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Dear Christian Friends, Greetings to you all again from Thailand, the land of smile, in the Name of Jesus Christ! As I mentioned to you with my last letter that 200 Bibles was needed among new converts of Wa people at the border area between Thailand and Burma. In this letter, I want to update you on this issue. We had already transported 216 Bibles a week ago. We loaded them on pick-up truck from Chiangrai to Fang and crossing the border point at Doi Aungkung by horses (Photos attached). We hired 4 horses to carry those Bibles into Burma, crossing mountainous path which very narrow and steep up and down into the town of Poo-pa-jee, Burma. After that loading with another pick-up truck inside Burma and heading to Mai Tung, there our teammates contributed them to the people. The reason we transported them this way was to avoid the Burmese border check point, where the Burmese soldiers as their usual manner would confiscate all the Bibles and imprison our evangelists who go through with the Bibles. So, we divided our team into two groups. Those who are living in Thailand’s side of the border took care of all the needs on the Thai side and those who are living in Burma took all responsibility in the Burmese side. We handed all the Bibles to each other at the border point. A few days ago, I received a call from Matthew, the team leader who took care of those Bibles inside Burma. He informed us that all the Bibles have reached to the people. He expressed that many Wa people were very happy, some of them even leaping with tears of joy because they can now read the Bible in their own language. He also told us that they requested more Bibles (200 Bibles comparing with almost 10,000 Wa people that live in the area is almost nothing). They are also requesting some hymnal books in Wa so that they will be able to sing and praise the living God in their own language. We are now working on finding more Bibles and hymns in Wa language. After all, I am so relieved. Praise to the Lord! I am now very excited because I received a call requesting that I go visit them in person. By the way, Asians For Christ is now supporting 3 evangelists, who are working in this area and hopefully if the political condition at the border area become stable I will find myself in the area, carrying out His Great Commission to the lost souls in the area.
While we were busy transporting the Bibles to the people in Burma, Red Lahu people at the border area on the Thai side have heard the gospel of Jesus and have accepted Christ and were baptized. Again, this was possible only because of your partnership. Because of your prayers and financial supports, 13 people from Red Lahu are able to call Jesus as their own Lord and Savior (Photos attached). Our mission team really appreciates for the quick taking action on our financial request. We now have enough funds for making a mission trip to China and doing mission work there for this coming August. Our special thanks go particularly to Saxonburgh Christian Church, in PA, who shares this great vision with us in making disciples to the lost people in China. As you have already known, our mission team has made several successful trips, resulting in the winning of over 250 souls who were baptized from the year of 2007-9. This could only happen because of two things: first of all because of your prayers and second your financial supports.
As you may recall, my last mission trip to China which I mentioned to you that over 70,000 unreached Lisu people are living throughout 5 counties in Sichuang (Northeast of Yunan) with a total population of over 100 million people. We are now intensively planning to act in sending some of the native workers into the field. In the past, we have found that many souls have been harvested through our ministry because of the solid partnership with local leaders in China. We can support those workers because of the faithful support church such as Monroeville Christian Church, in PA. For many years, they have faithfully supported one of our key workers, beside of 3 other native evangelists that we have now in Yunan. By this way, of course, our mission works have been blessed abundantly. With this same mission strategic plan, we are now praying to see more churches become involved in supporting native workers to be our front runners at SICHUANG so that we will be able to harvest more souls there.
My family is doing well. Becky is still working on her therapy. She is doing much better but still needs a lot of prayers. Nick is now spending his summer with us here in Thailand. We hope that he will enjoy and experience the mission field in order to prepare him to be ready for the mission works here in Southeast Asia and China. John is happy for his summer break which starts this weekend. Isaac is becoming the family entertainer through his singing and talking.
In Him alone, Stephen, family & Teammates
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