06.16.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 4:24 pm by dannyjones
Over the past several years we have jumped though many hoops and fallen into many holes as we have tried to stay afloat in the unstable climate of constant change here in Thailand. We have had many pitfalls legally… even to the point of having to leave the country. Getting a visa (and keeping it) to be able to merely live here in Thailand while doing mission work has been one of the toughest, most time consuming, and mentally draining tasks we have facing here on the mission field. Once again this week, the question of whether or not our visas would be renewed came up, as I fought a major battle, both spiritually and literally within a meeting of several people with the power to have us all removed from our positions in Thailand if we did not give into their demands. Without going into more detail (for fear of endangering our position further), we ask that you all be in special prayer for us as we try to establish a legal presence in Thailand through the establishment of a non-profit foundation before the end of this year.
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06.09.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:00 am by dannyjones
Last night the church in Udon Thani was broken into. Jahnet Sims and Tracey Burdette noticed the front door to the church opened as they went to clean Saturday morning. After entering the sanctuary, they found scattered sheet music on the floor in place of the piano. Items stolen included the church piano, sound system, speakers and microphones recently replaced after the burglary in February. The losses from the break-in total about $1500US. After filing a police report and paying a small “police fee,” we hired a team of policemen to investigate and try to recover the stolen items. We spent the evening in prayer for those who were involved in the crime, and for ourselves… that we would have the proper attitude towards the situation. Satan tries to set us back at every turn, yet our Lord is mightier! Praise God that these are only material things, and the souls of the Thai people who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ can never be stolen nor plucked out of the hands of our almighty God.
“…Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” – Matt. 5:44
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06.02.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 5:27 pm by dannyjones
This week’s VBS with the help of the MBSF (Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship) group from Arkansas was a great success. With Bible lessons, music, games and crafts, this was the very first VBS here at Udon Baptist Church. The closing program on Saturday night had 70 in attendance, with many parents hearing the gospel message preached for the first time. All six in the MBSF group taught lessons, helped with music and games and were responsible for all the crafts. Everyone had a great time, and the Thai kids had only one question for the group: “When are you all going to return to Thailand?” The group has been a great help and a tremendous blessing! Special thanks goes out to:
Josh, Charlie, Laura, Amber, Natasha and Melissa!!!!! God bless you!
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05.27.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:00 pm by dannyjones
We are privileged to host a group of MBSF (Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship) students from Arkansas who will be with us fro the next two weeks working with the churches here in Northeastern Thailand. Lead by MBSF director Josh Stone, they will be helping with a Vacation Bible School at the Udon Thani Baptist Church and helping with some work projects with the missionaries here. The group of six will be touring the Isan region and helping distribute tracts though the area. Already, they have proved to be a tremendous blessing both to us personally and to the Thai people. Please pray for the group as they minister to the people here in Thailand.
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05.16.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:00 pm by dannyjones
We have been feverishly working to renovate the building in Khon Kaen to make it usable as a church facility, yet the 150km drive has made it difficult to progress very rapidly in this project. We are gutting the bathroom and replacing the hole in the floor with a toilet. Already, we have hired workers to lay tile on the floor and finish the paint job we started last week. Slowly, the new building is starting to come together and look more like a worship facility. The storefront space is two stories and will seat about 30 people comfortably downstairs. The upstairs will be used for classrooms. This week we had five new visitors who were very excited about the new church and said they would return. Please pray for this fledgling work and the souls touched through it.
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05.05.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:00 pm by dannyjones
This week, Tim, Rodney and I drove cross country to the city of Chiang Mai. There we were privileged to fellowship with the Teers and the Rosendals who are ministering there at the Antioch Baptist Church which was started by missionary Nick Barnett. I spent one day at the print shop trying to work all the bugs out of the literature which was supposed to go to press, but it looks like we will have to reformat the books before the press will be able to print them. We were finally able to purchase some new Bibles this week which will be just in time for us to use them at the new church in Khon Kaen. I was also able to purchase some Bible study literature available through the Thailand Bible Society. The ten hour drive through the mountains and across the countryside of Thailand is breathtaking, but it’s good to be back home in Udon.
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04.27.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:00 am by dannyjones
After correspondence with a couple in the city of Khon Kaen desiring to be a part of a Baptist church in their area, our missions team drove down (150 KM south of Udon) to find a suitable church building for rent. We tentatively have planned to meet every Tuesday night in Khon Kaen beginning May 8. Khon Kaen is a large city and a hub of commerce in the Isan region of Northeastern Thailand. The city is also home to the areas largest university, making it an attractive prospect to reaching out to college students. After driving around town fruitlessly looking for a building to rent, Bro. Tim had a groundbreaking idea… “let’s stop and pray!” We pulled over and asked for the Lord’s guidance in the matter, and then took off again, seeing a sign about 10 feet from where we stopped. I call the number and asked how much the rent was. It was out of our price range, so I asked the lady on the phone if she knew of any buildings for around 5000-6000 baht per month. She said that we would never find a place for that price. She was wrong. One block away, we saw another sign… one that we had passed by at least twice before. I called the number and talked to the owner who happened to live next door. Within 15 minutes, we were signing a lease on the building (for 5500 baht per month). Praise the Lord!
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04.18.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:00 am by dannyjones
Work continues on the Sunday school literature translation, and I have been working hard on formating and graphics to get everything ready to send two booklets to press. Bro. Bill Johnson visited, and has taken on 100% of the salary of our literature translator through the ministry of International Christian Publishers. This will relieve a financial burden off our ministry here. ICP plans to carry two of the translated quarterlies to press in Chiang Mai for printing an initial 500 copies each. I will travel to Chiang Mai in a few weeks with Bros. Sims and Burdette to pick up the literature along with some Bibles for the church here. The Johnson’s visit was productive and encouraging. Sunday school literature of the quality of ABA books are virtually nonexistent on the mission field. Pray for the work of literature translation so that we may more effectively teach and disciple converts in the Word of God.
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04.05.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:08 am by dannyjones
After over a month in the States, we have returned home to Thailand, recharged, encouraged and ready to see what blessings the Lord has in store here on the field. We were greeted by a large welcoming committee of the Burdettes, the Sims and many of the church people from Udon. It’s a long flight from America to Southeast Asia, and it’s nice to be able to lie down in my own bed. We have made Thailand our home, and sometimes refer to America as “back home,” yet I know that this world is not my home. We are just travelers passing through for a short time, waiting expectantly for that city where I shall one day make my abode.
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03.12.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:18 am by dannyjones
This was a week of getting reacquainted with old friends at our sponsoring church of Westwood Missionary Baptist Church in Winter Haven, FL. Some of the older faces are gone and yet many are new to us. It was a joy to come and report of all the Lord has done in Thailand over the past five years, and share in the blessings of what God has been doing though our sending church both locally and around the world. Westwood has many exciting plans for the future in expanding the gospel ministry through mission work. Though a few months late, we were able to thanks Westwood personally for sending the mission building crew to help us in Thailand this past fall. Westwood, you are such a blessing and encouragement to us on the field. Never stop serving the Lord!
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