English Evangelism

Our center's main outreach has been the English Evangelism classes meeting each Saturday and Sunday. Here the children not only practice and learn English from us (native American speakers of English) but also study the Bible. To excell in school Thai children must learn English and this provides us an opportunity to show them we care about them and also provides them with an opportunity to hear the gospel.

Our New Youth Center Building

After finishing rebuilding our fire damaged home into the new Sawang Dandin Church (also named the Sawang Dandin Gospel Center) meeting hall, we decided at first to expand and remodel our garage into a home for our single co-worker Kaew and her mother. Those plans changed when a neighbor offered to sell us his house and property attached to our church property for a very good price. That new house became our "Parsonage" and was finished first and she moved into the "Parsonage" on Thanksgiving Day. At the same time, we were able to quit renting the separate property where our Sawang Dandin Church used to meet, moving everything to our new location. Our plans changed then for the former garage again to remodel the original garage and storage building into the pictured "Youth Center Annex." Part of the former garage parking area was made into two new bathrooms and our "Computer Room" for the future installation of student computers for our English Students.

The main room was expanded and support posts were removed making it a large open area for teaching, games, and indoor sports. That project has taken a few more months to finish, but was finished just in time for our Valentines Banquet and party here. Here are some pictures of the new completed "Youth Center."

Valentines Day - "Jesus Loves Me"

Here in Sawang Dandin, we make a special effort to make Valentines a special time. In America, I suppose it is considered a children's holiday (remember exchanging Valentines Cards in grade school?). Or it is like everything else, a retailers' and florist shop's marketing effort to boost sales. Of course we all like roses and chocolates. And we do not think the roots of "St. Valentines Day" are anything special, but Thai students know it as an English speakers special day. What we do is use the theme of "Love" to teach about God's wonderful love to mankind through the Lord Jesus Christ. This year we had a special speaker and friend come from a neighboring country share with our English Evangelism students. We know of one young student who trusted the Lord during the meeting. Many other students heard the gospel for the first time. It was a lot of fun for the kids, and us and a blessing.

This is Thai style "Dinner on the grounds" or literally dinner on the ground between our buildings, sitting on picnic mats. What a fun way to eat a valentines dinner!

Miss Keaw Phetchompu, single church planting assistant.

Our regular children's classes Bible School teacher is Miss Kaew. Kaew and her mother are from a country village about 125 miles from Sawang Dandin and she is a speaker of the local dialect, "Isan." She is single (at least presently, but has a suitor). She was saved in English Evangelism ministry in Bangkok while working in the garment production industry. We met Miss Kaew while in Bible school as a second year student. We sensed her burden for her people then and invited her to join us and she has been a help here for three years now. Kaew's mother, Mrs. Samon was saved but really never grew much in the Lord until she moved in with her daughter. Here Mrs. Samon helps keeping the grounds clean and lives with her daughter. She loves gardening and saves Kaew and her mother a lot of money. Miss Kaew is supported from two monthly gifts from individuals in USA and offerings from our church center. This is a picture of Miss Kaew teaching here-- our numbers were down a bit because of a week of rain and cool weather,

Miss Grace Ho, Missionary to Thailand from China

I remember as a child praying for the Country of China. We know the Lord answers prayer but always trust that though we may sometimes not see the answers now, we will all share the blessings of seeing the fruit of our prayer in the bliss of heaven. China has been under a totalitarian Communist government that has oppressed Christianity resulting in amazing church growth and we are aware of the fact that there are literally millions of Christians nationwide. While China is still a great and vast mission field, we know that God's people wherever they are will obey the Lord's great commission to preach the gospel to the "uttermost parts of the earth." Recently Fundamental Baptist churches in Hong Kong, now part of the vast nation of China, have gathered together their resources to obey the Lord and send forth a missionary to Thailand, Miss Grace Ho. Grace was born inland China and moved to Hong Kong with her family and has lived in China for many years. Grace was challenged with the need of preaching the gospel in Thailand and has joined our band of missionaries as the first Missionary of the Hong Kong Association of Baptists for World Evangelism, and is presently doing language study in Thai language. Here she is joining Gail and I in a photo at the PABWE mission retreat.