8 years ago there was a large group of Chinese students that studied at Chiangrai Rachaphat University which is located just down the street from where we live. Many of these Chinese students were from very poor backgrounds and from many different unreached people groups. They were also foreigners in this land much like I too am a foreigner in this land and I knew the importance of treating them well and welcoming them to Northern Thailand. At that time 8 years ago there were some 600 or so Chinese students and at one point about a dozen of them began to come to the church and I remember after just a short time of me and a friend (Harry Brittan) teaching them the Bible in English, several of them gave their hearts to Jesus before they returned to China.
One of the “touch points” in their lives that God often uses to bring people to Jesus is their desire to study and speak English. Since these Chinese students were from poor backgrounds and were already spending all the money they had studying at a university in a foreign country, we felt the Lord would have us bless a few of them in a special way, so after counseling with our awesome Thai staff, we decided to give some of them scholarships to study with us at Grace Language School.
We do not do that very often but we felt this was what our Lord wanted us to do at that time and we did not announce what we were doing to anyone. No one outside our team and these few Chinese young people knew anything about these scholarships because we were not doing it for the praise of men but because we genuinely sensed God wanted us to do this and join Him in what He was doing in their lives.
When they finished their studies and went back to China we thought that would be the last time we would see them but OH WHAT A JOY it was today – August 16, 2018 – when one of these former Chinese students who is now working full time in a city close to Kunming, China came back to visit us along with her 6 year old daughter, her mother, and a friend. She not only wanted to say hello and say “thank you” but she also wanted to express her gratefulness for our kindness to her and her friends 8 years ago by making a very significant donation to Grace Language School.
What a great joy it is to serve the one and only Living God in a place in the heart of the 10-40 Window where millions of people from hundreds of unreached people groups live and have very little access to the light, the love, and message of our great Savior. Yes, God has placed us, our great team of Americans, Canadians, and Thais, and this relationship intensive and influential platform called Grace Language School strategically where we can have the greatest front line impact in our world today and join God in His desire to change the world one life at a time. A special thanks to all of those who intentionally give through NTIM (www.gontim.org) which God uses to make all of this life change possible among some of the least reached people groups in our world today.
Please continue to pray for us as God gives us so much access to so many of the unreached peop
le groups living here in this part of God’s World. What a joy to see God remind us that He sees even the small good things we do in secret for His glory. In His time, he reminds us and encourages our hearts to not grow weary in doing good for the sake of the kingdom.
le groups living here in this part of God’s World. What a joy to see God remind us that He sees even the small good things we do in secret for His glory. In His time, he reminds us and encourages our hearts to not grow weary in doing good for the sake of the kingdom.
For those of us who are followers of Jesus, let me take this opportunity to invite you to consider joining God in what He is doing in and around Northern Thailand by becoming financial partners with us at Northern Thailand Impact Ministry. NTIM is a 501c nonprofit charitable organization committed to connecting people in need with people who care and are focused in the heart of Southeast Asia where poverty is high, education is low, needs are great, unreached people groups (UPGs) are all around us, and the love and message of Jesus is needed to transform lives.
Reaching, Teaching, Discipling, Equipping, Training, and Serving Unreached People Groups (UPGs) in and around Northern Thailand through education, sports, and acts of love and compassionate is what NTIM and our ministry team is all about.
If you would like to know more about what we do and how you can be involved, please write me personally at pray4ntim@gmail.comand I would be happy to share with you all that our great God is doing. May the name of the Lord be lifted high in all that we say and all that we do for His glory and the advancement of His kingdom on the earth.
Grateful and Happy to be Serving Our Awesome God in Northern Thailand for such a time as this.
From the Fields of Northern Thailand, Michael Johnson
P.S. AN UPDATE ON THE BUILDING PROJECT COMING SOON….