Going Back to Thailand

Hello everyone! It has been a long time since I have written an update. I have been in America since March and it is the longest I have been in the States in 7 years. Lots of good things have been happening and I am so glad I have a great staff in Thailand that can carry on without me. I got married on June 12th to Gavin Brailsford and the long delay has been getting financially ready for Gavin to move and join me in Thailand. It has been exciting and challenging and faith building and frankly just breath taking watching God do so much to once again send me on the mission field. We have had wonderful blessings. My interpreter Debra (Ajan Witliac) was able to come from Thailand ot spend a month with me and attend my wedding. It meant so much to have her there since she is one of the dearest people in the world to me. It was a miracle that she could get her visa as well as the finances to come but it was her dream since she was a little girl and God did it for her because that is just the way He is. She had a wonderful time and now has a powerful testimony to go back and share with her people.

At the children's home things have been changing. We got 9 more children in May to bring our total to 38. We had to move to another location because the place we were renting was getting more and more expensive and the owner refused to fix dangerous problems with the house or allow us to fix things ourselves. We moved to a beautiful piece of property on the outskirts of the city and it seems like the children are very happy there. It is more like the village atmostsphere they are used to and less like town..

Unfortunately fighting has broken out on the Burma/Thailand border and many people have had to flee into the area where we do our outreaches. Our dear friends over there sent us a desperate plea for help with food for all the refugees and orphans flooding into that area so we have been sending money over there to help with the needs they have. We have good friends who are already working in that area so it was easy to get help to the people who could do the most with it. Please keep that situation in your prayers. People working and living there now do so under very dangerous situations. Debra's family is there giving all they have to shelter and feed people with fighting going on all around them

I am so excited to go back - it has been such a long time. I miss my children and can't wait to see their faces and how tall they are now. We learned last week that Gavin's house FINALLY is going to close after almost 5 months of being in process. We should be back in Thailand by the end of September! I am so amazed and so thankful to God. When I knew it was God's will that I marry Gavin I knew I was taking a big risk that I might never be able to return to Thailand. We needed MANY MANY financial miracles for this to happen. It looked utterly impossible. Gavin's house is in the worst economy in America - in the heart of the depressed economy of Detroit. His house was worth a fourth of what he owed on it as well as other financial obligations that go along with the American lifestyle today. But I felt so sure in my heart that it was God's plan for me to marry Gavin and trust Him to somehow make it possible and I knew that He would. I had no idea how I just knew that He would. So when I got married I felt like one more time I was jumping out on nothing but God's promises and betting everything that God was who He said that He was and that He would be faithful to me. It took longer than I imagined but He did it. Gavin's house sold in a "short" sale which means the majority of the loan was forgiven by the bank and Gavin and I are leaving America in a month almost completely debt free. The added blessing is that as Gavin is a computer programmer - he can do his work remotely from Thailand. God has been fabulous to us. He provided for us and even the delay was a blessing because Gavin had to have surgery on his heart the end of July as well so it was wonderful that we were here for that I feel so amazed and honored that God would make it possible for me to go to Thailand not once b ut twice now.&n bsp; He has done the impossible for me and made my dreams come true. When i left Thailand I prayed God please make my dream come true - bring me back so I can work here with Gavin. I told the kids when I left I would be back and I am so glad that soon I will be able to keep my word to them. God is awesome and I am so glad I believed for the impossible and now we can see it in our lives not just for my sake but for the children's. I want them to dream and believe and attempt the impossible, to bet everything on God and see Him take their breath away with how good and faithful He is. I am glad I did it first and I pray they will do the same. We are going back to Thailand with renewed purpose knowing for sure God wants us there because if He didn't we certainly wouldn't be going. Nothing that has happened to make it possible for us to leave was in our power to make happen.

Thank you to all who pray for us, sponsor us and love us so much. It is my honor to share this life with you all. Keep praying for us. I am attaching pictures from our wedding. God bless you!

love,
Candace Brailsford

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