. Cultures are so interesting and complex, it seems that there is always something new to learn about the Thai worldview and lifestyle!

The tour included walking through one of the many local markets in Lopburi. We have loved buying produce from markets like these, and have enjoyed getting familiar with the different fruits and veggies they sell here!

In downtown Lopburi, there is a temple that has a very strong grip on the spiritual outlook of the Thai people. It is referred to as the "monkey temple," as there are monkeys all over the city, but they are mostly congregated here. There is believed to be an unnamed deity dwelling in the temple that the Thais deeply revere. They barter with it, promising to bring an offering or hire a dancer for the deity if they receive what they asked for. The table pictured above is full of the offerings from the Thai people (pig heads are considered to be one of the most precious offerings). Needless to say, it is sobering to observe and highlights for us how crucial it is to bring the message of reconciliation to the one true God through Christ. May He receive the glory that is due His Name in this land!

A view of the outside of the temple.

We have really loved getting to experience Thailand on bicycles! However, a friend of ours here recently let us borrow a motorcycle and it has been so fun to be able to go more places! Motorcycles are the most common form of transportation here, so we have loved fitting into the Thai scene a little better. We hope to buy a motorcycle of our own in the coming weeks.

This past month has held some really exciting and God-orchestrated encounters with Thai people. We have found the Thais to be very warm and willing to help the "farangs" (foreigners) practice speaking Thai! Pictured above is a couple we met at one of our favorite road-side restaurants. The restaurant had run out of tables, so this couple invited us to sit with them, and the conversation turned into them inviting us to sight see in Lopburi together and exchange numbers for further communication! We hate that our Thai is not better, but it is encouraging to be able to communicate to some level!

Ryan got a lesson on how to make som tam (one of our favorite Thai dishes!) at a local restaurant. 

Another highlight of the month for us was getting to participate in the prison ministry in Lopburi. This is a ministry that God has been working through in some really exciting ways. There are groups of men gathering inside the prison to study the Word of God together, as well as ex-prisoners meeting in homes. We are especially thankful for this, as godly men are so needed for the health of families and churches. It is amazing to see the way God is building His church here. 

PRAISES & PRAYER REQUESTS:

- pray for perseverance in language school as we prepare to switch from phonetics to Thai script.

- praise for growing relationships with our neighbors and friends. 

- pray that these relationships would be built on love and that their hearts would have good soil to    receive the life giving word of God. 

- pray for clarity as we work through what God would have for us when we finish language school. We are discerning with our giftings if God would have us in roles supporting established local churches or pioneering into places where there are no churches. 

We so appreciate the prayers that you all lift up to God on our behalf. There is no greater need for us than prayers from the saints and we thank you that you take this seriously and pray! We pray for our supporters as well, so if you have any specific requests that we could intercede for you, we'd love to know them! We are so blessed by you all. 

"...Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth." -Revelation 5:9-10