The Blakes on a Mission: A busy Sunday...

Hello Everyone!

FIRST let me say: I am sorry about not having spaces between my paragraphs...can't fix it!! I know it's an eye sore...try to make it through...

Thanks for stopping in to check in on us! I'm having some problems with accessing our main website so I thought I'd spruce up the "OLD" blogger account and put up some pics for old times sake. We are winding down after a long day. John and I have started taking the children to our home for children's church during church on Sunday mornings and it is truly a blessing.

I can't say it's easy teaching in two languages and it is rough sometimes but John and I have really found joy in pouring into these kids lives. John was talking about how you can see it in their faces that they don't have anyone at home who interacts with them. Their faces light up if you show them the littlest bit of attention. They are so adorable...as you can see in the pictures below. Please keep these children in your prayers.

Matt 18:14 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little
ones should perish."

John also went back to the hospital today to go with Clinton to bring a bible to a guy who they prayed for yesterday. He had been in a motorcycle accident and has tents sticking out of his leg...but as the he heard the gospel he never looked away. John said he looked "gripped". So they came back today to give him a bible.

They were at that muslim hospital praying for people for about 4 hours yesterday. John prayed for a guy with malaria and got bit by a mosquito directly afterward...AHH! Good thing John doesn't live in fear and he trusts God right? HA! Every person in that hospital received a tract and met them face to face.

I was at home helping a dear friend...Candy who is in desperate need of your prayers right now. She has two children - Nathan (boy, 3 yrs) and BrehWah (girl, 7mos.). She is so much pain right now and is leaning on God to do a miracle in her marriage. Please pray for Candy.

Today John and Clinton went to a huge event that was going on in Hat Yai and passed out tracts with one of the churches involved with the Bless Hat Yai project. It was very encouraging because by the time John and Clinton got there (they came late because of the hospital visit) the group had already passed out tracts to everyone!!! Why is this an encouragment you ask??

Because they did it out of their own inititive!!! This is something that the Thai church struggles with...the Thai people are such a laid back people that they rarely do what is "outside of the box". But their hearts were moved and they acted!!! PRAISE GOD! That is what we are here to inspire and bring about. That in the body of Christ that is here...that they would take initiative and reach out to their own people.

We were specifically asked to be apart of the Bless Hat Yai project for that exact reason. To encourage, teach and equip the churches that are involved to evangelize their own areas...to help them catch the vision and burn for the lost.

There has been a lot going on here. We are experiencing persecution on a different level. We are being labeled as "the farangs" in a definitely negative way. When a Thai comes to know the Lord and truely gives their life to God and they start making changes in their lives their families don't know what to think except that "the farangs" are changing them. We are being accused of many things that have no foundation of truth at all and some that do...helping them leave their gods. Please pray for us and our protection.

On a different note...we had a Ngaan Booaht in front of our house yesterday. This is a celebration when a young boy of the family makes a vow and becomes a novice monk for a few days up to a year...they want their sons to do this because if the son does this the mother is allowed into heaven and it helps the family. There is nothing like waking up to a huge band parading infront of your home at 6:30am walking the "novice monks" down your road so they can collect food from you.

Monks usually walk down many roads every morning to receive food and "bless" the people who give it to them. It was very disturbing...while I couldn't understand what they were saying it felt very bad. When I spoke to Che Ann about it and asked why they played the music so early and did that he simply stated "because they are worshipping false gods."

At times I don't know what to feel...sad because of their deception, angry because of their unwillingness to think beyond tradition...or just plain grieved that they live in a culture where they truely believe if a young boy does goes into a monestary, shaves his head, chants some chants, listens to the monks, and goes home in a few days that a whole life time of sin can be washed away forever.

Well, I've definitly typed enough and there are tons of pics for you to veiw! Hope you enjoy! For old times sake...leave me a comment!!! :)

John, Nawng Ga, Nawng, Whewe, Nawng Fun and Josiah taking a short play break to take a pic. Nawng Fun LOVES to see the photo in the camera!!

John out with a team passing out tracts at a big event in Hat Yai.

Jude doing what he's not supposed to do...and he thought he was getting away with it too...

until this moment...Caught in the act....

Nawng Fi and Nawng Fun...

A young man reading a tract that he received. John and a team went out to a big event called Music in the Park and canvased the area with tracts...