Once again, it has been another interesting week! On Tuesday night, ALL the electricity in the village was out for 2 hours. Now the village is dark anyway at night even with the “street lamps” and the light coming from the houses. With no lights at all, wow! Our supervisors weren’t home and tons of kids showed up at their doorstep. Naomi and I pretty much baby-sat our supervisors kids and the village kids in the dark. Since the villagers are so animistic, they are very afraid of the dark and the spirits. We had walked our neighbor girls across the village to the Bowles house and they were very afraid. The Father used this opportunity for me to be able to share little bits of His truth with them. We also got to yarp a few times, the second time being a request from the girls! The night ended up being very fun, as we managed to make dinner by the light of our cell phone and one flashlight!
Ban Tum isn’t known for much of anything at all, but there is an amazing young hair stylist named Anne that we go and visit a lot! She washes your hair and gives you an amazing head massage! Recently, she told Naomi and I that she doesn’t have friends because she’s new to Ban Tum, she can’t leave often because her grandmother is sick, and her husband follows her wherever she goes. Now that last one is funny! Anyway, our supervisor Amy was helping Anne with her homework and as they were finishing up, the conversation turned spiritual. Amy got to share the gospel with Anne and we’re pretty sure that she’s made her decision of faith. She’s been seeking The Father for a very long time even though everyone that she knows pretty much is Buddhist. She is very excited to study the Book and is wanting to spend more time with Naomi and me. Praise The Father!
We have visited Raem, our friend that works at the coffee cart, twice since the last time I wrote. We love hanging out with Raem as she is so much fun to talk to and she has been teaching us some Cambodian phrases! On our second visit with her on Thursday, the LDS (Mormon) missionaries ended up coming to visit with her too. The situation was very awkward, as they didn’t seem to want to talk to Naomi and me at all. One of the missionaries is Cambodian, and speaks Raem’s native tongue. Then the other boy is an attractive American that speaks and writes Thai fluently. I felt very defeated by the fact that I can’t communicate the story of J with Raem in the way that the two boys can ommunicate the LDS (Mormon) gospel. However, The Father has given Naomi and me great peace about the whole situation. We know that He is able to protect her and that presentation is not what it’s all about!
I have some very exciting news. Last week I talked about how our home stay parents, Maa and Pa were asking us to yarp for Pa’s mom, as she’s suffering from cancer. Well, we have been yarping for her and…she went back to the Doctor and they didn’t find cancer! Praise to The Father! Maa and Pa are very excited and they are even more open to talk about spiritual things. Maa says that she’s starting to understand this Father that we believe in. Oh we are so excited!
Well instead of teaching in Kun Han this weekend, Naomi and I left with the Bowles to Bangkok for a few days! We have high speed for once, and in our room! It’s been absolutely wonderful. We have been able to eat a lot of American, see a little bit of Bangkok and relax! Next week is going to be insanely busy! We are going and teaching at an English camp a day after getting home from Bangkok and then teaching English and performing our Thai dance in Kun Han for the weekend.
Miss you all tons and tons!
Jenn
Yarping Update/Requests:
The Father has been continually answering your prayers. Last week, I
asked you guys to pray for our Thai dad’s mother because the doctors found malignant cancer in her liver. Our Thai Pa and Maa thought if we prayed that she would be healed. Well guys, we found out a few days ago that Pa’s mom does not have cancer. The doctors could not find it. Praise be to the Father! The Father is definitely moving in the Lukboon family and Naomi and I couldn’t be any more excited! They still do not know J, so please continue praying for them that they would make firm decisions to follow the King! Pa’s mother is still sick though so please continue to pray for her too.
Please yarp for Anne and Raem. We think that Anne is a baby C and she needs encouragement and fellowship. We are trying to do that the best we can but we can’t speak Thai very well! So please pray that some great Thai C’s would come in contact with her! Please also yarp for Raem. Raem is highly influenced by the Mormon church, and we’re just praying that The Father would protect her from false truth and guide her toward The Truth.
Please yarp for next week. We will be driving far away to teach a lot of Thai school administrators English…we are very intimidated! This is very last minute too so we don’t have a lot of time to prepare. Please yarp that we would be good teachers and that it would be a fruitful weekend!
Your yarps are heard,
jenn
NEW pics from last update:
http://sbuniv.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2005441&l=6b32f&id=177500365
July pics:
http://sbuniv.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2005113&l=d0768&id=177500365
June pics:
http://sbuniv.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004854&l=1c16b&id=177500365