Dear Friends,
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Hello from <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Thailand! Some of you have written to me asking if we are being affected by the civil unrest going on now against the government of Thailand. We are fine and far away from the drama going on in Bangkok. However there is much cause for concern as the protesters in Bangkok are trying to overthrow a democratically elected government. They do not like that in Thailand the majority of voters are poor, uneducated farmers like the people here, and thus the government is chosen by these people and the rich, elite do not get to choose the government. They not only want to overthrow this government but to change the constitution to limit the power of the people to choose the government. They do not want western-style democracy. The party that is now in power has traditionally been very foreigner friendly thus making it easy for missionaries to work here and they have also done many good things for the poor people in these mountains. Thailand is the only free democracy in this area and thus important to God’s work in Southeast Asia. It is important that it stays free and open. Please pray about this situation with us.
Here in Mae Chaem we have been doing well. We are so thankful to be so blessed here. There have been many children’s homes that are now struggling because of high food prices. In the last month we have helped buy food for two different children’s home who we heard about not having food. God impressed on me to give the house mother of a children’s home nearby about 150 dollars and she started to cry. Later she got up and testified in church that yesterday the landlord of the house they are renting came for rent money and all she had was about 7 dollars and there was no food for the kids or money to pay the rent. She told no one – only prayed and the next day God gave her the money through me. It was an incredible story. I am always so amazed how we are led in a thousand ways we don’t even know. I am careful who I give money too, we had a man come ask for money to start a children’s home last week and I told him no because I know something about him and I didn’t feel he was trustworthy. The people we help are those we know will be faithful and are trying hard in difficult circumstances to help people. It was an amazing thing though because the morning I sent money to help a children’s home over by Burma who had also ran out of rice, we got a call that Compassion Int’l was going to buy us rice for several months. We have some children that are in Compassion projects in their villages. It was such a blessing because we were also running out of rice and I was not looking forward to buying it because now the price is more than double what it usually is. We got back far more than we gave to others almost immediately. God is fabulous and perfect all the time.
This is also a difficult time for the families in the mountains as the rice from the last harvest starts to run out. Those families with smaller fields cannot produce enough rice to feed their families for a whole year. We usually help these families at this time of year. Some of my staff are in the village this week and they are going to be looking at several poor families situation and we will be helping probably about 7 families buy rice enough to last them until they harvest their crops in November. Last year I gave a young mother 30 dollars to buy rice and she cried she was so thankful. Such a small amount was the difference between her family having enough and starving for two months. I know that they have starved in the past because we have her daughter here and though this little girl is about 14 she looks about 8. Her growth has been severely stunted due to malnutrition as a young child. I brought back good vitamins from America for this particular girl and I had thought they would help her grow some but they really haven’t. We just pray for her that God will heal her. I always tell her that though she may be small in body she is big in the Spirit and she can do big things because she has God in her.
My birthday was in August and to celebrate I went to Chaing Mai and bought real American-style cupcakes. The kids had never had real cake before (Thai cake is disgusting). They were so excited and they loved it. Then last week was my interpreter’s birthday too (we are the same age) and I made them real chocolate chip cookies in my tiny little toaster oven. It took forever and was extremely tricky but they turned out yummy and the kids were thrilled. They had never had real cookies either. It has been kind of a difficult time here as we have been dealing with problems that are just normal teenager stuff but are not fun to deal with. We had three girls who had been ignoring for sometime our rule about not having boyfriends and they had been talked to and their parents told and still they had these boyfriends. So I just felt like finally we have to tell them they have to choose, they can keep the boyfriends but leave our home or get rid of the boyfriends and stay. There is no point having rules if you don’t enforce them. It was a hard decision because two of the girls have been with me four years. But I was so happy because they all broke up with their boyfriends because they know the opportunities they have here with us to learn English, and life skills and especially the word of God are important for their futures. I was so proud of them because most Thai people do not think about the future.
It was so nice to celebrate my birthday with the kids. They all went around and told what I had done for them and how much they loved me. Several of them said “I know you love everyone but I think you love me the most.” That really touched my heart. They are precious and I am so glad I get to spend my life loving them and making a home for them and helping them have a limitless future. On my 37th birthday it is the best gift of all to look at my life and have no regrets just a heart full of wonder at what God has done. Thank you to all those love us and pray for us and the sponsors who support us and are our miracle everyday. We love you.
God Bless,
Candace
PS: You can send a tax deductible donation to Rhema Missions PO Box 50126 Tulsa, OK 74150 Memo Rev Candace Smith 100% goes to the work in Thailand
