A newsletter from the ministry Good News for the Shan in Northern Thailand.

We are now well into the new year, and I see that it has actually been over three months since the last newsletter. Time has flown, and a lot has happened in the meantime, so much that the newsletter would be very long if I were to include everything.

Nevertheless, there are some highlights we would like to share. To begin with, I would like to tell you about this year’s first baptism, which took place last Sunday. In addition, a small update from December, when we organized seven Christmas parties and handled a funeral.

A Couple Was Saved and Baptized

Last week, we experienced a very special Sunday. After two Sundays without gatherings due to a trip to Bangkok to arrange a visa for Norway, an eager assembly met on last Sunday. The children participated enthusiastically in the worship, and several shared touching testimonies. A woman spoke about how she had been absent from the gatherings for a while but decided to attend this time, no matter what it took.

However, the most joyful part of this Sunday was that a couple, who has been attending our gatherings for the past two months, chose to accept Jesus. The young woman is eight months pregnant, making this a beautiful and powerful testimony of new beginnings, both in their spiritual and personal lives.
Since she was heavily pregnant, they wanted to be baptized as soon as possible. Although we hadn’t planned for a baptism, we went to the stream where we usually conduct the baptisms, and that afternoon we had the great joy of baptizing both of them.

Yesterday, we visited her in the hospital after she gave birth to a son the night before. Please keep them in your prayers, as they are struggling financially and have not been in Thailand for long.

Around 500 people heard the
Christmas message in December

Although Christmas is now well behind us, we would like to share some highlights from what we experienced in December.

During the month, we hosted seven Christmas parties, packed over 300 gifts and 250 candy bags for the children, and had the opportunity to share the Good News of Christmas with around 500 people.

One evening stood out in particular, and we would like to tell about it:

We finally got to visit a remote orange farm, about 40 minutes outside the city where we live. There, we gathered over 80 people for a Christmas party. It had long been our wish to go there, but previous attempts had been hindered—first by heavy rain, and then by an unexpected funeral we had to arrange. But this time, the doors opened, and it became a night we will not soon forget.

The children participated in fun games that helped them learn a bit of English, we showed a film about the birth of Jesus, and shared the true message of Christmas. Finally, everyone received candy and gifts—which filled their faces with joy.

Many of the families living on the orange farm are immigrant workers, and they excitedly told us they had never experienced anything like it. For the children, it was a very special evening, and their joy was contagious.

We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to spread Christmas cheer and the gospel of Jesus. And we hope that this was not our last visit—but the beginning of something bigger.

Baptisme and Our First Funeral

At the end of November, we had the joy of baptizing three people. Among them was a married couple who had been Christians for about nine months. It was a day filled with joy and gratitude to see them take this important step in their faith.

Just a week after the baptism, we held our Christmas party for the congregation. The man who was baptized, Long Lo, wanted to come, but he was ill. Later that day, he was admitted to the hospital, and the next day he was transferred to Chiang Mai. There, he received a shocking diagnosis: end-stage liver cancer. The doctors gave him only one week left to live. In the midst of a busy time, this was a heavy message to take in.

On January 12, 2024, at the age of 48, Long Lo went home to God. He left behind his wife and two daughters – a teenage daughter and an eight-year-old daughter. Although we mourn his loss, we find great comfort in the fact that he came to faith in Christ nine months ago and was able to be baptized just two weeks before he died.

The evening before he passed away, while he was still conscious, he said to us: “Do not worry about me. I have peace, and I know where I am going.” He also shared a dream he had – he saw Jesus smiling at him.

Early in the morning of January 12, around 4:00 AM, he called his wife, and they prayed together. Shortly afterward, he quietly passed away.

As a Christian and a part of our congregation, we wanted to give him a dignified funeral. We have good contacts with a Pentecostal church in the city, and they offered their church for the service. They also had a burial ground where he could be laid to rest.

“Rest in peace, Long Lo.”

A few days ago, we visited his widow and youngest daughter. They are having a hard time, especially the daughter, who misses her father deeply. We managed to encourage her, but they are also facing challenges regarding their living situation.

We kindly ask you to remember them in prayer.. 💙


The daughter and wife in the picture, two weeks before he died

We Need a New Place for Our Ministry

Fra lørdagskolen vår der vi fremdeles samler over 40 barn hver uke

A prayer request is the need for a new place for our ministry. The landowner we are renting from now has increased the rent by over 42%, and there is no possibility for expansion there, even though the land is large.

Last week, we visited a land that is for sale for about 90,000 USD. It spans 6.4 decares(1.5 acres)and includes a habitable house, making the price very good. We have started praying over this – please join us in prayer to find the right way forward!

Owning a plot can offer greater freedom to develop and use the property according to our own needs, without the limitations or uncertainties that come with rental agreements. At the same time, a purchase is a significant challenge, especially because the property must be registered in the name of a Thai person or organization, and any loans must also be taken out in the name of a Thai person. Although we have good friends who are Thai, it is by no means certain that they can or want to take out a loan for us. Therefore, the path may be difficult for this.

We are therefore asking for prayers to find the best solution. At the moment, we are exploring different possibilities and have not made any decisions, but our need to find a new plot is still there, if only to rent it.

How You Can Support!

The ministry and project we run have simple and limited funds, but the work is steadily increasing, and we are reaching further out. We need more funds to continue expanding and growing.

Project.
We still face monthly challenges The monthly budget for our project is approximately $1,300, but currently, we only receive around $700 per month.
For now, we manage through faith and larger individual donations.
We pray for increased contributions, which would also ease our personal finances.

If you are a member or leader in a church, please consider supporting our mission project among unreached and displaced people from Myanmar. We are also open to ideas on how we can raise funds for the project.

Feel free to contact us!

Personal
We have the trip to Norway coming up next month, and we do have some expenses here.
 

You Can Support/Donate in This Way

By PayPal (use this link).  

Read more about how you can support here
(if you want to donate for us personally let us know)

By Bank
If you have a Norwegian account (or are from Scandinavia) you can use Vipps 900 90 354
I have both a bank account in Thailand and private and project accounts in Norway. Please feel free to contact me at torejohannes@gmail.com  if you need further details.

På husbesøk hos et fjellfolk

Prayer Requests:

  • Pray for the family of Hlong Lo, the man who passed away in December.
  • Please join us in praying for our trip to Norway and for our family.
  • Pray for the rental or possible purchase of a new property for the ministry.
  • Pray for strength and wisdom for Måkkham and me as leaders.
  • Pray for protection over our ministry and projects, especially for the Saturday school.
  • Pray for more committed donors to support the project.
  • Pray for Myanmar.

Blessings
Good News for the Shan team

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