"Receive the Kingdom of God like a child"

Yesterday, Sunday February 26, we went to our friends house for church in the morning. They have been living in a nearby village and reaching out to the people with the love of Christ for about 5-6 months now, and have found that they have a connection with the children in this particular village. The kids spend a lot of time over at their house playing games, watching bible movies, and learning about Jesus. Most of them who visit the house come to understand that Jesus is the only way, and choose to follow Him. On Wednesday, we got to pray with a young girl to accept Christ and choose to follow Him. Almost all of these children come from broken homes. Either they live with one parent or they live with their grandparents. In Thailand, kids are seen as a burden to many parents. Most of the time when someone has a child, they leave that child with the grandparents and go off to a bigger city to work. Some of these children's grandparents do not even want them and have no money to raise or feed them. It's amazing to see their reaction when someone like me plays with them or hugs them. They don't have any older people that love them or spend time with them.

After we worshipped for a little bit with the kids I shared from the Bible. I shared the story of Daniel and how he did not give in to the way of the land in worshipping idols and other gods, but he stood strong for God and God protected him. Because most of them have chosen to follow Jesus, it is more than likely (well it is promised in the Bible) that persecution, in some form or another, will come to them. I encouraged them to stand strong for Jesus because He is the only way. I spoke to them also about God's promise in Matt. 6:33 that if they seek Him, He will take care of their daily needs. Afterwards, we went and prayed for a woman in the village who has cancer. She had liver cancer and it spread to her whole body. The doctors have pretty much sent her home to die. We took all of the children over there and laid hands on her and prayed that God would heal her and that she would be a testimony to God for the village. Please join in with us as we continue to pray for this woman of only 60 years old to be healed completely.

Sharing with the kids

Praying for woman with cancer

Eating 

Relaxing afternoon

After church in the morning and a relaxing afternoon, we visited Bethany Home Orphanage. About 50 years ago some Finnish missionaries came out to Thailand and planted a bunch of churches. Along with the churches they planted an orphanage. There are 2 little girls that we know that need homes. They are living in homes right now where they are not wanted. Most of the orphanages in Thailand are not well run...there tons of kids living in them and very few workers to look after them and care for them with the love needed. Even at Bethany Home there are 29 children and only 5 workers. So we went to this orphanage to see how it is run and if it would be a good place for these children to live. While we were there I was playing around with the kids and I noticed on girl being distant and had a sad look on her face. I went to her and asked for her name and then she lit up. I noticed that she kept following me after that but at times I would still see that same countenance. But God really showed me something as I looked upon the faces of these children, especially that one girl...He showed me that they just want to be loved. They don't have the same kind of attention and love from others as many of us do. We as humans were created for love. Jesus gave us 2 commandments to live by in Matthew 22:37-39, to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind, and to love others as we love ourselves. We were created FOR love and we were created TO love. Please pray with us for wisdom in trying to find a place for these 2 girls to live and for the children in Thailand that they would know the love that they were created for.

Pictures from the orphanage