This weblog is constantly being updated, and new articles are posted regularly. Please check back often to read about the events and happenings of life on the mission field through the eyes of Danny Jones and family. May God bless you today!
We were elated today to hear that the work in Khon Kaen, Thailand has been selected as the National ABA Ladies Auxiliary. Mission goal for this year. Each year, one mission work is selected, and funds are raised though the Ladies Auxiliary to help purchase land and build church buildings. Many ABA missionaries have been helped and mission works tremendously blessed by the offerings given though this effort. The new work in Khon Kaen, Thailand is currently meeting in a small rented building in the center of the city, and is quickly outgrowing it, even though we have just recently moved in. The funds will be used toward the purchase of property for a permanent church facility in this large university city in Northeastern Thailand. Praise God for this wonderful blessing, and thank you to the Ladies Aux. of Westwood Missionary Baptist Church, our sponsoring church, who have nominated and supported us in this effort. May God bless all of you who give to missions… to touch hearts, to reach souls… all for the glory of the Lord!
This week, we spent three days in the city of Khon Kaen having worship services and improving the rented building for the church. The front of the small building we are meeting in had only a metal garage door for the front, and it has been hard to hear with the door open on the busy street in the city. We were finally able to install a glass storefront, complete with a one meter wide sliding glass door. The thick glass is tinted, keeping both the noise and the heat out, yet welcoming all who pass by. Continue to keep this new work in you prayers as we spread the gospel here in Khon Kaen, Thailand.
It’s not what you may be thinking. I’m talking of the surveyors landmarks around our house here in Thailand. After meeting with the new owner of the rice field adjoining our property who had his plot surveyed today, I found that my fence is sitting one meter on his land, which has forced our hand to either tear down our wall, awning, back porch and possible the back corner of our house, or purchase the adjoining property from this new owner for an exorbitant price. Stack this onto an already heavy load of the burglary of the church and our visa troubles, and you can see I’ve been having one stressful week. Since I know I can’t handle this my myself whatsoever, I’ve given it over to God, who I know will see us through and will some how work out these bad situations into blessings for us and glory to Him. Praise God for His goodness and wonderful mercy and kindness upon us!
Over the past several years we have jumped though many hoops and fallen into many holes as we have tried to stay afloat in the unstable climate of constant change here in Thailand. We have had many pitfalls legally… even to the point of having to leave the country. Getting a visa (and keeping it) to be able to merely live here in Thailand while doing mission work has been one of the toughest, most time consuming, and mentally draining tasks we have facing here on the mission field. Once again this week, the question of whether or not our visas would be renewed came up, as I fought a major battle, both spiritually and literally within a meeting of several people with the power to have us all removed from our positions in Thailand if we did not give into their demands. Without going into more detail (for fear of endangering our position further), we ask that you all be in special prayer for us as we try to establish a legal presence in Thailand through the establishment of a non-profit foundation before the end of this year.
Last night the church in Udon Thani was broken into. Jahnet Sims and Tracey Burdette noticed the front door to the church opened as they went to clean Saturday morning. After entering the sanctuary, they found scattered sheet music on the floor in place of the piano. Items stolen included the church piano, sound system, speakers and microphones recently replaced after the burglary in February. The losses from the break-in total about $1500US. After filing a police report and paying a small “police fee,” we hired a team of policemen to investigate and try to recover the stolen items. We spent the evening in prayer for those who were involved in the crime, and for ourselves… that we would have the proper attitude towards the situation. Satan tries to set us back at every turn, yet our Lord is mightier! Praise God that these are only material things, and the souls of the Thai people who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ can never be stolen nor plucked out of the hands of our almighty God.
“…Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” – Matt. 5:44
This week’s VBS with the help of the MBSF (Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship) group from Arkansas was a great success. With Bible lessons, music, games and crafts, this was the very first VBS here at Udon Baptist Church. The closing program on Saturday night had 70 in attendance, with many parents hearing the gospel message preached for the first time. All six in the MBSF group taught lessons, helped with music and games and were responsible for all the crafts. Everyone had a great time, and the Thai kids had only one question for the group: “When are you all going to return to Thailand?” The group has been a great help and a tremendous blessing! Special thanks goes out to:
Josh, Charlie, Laura, Amber, Natasha and Melissa!!!!! God bless you!
We are privileged to host a group of MBSF (Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship) students from Arkansas who will be with us fro the next two weeks working with the churches here in Northeastern Thailand. Lead by MBSF director Josh Stone, they will be helping with a Vacation Bible School at the Udon Thani Baptist Church and helping with some work projects with the missionaries here. The group of six will be touring the Isan region and helping distribute tracts though the area. Already, they have proved to be a tremendous blessing both to us personally and to the Thai people. Please pray for the group as they minister to the people here in Thailand.
We have been feverishly working to renovate the building in Khon Kaen to make it usable as a church facility, yet the 150km drive has made it difficult to progress very rapidly in this project. We are gutting the bathroom and replacing the hole in the floor with a toilet. Already, we have hired workers to lay tile on the floor and finish the paint job we started last week. Slowly, the new building is starting to come together and look more like a worship facility. The storefront space is two stories and will seat about 30 people comfortably downstairs. The upstairs will be used for classrooms. This week we had five new visitors who were very excited about the new church and said they would return. Please pray for this fledgling work and the souls touched through it.
This week, Tim, Rodney and I drove cross country to the city of Chiang Mai. There we were privileged to fellowship with the Teers and the Rosendals who are ministering there at the Antioch Baptist Church which was started by missionary Nick Barnett. I spent one day at the print shop trying to work all the bugs out of the literature which was supposed to go to press, but it looks like we will have to reformat the books before the press will be able to print them. We were finally able to purchase some new Bibles this week which will be just in time for us to use them at the new church in Khon Kaen. I was also able to purchase some Bible study literature available through the Thailand Bible Society. The ten hour drive through the mountains and across the countryside of Thailand is breathtaking, but it’s good to be back home in Udon.
