July 2012 Prayer Letter

Written by Karl Dahlfred on 07 July 2012.

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Dear Friends & Family,

Thank you for remembering us in prayer as we get settled into our new surroundings in Bangkok and begin ministry. This past month we enjoyed a long delayed vacation, and good times of fellowship and teaching at OMF Thailand’s annual conference.

Welcome to the Concrete Jungle

Right after conference we hired a truck and got all our stuff out of storage in Central Thailand for the big move to Bangkok. Just about everything was covered in heaps of dust and the hired hands who came with the truck weren’t exactly careful movers. In any case, a couple weeks later we still have boxes and bags everywhere, and are often not sure where our things are. And because Bangkok is SO big and busy, we’re often not sure where to buy things in the area around us either. There are so many shops, big and small, tucked away into the concrete clefts and crevices of this expansive city that it is hard to know where to find this or that. Folks at the seminary have been helpful in pointing us in the right direction, but it is often still intimidating to try to find anything in the maze of roads. The signage confuses us and it only takes one missed turn to get severely turned around.

Please pray for our continued adjustment to the city and that our family would find a routine that works for us. Being out of our “comfort zone” is certainly good for reminding us of our need to depend on God, but when much of your time and energy is spent on trying to find the basic necessities of life, there is not much left over to think about other, more important matters.

Introducing Kanok Bannasan

At the beginning of July, Karl began working two days per week at Kanok Bannasan (OMF Publishers Thailand). Kanok is a Christian publishing house started by OMF Thailand missionaries but is now Thai-run. They are one of the few Christian publishers in Thailand and play a crucial role in getting Christian books in Thai out to churches throughout the country.

One of my (Karl's) primary roles at Kanok is to work with the editors to understand difficult parts of the English books that they are translating and find the best Thai equivalent. I also have the opportunity to discuss and give input on the books they are publishing. One of their current projects that I’m helping with is a short book on cults. There is really little to no literature in Thai to educate and warn Thai Christians about Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other smaller cults that have a presence here in Thailand. One of the challenges of producing this book is making sure that, 1) it is up-to-date with what the cults actually teach and practice, and 2) warns Thai Christians against error without coming across as beating up on these groups just because they are different. The latter is a very hard task in this culture where superficial unity for the sake of community is highly valued but critique and debate are not. Pray that we’ll produce a book that will meet the needs of Thai churches and bring glory to God.

PREPPING FOR NEW SEMESTER

Please also remember to pray for Karl as he prepares to teach at Bangkok Bible Seminary (BBS), starting August 14th.

We covet your prayers for us and for this nation.

by Christ’s grace,
Karl & Sun Dahlfred

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