About

My 2 boys, Micah-14, Bradley-16 and I did not begin our mission work here in Thailand the usual way.  We did not save funds, join a sponser group, learn the language, get our imunization shots, or study the people and the culture.  In fact mission work was not on our minds.  One year before, we were supposed to go on a Southeast Asia tour with Jesus4Asia.  We purchased passports and prepared, but the tour did not materialize so we resumed our normal duties and prayed for a way to serve God where we were.  God of course had different plans for us than we could ever imagine.  On May 20, 2009, my best friend Lisa called me on the phone saying they needed someone to fill in for the Adams family who were working on the Thai/Burma border, caring for the LKY school, working with the Karen people and caring for the sick.  Because I was a nurse, and the boys and I had our passports, we were the perfect ones to send!  We were needed for maybe one month.  My eyes opened wide, I gulped and said, “Well I will have to pray alot about that!”  Lisa thought that meant I was not interested, but I was mainly shocked!  That day I prayed earnestly for the Lord to show me His will in this.  The only answer that came to me was, “Ask the Lord for the money needed if He wants us to go because we have no money.  This I did.  I had peace and resumed my usual days activities.  The next day Lisa called me saying the money needed for our flight to Thailand had come in and they needed us for 3 months, not one.  I better hurry and get the visas, because they can sometimes take awhile and we needed to be there by June 16!  Less than one month!  My head spun and my heart beat faster with sheer delight!  This was God Himself answering my prayer in less than 24 hours! It is such a great thing to know the Lord’s will!  There is no greater joy than to embark on a new assignment that you are 100% sure is in the center of God’s will!  Words cannot describe it.  May we never work our way out of His hands and His directions!   Money came in for the visas also and in less than one month we were on Korean Air aimed for halfway around the world. 

The challenges of this new country were great.  The school had just been evacuated from the Burma side because of soldier attack.  They were now located on a mountain further into Thailand, but needed to be relocated because the place rented was too costly and only temparary.  Gun fire and land mines going off on the Burma side were frequent and ominous.  The teachers were wonderful and did a good job with the students even in these troublesome times.  In time we were able to relocate them off the mountain, but it was questionable how safe it was, and how long the Thai government and Thai soldiers would let us stay.  Each time one of these groups visited with threats and reasons to send the students back to Burma God held them off and protected. Nothing seemed too safe for these dear Karen people, who were fought against on the Burma side and tried to be pushed back into Burma on the Thai side. 

I was fearful to treat the sick because I had left the nursing career 12 years ago to home school the boys.   I had not even been interested in nursing any more especially infants and pediatrics.  I never liked that age group because sick children are too sad to me.  My experience is in the Emergency Room, but now I felt I had forgotten everything.  God never calls to failure, however, and I found that after visiting different villages with medicine and natural remedies, that the sick just flock to you as soon as you arrive.  (Most of the sick coming for treatment were infants and babies)!  Only by prayer and clinging to Jesus, was I able to help these people young and old.  Many many people were dreadfully sick.  So many times I would draw a blank when a severe breathing problem presented, tropical diseases or horrible skin leasions etc.   I would pray and the Lord brought rememberance to my mind what I could do for them, using what I had and past knowledge.  Amazingly, most of the patients were infants and children, and most of the thrilling miracles of God’s healing were for these little ones!  How I have come to dearly love the infants and children here!  Praise to God is totally on my lips.

After 2 months of working for God in Thailand, Bradley and Micah both took a stand to go all the way with their Saviour in baptism.  My cup of joy overflowed as I stood on the bank of a swift mountain stream and watched them and 7 other students come out of the water, committed to love, work for and serve the living God.

Bradley has proved himself irreplaceable.  He has been the driver on our numerous trips to villages and hospitals.  Many times he had to take us to the hospital very quickly due to emergencies.  I could never do all the driving and this work as well.  He had to keep the truck in good repair also and figure out how to do it economically and quickly.  

In the mission field you discover more tallents that you never knew you had, because you find so much that needs to be done.  He helped with a construction job on the girls dorm and ended up completing the job alone.  The skill saw, hammer and nails were his companions for days and weeks.  

Micah wanted to teach math at the school.  They needed someone for grades one and two and were very happy to accept him on the staff!  He discovered a talent he did not know he had.  The children loved him and he taught for the rest of the year, filling in for grade 6 occasionally.  He purchased a used motorbike and was very useful, transporting patients, (Yes, even on a motorbike). and help me visited villages farther away.

Micah also took a medical missionary class, learning among many things, a very effective massage which can cure some cancers and other diseases.     

Please pray for us here as the devil’s attacks on us and the people we came to serve, are frequent, cruel and very blatent here in this country.  We must give a very short time to consider the crises, and a very long time to look at Jesus who is more than able to counteract the attacks of a defeated foe!

As you may have guessed by now, we overstayed our 3 months of service here. We knew we could not go back to the USA.  There was so much to do for God here, and in the USA we seemed empty and useless.  The boys had left their most cherished possesions there, and a job they just started.  They were both looking foreward to coming back to these things, but as they saw the depth and meaning of working for those less fortunate, and the extent of usefulness they could be, their past life style and possesions grew strangely dim.  Oh may the glories of heaven and our pathway to it be met by unswerving obedience, my we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and my He be ever more beautiful each step of the way. 

It is now one year since we first stepped on Thai soil.  Our post of duty is now far away in a mountain village where we have no electricity, no cell phone, no computer and hardly any money!  It is so far from the beaten path that barely any supplies or visitors come in.   It is so high in the mountains that nights are very cold in the 3 months of winter.  The people all grow poppies in order to sell an illegal drug, Opium.  Why would God put us there?    The reason:  There are 50 villages surrounding this one who do not have medical care, several of them are unreached with the gospel.  They have never heard about Jesus.  I have never seen more poverty and filth in my life as some of these villages we have visited. 

Micah became fast friends with the principle of the LKY school, when he was teaching there, Saw Blet.  His courteous and thoughtful manner, his loyalty and love for God to know and to do his will, made all of us very close like family.   When we went to visit this village, he came with us, when we prayed and struggled over what God’s will was, he joined with us, and when we decided God wanted us there, he teamed up with us!  What a delight to work with this godly and intelligent young man.  He has a college degree in eduction and speaks 4 languages.  He is our private Karen teacher, and interpreter.  He is helping in all phases of the work there. 

After much prayer about this village which we so providentially visited, someone donated enough money for us to purchase a 4X4 truck.  We had a house built and moved in April 15.  I could not relate to you the challenges of this area, but I will update this web site as often as I possibly can to tell you what new adventures come to pass!  Travel between villages and back to civilization is more than challenging.  The needs are great, but we serve a great God whose does not lead us into failure, but supplies the courage, strength, love and wisdom to face each tomorrow. 

Yes the Karen people have won our hearts.  We ask you to please unite your prayers with ours that these people way out in the jungle can find a better life in Jesus and His truth before it is too late.  Please pray that Satan and his constant distractions, detours and difficulties will not have dominion over us and the people we have come here to serve.