We want to thank all of you for your continued prayers for the political situation in Bangkok. Most of the folks in this huge city of 11 million are fine and are not in any danger. The airports are safe and have not been targets for any of the red shirt protests. We have one Summer missionary coming this week from my home town of Tuscaloosa, Alabama and others from Mississippi coming at the end of the month for our 1st “China Mission Trip” and we are encouraging them to “STAY THE COURSE.”
There are two main areas of great concern for safety for those living in Bangkok at this time. One is the Silom area and the other is the area around Siam Center. These are the two areas where soldiers have surrounded the red shirts and things are very tense.
One of our NTIM team members, Kim Matthews, went to Bangkok for some intensive Thai language study in January. She has been going to Union Language School (ULS), which is the same school that Hope and I went to many years ago. The orginal plan was for Kim to study until the middle of June but because of the political turmoil in the area of the school and her home, Kim has not been back to her apartment since last Thursday and has been living with one of her friends from New Vision Baptist Church.
ULS is also in walking distance to Kim’s apartment and they are “temporarily” closed. After much prayer and deliberation, we have decided to bring Kim back up to Chiang Rai a month early. She will be boarding a plane bound for Chiang Rai at 11:00 AM tomorrow. We are so grateful for all of our friends from the Baptist Student Center and New Vision Baptist Church who have welcomed Kim and taken her in as one of their own.
Please pray for Kim as she begins to say goodbye to some very close friends and as she begins to head back up to Chiang Rai tomorrow. Our Team and Church here will be very glad to have Kim back with us.
Please keep us and our country, especially those living in Bangkok, in your prayers.
From the Field,
Michael for All