This month has been filled with Josiah’s surgery, navigating his hospital stay and helping him with his prolonged recovery at home. So, this gives me the perfect opportunity to update you on a myriad of smaller ministries we’ve been doing over here that have never quite made it into the blog.
Worship time at the Saraphi fellowship was altogether with the kids.
We had the privilege of being involved in a home church in the Saraphi district for about seven months, starting last September, while our current church was closed again because of Covid restrictions. Lance had connected with the husband of a family who had just moved here from Brazil for the soccer ministry. Since we knew all the churches were closed, limiting their opportunities for fellowship, we invited them to get together with us one Sunday and found out during that visit that they had decided to solve their fellowship problem by hosting a home church at their house starting the next week until the churches opened again. We expressed our interest in joining them, as getting people to come to our house had been only sporadically successful. The first Sunday we had a wonderful and truly unique time of fellowship comprised of four families: Brazilian, German, Japanese/Thai and us. Lance and I volunteered to do the morning worship time using the portable electric piano one of our supporting churches, Lakeside Christian Church, had gifted us for just such an opportunity. We led the singing, the Brazilian husband taught from James, and we finished the service by sharing prayer requests and praises then praying for each other. This was the pattern for every week that ended with lunch and great fellowship, either bringing food or ordering Thai food and sharing the cost. The group grew to over 30 people towards the end, but in April, as the established Chiang Mai churches reopened, the decision was made to return to a permanent group of worship. It was a treasured time of community and worship with families that we may not end up seeing as often anymore, but will always value as friends. Lance and I thoroughly enjoyed doing music every week. We look forward to travel starting in earnest again so there will be more guests at the missionary guest house here, and we can start up weekly praise and worship evenings there again.
After worship we’d find a bible story on Right Now Media (thanks again to Lakeside for this subscription!) for the kids that had mostly sound effects as some only knew their native language and not English yet.
A super fun ministry I’ve started is the 2nd Friday of Every Month Ladies’ Night At My House. (I won’t be trademarking that name anytime soon if you want to use it too…) The premise was that we, missionary women, have lots of ministries or Bible studies we’re already involved in, but sometimes we really need to have time to just talk. So, that’s what the night is, creating the space to let that happen and no other plans for the evening. I make a ton of food (read, desserts) and tell all the missionary women I meet to just to show up any second Friday they’re free and need a night out. No one has to worry about not coming because they didn’t have time to make anything, and I love baking so it works out well. My hope was that over food and no requirements (no passage to read before you come or pages to fill out) women in ministry who need a break would feel free to come and it would be a blessing for them. Early in the week I send out a text to anyone who’s signed up reminding them it’s the 2nd Friday and then wait to see who shows up. It has been such a wonderful experience. Each night has been vastly different from the next, one night being all women approximately my age with kids of various ages, one night all single ladies and me, one night a mix of singles, experienced moms/missionaries, and new moms/missionaries. The discussions are what I hoped as well, from sharing practical information with those of us who haven’t been here as long (where to buy yarn or how to buy fresh produce in bulk at the best market) to sharing tough life stories (being kicked out of their previous country by the government and the emotional ramifications) to mom and ministry stories many of us can relate to. If you realize it’s the 2nd Friday of the month sometime – say a prayer for these women and this special ministry. And if you know of a lady serving in Chiang Mai who would benefit from this ministry, feel free to connect her with me. (My Thai number is 064-607-0441 on Line or WhatsApp.)
Lunch after the service at Saraphi was sometimes soup with bread and fruit salad, sometimes duck with dipping sauce and fried rice. The two youngest kids in front, a German and Brazilian boy, became good friends.
Though hard to classify, another ministry we often find ourselves involved in is one of encouragement. Although it’s not as quantifiable as the previously mentioned 2FoEMLNaMH (still not trademarked), its becoming an ongoing ministry with many of the missionary families and singles we connect with. Having gone through many stressful and overwhelming situations on the field, we have felt how needed and what a substantial blessing it is to have someone take interest in what you’re going through and help in small ways to take some of the burden away. We can’t solve the problems or take away the exhaustion or emotional ramifications, but we can be available to meet for coffee or an evening out to take their mind off the pressures they’re facing. Lance meets more often one-on-one or with a few men in small groups, while I’m more attuned to seeing a family who might have a need we can meet. Throughout the past 2.5 years since being here, we can look back and see this definite pattern emerging, often weekly, throughout our time. Please keep these times of encouragement in your prayers as we seek to know how best to help others.
Thank you again for your prayers for us and Josiah and for all the financial help you’ve given us during this time.
– Ruth, for the Baker family.
The kids would find many creatures to show off to the adults and each other after lunch with many varying reactions.
|
They were very proud of their finds and I’m not entirely sure how the creatures made it through, but they always crawled away in the end.
|
Our boys would entertain the younger ones (in the absence of creatures) while the adults visited so we started bringing things for them to use.
|