Gayle in Thailand

Her name is NawHtu, 11 years old. She has been having seizures which began when she was 6 years old. She has had a total of 15 seizures since that time. On April 5, 2023 she had a seizure while squatting near the open fire in her house.These split bamboo houses are frequently just one room with a fire place for cooking right down on the floor. She fell in! Only her father was in the house, but it was early morning, and he was sleeping. Somehow, he heard her scream, and he was able to come and lift her out of the flames, but her left arm, hand, and fingers were badly burned with spots of 3rd degree burns to the fingertips. There were also 2nd degree burns to her forehead and nose. The family was able to take her to the clinic initially, but did not return for treatments, instead they painted her burns generously with a concoction of tree sap and pounded rice! It hardened like a black plaster cast, causing some of her fingers to contract, and the infections underneath sent the pus oozing out.

By the time I saw her she had a high fever from the infections, and there was no way for me to remove the black “Cement” stuff. I had her soaking in coconut oil and messaging the fingers. In a few weeks we saw a lot of improvement. We must get her medical treatment for her seizures, but in this area the doctors won’t do anything unless they witness the seizure. I can treat her myself, but she also needs plastic surgery to her hand. So far, she has had 5 more seizures.

When you are a citizen in Thailand you need to go to the hospitals in your province for care otherwise you pay the entire bill! But we decided to take her to MaeSot’s International Hospital in a different province. The reason being that in this private hospital you get excellent care, at a price! It was worth it to us for this girl to be evaluated and treated properly. She was placed on anti-convulsive medication and advised to see a surgeon for plastic surgery on her hand. Next we took her to a hospital in ChiangMai province, her province, where her care would be virtually free! She was evaluated in Omkoi, but referred to a larger hospital in northern ChiangMai province 6 hours away. Traveling now is desperately difficult, because rainy season began super early this year. We are praying for the Lord to help us get NawHtu out for her surgery. It will take two trips at least, 6 hours away! Seems impossible, but God is a God of impossibilities!

Another patient we are very concerned about is ChaLee, 62 years old. He has a young wife and 7 children. The youngest child is 7 months old. This man somehow developed an infection in the upper left anterior chest wall. This caused him so much pain that he went out and hung himself on a tree. Fortunately his 17 year old son found him and got him down – still alive. One week later when we were told about ChaLee and visited him. We saw the marks around his neck. His fever was high and the place of infection caused pain all through his chest, neck, and head. He said he didn’t care about his wife or children, all he wanted to do is get away from the pain. I put a charcoal poultice on his infection, and started him on antibiotics, but as we checked on him 2 days later, the infection looked the same. He doesn’t own a Thai citizenship card at all, therefore we must to pay for everything done in any hospital, but we know a way to purchase an insurance paper for people at the local hospital. After it is approved it will pay for many things, but not the real expensive treatments! We were able to purchase it successfully. We returned to his house 3 days ago, ready and willing to take him to that hospital the next day. It was raining, we were driving the truck so hard for us, plus the patient refused to go with us the next day.

Some of the people we take care of, have no idea what we go through to take care of their physical needs. We reach them by motorbike first for evaluation, then determine how best to handle their case. The hours of time, the difficult journey, and the weariness of travel. These people are too ignorant to even be thankful. But God knows! All our patients have no idea what happened in the hospital, what the doctor said, what the treatment or follow is, and no idea what the medication is for. When I accompany my patients through the local hospital system here, and the nurses and doctors see how much I care about them, they are given better treatment. I can talk to the doctors because they know English, and I can tell when they give proper care and follow up. During the Covid scare I was not allowed in the hospital which was very difficult.

O dear friends, I want to write so many more pages of experiences here, as we struggle from day to day meeting the needs of the sick and dying. These are all precious people. They come to my house for help at inconvenient times, just when I’m trying to cook, eat, or perform some function etc. Sometimes the cooking never gets done, or the eating doesn’t happen for hours! Our plans are ever changing. Sometimes we are called in the middle of the night, and we find ourselves half awake, on the motorbike, cold, wet at times, trying to avoid the mud and find smooth spots to drive on. But I always feel the hand of God, and His advice on how to help each precious sick and suffering one. Before leaving we always pray and lead them to Jesus that way! O praise to His Holy Name!

“When you neglect to offer prayer for the sick, you deprive them of great blessings; for angels of God are waiting to minister to these souls in response to your petitions!” Medical Ministry, 195

“However trying their labor, the true workers for God do not regard it as drudgery. They are ready to spend and be spent, but it is a cheerful work, done with a glad heart.” COL 402.5

(I am unable to add pictures to my stories now because they won’t upload any more. I’ll wait until I see a technical person who can help me)!

The fate of jungle living, poverty, ignorance, superstition, devil worship, difficult travel, and remote mountain clinics.

Deep in the jungle, nestled between mountain ranges, lies the village of NyaLeeGwee, which consists of about 30 houses made of bamboo, or rough boards with leaf or tin roofs. A young mother, NawBlet, is experiencing difficult labor in her bamboo hut. It is her 4th child, but this one is past her due date and is too large. The women of the village who usually help with deliveries cannot get the baby out. They struggle, they pull, and finally a healthy baby boy is born, April 30, 2023

NawBlet however, is not well. For 2 weeks after the delivery, her condition steadily worsens. She is swollen, has trouble breathing, and cannot eat much of anything. She doesn’t want to go to the hospital because they chose to do it the devil way. The family believes that when someone is sick the spirits leave the person and must be called back. If they go too far away, the person dies. So, this family decides to offer sacrifices, do the special devil prayers and ceremonies to please the spirits and call them back. However, nothing worked and NawBlet only got worse.
Sunday night, May 14, she was so desperately sick they found some transportation to take her the hour and a half drive over dreadful roads to MeDooGlow clinic/hospital. This clinic has been upgraded and now includes X-ray, simple lab procedures, and a little in-patient facility. A doctor is there only one day per week, but NawBlet arrives late Sunday night when there is no doctor. She cannot walk and the family struggles to get her in the entrance. The hospital personnel quickly tell them:

“Go home. Nothing is wrong with her, what she is experiencing is normal!”

Karen people are submissive, don’t ask questions, never fight back, always look up to the educated Thai hospital personnel, and do what they are told without knowing the reasons why. So, they took her all the way back home. By 4a.m. it seemed to them that she was facing death, so they took her back to the clinic, and she was finally taken to Omkoi hospital, another hour and a half away. This hospital is a small village hospital without specialists and cannot do surgery. So, she is then put in an ambulance to travel two and a half hours to ChiangMai!

In the ambulance, somewhere on the way, NawBlet called weakly to her husband. He came and took her hand, a small tear came from her eye, and she passed away.

(I’m crying as I write this)

NawBlet’s mother had 9 children. Now, counting NawBlet, 4 of her children have already passed away. This lady lost her husband when NawBlet was one year old. She struggled to raise all her children by herself and now she must raise all 4 of her grandchildren: A three-week-old baby boy, 2 year old girl, and 2 more boys I am guessing about 5 and 6 years old.

History:
1. Five years ago, this grandma broke her wrist and we took her to the hospital.
2. That same year the 5-year-old had just been born and did not thrive. He was dehydrated, feverish and not taking milk. We took that baby to the hospital. He had to spend some time in ChiangMai NICU. When they finally came home, we brought them formula, baby bottles, and supplies because they had nothing. Then the baby improved and thrived. His life had been spared!
3. Six years ago, HtuDah was bitten by a green pit viper and we took him to the hospital.

We didn’t know about this tragedy until this week. so, we immediately flew into action, purchasing diapers, formula, and baby bottles. We travelled by motorbike up that jungle mountain. I must tell you that the rainy season has begun already. We have had intermittent storms since May 1. Consequently the pathway to NyaLeeGwee calls for nerves of steel, balancing on a narrow, steep, ruttted pathway with the wheels at times 6 inches from the cliff! on both sides of the pathway. (Give or take a few). No room for error, that’s for sure. We had to cross the water 5 times. I wore a large heavy backpack and was barely able to hang on, my body weight wanting to flip right off the back! While BletJhaw skillfully and energetically maneuvered that motorbike. However, all those struggles paled into insignificance when I held that beautiful little baby in my arms and looked into the eyes of the other 3 children, the precious grandma, and the bereaved father! Best of all we could bring them hope for the future, and the sweet gospel story. We prayed with that houseful of people, bringing them into contact with heaven. They know absolutely nothing about God. Please include HtuDah, the grandma, and 4 children in your prayers because God has brought us into close contact with them under very emotional times. These are the times when God can be seen and felt more deeply. We will be visiting often.

“Never does the gospel put on an aspect of greater loveliness than when it is brought to the most needy and destitute regions.” 7T 226.2

It is most needy and destitute when devil worship is practiced and the people live in bamboo huts deep in the jungle living out the customs of their ancestors 100 years ago!

I have been impressed to write the story of how I innitially heard God’s call to come to Thailand as a missionary nurse, and according to His leading, devote my life in helping the Karen people in the jungle. I am being brutally honest in this story, with the prayer that it may strengthen and encourage you in the Lord, as you struggle to cope with bad times.

HEARTBROKEN

It was December 25, 2008 on Christmas day that my husband of 21 years told me he was leaving me. Then the truth came out which had been well hidden – he had been unfaithful to me for the past 2 years.  I was horifyingly, overwhelmingly, stunned, and shocked, as I had no idea. True, things had not been going real well, but I always thought that he would get over it if I worked harder to please him, taking good care of the home, the boys, the garden, the cooking etc.  We lived on a beautiful 40 acre farm in Montana, and I remember running out to the huge round bales of hay to cry out loud with the sudden grief and shattering truth of the moment. It felt as if my entire life had disintegrated in an instant, and lay in a heap of a million pieces in the dirt.

My boys were ages 13 and 15, they needed a father, but the worst thought is that this man had chosen the broad path that leads to destruction! Somewhere along life’s pathway that we had chosen, with Family Retreats, Church leadership roles, family worships, and country living, where did he go astray?  As a nurse I knew that the second phase of grief is anger.  I prayed right then that the Lord would keep me from anger.  I always only had love for my husband, he had so many wonderful traits of character, we have such great history together. I never experienced anger or resentment, only deep pity and a longing for his soul.

In our grief and crisis hour we reach out for human support.  A retired minister picked us up to try to help salvage our marriage.  Of course he used many wonderful Bible verses which I clung onto, and emphasized that I must forgive, forgive, forgive.  I had no problem with forgiveness, I just wanted to help my husband to turn from his wicked ways using God’s strength.  But over the next 4 months I knew it was not working.  God made it stunningly obvious to me because at times when he was gone on business overnight, I would fearfully and tearfully call him on the phone. Mysteriously his phone would not ring, but just open up as if he had answered it.  I could hear what was going on with him, -things that I didn’t want to hear.  That happened a total of three times.  I knew the truth! I was dying a little more each day. It is not working!

SRUCK BY HEAVEN’S LIGHT

I was walking amongst the hay bales one day 4 months later.  My husband was walking toward the house ahead of me when suddenly I heard God’s voice in my right ear, louder and clearer than I have ever heard it before!  This is what He shouted to me:

“Ephraim is joined to idols:  let him alone” Hosea 4:17

I stood transfixed.  I knew that was God’s voice.  Here, for the past 4 months I had been doing what the pastor told me and forgiving, praying, and longing for a re-united family, but in this instant it was made clear to me that was not God’s will.  He was telling me to leave this man alone!  But my mind raced.  Where would I go?  What should I do? How is this going to happen? Here is where faith is seen, when all is dark and you cannot see your way, trust God, He knows.  He had told me already with a LOUD voice to stop – I’ll take the first step…

CS Lewis once said that God whispers to our conscience, speaks to our joys, and shouts to our pain.  In my pain I needed the shout of God. How thankful I am!

That night at the kitchen table I sat up all night.  I had been dazzled by the light from heaven.  The work that I had been engaged in to keep our marriage, was wrong.  I must make 180 degree turn around!  I cried and prayed to God all night that night. Where do I go from here? During the wee hours of the morning my pen wrote a poem.  It was not me writing but God’s hand that held the pen.  I never had been able to write a poem, the meters, the rhythm and rhyme are always wrong.  I would cross out and write, cross out and write.  But that night the poem was written easily without mistake.  The message:  

OH DEAR JESUS TAKE CONTROL

Oh dear Jesus take control
Of struggles, fears and doubts.
When life’s fierce storms oppress my soul,
And I am tossed about.

Oh dear Jesus take control,
My life is but a thread
The skies are dark and billows roll,
And I am filled with dread.

Oh dear Jesus take control,
I see You through my tears.
Your look of love! You’re all-in-all,
Oh please forgive my fears.

Oh dear Jesus take control,
This long night has an end.
You’re always here, You’re in control,
On You I will depend!

Oh dear Jesus — my control,
The darkness You erase.
You guide my feet toward the goal!  
You whisper: “By My grace!”

Oh dear Jesus — my control,
Through fiery trials You trace,
Your work for good, Your future plan,
To see me face to face!

Oh Lord I love you!

THE CALL

From that moment on, God did take control of my life. It was only 3 days later I received a call from my friend. She said:

“Gayle, we need you to go to Thailand to relieve some missionaries on the boarder of Thailand and Burma for 3 months while they go on furlough to America. You’d be perfect because you and your boys all have passports, and you are a nurse!”

In my mind were these thoughts: No I am not perfect for that because I am a broken women, this is the worst time of my life, I am skinny as a rail and in a huge state of confusion. I know this the last thing that God wants me to do! But out loud is all I said to her was that I will pray about it.

Pray I did! The road around our house is a country block. One mile on each side. I am in the habit of running those 4 miles. So I ran 2 miles and prayed. The last 2 miles I listened, but I didn’t hear anything. However, when I opened the door to the house I heard God’s voice saying, “Ask God for the money if He wants you to go!” Oh, I thought, that’s a good idea because I don’t have any money. The next day as I was driving my car, my phone rang. It was my friend again saying excitedly: “You’ll never guess what? We have the money for you and your boys to go to Thailand round trip, and for your visas, and a box of medical supplies!” My mouth flew open, I stopped my car right there and exclaimed: “That WAS You Lord!”

In less than a month my boys and I were on an airplane heading to Thailand. I never came back to live in America. I lost all of my earthly possessions forever! I never looked back, but rejoiced in gaining the companionship of Jesus and heaven!! You can read most of my missionary accounts here in these web pages of God’s miraculous leading, the tender lessons He has taught me, and the great rewards of leaving everything in faith and going into a strange country which is not my own, not knowing the future! Step by step He has faithfully upheld, protected, and directed me. We can safely trust all to Him. I am not working for God, but He has taken me over in His enterprises. May each step simply be a carrying out of His master plan, in His will and in His way of reaching the lost! Oh glory to His name!

“The consecration of Christ’s followers must be complete. Father, mother, wife, children, houses, lands, everything must be held secondary to the work and cause of God.” ST June 30, 1881

Lessons learned from this experience:
1. Counselors can give good advice, but only God knows what is best for your life, the use of your talents, and your influence on others.
2. You cannot go by your feelings. So many times I think something IS God’s will and I find out it IS NOT, or I’m sure something IS NOT God’s will, but then I am shown it IS His will.
3. When you give God everything and He takes everything, you never look back, you do not miss it. You are not poor, but rich in the companionship of heaven and joy of service.
4. God came to heal the broken hearted and to bind up their wounds! And He doesn’t do a half-way job! When He begins a good work in you, He will finish it. He promises to perform it!
5. Put God first: God will help us to place our love and devotion to Him, far above everything that we hold dear on this earth. Even so far above our own family and loved ones, that in comparison the word, “Hate” is used to show the vast difference! See Luke 14:26
6. We must have our ears open to hear God’s voice. How sad when He is trying to speak to us, but we are hard of hearing and miss His words.

Happy Sabbath friends at Eurika Seventh-Day Adventist Church!

I truly wish I could be there in person with you.  I am here in America currently, but all the way on the East side!  I will be returning to Thailand March 19!

I will now share with you what has been happening since I spoke to you last November.  My pictures can be shown along with the presentation.  I will send them in order.

EVANGELISM

Last December we were privileged to have Harvey Steck and his wife visit us in BYT.  He kindly accepted our invitation to do a week of spiritual emphasis, or shall we call it evangelism!  We went around to every house in BYT and WST (WaSuTa) village inviting people. How helpful it was to us to personally meet the people and joining into whatever projects they had going.

Red Bean Harvest

IMG_7694 It was a wonderful week of meetings with an attendance of approximately 80 people each night, more on Sabbath.  I greeted them at the door of the church, with a prayer they may see Jesus more clearly for their salvation – my heart bursting with love to God!

ULTIMATE DANGER

We had three close encounters with ultimate danger!

1. BletJhaw was clearing the weeds from around the PVC pipe leading to our water tank above our house.He was using the machete to cut his way along, when all of a sudden, he saw a yellow banded Krait right at his feet. He could not kill it because he couldn’t tell where his head was, it seemed to be all around him. By the grace of God, he got away.  One bite from that monster, and he would be facing death.
2. On January 26 we were both on the motorbike heading for a faraway village to treat a sick grandma.
3. On the way a cobra came out of the jungle on the left and went right across the road in front of us. Our motorbike ran over it!  BletJhaw screamed and lifted his feet.  It’s a wonder we didn’t wreck! I too lifted my foot.  On the right side next to our flip flop feet was a big black cobra. So grateful to our Father in Heaven, who has our guardian angels all about us!
4. Decemeber 12, we were bringing 2 children with their parents back from a hospital trip when we suddenly were confronted by a wild elephant. This time as usual the oil was running down his face, meaning he is VERY dangerous. He did not charge us but walked away from us!  Praise the Lord who has always “tranquilized” these wild beasts for us.  However, he did not get off the road.  Two more trucks were coming from the opposite direction, and he charged them!  The people in that truck ran away from their truck and climbed a tree!  It took about an hour before BletJhaw and a friend walked ahead to find out where the elephant went.  His little 2-year-old boy cried uncontrollably because he thought his father would be eaten by the wild elephant. We had phone service at the top of that mountain, so when they found the elephant way down the mountainside, he called me and told me to drive the truck quickly to come pick him up.  The elephant was just barely off the road.  I was able to get there in time, driving pel mel around those corners!  But God saved us once again with 7 people in our truck!

MeDeLaGwee Village

God has helped us to include our BYT church family in out-reach programs for their spiritual growth.  Once a month we choose a village to spend the day in.  Our people visit the houses, inviting them to receive medical help, join a worship, and eat a good meal!  BletJhaw and I treat the sick, while others cook a meal.

What great fellowship we have with the people as we minister to their needs and socialize with them!!  In one smaller village we were able to give each household a simple water filter, encouraging them to drink more water!

LaGlah Village

FAITHCAMP TOUR IN AMERICA

When God says: “Who will go for me?”  and I say, “Here am I, send me!”  Where do I find myself?  Well, I found myself in the coldest places of North America during the coldest time of year!  I came straight out of the 95-degree tropics, to zero-degree weather, piles of snow, and ice!  I haven’t entered America during the winter months for 14 years, so no amount of clothing layers could quite keep me warm! However, what warmth I received from others!  First, the love, unity, joyfulness, and friendship between us missionaries cannot be explained in words.  The Inspiration of the Holy Spirit was upon us. We prayed together, got exhausted together, laughed together, preached together, and were drawn closer to one another and to Jesus. Our messages just got stronger and stronger with the trumpet making that loud and certain sound!  Such a spirit of power and joy is contagious, and to our delight we found the churches waking up to their great need of surrendering all to Jesus, listening to His voice and finding out what He wants them to do in reaching the lost during earths final hours.  I pray that the sparks that were kindled in their hearts will not die out but ignite into full flame for the Master till He comes!

We engaged in 4 faithcamps.  Minnesota, Alaska, (None of us had ever gone there before.  We loved it so much!), Texas, and North Carolina.  Each location is unforgettable!  What bonding with the people!  Only in eternity will we know the results of our labor.

Simply amazing to experience Alaska in February!

Our faithcamp team realized an exciting new dimension in El Paso TX.  Jon and Natalie posted the meetings on Facebook.  This resulted in reaching some people in the neighborhood! We are inspired to widen our circle of influence to the communities.

Time is running out.  There is a great urgency to our message.  Oh, let us pray and work with all our might wherever the Lord sends us.

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not nor be afraid of them; for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.  Deuteronomy 31:6

I constantly feel the need of my Saviour’s presence.  He tells me that I am loved with an everlasting love! Jeremiah 31:3

And underneath are the everlasting arms! Deuteronomy 33:27

At times I can almost feel His arms around me!  How comforting and secure is that?!

Elephants are sticking around our area now.  In fact, the government felt it necessary to put up signs all around the areas of danger.  The first sign was put up right next to the BYT sign!  December 12 we again met a wild elephant while driving home with seven people in our truck.   Two of them were small children.   Even the smallest child who was almost 2 years old could sense the danger!  His eyes were big as saucers and big tears rolled down his cheeks.

 I started to sing them a song and the mother began to show him cartoons on her phone.  We waited and watched that gigantic beast.  It did not charge us, but oil was  running down his face indicating that his testosterone level was 60 times higher than normal making him extremely dangerous.  As we watched we heard two trucks approaching from the far side.  They didn’t notice him until they were right upon him.  Quickly they backed up.  The elephant was still coming toward them but not running.  The guys in the first truck panicked, ran into the jungle and climbed a tree.  We were all waiting for him to get off the road so we could drive through.   Finally he went towards the two trucks and they backed up quite a way.  BletJhaw walked ahead to watch the elephant until he got off the road.  We had cell service up there, so the plan was that BletJhaw would call me when the road was clear, and I would drive past and pick him up.  It took a long time because that beast was walking a long way down the road.  Finally I got the call to come very quickly because he was barely off the road.  I raced that truck down the hill and around the corners.  I stopped, just enough for BletJhaw to jump in the back, and we flew safely away with the Saviour’s everlasting arms around us!  The entire ordeal took 70 minutes!

Not long after that BletJhaw went behind our house to fix the water pipe and almost stepped on a deadly yellow banded Krait in the tall weeds!  The neurotoxic venom from this snake rapidly shuts down the heart and lungs!  You can easily guess what happens shortly thereafter. I am still thanking and praising God for saving his life.

I did not take this picture. I came out of a book. This is exactly what he came upon-so close right next to his foot (only flip flops on)

Now for the good news!   BYT Evangelism December 2022!   This is our 5^th one.  We are so happy that Harvey Steck consented to leave his busy demanding job, managing the studio in Chiang Mai, to come with his wife for one week!  Two other groups were planning to come from America to do it, but  they had complications.  We are so thankful to Harvey Steck for agreeing at the last minute!!

We started the week out by visiting every home in BYT and WST to invite them to the meetings.  What a lovely time we had going house to house.  Here’s what we found people doing:  spreading their rice out in the sun, sorting out their harvest of red kidney beans, weaving Karen skirts, repairing a motorbike, preparing betelnut, working in the garden, sadly one person was found smoking opium, which they quickly hid.

Visiting

Visiting

Motorbike repair

Sorting the betel nut

She was caught smoking opium. Look closely and you’ll see the opium pipe. She hid it quickly

So cute!

The meetings were very well attended.  I was so happy as I shook hands at the entrance.

Trio

The little church filled up.  Our long and earnest prayers for these meetings were rewarded!  Our job is to faithfully sow the seed!

Sabbath attendance!! …and to think that 12 years ago when we began only about 4-5 people came to church here! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Nobody knows the results of all these efforts, but God is in charge of the harvest!

“In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that.”  Ecclesiastes 11:6

May we be faithful till Jesus comes, not grow weary in well doing, and may our longing for reaching the lost exceed every other desire in our hearts!

My flight on Korean Air touched down on Thai soil in Suvarnabhumi Airport, October 5, 2022, I was ecstatic!  Best of all, there was BletJhaw to greet me!  All jet lag was forgotten, and sunshine flooded my soul, even though it was raining outside! This year, the rainy season continued through October!  (Almost 6 months)!  BletJhaw had a driver to drive our new truck to Bangkok.  (We are jungle people and do not feel comfortable driving in that big city of Bangkok)!  I had forgotten how nice our new truck is!  It had been an amazing gift to us!  We had mentioned that we needed a 4 door truck.  Patients needed to open their own windows because they got car sick.  They needed their own door, more room, and better circulation of air.  This truck has proved itself numerous times, and we find it to be so much stronger going up the steep places! The windows of heaven have truly opened up with blessings pouring out just when we need it!

I could not go to BYT right away because it seemed I had a problem with immigration.  On my other trips I had no requirements to enter the country, but this time they were having me fill out 5 forms, go and get my house registration, a signed citizen’s card of the owner, the bank letter of guarantee, the passport picture and copies of my entire bank book, and passport. When I brought the things that they asked for, they sent me to do other requirements.  There were so many hoops to jump through, that I wondered if I would be denied entrance.  I was perplexed and praying all the way through. You know, immigration rules can change any time without notice.  You could be sent back to your country any time. After about one and a half weeks immigration was finished. They showed me my visa  –  Lo and behold I had completed my year-end visa!  I had no idea what was going on but praise the Lord, I now am approved through November 2023!

Finally we drove our motorbike into BYT.  The weather is unpredictable.  Sudden rain put us in terrible mud and that’s never fun, but I did not mind it because I was in my peaceful jungle with my beloved jungle people!

A king cobra greeted us at our gate, that was not quite the greeting I had anticipated!

As soon as we arrived, patients piled in to see us.  People in our villages now own walkie talkie radios, and the news went out quickly to the nearby villages that I am back.  I believe entire villages emptied out upon us!  We were so busy there was no time to cook rice and eat!  Seemed like the people waited for a long time to come to us!  There were so many old terrible infections and chronic diseases.  We were called out at midnight one night because a man had a sudden acute asthma attack!

 I do have an oxygen concentrator!  After many breathing treatments and an IV he recovered nicely.  A thirteen-year-old boy, JaNoe, was badly mauled by a dog in the village.  I have never seen such terrible wounds from a dog bite before.  I calmed him down and cleaned his wounds.

 We took him to the hospital so he could receive his rabies routine.  We did not get home until midnight, but JaNoe was well taken care of.  Someone killed that vicious dog. (Probably they made a nice meal of him)!  One lady in our village suffered severely from a tropical disease.  We put her on the appropriate antibiotic and gave her an IV.

She recovered quickly! We rushed a small 6 year old girl to the hospital.  She had a tropical disease and her high fever would not come down.  We returned home at 2am.  BletJhaw had to drive that excellent new truck 7 hours total that day on difficult roads!  But the girl got the help she needed.  Prayers and trusting in God  is healing people in these jungle mountains!  His name is glorified!

This young boy was severely burned on his right knee several weeks ago.  His father told us that he refused to go to any hospital or clinic, he only wanted to come to BYT and see me!  They waited until I arrived.  My heart was touched.  His knee was terribly infected.  In fact he was septic because he had a high fever.  He rechecked with me 3 days later and recovered nicely. Praise the Lord!

Gospel Workers 367.3 is a lesson well taken for me in BYT.

“Too often the work is left in an unfinished state, and in many such cases it amounts to nothing…He, (The minister), should finish the work begun; for in leaving it incomplete, more harm than good is done.  No field is so unpromising as one that has been cultivated just enough to give the weeds a more luxuriant growth.  By this method of labor, many souls have been left to the buffeting of Satan…Many are driven where they can never again be reached.  A minister might better not engage in the work unless he can bind it off thoroughly.”

So many people tell me that I’m too old to continue so strenuously here, and I must return to America.  I tell them that I will do just what I have done all along –  “What’s that?” they ask.  I tell them that I will do whatever the Lord tells me to do.  He has clearly renewed His contract with me again and again, year after year to continue this work in BYT.  I am full of energy and joy to do this work.  It is the desire of my heart!

And I can see many rewarding examples why I stay here so long.  Here is only one:

MaLoWay is a 42-year-old male that wanted us to help him get off opium 6 years ago.  It was very successful .  He was a changed man and for a while he looked great, but soon after he went back to opium worse than ever before.  My heart broke but we kept praying for him. He looked terrible and would not come near us.  Just now after I returned from America, I found out that he had been very sick with an infection in his left calf.  Apparently, he was in the hospital for 4 weeks.  He had surgery to remove the pus all the way up past his left knee!  During his time in the hospital he had no opium and now is totally free of that addiction.  I have been cleaning and rewrapping his wounds every day.

It was extremely painful, but after I put TeaTree oil mixed with antibiotic cream and prayed for him, it healed up quickly.  He now can walk normally without pain.  He is so thankful.  He is clean and his face is now bright and happy.  We told him that when you get rid of a bad habit you need to replace it with a good habit.  He must replace it with God otherwise, just like before he would go back worse than before.  I will never forget the joy I felt when he told us he wanted to know God and would go to church with us every Sabbath!  Who wants to miss an opportunity like this? To stay here means souls for God’s kingdom!  Praise the Lord!

Do not ever relax your efforts to save a soul – even the ones you feel are the most hopeless.  Keep praying for them without fail. Never relax your efforts.

Keep preaching

Keep praying

Keep on relieving pain and suffering

My first sermon back was thrilling for me.  God is here!  Over 80 people attended, and we had a meal together afterwards.  Look at their happy faces!  (The picture shows only part of the women’s side of church)

Church potluck! Pull up a chair and sit on the grass!

Wonderful fellowship!

THE NARROW ESCAPE!!

We met an enormous wild elephant face to face again.  As BletJhaw backed the truck up, he came toward us.  Finally we got to a wider place to turn around.  We waited in safety for quite a while, but decided to advance again to see if he was off the road.  Suddenly we heard his loud trumpeting and froze in our tracks. Should we advance? Praying all the way we crept forward until we came across a big boulder on the right.  There on the boulder were a man and his wife with a little baby.  They were terrified and were running for their lives.  They had been on their motorbike when they came around a corner and met that elephant.  They dropped the bike and ran through the jungle with the elephant in hot pursuit, charging after them.  Just when he was sure to stomp them into the dirt, he stopped.  They leaped up on that big rock and just then we came along.  We called them into our truck.

This is a very bad sight! The ears are out and he is fully charging!

  The elephant was coming again, but we were able to back up quickly and get away.  If that elephant had not stopped, these people would both be dead.  I do believe that because we belong to God, the angels that surround us made that elephant stop and saved their lives, and of course ours also!  We have met so many elephants during our 12 years here.

One week later the mother brought her baby in to be treated! Beautiful people!

I hear many people say they want to come visit us and see a wild elephant.  Let me tell you, it is no joke to meet these wild ones.  If you knew you’d get out alive and unharmed, it might be a high adventure for you to go home and talk about, but the reality is that it is extremely dangerous.  Each time your life is on the line. People die each year this way.  I will tell you that 3 people near us died in the year 2022! One lady was working with her rubber trees.  When she did not return home they went there and saw that an elephant had torn her body in pieces all over the place.  You must be certain that you are in the center of God’s will, then God will be glorified whether by your life or by your death.  Philippians 1:20,21

HARVESTING TIME

This is the time of year that all the mountain rice must be harvested.  It is a tremendous job.  Usually families go in together to work the huge fields.  Our neighbors, DJ, his wife and 3 children were alone this year to harvest their mountain rice.  BletJhaw and I decided to join in and help them.  We had never done this before, but wanted to get closer to them to encourage them in the Lord etc.  The day was sunny and hot.  I wore two long sleeve shirts because those dried stalks of rice scratch your skin.  The mountain was huge and very steep.  I wondered how I would keep my footing because we must walk all over it.

I am good at going up the steepest places, but not good at coming down.  Today I learned I can do it!  All day we worked. Up and down we went. The rice had already been cut and lay in clumps all over the mountain side. I did not carry the huge mats of rice down the mountain to the threshing floor.  I only gathered the bunches of rice and loaded the mats. I give glory to God that people are amazed I can work so hard in bad conditions all day.  God has given me health and strength all my life!  I am so thankful!

Very heavy. We worked all day

End of the day

You get really close to the people when you work so hard together

As I saw so much reaping over such a vast and difficult mountain, I thought of Jesus words in Matthew 9:37,38

“The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.”

The spiritual harvesting needed in this old world is far bigger than this one mountain that we were working on all day, and vastly more important!  I also say, where are the labourers? This gospel has not been preached in all the world!  Let alone in thee jungle mountains!

I pray for you to stay in the center of God’s will, faithful to the end.  May you unconditionally surrender your all to Him day by day.

I want to let you know that I plan to come to America this summer.  It has been a long time since I placed my feet in that country!  It looks like God is opening the door for me this year.  Jon Wood invited me to join the Jesus4Asia team as a speaker for the many Faith Camp programs in different locations across America.  I will be delighted to speak to the people because God has been so good to me, and I want to proclaim the wonderful works of the Lord and give glory to Him!  As you can see, we are GOING ALL OUT with a packed schedule to as many places as possible, because it may be our only chance before terrible trouble such as never was, sweeps the globe.  Jesus is coming!

“For He that is Mighty hath done to me great things; and Holy is His name!!” Luke 1:49

God has done all things good for me!  I can see many reasons why He sent me to America this year, (God knows more)! It has certainly been full and productive.  It has been 3 years since my feet have touched American soil.

I came this summer at the end of May to preach in the Eurika, MT church. They have supported me all along the way.  I love those people dearly!  By June 9, I joined with the Jesus for Asia team to travel America with Jon and Natalie Wood, founders of JFA, and coordinators of this huge, God ordained project they had arranged! Instead of the usual 2 Faithcamp programs per year, we had 10 this year starting in North Carolina and going all the way to Hayden Lake, ID, and back again to Michigan, Florida, and ending in California.  We traveled over 10,000 miles, not counting California!

I had the privilege of riding with Jon, Natalie, and Israel Prasad from India.  The van we drove was old. Jon actually didn’t think it would make it all the way – but praise the Lord, it did!  Jon amazingly trusted me to be the relief driver because, well, there was nobody else to do it!  Natalie had an injured foot and ankle.  So here I am driving at speeds of 70 mph on the right side of the road! In Thailand we drive on the left and shift with the left hand.  The lights are on the right side of the steering wheel, and the windshield wipers on the left.  So here in America at first when off the freeway and driving around I’d always tell myself: “Stay right – lights left.” Through South Dakota the speed limit on the freeway was 80!!  I finally got it up to 75 because of Jon’s coaxing!  We did meet with driving rain and even hailstones at one point but after a quick prayer to heaven the hailstones stopped!  Praise the Lord for all those miles in all sorts of weather. God kept all of us safe!

Several of us missionaries were able to leave their fields of service and preach their miracle stories, inspiring people to surrender everything and work for God!  We were all truly blessed!  I particularly loved getting to know the other missionaries.  We all work in our separate areas of Asia, and rarely meet.  Now we travelled so far together, prayed together, listened to each other, got exhausted together and helped each other through the hard times. Those two and a half months of Faithcamps were very busy.  So many people!  So many conversations! So many hugs! So much love and support, So little sleep! … but people I love and will never forget! All in all I have presented and preached 30 different times in America this summer by God’s grace alone.

You can watch all the Faithcamp presentations on:  Faithcamp 2022.org

These are the comments I personally heard from people across the country:

“I’m not doing enough for God!”

“My faith is very weak”

“I have not surrendered all to Jesus.”

“I thought I was doing enough for God all along”

“What is the first step out of Laodicea?”

“I want to be a missionary like you!”

Oh how I love them all!  I pray for God to bless and lead each one to do His work in His way in their lives, be ready for Jesus to come, and bring others with them!

I was also blessed by attending ASI in Orlando before my last Faithcamp in Venice Florida.  (I did not go to California). ASI was a huge blessing with throngs of people to meet.  So many people want to come to BYT! I feel a great fire is being ignited.  So many people want to do their part and know God’s will for their lives in this last hour of earth’s history.

The eighth Faithcamp that I participated in, was in Venice Florida. Both my sons, Bradley and Micah, live in this area. So I have been able to spend a little over a month with them!  Bradley and his wife, Shelby have a one-year-old girl, Twyla Ann, (which I got to be with for the first time ever)!

Bradley, Shelby, and Twyla Ann

I am putting all these pictures in because they are so dear to my heart!

 Also Micah and his wife, Marinna, just had their first baby while I was with them, Greyson Cole, born August 30 weighing in at 9 pounds 6 ounces.  God is so good to allow me to be here at this special time. I also got to spend time with my beloved sister! My heart is overwhelmed with joy and love for God and my family!!

Micah, Marinna, and Greyson Cole!

This baby was 9lbs 6 oz. Marinna was such a hero!

A blessed rest and meditation alone on the beach!

May I hold on to the peace and fellowship of God in that hour!

My flight back to Thailand will be October 3.  I am absolutely torn to leave my loved ones, and absolutely thrilled to finally return to BletJhaw and our work in the jungle.   I am always leaving someone and greeting others.  Always happy to meet and so sad to say good-bye.  This world is not our home and what a blessing not to feel at home anywhere here below, but  until we get to our heavenly home, home is wherever God sends us.  And when His arms are around us and His smile is upon us, we are right at home!!

God loves us with an everlasting love the Bible says, and underneath are the everlasting arms!!

My feet have touched American soil for the first time in 3 years.  I will be joining the Jesus for Asia team as they put on Faith Camp meetings across America.  In the past they only had two Faith Camp programs per year, but this year we are going all out for God and doing nine!  We feel a great urgency, as this world is spinning out of control, and it seems to be our last chance to reach and motivate our churches.

Last year the Lord forbade me to go to America, and I surely see a few reasons now why God held me back.  God knows more reasons than this, I’m sure!

1.  I learned an important lesson last rainy season while being locked down for 2 weeks in a house with 10 people during the rainy season.  What a difficult time for us all with food and water in scarce supply, and for me – language barriers and total loneliness, plus I discovered a plague spot in my character – I cannot handle being dormant!  I learned to give that to my wonderful Saviour who said to me: “Whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content!”  Philippians 4:11

After this horrible experience of lockdown, we also were locked out of BYT because a huge breakout of covid swept through our villages there.  However, to my delight, we were called by the government and by the villagers to please come back and help the sick people.  So we entered BYT and flew into action.  Our clinic became a massive covid clinic!  The people soon recovered.  These children really missed me.  They dressed all up in their best clothes and put together the prettiest flowers they could find.  They showered me with hugs and kisses!  I shall never forget it!

The warmest greeting ever imaginable!

2. We had a wonderful opportunity to spread the gospel to a far away village, GweeWaWaKee.  We were asked to have a worship and do a house dedication for their new house. Six young men and I walked 2 hours up a mountain in the pouring rain with leeches all over our feet and legs!

House that was dedicated that day

But it was so well worth it.  I felt the Holy Spirit as we presented Jesus and His tender watchcare over them.  He offers more than a dedicated new home here on earth, because He has prepared a marvelous home for them in heaven and everlasting life there!  We took longer walking back to BYT because of the downpour of rain!  However, my heart was singing the entire time, as I prayed for the people we had met that day!

3. We also found a poor 42-year-old man, GwaDee, who had not been able to walk or even move for 6 entire months!  He experienced intense lumbar pain.  We were able to begin vital medical care for this man, taking him to different hospitals which involved 5 full days of travel and waiting for MRI’s etc.  As time went by, we were able to pray with them and teach him and his wife of Jesus, how to pray, and the strength He can give them to overcome opium, smoking, and betel nut.  We have seen God gradually healing him without surgery which is a complete miracle!

Unable to move for 6 months, now walking and working

4.  We also experienced many instances of dangerous, evil spiritpossessed people, needing us desperately during this time!

In a room with him for over an hour in the dead of night. He had a knife in the back of his pants and mad horse medicine. Out of control.

He had a really messed up Thai Bible. There was hint right there of the Holy Spirits pull on his heart

5.  We were able to save the life of this dear old lady!

Attached is the schedule where our group of missionaries will present.  We pray for the power  of the Holy Spirit to attend our words!  Will you join your prayers with ours?  I am so excited to be with this team, and to have a chance to meet you!  Hopefully you can find a location that is near you.

Faith Camp Schedule:  

June 22-26  Fletcher Academy,  Fletcher, NC

June 28   Springfield SDA Church,  Springfield, MO

June 29  Hurley SDA Church,  Hurley SD

July 1,2  Hermosa SDA Church, Hermosa, SD

July 5-10  Hayden Lake Church, Hayden Lake, ID

(July 11-19, I personally will be going to New York State and will preach at Kingsberry SDA church, Sabbath July 16).

July 20-24 Cedar Lake SDA Church, Edmore, MI

July 27-31  South Bay SDA Church, Chattanooga, TN

August 12-13 Venice Nokomis SDA Church, Venice, FL

August 19-20 Fresno Asian & Community SDA Church, Fresno, CA

“I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.” Psalm 57:2

There he lay, crippled and suffering, on a pile of smelly rags, in a dirty and broken-down bamboo house.  This is actually the kitchen –  complete with filthy old pans and rotten food!  I step carefully, placing my feet where the wooden crossbars were supposedly holding up the bamboo floor.  But gaping holes and rotten bamboo made me uncertain of even finding a suitable place to sit.  My heart was suddenly broken as I gazed upon the wretched form of humanity before me.

His name is GwaDee.  He is 47 years old.  Everyone knows that he is one of many good for nothing, hard-core opium addicts, oblivious to everything honorable and good.  Every day he just lives for more opium, finding work to do, so he can have a little money to buy more of that evil, life destroying substance, that he injects into his blood stream many times a day, to the neglect of everything else.  His three small children are dirty and half dressed, wondering from house to house in search of food much like the mangy, starving, village dogs, composed of only skin and bones.  His house tells the sad story also –  strewn with yucky trash and ready to fall right down! Tears try to force themselves out of my stinging eyes.  God is seeing this!

GwaDee’s house

Exactly six months ago he had just injected a big dose of opium into his vein, when sudden pain in his lower back struck him down.  His pain was so excruciating that he dared not move a muscle.  In fact he had been lying in this position on his back unable to walk or even move for 6 long months!!

We first found out about this man when visiting LaGlah village and talking with his brother-in-law, PaJew, the only Seventh-Day Adventist there!

PaJew and BletJhaw outside GwaDee’s house

We visited with GwaDee that day and strategized together how we could transport him to Meta hospital.  He was willing to go.  The following Friday two young men tied him up to a bamboo pole and carried him to our waiting truck.

The trip was excruciating for GwaDee, but I was thankful to find out the cause of his pain.  Because of COVID I was not allowed to enter the hospital with him, but I prayed God would open a way for me to speak to the doctor, because the information told us from the family was unsatisfying – they could tell us next to nothing.  Finally a young paramedic took me in and I found the right doctor.  I was able to photograph the xray and discover he had a compression fracture of Lumbar vertebrae L-4 and L-5.

The doctor told me that because this patient was illegal in this country and had no insurance, he needed to pay $500.00 for an MRI in Sukhothai first, (Four hours east of here).  Then he would need surgery in MaeSot with extensive rehab, because his legs were already atrophied.  So the total cost of everything not counting rehab would be approximately $5,000.

I explained everything the doctor said to BletJhaw, describing a compression fracture, and the need fore surgery and money. BletJhaw is telling the family. before driving all the rugged way back to his house.

Sadly we had to transport that patient all the way back to his house in LaGlah village that night because we could not just come up with that kind of money.  He suffered enormous pain after arriving home.

The good news about all of this is that we had several occasions to tell GwaDee and his wife BeGah, (Who is just as addicted to opium herself), about the great God in heaven who loves us.  We told of His wonderful power to forgive sins and His ability to change their lives from one of drugs, hopelessness, sickness and neglect of their home and family, to a life of joy and peace and fulfillment.  We told him that through this terrible injury, God is trying to get his attention and help him realize that his life needs to change.  He needs to know God, love God, and prepare himself for everlasting life!  We have prayed with him many times, and know God is working on his heart because during this time he is unable to work and buy opium, so he is off all drugs and has plenty of time the think.

At this time we are asking for two things:

1. First and foremost please pray for GwaDee and BeGah to find the Lord and make a full change in their lives.

2.  BletJhaw and I have never made a request for money in all our 12 years of labor in the  Jungle Mountains. But today we are asking you to pray and see if God is touching your heart to make a small donation toward GwaDee’s upcoming surgery.  We don’t have a lot of time because he is loosing more and more muscle mass, and there is a concern that he might bring more injury to the nerve and become a paraplegic.