March 2010 Prayer Letter

DOWNLOAD PDF - MARCH 2010 DAHLFREDS PRAYER LETTER

Dear Friends & Family,

Greetings from Northern Thailand!  No, we have not moved from Phrabaht but for the first two weeks of March are attending Pre-Home Assignment Workshop in Chiang Mai to help us prepare for our upcoming home assignment (furlough) from Dec 2010 to Oct 2011.  We are busy reviewing our life and ministry over the past few years, preparing talks, and starting to plan for the where, when, and who of our time in the States.  We’re looking forward to time back home to reconnect with many of you and to share what we we’ve seen God doing in Thailand over the past four years.  And looking ahead to AFTER our home assignment, we’re asking God to give us at least one more missionary family to join our church planting team here in Thailand. May the LORD of the harvest give us desperately needed like-minded co-laborers in the Gospel for His work here in Thailand.  Please pray with us (Matt 9:37-38)

Concerning ministry in the PhraBaht/Nong Doan area, thank you for praying for us and for the people whom we are discipling.  Sun is continuing to meet up with Arui, a Burmese Christian lady, as well as with Joy and her daughter Nung.  All of these discipling relationships are going well and seem to be appreciated by the ladies with whom Sun is meeting.  Karl and Pastor Jareun continue to make weekly trips to Nong Doan to visit Ting, who is hopefully understanding more and more of the basics of the faith.  Ting is able to answer objections to Christ being raised from the dead but still isn’t sure if people are reincarnated or not.  When you are coming from a completely non-Christian background, the basics take a long time to wrap your mind around.

One of the Thai believers that I really enjoy working with is Tam.  Tam continues to help me with kids club in Nong Doan and serves on the PhraBaht church committee besides full-time student ministry in Lopburi.  This year, I have the privilege of mentoring him when his current team leaders leave for Bible college.  Pray for Tam’s continued growth as a minister of the Gospel and that I would give him wise counsel.

Last month I told you that Pastor Jareun was thinking about leaving the PhraBaht church but it now seems that he will be staying for the forseeable future.  Thank you for praying for his decision.  One of Jareun’s strongest character traits is perseverance.  As long as he still feels called to this church, he will stay.  And as of right now, he still feels God’s call to this church.  Please continue to pray for Pastor Jareun, his wife Joy, daughter Nung, and Nung’s newborn.  Their life is not easy, especially in the midst of a unhealthy struggling congregation.  May the LORD do a miracle of grace in this little church, leading the wayward to repentance and reconciling sinners to God and each other.

Concerning renting a church building in Nong Doan, I have not heard any news lately so the whole thing seems to be on pause.  This is probably for the best.  It is generally a good idea to have a core group of involved interested people before taking on the obligation of a church building.   I am talking with Jaruen about finding one evening per week that we can go to Nong Doan to be visiting more people - those who have professed faith and/or showed interest in the past.  Please pray that other activities and obligations will not crowd out the priority of visiting people and teaching the Gospel.

by Christ’s grace,
Karl & Sun Dahlfred

PRAYER POINTS

• Discipling Thai Christians
• Pastor Jaruen’s family
• Mentoring Tam

PRAISES

• Visitation & discipleship opportunities
• Pastor Jareun staying at PhraBaht Church
• Tam graduates from T2S ministry training program
  

CALENDAR
3/1-12  Pre Home Assignment Workshop in Chiang Mai
3/21     Karl teach Adult Sunday School, PhraBaht
3/28     Karl preach Blessing of Ayuthaya Church