John's Newsletter
Thailand
Christian Mission Ban Naratchakwai
131 Mu 11,
T. Na Ratchakwai, A. Muang,
Nakhon Phanom 48000
Thailand
Phone: 042-515-531
Email John
May 18-30 News 
Printable PDF
April 17 Prayer Request
April 17 News Printable PDF
April 17 - Easter News Printable PDF
April 16 News Printable PDF
April 11 News Printable PDF
March 26 News Printable PDF
March 14 News Printable PDF
March 6 News Printable PDF
February 15 News Printable PDF
February 14 News Printable PDF
February 8 News Printable PDF
February 3 News Printable PDF
January News Printable PDF
May 30 News Printable PDF
May News & Prayer Requests
Greetings from Thailand.
It is hard to know where to start for this month.
As many of you know, Maeo and I are living in Khon Kaen, about 5 hours from Nakhon Phanom, Monday thru Friday. I began receiving radiation therapy again for skin cancer on May 12. There will be 30 treatments and 12 are finished with 18 to go. God willing, it will be finished by June 26.
As before, the biopsy came back stating cancer was there and it was all removed, but the oncologist is very conservative so we go through radiation therapy again. The process takes about 2 minutes each morning, Monday thru Friday, so we leave Nakhon Phanom after church on Sunday, drive 5 hours and get to our hotel about 6 pm Sunday evening. Treatment is at about 8:30 am every morning so after that we are free.
However, a small village school about an hour away found me, so starting this week I will be going up there for half a day each week and teach English.
We leave Khon Kaen about 9 am Friday morning and get back to Nakhon Phanom about 2 pm or so, in time for a 4 pm English class with my high school students who are conducting our English Camps.
Saturday is a full day with kids and Sunday is regular Sunday service.
Prayers:
Pray for our members who are continuing the daily prayer group meetings – that they will see they can worship God and pray without me being there. That God will give them strength and confidence.
Pray for our brothers, sisters and leaders in Myanmar. Their suffering and persecution is real and the danger is a daily one. Pray for strength for them; for God’s protection and help in their suffering and hardships. These folks sometimes put my faith to shame and I pray for the strength and conviction that they have.
Pray for our teens. School has started here and it is a new year and a new life for 6 of our students returning to school. They will be facing many hardships and major decision making times if they are to be true to their new faith. Pray they will use God’s strength to face the trials that will come and be a strong witness for Christ. Pray for them as they prepare to be our new leaders here in the Christian Mission and as they prepare to be leaders in the English Program that goes out to Elementary Schools holding English Camps.
Pray for Maeo and me as I drive back and forth to Khon Kaen each week. It is kind of like the Indianapolis 500, so it is not the safest trip to be making on a regular basis. We get run off the road on an average of at least 3-4 times every trip by drivers who think the road is theirs only.
Once I get to Khon Kaen, if I can remember to take the pictures with me – I will try to put together some newsletters with photos for you to enjoy.
God Bless - John and Maeo.
May 18, 2009
Greetings again from Thailand.
I apologize for the long silent period, but there has just been too much going on around here and I had to choose what things I was going to cut.
Biopsy on a cyst removed from my ear came back positive, so at the moment we are in Khon Kaen Monday-Friday undergoing radiation therapy. We depart Nakhon Phanom after church and getting the kids all home on Sunday; arrive in Khon Kaen after a 5 hour drive and have radiation treatments every morning, Mon-Fri. After our treatment on Friday morning, we pack up and make the 5 hour trip back to Nakhon Phanom, getting there about 1-2 pm so we can visit 4 or 5 schools in the afternoon and be home for a 5:30 pm English Class. Saturday starts about 7 am when we start picking up kids for an 8 am-3 pm program at the mission. The children are involved in Bible Study, group singing, English Classes and a variety of games. Sunday begins at 7 am picking up folks for church service from 8-11 am.
Pray for our teens; we now have 5 who say they have accepted Christ, but we do not have approval from their parents for baptism at this time. However, they are doing more work in the church and for God than our adult members at the present. School has now started and I am praying the Holy Spirit will strengthen them and give them the courage to witness for Christ at their schools. When you Are the only Christian in your class, and in some cases the only Christian in the whole school, it is very difficult for them.
Prayers:
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Pray for safe travel for Maeo and I as we go back and forth between Khon Kaen and Nakhon Phanom
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Pray for our teens for confidence, courage and wisdom in their daily lives
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Pray for our members; that the Holy Spirit will open their eyes so they may see the truth. The last three or four Sundays have been on obedience and many of our adults have found something else to do on Sunday rather than come to church.
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Pray for our villagers as we travel around with the Soup of Love that God will open the eyes, minds and hearts of those who receive our soup.
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Pray for our leadership, that we will have the wisdom to follow God and that he is glorified in everything we do here.
More news later.
God Bless, John and Maeo
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Prayer Request
April 17, 2009
Request prayers for the following young lady: Barichat Gaoampah.
She has been diagnosed with a benign tumor in her brain that has attached itself to some blood capillaries in the brain. She will be going to the hospital in Sakon Nakhon on April 17 to decide whether lazer treatment or surgery will be needed to correct the problem.
We are asking for prayers for her; that the doctors will be given wisdom to select the right form of treatment and that she will be healed.
She is a Catholic but was brought to us for prayer by Kim, one of our teens who have accepted Christ.
Pray that God will use this as a witness to his power and that he will be glorified.
Dr. John Middlewood, Christian Mission Ban Naratchakwai, Thailand
