A challenge for us and a challenge for YOU!

Our team is sweating it out in the Rice Paddies of central Thailand. When we arrived we thought we would be helping with a wiring project at the church building. Our plans have changed as we have looked at the needs of the church members.

We came with a budget and a plan for the church wiring. With our new projects, we have a new budget and are asking you to support these projects.

Our first project is to bless "grandma" and "grandpa" new believers in Chachoernsao. Grandpa is an amputee who is unable to work. Grandma is unable to work as well. They take care of their daughter-in-law's children while she works for a local missionary family. Their house in the slum looks like something out of a world vision commercial-- except everyone radiates joy and peace. Our project at their house is to raise the walkway to their bathroom. Right now, because the rains have flooded the area, Grandpa has to crawl through effluent to use the facilities. This Saturday someone from our team will have the honour of carrying both Grandma and Grandpa to the river to be baptised. Yesterday we sat and prayed with Grandma and Grandpa and they said, "We are so blessed to be loved by God."

Our second project is to enlarge a balcony outside one of the new believer's (Mae) homes. She hosts the kids' clubs and her balcony is too small and weak for the number of kids who come. Our plans are to double the size of the balcony and to clear the weeds and grasses from around it. Snakes and poisonous centipedes flee to the balcony when it rains and we are looking to make a safe place for kids to learn about Jesus. Mae will be baptised Saturday as well.

Our third project is to help another family of new believers. We are fixing the roof at Guy and Gao's home and strengthening the floor. Right now, people have to crawl into their house so they don't break the floor. Guy and Gao thank you for contributing to this project. They too will be baptised on Saturday.

These new believers love God and are sharing their lives with others everyday. We would like to do these projects to show the new believers God's love in a really tangible way and to share our love with them. As a team, we have prayed and in an act of faith committed to the additional costs of these projects. We are asking you to consider your contribution to these projects. Perhaps instead of a Starbuck's, you could have a water instead today; or instead of going to movie you could rent one. If our whole church did that just once this week and gave to this project we would have the money to complete these projects.

Last night we had the first of four community meals. Louise Sinclair Peters and I optimistically hoped for 60 people (including our team). We had 70 people show up to hear us share testimonies, sing, and play games. We ordered in food for the team later! Pray that our other meals will be as successful and many others would hear the gospel.

Thank you for your prayers and support. I encourage you to give to our projects.

Rhea- for the team