Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement as I was preparing to come to
1) SAFE! I’m here safe and sound in Lopburi. I’ve settled down nicely in a house with my own room and I’m getting along fine with the other missionaries and my housemate so far.
2) ORIENTED! Had a week of orientation and the directors are really nice…very fatherly and motherly. I’ve gotten to know the town quite a bit…the orientation tasks were very helpful in helping us to know our way around to the shops, public transport and places to eat. Things are really much easier when I can already speak some Thai to get around! But there is still much to learn!
3) JOYFUL! School has started about 2 weeks now and I’m really enjoying it! I’m very thankful for the joy and enthusiasm He’s given me…thank you for all the prayers!
4) Fellowship! This is something that I’m really thankful for. There are many OMF missionaries here who are just starting out and learning the language as well and we have fellowship groups that meet weekly to do Bible study and pray together (in English)…and that’s really great!
Prayer Requests (other than what is in my prayer bookmark…do continue to pray about those items!)
1) Approval of RA Visa - There’s still no news of the visa. I’m not particularly anxious about it, but I’ve been reminded that “in everything” we are to “present our requests” before our Lord. It’s all in His hands, in His time…and we do need to commit this matter to Him in prayer. Some say that this delay might be due to the recent case of the American man who supposedly murdered a little girl in
2) Safety – I’ve been getting around on a 2nd hand bicycle. It’s really fun and it’s good exercise, but do pray for safety.
3) Language Learning - My goal is to learn to read and write well, speak Thai beautifully (not just fluently) and be able to share the gospel and do a bit of Bible study in Thai at the end of 6 months. Right now, I’m beginning to pick up reading and writing and so there’s quite a bit of memorizing to do (as with all stages of language learning actually). My language teacher, Wan, is younger than me and she’s one of the few non-believing teachers in the school. I have quite a good relationship with her so far and we have been sharing a lot about our own families (she’s from a Teochew family too!). Do continue to pray for perseverance and joy in my learning, and building a good relationship with Khruu Wan…pray for her salvation too!
4) Making friends with local Thais – Please pray that in my six months here, I’ll be able to build good relationships not just with fellow believers and missionaries, but with the local people as well. Pray that I will be brave to initiate and follow up on conversations, but at the same time, not be too anxious about being able to share the gospel with them in Thai…it is really important to get to know them first and be interested in them and their lives.
5) Learning to be observant and sensitive to God’s leading - My main ministry now is language learning. I haven’t really settled on which church to go to on Sundays as yet. We’re given the first two months or so visiting the various churches around here (in the nearby provinces as well) to observe and interact. It’s also a good time to talk to the missionaries around here, visit various churches, read up and find out more about the churches here, how they go about doing church-planting, learn about the problems they are facing and really, just looking at how God is working here in central Thailand…in Lopburi and in the provinces around. Do pray that as I listen, watch and learn, I will also be mindful of what God is showing me and how He is leading me.
In Christ,
Michelle Goh
Tel.:+6659658869, Mailing Address: Lopburi Learning Centre,
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1 comment:
Your list look funny.. Why are the tags showing?
Anyway, can I just say that, I miss you much! Hee hee....
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