Newsletter from Tore and his family working in Northern Thailand among the Shan people from Myanmar

This is our December newsletter.
Hope you have had a great start on the Advent season. Here in Northern Thailand we are in the busiest time of the year. We are preparing to give out gifts and have Christmas parties for the Shan people.

This newsletter will be about: A special baptism, a new couple received Jesus, several healed and about Christmas out here in Northern-Thailand.

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The Special Baptism

On the 1st of November, we had a special baptism. What was special was

that the couple who were baptized is a result of Mawkkham and me being
personally engaged and involved in sharing the gospel with them, and
leading them to salvation.

I have worked as a missionary for almost 20 years, and
I have seen many receive Jesus over the years, in my missionary
ministry, but often I have only been indirectly involved. Either by
sharing at a party or gathering where people received Jesus, or I
trained staff who in turn led the locals to salvation and baptized them.
This was the first time together for us as a married couple to be
personally engaged in both leading someone to salvation and baptizing
them.

The woman in the couple is really open to know about Jesus more, and we
have had a special contact with her. She is in her mid-20s and has a
one-year-old child.
She also has a turbulent past, and grew up without parents, so we have become a bit like parents for her.

Watch the video of the baptism below!

A New Couple Received Jesus

In October, I wrote about a woman with three children who was abandoned by her husband, and who we miraculously transported to some family members one late afternoon. (See our newsletter: There are Angels)
We did not hear from them for over two weeks, only that they had moved to another place and that they had found each other again, but one day they called us an had good news.

When they called us, they said they had found a place to live and work not so far from the land we have our ministry. The place they found is very good for them. We invite them to come to our Sunday meetings, and they have come every Sunday.
One day they called Mawkkham, and said they wanted to receive Jesus.
One Sunday in mid-November, we had a Thanksgiving feast at our school and land, and this Sunday we prayed with them for salvation.

The man has managed to cut down a lot on alcohol, and we have become more acquainted with him lately. When he is not under the influence of alcohol, he seems like a nice person, he has a helpful and open heart.
The woman is friends with the woman who got baptized, Nong Leng, and she had seen that Nong Leng had changed. So she probably had an influence on them, so that they also wanted to receive Jesus.

Really pray for them, especially for the man, and that they may live long in the place where they live now, so that we can reach out to them and follow them up. They have three children, two of whom are from a previous marriage to the woman, and they have one child together at around four months.

Also pray for the other couple who got baptized, because they are struggling a little at the place they work and want to move. If they move, it may make it harder for us to follow them up.

Healings and a Lot of Good Things Happening

From one of our Sunday night meetings. Måkkham with a brown sweater who prays for the sick

There are many things we could have written about and that are happening in our ministry, but then this newsletter would be very long. We still want to mentioned one more thing: Mawkkham has for a long timed prayed that she should have the opportunity to pray more for the sick and see healings, and that is something we have seen happening lately.
Recently she prayed for two women, who both specifically said they had been healed after Mawkkham had prayed for them. One had been struggling with a rash for a long time.

We have also seen more and more people come to our monthly Sunday evening meetings.
Last Sunday there were more than usual, and also some Shan families from an orange farm we have recently started reaching out to. There were over 20 people who wanted to be prayed for at the meeting this evening. We prayed for everything from illness to marital problems.

Christmas is Soon Here

There are only about three weeks left until Christmas. We are planning to have a Christmas party in December where we will have food, games, dance, songs, share the Good News and give out gifts.
We will not make a big one like previous years due to Covid-19, but we will hand out some gifts and have a program for around 30 children and 50-60 adults.

This week there were some news that a few Thai people who have crossed the border into Thailand from Myanmar illegally, and without going to quarantine, have tested positive for Covid-19. The place where they came across the border is not so far from us, so it has spread some fear here in the north. Thailand has been good at keeping Covid-19 under control, so we hope it does not get out of control this time either, but the next week will show.
In Myanmar, Covid-19 is quite out of control, and many have been afraid that something like this could happen, that people comes illegally over from Myanmar with Covid-19.
Should a lot be shut down again due to Covid-19, it can be difficult for us to have a Christmas party, but we will still buy gifts for all those we reach out to, and we will also have a party at a later date.

Give a meaningful Christmas gift
We are starting to get in money for what we have budgeted for, like Christmas presents and parties, and we are very grateful to those who have been involved in giving, and to God, but we are still a little short.