Baan Don Guy Village

Entrance to the village and typical village home

In February, we began praying for a new direction and place to begin sowing seed.  The Father led us to this village only 5 minutes from our house.  We have driven past the temple many times on the road and never given it much thought or consideration.  However, after one drive through the village, we knew this was our next target village. 

                                              Village temple and gas station

In mid-February a team from Florida came to help us break ground and prayer walk this area.  We were in search of a person of peace.  On the last work day of the trip, our national partners and the ladies from the team were walking down the road talking with the Father and singing.  A woman came outside to see what was going on.  After speaking with the woman, she asked us to return the following week to start an English/Bible Study Group.  This was our answer to prayer. 

                                                       First study in the village.

The following week, we went back to the village to find a group of 5 women ready to study with us.  We were so excited!  It was a fun study, and everyone seemed to have a good time.  After we taught the creation story, every person in the group admitted they had never heard that story before or even wondered where the world came from.  What a blessing to share this truth with them!  We told them we would be back the next week at the same time to study again and to invite their friends.

The very next week not one person showed up, and they told us they didn’t want to study anymore.  We were so sad and disappointed because we thought it had been a great study the week before.  It was obvious that the enemy was hard at work.

We have continued to go week after week to prayer walk and meet the villagers.  Most of them are very closed and uninterested in us.  They even refuse to let us talk to the Father with them, which is extremely unusual. 

After 3 months of constant closed doors, the Father led us to meet a woman and her neighbor.  They invited us to sit at their patio table, which we later found out was the main hang out for the village!  We visited with them for a short while and then they allowed us to talk to the Father with them before we left.  We were so excited!!!  We found who we believe is our new person of peace.  She invited us to come again the next week and she said she would invite her friends.

This is the daughter of the woman we met.  Her name is Gung (shrimp in Thai).  We are sitting at the patio table where we meet each week.  The second picture is a chicken fight in the village.

So since that week, we have gone 3 more times.  We have met many neighbors, friends, and all her family.  We have seen chicken fights and been invited to the annual village buffalo sacrifice.  We have shared our lives with them as well as our beliefs.  They are curious about demons and what we think of them as well as were they come from.  We have shared the truth with them, and they seem very dumbfounded by it.  They have great questions, which leads to great conversation.  Each week, we have gone and just sat around the patio table talking with whomever stops by.  And then before we leave, we talk to the Father with those that are still there.

Last week, L made brownies and banana bread to share with the villagers to show our true desire to create a friendship with them.  The villagers concluded that we were followers of the King and said how great that was and that they are accepting of all beliefs because they are all the same and teach people to do good.  This is a common response we get, so we are not surprised.  One of the villagers asked if they could attend church with us. 

We are currently traveling so we haven’t gone in a week.  We will return next week.  Please continue to lift up this village and the people who live there.  We are ready to see what the Father has in store.

We have a team coming at the end of July.  They are high school students.  We are hoping to use them to mingle with the children of the village and do a two-night mini backyard Bible club with them. 

Another family from our city has begun to partner with us in the village.  They have 3 older children who also go with us each week.  K and these other children are opening many doors for us.  We really enjoy serving as a family!

Our national partners have not gone with us in almost a month and a half, please ask the Father to stir in their hearts the desire to join us in the work again and to give them a desire to reach their people.

Exciting days are ahead.  We believe that!  Thank you for lifting us up and partnering with us!!