An opportunity to serve on a VIM team to Thailand

Pastor Ted Beam and Mark Pafford of Petrie Memorial UMC are leading a VIM team to Thailand from September 10-23.  Below is the information for this VIM team.  Please contact Pastor Ted Beam ASAP for more information at this email >> ted.beam@hotmail.com

Registration

We have limited this team to 12-20 members. 

Dates

The team will fly out of Nashville on Monday, September 10, through Chicago O'Hare with a plane change in Tokyo, arriving in Bangkok. The team is scheduled to return from Bangkok to Nashville on Sunday, September 23. We will use United Airlines.

Cost

We have settled on flights, travel insurance, lodging, meals, in country transportation, etc. for a total of $2,810.00 per person. We have already begun our fund raising efforts. If you do not plan to go but would like to help another person go, you may make your check out to Petrie Memorial UMC with "Thailand Mission" on the memo line.

Purpose

Children's evangelism. We will be conducting an "English Camp" for 2-3 days in 3 different communities. If we call it Vacation Bible School, the non-Christians will not attend. We will site see and shop 1-2 days.

Meet Sungwieng, one of our Blessing Home guardians

At Blessing Home, when we help save and protect children from trafficking, we also help the guardians and families of the children.  We want the children to know Christ and their families too.

Some of the guardians and family members of the children of Blessing Home are so touched by the love of God that they experience through the members of Life Center UMC in Pattaya that they want to learn more about Jesus Christ and receive Him as their Savior and Lord.

One that comes to mind is Sungwieng, a 68 years old seamstress who ekes out a living by herself.  Her daughter died and there she had to take care of her two grandchildren, Mickey and Nobita.  Sungwieng was in great distress, because there were no other family members to help her and she could barely afford to feed them, and it was impossible to send them to school.  When she found out about the ministry of Blessing Home, she found hope that she could receive assistance that they desperately needed.  The older brother, Mickey, was one of the first 10 children we received at Blessing Home.  A year later, Nobita also started to come to Blessing Home.

Sungwieng with her two grandchildren, Mickey and Nobita. 

Sungwieng was deeply touched at how well her grandchildren were nurtured and cared for.  She saw Christians who loved her and her grandchildren, even though they were not related to her and didn’t know her.  So when church members at Life Center UMC invited her to come to a Bible study, she was very interested to get to know more about Jesus, the Lord of these Thai Christians.  It was not long before she heard the testimonies of the Thai Christians and how Jesus Christ gave them new life.  After only a few months of attending Bible study and Sunday worship, Sungwieng gave her life to Jesus Christ.  Sungwieng will be baptized this summer and become a full member of Life Center UMC.

If you ever visit with us at Life Center UMC, you will be sure to see Sungwieng.  She is at church whenever the doors open, with her joyous smile that comes from the love of Jesus in her heart. 

Sungwieng says, “I only regret that I didn’t know God before now, I should have known the Lord much sooner in life.”

            

Thai Christian volunteers are doing a great job of getting the new building ready to use

First, we want to let you know that next Sunday (April 15) will be the first worship service in the new building and the Monday after that will be the first day the children of Blessing Home will enjoy the new building.  Originally we thought the move in day would be the first Sunday of April, but there was just too much work to do.  The owner of our former building was very kind, and is allowing Blessing Home to use the old building for half a month in April at no charge.  We appreciate his kindness and mercy.

Second, we want to thank everyone for the donations to the building at Blessing Home.  The building is still being worked on.  The vast majority of the work is being done by members of Life Center UMC of Pattaya, Thailand and native mission teams from other churches in the region.  Pastor Banya has an amazing ability to make a dollar stretch and stretch, and the work is being done at a fraction of the cost that it would cost if we had to hire contractors to do it all.

The building is being made child-safe as well as security doors and bars on the windows.  The whole place is being beautifully decorated, and the front of the building has sharp looking glass doors and façade.

As more funds come in, we will install air conditioners on the second and third floors.  Pastor Banya had to concentrate on safety issues first before comfort features, like air conditioners.

Your prayers and gifts make it possible to do the mission here in Thailand.

Please make checks payable to TMM and send to:

TMM

Box 56

Mannsville, KY 42758

Security doors and bars on the windows were installed to protect the children and keep the balconies safe.

Volunteers are doing the majority of the work on the building.  We could not do the work without the help of the members of Life Center UMC and native mission teams from nearby Thai churches.

The stage area of the sanctuary on the first floor is beautifully designed.  The circle on the stage represents the empty tomb.  A cross will also be installed inside the circle.

The glass front doors and facade look amazing.  

The security bars are placed on the balconies.  This picture was taken before the glass doors were installed on the first floor.

Sorry that this picture is sideways, I can't seem to get it to show upright.  Anyhow, this is the rear of the building.  A roof with good ventilation is being installed to make this area usable as an outdoor kitchen.