DOWNLOAD PDF - FEBRUARY 2012 DAHLFREDS PRAYER LETTER

Dear Friends & Family,

 

Thank you everyone for standing with us in prayer as we have been in a holding pattern waiting for our financial support to go back up so we can return to Thailand.

ALMOST THERE!

By the time you read this our situation might have changed, but as of right now (Feb 2nd) we are $362/month short of 100% support, and $40/month short of 95% support (the minimum amount required by OMF International for us to receive clearance to return to Thailand).  That’s really close!   Our support gap used to be much bigger but we’ve seen it close through 1) making serious cuts to our budget, and 2) seeing God provide through a few large one-time gifts, and new (or increased) financial support pledges.  We have felt tempted to cut the budget even further in order to get back more quickly but we don’t want to get out to Bangkok and find that we don’t have the funds that we need to live and minister.  So, no more budget cuts, but more prayer and more visiting with churches and people interested in our work in Thailand.  We are really thankful to God that He has brought us thus far, and we are confident that he will provide what is needed to bring us the rest of the way.  Since we are so close to the 95% support figure, we are very hopeful to leave for Thailand in March.

THAT REMINDS ME OF A STORY...

During the last full week of January, Karl was away in Hemet, CA for a workshop called “Simply the Story” (STS).  It was time well spent, learning how to tell Bible stories well, not embellishing, but telling in an accurate and lively way and then asking good questions to listeners that direct them to the words of Scripture.  In fact, it was so good that Sun is going to attend the STS weekend workshop in Beaumont, CA on Feb 3-5.  We hope that this will be a tool that she can use in discipling women, and in evangelism, as well as with our own children. 

When some people hear about oral Bible story telling, they become concerned that it is a “dumbing down” of the Gospel and takes people away from the Scriptures.  We have found the opposite to be true.  If you have concerns, please contact us and we’ll be happy to answer questions.  Also, you may be interested to read the reviews of a couple books about orality and bible storytelling that Karl has written on our “Gleanings from the Field” blog (here and here).

LESSON PREP AHEAD

I (Karl) recently talked with the dean at Bangkok Bible Seminary and found out that I am slated to teach “Intro to World Mission” in Fall 2012, and “Church History Survey” and “Asian Church History” in Spring 2013.  I am really looking forward to this opportunity to invest in future leaders of the Thai church, but this also means that I have a lot of lesson prep ahead of me!  I will teach the courses in Thai.

RENTERS

Please pray that the Lord will give us good long-term renters who can pay a rental price high enough to cover the mortgage.

Thanks for all your prayer and support for us, and for God’s work in Thailand!

by Christ’s grace,
Karl & Sun Dahlfred

PRAYER POINTS

• More financial support to return to Thailand ASAP
• Renters for our house while we are in Thailand
• Our ministry designation to a church or church-plant in Bangkok
  
  

PRAISES

• Our financial support is coming in!
• Opportunities to get bible story telling training

CALENDAR

2/3-5 Simply the Story workshop in Beaumont, CA

2/12 Karl preach at Grace Presbyterian Church, Fallbrook, CA

2/? Karl speak at New Life Presbyterian Church, La Mesa, CA

3/1 Fly to Thailand ???

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