When we return to Thailand in May, we will begin working with Zoe International Ministries. There, Candace will be primarily responsible for teaching Bible and theology courses at the two-year adult Bible school. Among other things, the school provides English classes—which is where I’ll spend a lot of my time. Candace will also help with teaching English. The school also offers many business and vocational courses, and music classes. Music and song-writing will be my responsibility at the school also. The Bible school has two classes with 24 students in each. Together, they are 48 enthusiastic and bright students who are eagerly training for a life that will help bring more believers to faith in the one true God.
Zoe also provides a loving home to over 50 orphans, needy children, and rescued children, and makes sure they receive education. Zoe has a rescue mission of children who are threatened with being victims of human trafficking. Many children in Thailand are sold, kidnapped, or deceived into leading a life of prostitution or begging. Candace and I both feel very drawn to that work also. We would appreciate your prayers for us and for the children as we enter this potentially dangerous work. Help Zoe International and us put an end to desperation and hopelessness in the lives of so many Thai children, and bring to them the simple joy of knowing the love of our Father.
We will send you our mailing address when we get a post office in our new neighborhood. Thank you so much for your love, prayers, and support. - Gavin
Friday, July 16, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
July Update
Dear Friends,
I am home recuperating from my second surgery in eight months. They removed a cyst from my ovary and my ovary too, as it had been destroyed by the cyst. I also had a very large grapefruit-sized tumor removed from uterus. We are very thankful both things turned out to be benign. In Thailand this is a fairly major surgery and because of the large incision they have to make. My recovery time is longer than it would be in the States. I think there they can remove these things without such an invasive surgery. Anyway, I am doing better and I hope to go back to work in the mornings next week. I am anxious to get back to teaching. Gavin has been teaching my classes, and he already had a full schedule. He has been teaching five hours a day as well as having to take care of me.
Before all this happened with my health, I had been very much enjoying teaching and getting to know our students. I can see God’s plan so clearly in bringing us here. I have worked for nine years in children’s homes and now I have two fiery young women who are at our school preparing to open children’s homes when they are finished. I can see how God is calling me to teach what He has taught me. Though I no longer have day to day work with children, I am training people to be able to do what I have done for so long. It is very satisfying to know that in this way I am impacting more children than I ever could have before.
I can see God answering so many of the dreams and prayers I have prayed, through these beautiful students. I had the opportunity to talk with one very shy young man who is about 20. He was having financial difficulties and so we met with him and I prayed with him. I found out that he was from a village near where I used to live, when I lived deep in the jungle several years ago. I asked him what he wanted to do when he finished school. His face just lit up as he talked about going back to his village to start a church. I just started to cry because his passion was so real and beautiful, and you could see and hear the call of God on his life. It was unmistakable. And in that moment God reminded me of all the prayers I prayed for the people in those poor villages – my beautiful Karen people that I so desperately wanted to reach. I felt God was showing me He had answered my prayers for them with this young man. I told this man through my tears that I had wanted to reach his people, but I couldn’t because I was too different from them. I told him that he was the answer to my prayers and God was sending him to do what I could not do. And I get to be a part of it by teaching this young man everything I know and by praying for him and helping him anyway I can. By the end of our meeting we were all crying, the young man, me, and the interpreter. What is amazing is that we have 40 students in our school and each one of them has a vision and a call from God. It is such an honor to be allowed to teach them and help them become who God has called them to be.
It has been an interesting first two months working at Zoe. We got there at the time they call the great exodus. It is the time when the international school has its summer vacation and all the missionaries with children go back to the States. We have about 12 missionaries working for Zoe, and we were down to five starting in June. In the interim we were placed in charge of the ministry school. It was a great vote of confidence from them but a little daunting for us. However, I think we have gotten the hang of things pretty well and have implemented some improvements on the administration side of things. Gavin shares my fondness for Excel worksheets. Gavin has impressed me very much with being not only an excellent teacher but a very strict, but kind and fair disciplinarian. The students both love and fear him. The first year needed a firm hand for the first month or so until they understood the rules and got used to the schedule. They have changed so much just in the two months they have been there. I was amazed, at first, to be standing and teaching the Bible to them and see them start to change before my eyes. You could see the light coming on in their minds and hearts as God spoke to them through the classes. It is unimaginably cool.
Thanks to all those who support us here. You are amazing! Some of you have expressed some confusion about where to send the money now that we have changed organizations. At the end of July Rhema will no longer accept our support – they have still been doing it for us while we made the transition. All support must be sent to:
Zoe International Ministries
Po Box 221510
Santa Clarita, CA 91322
Att: Brailsford #1400
Or you can give by credit card on their website which is gozoe.org – Donate page - for the benefit of the Brailsford Family. Many people like this because they can set it up to do recurring donations monthly and get frequent flyer miles from their credit cards.
Thank you to all those who prayed for me during my surgery. I don’t really understand why I had to go through this again, and to lose one of my ovaries is especially hard as it would be for any woman who dreams of having a baby. The treatment to keep the cysts from returning for now is birth control pills. But I know God is good and I love and trust Him when I understand and I love and trust Him when I don’t. I have been using this time to read and to pray and to spend extra time with God. It is a blessing because I have such a busy schedule when I am working. We love you all and pray for you and thank God for you daily. God Bless You all.
Love much,
Candace (and Gavin)
In accordance with IRS guidelines, tax-deductible contributions
designated for missionary support are requested with the understanding
that the organization has complete administrative control over the
use of the donated funds. The organization will make every effort to
honor contributions to support particular missionaries.
I am home recuperating from my second surgery in eight months. They removed a cyst from my ovary and my ovary too, as it had been destroyed by the cyst. I also had a very large grapefruit-sized tumor removed from uterus. We are very thankful both things turned out to be benign. In Thailand this is a fairly major surgery and because of the large incision they have to make. My recovery time is longer than it would be in the States. I think there they can remove these things without such an invasive surgery. Anyway, I am doing better and I hope to go back to work in the mornings next week. I am anxious to get back to teaching. Gavin has been teaching my classes, and he already had a full schedule. He has been teaching five hours a day as well as having to take care of me.
Before all this happened with my health, I had been very much enjoying teaching and getting to know our students. I can see God’s plan so clearly in bringing us here. I have worked for nine years in children’s homes and now I have two fiery young women who are at our school preparing to open children’s homes when they are finished. I can see how God is calling me to teach what He has taught me. Though I no longer have day to day work with children, I am training people to be able to do what I have done for so long. It is very satisfying to know that in this way I am impacting more children than I ever could have before.
I can see God answering so many of the dreams and prayers I have prayed, through these beautiful students. I had the opportunity to talk with one very shy young man who is about 20. He was having financial difficulties and so we met with him and I prayed with him. I found out that he was from a village near where I used to live, when I lived deep in the jungle several years ago. I asked him what he wanted to do when he finished school. His face just lit up as he talked about going back to his village to start a church. I just started to cry because his passion was so real and beautiful, and you could see and hear the call of God on his life. It was unmistakable. And in that moment God reminded me of all the prayers I prayed for the people in those poor villages – my beautiful Karen people that I so desperately wanted to reach. I felt God was showing me He had answered my prayers for them with this young man. I told this man through my tears that I had wanted to reach his people, but I couldn’t because I was too different from them. I told him that he was the answer to my prayers and God was sending him to do what I could not do. And I get to be a part of it by teaching this young man everything I know and by praying for him and helping him anyway I can. By the end of our meeting we were all crying, the young man, me, and the interpreter. What is amazing is that we have 40 students in our school and each one of them has a vision and a call from God. It is such an honor to be allowed to teach them and help them become who God has called them to be.
It has been an interesting first two months working at Zoe. We got there at the time they call the great exodus. It is the time when the international school has its summer vacation and all the missionaries with children go back to the States. We have about 12 missionaries working for Zoe, and we were down to five starting in June. In the interim we were placed in charge of the ministry school. It was a great vote of confidence from them but a little daunting for us. However, I think we have gotten the hang of things pretty well and have implemented some improvements on the administration side of things. Gavin shares my fondness for Excel worksheets. Gavin has impressed me very much with being not only an excellent teacher but a very strict, but kind and fair disciplinarian. The students both love and fear him. The first year needed a firm hand for the first month or so until they understood the rules and got used to the schedule. They have changed so much just in the two months they have been there. I was amazed, at first, to be standing and teaching the Bible to them and see them start to change before my eyes. You could see the light coming on in their minds and hearts as God spoke to them through the classes. It is unimaginably cool.
Thanks to all those who support us here. You are amazing! Some of you have expressed some confusion about where to send the money now that we have changed organizations. At the end of July Rhema will no longer accept our support – they have still been doing it for us while we made the transition. All support must be sent to:
Zoe International Ministries
Po Box 221510
Santa Clarita, CA 91322
Att: Brailsford #1400
Or you can give by credit card on their website which is gozoe.org – Donate page - for the benefit of the Brailsford Family. Many people like this because they can set it up to do recurring donations monthly and get frequent flyer miles from their credit cards.
Thank you to all those who prayed for me during my surgery. I don’t really understand why I had to go through this again, and to lose one of my ovaries is especially hard as it would be for any woman who dreams of having a baby. The treatment to keep the cysts from returning for now is birth control pills. But I know God is good and I love and trust Him when I understand and I love and trust Him when I don’t. I have been using this time to read and to pray and to spend extra time with God. It is a blessing because I have such a busy schedule when I am working. We love you all and pray for you and thank God for you daily. God Bless You all.
Love much,
Candace (and Gavin)
In accordance with IRS guidelines, tax-deductible contributions
designated for missionary support are requested with the understanding
that the organization has complete administrative control over the
use of the donated funds. The organization will make every effort to
honor contributions to support particular missionaries.
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