Dear Friends,
Hello! I have been a long time writing. Time seems to get away from me so fast. It’s the hot season now in Thailand though we had an unseasonably cool February and for that I am thankful. We have been very busy since I returned to Thailand in January. Now the kids are one by one leaving for their summer break. Every day we have fewer and fewer kids and I am always sad to see them go. I have had some friends working here from America for three months and we have been doing a lot of outreaches with them as well as giving the kids opportunity to minister some themselves.
In January we went to Mae Sot which is on the Burma border. We traveled to two villages and ministered in churches and a large children’s home. The people there are in desperate need because most are refugees from the civil war still going on in Burma. Later we traveled 5 hours on terrible roads to attend a large seminar where our kids led worship for more than 5000 people. They were awesome and the youth there were so excited they rushed the stage. Something I personally had never seen before except in my dreams. We are seeing more and more change as the dam of traditionalism is breaking and the spirit of God is pouring out in a way that no one can stop no matter how much they try. Something has changed in the last three years in these mountains and among the Karen. God is moving faster than I ever imagined and drawing His people past religion into a real living, moving, breathing relationship with Him and I am thrilled to see it and be apart of it. We also had a wonderful time with the pastors that came here for a pastor’s seminar. I could also see the change and the hunger and the excitement in their faces and as I ministered I could feel them just looking for God. We have been ministering in our town for so long just doing our best and watching God do awesome things and it was so cool to go out and see that God is moving everywhere, not just where we are. Praise God. It is what we pray for and work for everyday. God is real and the church here is starting to realize it. We have seen many miracles and people saved and many others deepening their relationships with God
Of course my favorite is to minister to my youth here in our home and our town. When I returned in January I was anxious to see how our children were doing after the death of our oldest boy in the end of November at the hands of a drunk driver. I was so glad to see that they were mourning but it seemed to draw them closer to God. It is easy to love and worship God when He is doing everything we want Him to when we want Him to but harder when we don’t understand. But it is the ultimate test of a relationship with Him and I was proud of the way they handled it. They are strong and stronger than they know. I look at them and now many of them are older and teenagers and gorgeous and I think oh no. I see them wearing makeup and spending so much time in front of the mirror and talking on the phone and like any mom I am tempted to worry about them. But I know these kids know and love God with all their hearts and I also know they will make mistakes but I trust God is big enough and merciful enough to keep them and protect them and lead them just like He did me though I was (and still am) stupid sometimes. We built this home with one idea in mind. We believed that though circumstances did not bode well from these poor, despised children, if God would come into their lives and they could know Him and know His love, that coupled with an education would be enough to change everything for them. And He has been faithful to change them and give them opportunities they never dreamed about and He is not done yet. So I trust Him that He is big enough to keep them in the turbulent world of teenagers and that they are ready for what ever lies ahead. He is enough for whatever we need. That I know for sure is true. I see it and live it everyday.,
We were blessed to have a missionary doctor (our beloved Dr. Jane) come to check the kids and they are healthy praise God. Their grades are good and they are all advancing to the next grade no problem so all is very, very well. Thank you all who give to the kids and make all this possible. You are awesome and our miracle everyday. We love you and pray for you. I know God is as faithful to you as He is to us. Thank you. I hope to see many of you as I come home in a few weeks to travel in America visiting the sponsors while the kids are gone home on their summer break. God Bless You all
Love,
Candace
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