Our Return to Thailand 2022

Dear Family and friends,

 

After having arrived in Bangkok almost two weeks ago we are now just about fully adjusted to the 13-hour time difference from back home. We thank the Lord that our Covid-19 tests were negative and thus we only had to spend a 24-hour mandatory quarantine period. We chose to stay in a hotel for the first six days, while we looked for place where we could spend the remaining three months that we have planned to be here. We don’t take it for granted that all went so smoothly since we had heard of several incidences where travelers to Thailand had tested positive upon arrival and were quickly rushed off to a hospital to be quarantined for 10 days even if they had no symptoms. This resulted in a very large added expense that had to be paid up front.

 

Now that we are settled in our condo, we have been spending much of our time visiting with full-time missionaries as well as two refugee families that are believers. We are learning from their experiences and very much encouraged to hear the testimonies of the refugees who have suffered back in their native country and here in Thailand as they await to be relocated in another country where they can start living in freedom. Due to the sensitivity of their situation we are unable to post pictures of the refugees for their safety.

 

I’d like to share a short summary of a long conversation I recently had with a Pakistani refugee which was very humbling as I witnessed this man’s expression of love for Jesus and willing to suffer for the sake of making him known. He, his wife and two young children had been forced to flee their country because the local authorities had issued a warrant for his murder for helping other Christians who were being hunted down and killed for their faith. After arriving in Thailand this man was arrested, because he could not pay for a renewal of his visa and placed in a detention center. This facility was so concentrated with other illegal refugees that they had to sleep on the floor in shifts because there was not enough room on the floor for everyone to lie down at the same time. Food was very sparse and not very nutritious, but they were permitted to receive other food supplements from friends or family a couple times a month. He remained in this facility for over 6 years without ever seeing his two children during that time!

 

I asked him how he spent his days. He said that twice a day he would preach from the Bible what he had been reading about during the many hours he had nothing to do. Many were encouraged by his messages as they focused on the love of God and hope for the future through faith in Jesus Christ. He said the key for him to remain mentally strong during these years was to continually look to Jesus who always gave him the ability to endure. He thanked God that he had come to know Him more and more through this time in detention and now wants to live the remaining years of his life sharing the wonderful news of God’s grace, love and mercy with others as the Lord gives opportunities in the future as they hope to be permitted to be sponsored to relocate in Canada.

 

Our plan also is to be used by the Lord in the ways He would choose for us to best bring the message of God’s love through Jesus Christ to those who have never heard this glorious story, here in Bangkok. Currently, we are sensing at least three opportunities to do this. One is by continuing to bring relief packages to refugees. Another is to fulfill requests we have been given to again teach English in a formal setting with students face to face. Yet another is to visit a couple of university campuses and meet dental students who might want to engage in conversation with a dentist like me from the states. Next Friday we plan to do just that, Lord willing.

 

I want to conclude this update by asking for your continued prayer and financial support as we engage with various individuals, so we would be seen as bearers of universal truth and love that God has first shown in our hearts. Please pray for continued health to do that. We are often in very crowed situations and the threat of Covid is very real here as well.

 

Thank you again for your support to help us reach others with the wonderful news of Jesus.

 

Blessings in His powerful name,

 

Gary and Lyndell

"Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ," Titus 2:13

Probably not the most healthy way to start the day.
We had to try it and it's actually fried bananas.

Coffee vendor from whom we purchased some delicious beans
that came from his father's plantation in northern Thailand.

                                                    

Reported to be the tallest building in Thailand- 1,043 feet 

Ann, an IMB Missionary showing us and pastor's wife, Carrie, university locations.

Kitchen in our 700 sq. ft condo as viewed from the living room.

Todd and Karen Indehar long term missionaries to Thailand.
They are returning to USA on home assignment next week and will be living in our home.

Lyndell is happy to have a balcony to dry our laundry.
Of course I share that chore with her.

Our comfortable living room as viewed from the kitchen with beautiful view.

Awe, who serves as new director of Santisuk English School Silom branch

Nok, a native Thai working with the Indehars at Thailand Peace Foundation

Calvary International Baptist Church served by Pastor Martin Chappel and wife Carrie.
We will be doing ministry with their outreach efforts while in Bangkok.

There are certain things that tell us we are not in Minnesota any longer.

Another thing is the food and different ways it is cooked and served.

We enjoyed finding and eating some tasty Khao Soi Gai.

And the very popular and delicious pork knuckle stew

So happy to find our favorite restaurant still open

The owners were happy to see us again and took our photo to hang on the wall

Of course fresh fruit is still easy to find 

Notice the mask, it is required even outdoors.

How many of you have tried to unravel a fishline "crow's nest"?
This might be a good challenge for you then in the 90 degree heat!

Oh yeah, Chinese New Year has begun and goes on for a month

Update on mission trip to Thailand Sept. 2019-March 2020

Santisuk English School Silom January Session

Our time in Southeast Asia has about come to an end after teaching (4) month long English sessions at Santisuk Silom English School in Bangkok. In addition to this mission trip, we were able to travel and teach with Training Leaders International to India and we had a short visit to speak in a church and Bible school in Yangon, Myanmar. Our previously planned two week medical/dental/optical mission trip to Myanmar (Burma) was recently cancelled due to government's concerns regarding the COVID-19 virus.

We trust that the Lord has used your prayers for us over these past 6 months to sow seeds of God’s gospel truth among our Buddhist students and some of the Ahmadhi muslim Pakistani refugees we’ve met. We have also tried to encourage pastors, long term missionaries and Bible school students who are doing God’s kingdom work to spread the news about Jesus Christ, specifically in India, Thailand, and Myanmar.

We were thankful to have been able to celebrate Christmas with our oldest son and his family in Germany, which divided up the time we had committed to spending this season in Southeast Asia. It also gave us a renewed awareness of the tremendous need for evangelism among all nations of the world, including Europe.

We wanted to include some pictures of our experiences since our last blog post and to thank each of you who have prayed and provided financial support to our work here since September. One young law student in particular has shown a sincere interest in discovering the truth claims of Christianity. Gary has met with him every week for Bible study the past couple months and will continue to do so until we travel back home. Both of us have also taught him in our individual English classes. We pray that the truth of the gospel will reach his heart and bring about a transformation to receive Jesus as His Lord and Savior. Buddhism has strong roots deep into the Thai culture and family relationships that can only be overcome by the work of the Holy Spirit. So please pray with us that he would believe the truth and the truth would set him free.

The past two weeks we had the opportunity to visit the International Detention Center in Bangkok and also some refugee families when we teamed up with a missionary pastor’s wife to bring food supplies. Some had fled from Pakistan on account of religious persecution and under threat for their lives. No pictures are permitted in the detention center, but the conditions are miserable and severely over-crowded for the inmates. Many are there because they do not have UN refugee status and thus are here illegally. They cannot get out unless bail is given, or they can be relocated to another country. Some have been detained for many, many months and separated from their families on the outside who they are not permitted to see. Therefore, a family member brings food to the detention center with the hope that someone would come and enter into the facility for them, taking the food to their family. Once inside we found the conditions to be dirty, smelly and noise level so loud that we could only try to communicate by shouting at the top of our lungs. We stressed with them the words of Proverbs 24:18 which says, "Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off."

The refugee ministry of the one churches we worked with can only reach about 70 families of the more than twice that number whom have asked for assistance. Some of the refugees we visited have been in Thailand illegally for up to seven years living in squalor conditions of rundown apartment buildings that are filthy and extremely depressing. A family of four sleeps in one bed in a one room apartment about 10’ x 10’ in size. Often no schooling is available, so they try to teach their children with the limited supplies they have been given. Besides the food we were able to share the hope we can have in Jesus Christ and this message was treasured by the Christians we met. The Ahmadi Muslim men and families we were able to share the gospel with have a high respect for Jesus, but they have not yet come to believe that He is actually God who came in the flesh. So, we had some dialogue to discuss from the scriptures and answer any questions they had. We spent about an hour with each family and prayed for them before saying goodbye.

We were disappointed of course to have learned that our mission to Burma had been cancelled, but Lyndell and I decided to go there anyway after being invited to preach and speak at a Bible School in Yangon. We also had a blessed time to hear the stories of our friends who have been working in that country for years and encouraged to see the growth of their ministry, since we first started going there 14 years ago. One of our first interpreters at that time was a Bible student who is currently the director of the Bible School which has about 170 students, many who are taught using online extension centers. Another of our friends who currently organizes our mission trips in Burma and interpreted my sermon is founder and director of a children’s ministry program in Myanmar that has been able to reach about 2 million children since 2010 with the stories of Jesus. We are excited to attempt to go back there with our Health Teams International team perhaps next year.

The Corona virus has come to Thailand as well and people are very fearful of what might happen. Masks and alcohol gel bottles are everywhere for people to use before entering all public places including restaurants, malls, buses, trains and the subways. This has been a wonderful occasion to share the peace and hope we have in Jesus Christ with our students and which they can have as well.

So we are preparing to soon leave Thailand with thankful hearts for your help during our time here and with prayers that the Lord will continue to direct our future paths to spread the news of Jesus Christ for His glory and our joy. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Family time in Europe in December

Karen Indehar- Santisuk Silom Director and long term missionary

Level 3 Class January session

Coconut ice cream with students at end of January session

Level 2 Class dinner at KFC

 Some members of Women's Bible Study Fellowship (BSF)
(women from at least seven different countries)

Japanese Bible study participants

Before masks became fashionable worldwide

Reason for masks being a part of our wardrobe

Evening snack after English Friendship Group on Fridays

Refugee families

Wife who cooks for her husband and daughters in detention center

"Lyndell, you can't take pictures here!"

Uneven sidewalks and water taxis can be treacherous

When a bad ankle hinders walking, there are options.

Another option- Songthaew in Saran Wrap
(Imagine riding in this when it's 95 degrees and humid!)

Resourceful passenger using motorcycle taxi
(I'd have a hard time balancing my one backpack while holding on for dear life.)

A typical lunch for us before teaching

Ok, another lunch example with description.
(Pad krapow moo kai dow, Som Tum, and mixed vegetables
 with mushrooms on white rice) 

Another luncheon choice- Pad See Ew Goong

Mango sticky rice, mandatory dessert in Thailand

Any takers for a treat given to Gary by his student?
Crispy crickets!

Just to make sure you know you're getting the real deal
(chicken or duck?)

Visit from missionary friends in Indonesia now in Philippines

Traveling along in water taxi on Chao Phraya River

Yes, Gary remembered Valentine's Day even in Bangkok
(roses actually so much less expensive here)

River crossing each evening after teaching class

Thai know how to present their delicious food

Potters doing exquisite work for 4 generations

When they say fresh barbecued pork on the hoof.
They aren't kidding.

Level 1 Class February Session

Level 3 Class February Session

Pizza night with Level 3 class

Pizza night outing with Level 1 class

Lunch at home of refugee family
(bed serves triple duty as table and chairs)

Here it is, the "original" coconut ice cream stand! 

Preaching with interpreter at Water of Life Church

Found the source of their logo in Yangon hotel
(dozens of these were hanging from the ceiling)

Pastor Jubilee and wife Mo Mo in Yangon

Preaching with Jubilee as interpreter

Bible School Faculty in Yangon

Speaking at Bible school in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)

Yangon church and Bible School we visited in March

Missionary couple from Burma working in Thailand

"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you." Ezekiel 36:25

Our hope and prayer is that the people of this land will turn to the living LORD GOD and receive the salvation that is only found by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. We ask you to pray along with us for all the long term laborers who are working for that to become a reality before Jesus returns in judgement.