C to C (Creation to Christ) and Me

 

  It all began about 5 years ago when I attended a conference with many of my missionary co-laborers.  We were taught how to share the Gospel using simply drawn pictures.  It could be done on a napkin, or a scrap piece of paper from my purse or really anything within reach should the opportunity present itself.  We called it, “Drawing C to C”  .

 

  After I learned it well, I taught the Gospel sharing method to my staff at TCT and also the clinic staff.  It became a great tool in our belt for Gospel sharing opportunities we often have and for new Christians it helped them understand the full Gospel message. clearly.   Since that time, we have used this method in many different ways, while talking to our pieceworkers at TCT on our home visits, when the clinic staff has been doing some of the door to door canvasing, when family members of our staff have had questions about Christianity, at our mobile clinics and most recently as a part of our Christmas celebrations. 

  Last year we asked our best artist to draw a progression of pictures from C to C so we could make a flip chart that could be easily used anywhere.  We all liked the fact that we could draw it ourselves, but we wanted to have a more “reverent” depiction of the story we were telling.  ( quite frankly, some of us couldn’t really draw the simplest angel and make it look holy) The chart turned out beautifully.  We also had our new missionaries fresh out of language school learn how to present C to C using our flip chart.   This became a great success and another tool for our Gospel sharing efforts. 

 

 

  Next, I decided I wanted to make a simple English coloring book using the C to C drawing idea to use in our week long English camps that we had scheduled last summer.  I asked my daughter Becky to help me by using her graphic design abilities.  She did an amazing job and again another tool was born. 

 

  This Christmas the wife of our pastor in Bankgla, Khun Wan, decided to take the coloring book, translate it into Thai, and make huge posters with it  teaching the kids at church how to present C to C with the posters at our Christmas programs. 

 

 

It was such a huge success, we decided to use the posters at our TCT Christmas programs and teach C to C with an emphasis on when and why Jesus was born and what Christmas means.  I believe this was the clearest presentation of the Gospel we have had at our Christmas celebrations yet. 

 

  The results….. people are being reached.  In Nan, Bangkla, and Tungmahajaren, we had completely captive audiences while we share the message together. 

 

Never before have we had the responses we have had from this presentation.  In all of those centers, ALL of the hearers said they were interested to understand this story more, and more than 16 said they were ready to pray with our evangelist to make God their Lord and Savior.  We are still following up on all those women.  Just yesterday we saw one whole family changed by the Gospel of Christ as a result of hearing this clear presentation of God's plan for them.   His message will not return void. 

....And that’s the story of C to C and me. 

Merry Christmas Celebration

Bangkla Thai Country Trim

2015 (although celebrated in 2016)

 

 

 

Anticipating the time to share

Teaw leading games

Balloon train

 
Wondering what will happen next!

The perfect evangelism partner.

Mrs. Wan our pastors wife sharing about the beginning of the world

Showing how  and why God made us.

Why God put man on this earth and how sin separated us from fellowship with Him

Then God sent his son to save us.  This is Christmas.  In my family every Christmas we wake up early in the morning, gather around the Christmas tree with all the gifts all around and before we open one present, we read the story of Christmas from the Bible. After I shared the Christmas story I explained that we do this so we can remember the greatest gift ever given. God giving his son Jesus to be a man and to show us the way to be right with God and go to Heaven when we pass from this earth.  .   As an out pouring of our gratitude we prepare gifts to give to each other in celebration of this day. 

Another perfect evangelism partner, Mrs. Nipha sang with me a song I wrote that wraps the whole Christmas story into one song. 

When we finished our presentation, I asked Mrs. Namthan to share what happened to her last year as she sat way in the back row of this same room on this same celebration day and afterword she gave her life to Christ.  She talked about how much God has changed her life and how glad she is to be called a Christian. 

Finally each TCT worker received a gift.  A new jacket with our logo and the words of Jesus, "Come unto me all who are weak and heavy laden and I will give you rest." 

 

  It was a great day!  Today in our sharing time, my staff were all amazed that the ladies were so attentive while we shared the Gospel yesterday. Usually in our evangelism time at the center, they are very disruptive and don't really pay much attention.  But on this day, they were silent.  We know of one person who we will be visiting next week who may be ready to choose Christ.  She lives in an area where we are trying to start a church but still have no believers.    May the Lord bless it. 

  Two days before the program, I woke up very sick with a throat infection. I could hardly swallow, I had a fever, and my voice was strained  I was sure I would not be able to speak.  As I tried to find a replacement and all who I asked refused, I felt the Lord say to me.  "Let me take care of it.  Prepare to be there." 

  When I awoke yesterday morning, my voice was fine and my throat pain was minimal.  Glory be to God. 

 

God placed man in a beautiful garden where He provided everything they needed.

 I am so excited!

In just a few days we will be traveling to Isaan one of the poorest parts of Thailand to do mobile clinics and an English camp at the school where our clinics are.  We have been able to find Jr. High and High Schools that will allow us to come and teach English using the Bible.  We have developed some new tools to use that you see in the pictures here.  Please pray with me for the week ahead that the Lord will use this time to draw many to Him.  Our clinics are September 14-18.  I will post updates on my facebook page. 
For details about each day please click the Prayer Partners tab above.   

Jesus died on the cross to make a way for us to be with God when we die.



God created the Heavens and the earth.

This is a reading book to go along with what they will be taught about
creation and the reason we need God. 

 

Then and Now..............


2003

2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2014

 

  I was inspired by a friend’s blog to write a, “Then and Now” blog.  So here it is.  Doug and I arrived on the mission field almost 23 years ago.  What I thought then and what I think now are so different.  So here are a few of my top picks.



1992

Then:  I had 3 kids under the age of 4. I thought that was all I could handle.

1993

Becky's wedding 2014

Now: I have 6 kids (4 ours, 2 in laws), all young adults and 2 precious grandbabies.

 

 

 

 

 

Then:  I thought I would never learn Thai well enough to share my faith or sing as a soloist ever again.



Now: I teach nationals how to share their faith, I disciple women, I teach children’s Sunday school…All in the Thai language.  Additionally, I have not only sung many solos in Thai but have written several Thai songs.  Crazy! 

1998 The first of many evangelistic Christmas events

Bangkla Christmas Choir 2001

One of my first invites to sing at a Thai pastors conference.199???

 

Then:  I did not have an evangelistic heart. 

Sharing Creation to Christ 2014

Now:  Everything I do is centered around evangelism.  All I can think about is how to develop more ways to share the Gospel more readily in all situations.  English camps, Mobile clinics, in the homes our TCT workers.  I think I now have an evangelistic heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas 2012 Heaven Came Down

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then: I thought, I’ll never use the skills I developed as a retail manager, while putting Doug through medical school.

Thai Country Trim's full time staff

Now:  I oversee a national business that makes thousands of products for a distributor in England…..and  shares the Gospel with more than 200 rural women weekly. 

Then: I was afraid my kids would grow up and choose not to follow Christ.

Now:  All my kids have the same heart as their father and I and are striving to share Jesus and make disciples right where they are.

Becky and Josh just a year or two away from going overseas to serve God

Gary , Rez, Karim and Naima working at a local church in Gilbert as youth and young adult minister

Jonathan "Derby"  just finished 2 years on the mission field and is currently attending Southeastern Seminary

Sandi, serving next to her Dad this summer.  Currently is attending CBU nursing school.

 

Right Now:   All I can say is, “Wow, Lord, I never imagined where you would take me, if I was only willing to walk with you where you told me to go.”

Isaiah  55:8 &9

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.9"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts

 

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

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    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.