September 2012

Greetings!

This past month we went to the Northern Thailand YWAM Conference. Of the 17 provinces that we make up, there were about 200 full-time staff who came together to worship God, seek His face and will, share times of great fellowship and encourage one another into good works. God used both foreigners and Thais to speak into our lives and lead us forward into the future that God has for us.

The SBS  (School of Biblical Studies) is rounding the corner, going into the final 8 weeks of study. Both staff and students are ready for this school to finish, but enjoying the final steps toward that end. As well as studying constantly, the school team is preparing for outreach to Vietnam this coming November. The excitement is growing as we come closer to our time to go together. We’ll be teaching the Inductive Bible Study method as well as preaching and teaching in the local church. For Cy and myself, outreach times are some of our favourites. Please pray for us as we need it. We’ll be going for a few weeks and are praying for the finances to be able to do this trip.

The DTS (Discipleship Training School) is starting this week. There are around 15 students coming (although the numbers can still fluctuate) and there are 8 staff. We’re really excited about the DTS because it’s the school that God uses all the time to call forth future missionaries into his harvest fields. Please pray that God uses these coming 6 months to mould, grow and encourage both students and staff as they seek to know God more and make Him known in Thailand and abroad.

While Cy has been VERY busy with leading the SBS and teaching all the time, Rob has been leading the base and helping pioneer things with the new foundation that we helped create. The foundation’s name is Ignite Dreams Foundation. It was created with the purpose of having all of our Christian activity recognized by the government and approved to give work permits and visas to our foreign staff. For the past 9 months we have been working hard at getting our own work permit and visas through this foundation. Thanks to our God who led us, provided for us and granted us grace in the eyes of the government we finally have our 1 year visas. We have permission to live and “work” inside the country until the end of July next year. The great part about getting work permits and visas through the foundation is that we don’t have to leave the country every 3 months. If we count the difference in price between traveling outside the country every 3 months and getting visas inside the country through the foundation, we’re saving roughly $6,000/year for our family. Thank you to those who gave and made it possible for us to pioneer this foundation and open the doors for others to follow.

We know that we communicated that we would share the new base vision with you all this newsletter, but the truth is that we still have some wording and presentation work to do before it’s officially ready to be published. You’ll have to wait just one newsletter more. Thanks for your patience.

Elias is growing quickly, learning 3 languages at once. He’s a wonderful little boy, the best miracle God has yet to do in our lives. He had his turn of a virus over the past few weeks, but he’s doing fine now. It was cute how he lost his little voice for a week. Our little one will be turning two years old on October 2nd. We’re planning a birthday party for him and the neighborhood kids on October 6th. It should be a lot of fun!

Prayer requests:

– Building Project:

We have completed the bottom home of our two story, two home house. We are praying for another $50,000-$60,000 to come in to finish the top floor. We have some families ready to move in, but we don’t have the housing for them. If you’d like to give towards this project, please click here for info on how to give.

– Personal finances:

There are three major needs that we have in terms of finances:

1. Increase of monthly support

2. Money for our outreach to Vietnam ($1,500)

3. Finances for a new vehicle

If you are interested in supporting us financially, please click here for more information on how to give. We thank you in advance for hearing God and following His leading in this area.

– Health:

While God has been so gracious with us over the years that our family has been in Thailand, we appreciate all the prayers we can get concerning our health. Viruses have been going around a lot lately. All three of us had the fever at one time or another during the month of August. Also, please pray that we would remain strong physically, mentally and spiritually during this season of life in which we have so much to do and so little time to do it.

– Family:

We’re all learning how to be a family together constantly. We are realizing the daunting task of parenting a child well. One of the things that we have learned is to ask for prayer. Raising children and maintaining a healthy marriage is not for the faint-hearted. All prayers are appreciated and advice from seasoned, successful families is always welcome. Thank you for caring as much (or more) for us as for our ministry.

– God’s move:

We’ve experienced the leading of God in our leadership team unlike any other time in the history of our “career” in missions. God is truly showing us how He leads and how we are to follow. We eagerly seek His kingdom and His righteousness and His ways to walk in obedience. We can feel that things are coming into place and God is doing something new, something special. Please pray for us as we step out in obedience by faith. Pray for the wisdom from above that God gives to his people who ask for it. More than a wonderful ministry, we want to see a move of God in Thailand and the nations. Please pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done.

Thank you so much for your love and support.

Blessings to you!

Rob, Cy & Elias