Praise Report from Camp!

Easter this year

Hello everyone.  We hope you are all doing well.  Thanks for taking a moment to read about what has been happening in our part of the world.  It is summer for the Thai schools and believe me we are feeling it :).  The temperatures have been over 100 degrees F most days and with the humidity and heat index it feels like 117 F.  This is the primary reason for a different school schedule in Thailand since many of the schools do not have air conditioning.  The heat has been a challenge, but God is good and we are surviving it.

Sports Day

Sports Day

Thirty-seven students from Roi Et came to Bangkok mid-March to mid-April for the 4 week long annual academic camp.  This is the 23rd camp that has been held so it is a long tradition with the Roi Et ministry.  This year although the students had academic and English classes the Lord provided many opportunities for them to hear about and experience the love of Christ.  Each morning we had worship, where Noah helped with the praise band, and devotions with speakers.  The theme of the camp was goals, focusing on education, family, finance, and jobs.  We prayed about who would lead devotions and as it turned out all the speakers were believers who were able to share about the goals from a Christian perspective.  Over and over the students heard about how God had worked in their personal lives and heard testimonies of his faithfulness.  We had teachers, doctors, business owners, youth leaders, couples just married, single Thai men etc..people came from all walks of life to share with the students.  

The whole gang

Noah sharing his testimony

Noah led the last devotion of camp, he asked to share with the students.  It was a powerful testimony to the Thai students because he is their peer and they respect and love him.

Students listening to Noah

Good Friday at Muang Thai Church

Easter was during camp so the students were able to attend Good Friday and Easter celebrations at the church.  Several of them volunteered to perform in a skit written by our Thai teammate Patdy about the resurrection of Christ.  We were able to take the students to see the movie "Risen"; it was in English with Thai subtitles.  The movie seemed to touch the hearts of many of them.  Also we just had a lot of time for fellowship and deepening relationships with students.  So many of them are starving for love and affirmation.  In two particular students, a brother and sister who live at the boarding school and whose mom is now in jail, we sensed their need for affirmation and love.  Most of the time, for four weeks, the younger girl was right by our side. We also tried to affirm them in that they have a hope and a future in Christ.  Despite the cultural and language barriers we feel certain the students know we love them and that the love we share is the love we receive from Christ.  We started getting the question from the students,  why did you come to Thailand?  It was our chance to again share about God and his call on our lives.

Students on Sports Day

Through all of these events we could sense God was moving in the student's hearts.  Two of them who had been coming to our home each week for the past year, came to camp with us.  This was the first time they were able to hear the good news of the gospel in depth.  Toward the end of camp one of them, one of the very strongest Buddhist people we know, said, " I think with God and Buddha the impossible can be possible in my life".  For us, this was confirmation of God's grace and movement.  Her heart is opening.

Time with students

The final Sunday at worship, the day before the students were to head back, Pastor Life gave an invitation for those who were interested in opening their hearts to Jesus to stand up.  Two people from the congregation stood, but almost all of the Roi Et students stood up, claiming their desire to know Jesus. It was an incredible moment for us to see the Lord at work.  We have been praying for months that God would bring hundreds of people in Roi Et to come to know him.  Quite honestly, in the Buddhist nation we live in where faith is so often tied to being Thai and tradition, that prayer seems very bold.  It wasn't until camp, when we saw so many students opening their heart did we see that God is answering this prayer.  We considered if these students are discipled and each bring one to Christ that is 70+.  If each of those are discipled and bring one to Christ, that is 140+.  Multiplication of the gospel.  It might seem like a ambitious goal, but we serve a big God who is at work here.  We will continue to offer students a time to come to our home, our English teaching opportunities, and our lives in fellowship with Thai students, but we believe our greatest calling will be discipleship and spreading the good news of Jesus to those we are relationship with.  We are already in conversations and prayer about what that looks like and how God wants to use us.

Todd with the Boys

Please join us in prayer for hundreds of believers in Roi Et, for these particular students to hear more about the gospel and good news of Jesus Christ.  Pray that we will have opportunities for discipleship especially with the older students so that they in turn can disciple their peers and the younger students.

Last night of Reflection

God is good and he deserves all the glory. Thank you to each of you for the part you play in this.  Without you we could not be here.

May God bless each of you abundantly.

We love each of you.

The Attaways

Sports  Day- Green Team

Camp Bucks made by Todd for a Camp store talking about Money Management