December 2009 Prayer Letter

DOWNLOAD PDF - DECEMBER 2009 DAHLFREDS PRAYER LETTER

Dear Friends & Family,

Ho, Ho, Ho. The Thai malls are fully stocked with lights, trees, and Santa hats (for purely commercial reasons, of course), which reminds people that Christmas is coming up some time soon, even if they don’t know which day it is or what Christmas is really about.  But the secular PR that Christmas gets provides an opportunity for churches throughout Thailand to take advantage of people’s natural curiosity about this “foreign” holiday and turn it into an opportunity to share about Jesus.  As you can see from the calendar below, we have lots of Christmas events coming up this month.  Some we are only participating in, some we are leading.  All the lessons at kids club in Nong Doan this month focus on Christmas and we’ll have our big Christmas celebration with the kids on Friday Dec 18th.  I’ve ordered Thai-English illustrated storybooks about “Jesus is born” to give the children as a special gift.  On Saturday morning Dec 19th, we’ll take the kids club Christmas program and do it for the children in our neighborhood.  Please pray especially for both of these Christmas events for children - for our own planning, and for sufficient Thai helpers. 

We’ve been encouraged that a couple Thai guys from PhraBaht church have started to help out with kids club.  By the time we go on home assignment (2011), it would be wonderful if we could hand off this ministry to them and see them run with it.  One of the greatest blessings at kids club has been Tam.  Tam is a student ministry trainee in nearby Lopburi and comes to help out at kids club every other week.  And he is a FANTASTIC storyteller.  He would have been excellent on a kids TV show but praise the Lord, we have him here with us telling Bible stories to kids.  He really throws himself into the telling of the story, engaging the children, and drawing them into it.  Because he is a native Thai speaker and because of just who he is, Tam tells Bible stories to these children 1000 times better than I can do.  Tam also shows great potential as a preacher.  Praise God for raising up Thai believers like Tam who have an infectious love for God, for His Word, and for people.

On the language study front, we have good news that Karl has completed his Year 3 Thai exam.  Both of us are now finished with our formal language studies.  That doesn’t mean that we are great Thai speakers, but merely that we have finished the formal requirements.  We still have a lifetime of learning ahead of us.

This month we will be saying goodbye to Brent Meyers who has been with us for the past six months, studying Thai, helping with outreach, and learning about missions.  We praise God for the encouragement and help that he has been to us and pray for God’s work in his life as he returns to the U.S. to finish college.  He hopes  to come back to the mission field someday, either Thailand or elsewhere.

Please pray for our family as we are still trying to figure out how to manage life and ministry with two kids instead of one.  At 2 months old, baby Caitlin is healthy, strong, and sleeping well but life is very busy.  Sun is feeling well and Joshua’s imagination takes him around the world and back again on a daily basis.

Thanks for praying with us, for us, and for the Thai people.

by Christ’s grace,
Karl & Sun Dahlfred

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Christmas evangelism
• our Bible reading & prayer
• Balance in family &ministry
• God to grow the PhraBaht church in Biblical maturity
• Kids club in Nong Doan
• Wisdom & diligence in trying to disciple people

• Language study completed
• Upcoming Thai Christian leaders like Tam
• Brent’s time in Thailand

12/4      Karl Year 3 Thai Exam
12/14    Short-termer Brent fly to USA
12/18    Christmas at KidsClub, NongDoan
12/19    Christmas kids outreach in our neighborhood
12/20    Karl preach at PhraBaht church
12/23    Christmas outreach at PhraBaht Nursing College
12/25    Christmas
12/28    Caroling at PhraBaht Hospital
12/31    Christmas service at PhraBaht church