One of the great joys that God has graciously allowed me to experience on a regular basis is the joy of seeing 1st generation believers grow in their relationship with God and become true fishers of men and mentors for other 1st generation believers. Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”
As I write this update, I am sitting at my desk thinking about all of the discipleship and mentoring that happens through the awesome Thai staff that God has surrounded our work with. All of our 5 full time staff are 1st generation believers and committed to evangelism and discipleship. Here is a picture of our NTIM Thai Staff who also serve as Staff at Grace Language School and Baan Athitaan Church.
This is a picture of Jay. Jay is one of our key leaders who has been serving with us for over 10 years now in several different roles. Jay serves as one of our key English teachers at Grace Language School. He serves as one of our key translators for Baan Athitaan Church. He serves as one of our key Youth mentors and he serves as our key leader for our soccer outreach ministry. Jay came to know Jesus when he was a student at Rajabhat University shortly after he began to study English with us at Grace Language School and began attending Baan Athitaan Church services. What a great joy it was for me the day Jay gave his heart to Jesus and shortly after that Jay was baptized on Oct 21, 2007 along with Nong Wan – another 1st generation believer from the Karen PWO unreached people group. Here is a short 5 minute video clip of their baptismal service.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7c6R_dYflI
God has given NTIM great access to many different people groups and one of those people groups is the Hmong Dao of Thailand. Jay is from this people group. In the last 10 years we have taken several 3-hour trips to Jay’s home village and partnered with a small church there to help them reach out to the entire village at Christmas time. Here is another short 4-minute video clip of our trip to Huay Khu Village several years ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9-XXDOWMFE
There are 37,000 Hmong Dao living in Northern Thailand but there is a total world population of this people group of over 1 million people. According to Joshua Project statistics there are some 1,422,000 living today primarily in China, Laos, and Vietnam but also a large number living in the USA.
Jay deeply loves the Lord and wants to serve Him with all his heart. Today we would ask that you join us in praying for Jay and for NTIM’s work among the Hmong people group. Let us join together in prayer.
Prayer Example: “Lord, thank You for loving us enough to send someone into our lives to tell us about the gospel. We thank You for loving Jay enough to send someone into his life to tell him about the gospel. We thank You for loving others enough to send people like Jay into the lives of others to tell them about the gospel. We want to take this moment and ask You to bless Jay in a very special way. Help him to be salt and light in all that he does. Help him as he serves You faithfully through NTIM at Grace Language School and at Baan Athitaan Church. We ask that You would be pleased to use him to help reach his family, his friends, his neighbors, his own people group, and even other people groups. Thank You for his work with NTIM and how he faithfully serves You each and every day. We pray that You would give him great love and wisdom as he pours his life into discipling young university students there in Northern Thailand. We pray this in Jesus name.”
Today is Day 11 of our Season of Prayer of getting to know and then actively praying for Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM), its partners, and all of the various unreached people groups in and around Northern Thailand. Thank you for joining us for this great time of seeking the face of God on behalf of millions who have never heard the message of our Lord Jesus.