Hand Bag Evangelism at its Best

Several months ago I began dialoguing with one of the WMU staff at Worldcraft.org about making some purses for their 2015 fall catalog. As we made samples and I shopped for the right materials, I hoped this would not only bring us a nice size order for this little group of rural Thai women in a small village in Chaing Klang, but but also provide more chances to share the love of Christ and how to know him.  My hope was not disappointed, a few weeks after the samples were approved, we had our largest order ever of purses from Worldcrafts.  I was so excited.  When I called the group leader there, she said, “I’m not sure we can make these in time, we’ve never made this much before.  Can we hire more women?”

 

 I enthusiastically said, “Yes!”  So, Wanpen, went about finding just the right women to help her with the order.  A woman in her neighborhood, Bun, found out about the work available and came to see if she could help.  Wanpen explained to her that she would like to teach her about God once a week during the time she worked for us, and she agreed.  Little did she know that this young lady had learned a little about God when she was young and even went to church with a friend, and then when she was in college she also had some Christian friends.  But no one had explained to her how to follow God.  She always wondered about it.  So as Wanpen began to explain God’s plan for her life, things began to make sense and 2 weeks ago, she gave her life to Christ and is now being discipled by Wanpen and others at the local church.  All because she came to sew some purses.  What a great work we have.

 

What a great time of sharing.  Wanpen is on the left and Bun is on the right. 

 

  I visited these ladies last week and found so many wonderful things.  En, another new believer who came to Christ after being hired to work on orders for TCT last year, is now a vibrant believer, and a leader in the local church.  In addition to that, her whole countenance has changed.   She has gone from being a shy, backward little thing to a woman of great faith.  You can see it all over her face.  She is now the one encouraging Bun.  It was a joy to see.  One of the ladies who works making the wallets and also attends the Bible studies wants desperately to give her life to Christ.  However, her husband will not allow it.  He won’t allow her to eat with the Christians or go to the church building.  He will allow her to work from Wanpen’s home where she does get to learn more about God.  She cannot bring any Christian reading material home or her husband will burn it.  So I promised her that I would ask all my friends to pray for her and that the Lord would change her husband’s heart, like he did for En.  Our God is big and mighty.  Join me in praying for these ladies in Chaing Klang. 

Wanpen- the group leader, that she would be able to explain the deep things of God to the women God brings to her.  Also pray for her husband who is a believer but is still struggling with alcoholism.   

En_ Our new vibrant believer who came to faith just over a year ago.

Bun-  our 2 week old Christian that she would grow in her faith and be a witness to her husband.

Prin- our woman who wants to believe but is hindered.

Kit- Wanpen’s sister who has an inoperable tumor on her brain and suffers horrible headaches.

Yohan- Wanpen’s brother, who just gave his life to Christ last week.  Pray that he will follow God all his days and that he would grow in his faith. 

Here is the direct link to find our purses at the Worldcraft website http://www.wmustore.com/product.asp?sku=H154236

 

Great Small Beginnings

Thai provinces are divided into districts, similar to what we might call counties.  Each one has tens of thousands of people in it. Our burden is that there are seemingly a countless number of districts that have no churches – and many without even a single Christian.  For over 20 years our family has worked here with the desire to see God’s kingdom come and His will be done here in Thailand just as it is in heaven.  We share Christ with patients at the clinic, we knock on doors and visit people in their homes, we teach English in schools as a springboard to bring the Gospel to communities, and we do mobile clinics in districts all over the country with the desire to see people introduced to the Father’s love so that a local body of believers might be born and the Lord would be glorified in their praise.  
     BP is a district about 40 minutes southwest of us.  There is no body of believers there.  There has never been a church there.  Three years ago we began concentrated efforts to bring the Gospel to BP.  We did a number of mobile clinics, taught English in schools, knocked on door after door, passed out tracts in the market, and shared the Gospel over and over again – year after year.  Occasionally, someone would show interest for a short time, but local pressure and their own disbelief would always stop them short of following Christ.  
    

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the 10th grade class Gary and Rez taught 

 Then a few weeks ago, Gary and Rez brought a team to join forces with a team from South Mountain to come teach English and again help us take the Gospel into BP.  Sandi came a couple months in advance and she and I teamed up with some of my Thai staff to walk the streets of BP, knocking on doors, sharing Christ with people we met on the streets, and passing out tracts in the market.  In all our visits, we found no one even remotely interested.  But the principal of the school was very anxious to have us come help his students learn English, and many of the school’s students were freshly embroiled in a number of personal difficulties, so the Lord was preparing the soil for the Gospel seed that Gary and Rez’ team was bringing.
     After 4 days of teaching English and sharing the Good News, we gathered in the middle of the school’s soccer field to worship the Lord and intercede on behalf of the people there.  Two boys from the school followed us, and accepting our invitation, they joined us as we sang and prayed.  We asked them how we could pray for them and then gathered around them to pray.  Both of them were from broken homes.  After our time together, I asked the boys where they were headed.   One said that he was going to set up his roadside cart where he and his mom sold home-made ice cream every day after school.  I asked if we could visit.  Nearly 20 of us drove up to his little stand where he and his mom were selling their coconut ice cream.  Mong was obviously very happy to have us visit him, and his mom was perhaps even happier.  We all enjoyed having ice cream together, and enjoyed getting to know each other even more.  Soon we were talking about the Lord and His plan for our life.  I asked Mong’s mom if he had talked to her about what he was learning about God through the English teachers.  She said, “Yes, I think he wants to become a Christian.”  I asked her how she felt about that and she said, “Well, I’d like to know more about it.”  I said that I would be very happy to tell her more and asked when we could meet to learn about God.  She said, “How about right now?”  So right there we talked with her about who God is – that He made the world, that He is holy, that He loves us, and will one day judge all men and decide their eternal destiny.  When we finished, she seemed eager to have us come back – and very eager for us to continue to befriend her son.  

This is Mong drawing the bridge diagram Gary taught them  answering the question for that day. 
Why should I believe in God?

 

 

     Then a week later, we visited again.  This time a friend of the family was there. Also a student at the school where we did the English camp.  I asked her if she had talked to Mong and his mom about God, and her reply was, “I want to become a Christian too!”  So right there, just as Mong and his mom had done a week earlier, she prayed to make Christ her Lord.  Now there are 3 in this place that had no believers for such a very long time.  
     The “church” of BP is still very small – just 3 believers, with a faith that is less than 2 weeks old.  But Sandi encouraged me with a quote from Zechariah: “Do not despise the day of small beginnings.”  I am overjoyed by seeing the Lord save these 3 precious people.  Please pray for BP and this brand new family of faith – and thank the Lord with us for these days of small beginnings.

Mong and his mom's ice cream shop

Add caption

    A week later we returned and taught her more of the death and resurrection of Jesus and how men could have their sins forgiven and at last be right with God.  When we finished I invited her to repent of her sins and submit to God as Lord of her life.  And right there, at a table a few feet from her ice cream stand, she and her son (who smilingly said that he was very ready!) placed their faith in Christ.  We rejoiced as we watched salvation come to this BP family.