Larry and Jan Martin International Ministries
Ban Luang, Thailand, March 2007
Dear Partners in Ministry,
Greetings from a construction site. Well not really but sometimes recently when I have felt my sore muscles or looked at the dusty, dirty clothes in the laundry I wonder what sort of business we are in. Aah. You thought we signed up for church planting and so did I – So, why am I carrying cement?
Over the last 2 months we have had visitors who have come to encourage and bless us and the communities we live in. One group helped build a shelter at a local school - a place for the kids to park their bikes and it doubles as the officials area for local sports functions. We had a great time building it and the locals were so impressed at the way everyone worked on the bucket brigade and loading the cement mixer that they declared that, even the women on the team should get men’s wages.
Our latest project is bigger and we have acted as the contractors for it - meal conversations seem to be - Do you think chin up bars are high enough? Is the angle on the slide right,? Did you order the cement? Do you think all the uprights should be red? We were joined by a team who have helped us and the community at another school to build an exercise course with a kids play area. As I am typing this, the cement slab is being poured. It has been a great time of fun and fellowship around a project, which will benefit a school and its community.
Back to church planting!
Last Saturday we were excited to visit Payameng Rai and celebrate with the fellowship there their new building and their graduating from “preaching station” to “church” status. It was very satisfying to see people we had been used to bring to the Lord and disciple now leading the church there.
The new fellowship at Barn Sra had it’s 1st anniversary recently and is doing well with the new believers growing stronger in their faith and witnessing to family and neighbours. There are currently 4 people who are coming on a regular basis and moving in a Jesus ward direction. We continue to be involved in writing the teaching materials and teach on a regular basis.
We are more than delighted with the playground – not just because of the look of it. But because it gave us an opportunity to really get into a community and get to know people there – over the past few weeks as we have been going there on a regular basis we have been able to get to know people and share with them. One man has made it known that he would like to know more about Jesus and says there are others too. Pray with us as we follow them up. Our hope is to start a bible study group out there.
We ask our God our father to make us all wise with spiritual wisdom, Then the way we live will always please the Lord and we will continually do good, kind things for others.
(Col. 1:9-10)
With our love and thanks for your partnership,
Larry & Jan
Prayer points.
Pray for wisdom in relating to those showing an interest in the Gospel at Ban Fah.
Pray that we are able to start a group there and they will understand the great compassion Jesus has for them.
Pray for the Ban Sra fellowship – may they continue to grow both spiritually and numerically. Pray that spiritual leaders emerge in that group
Give thanks for those who have worked along side us in these last few months
Pray that God will bless and encourage them.
Pray that we will be well organized over the next few months before we leave for home assignment. We have a number of meetings to attend but also want to finish writing a tract and the discipleship materials. We are moving into the long summer holidays and we are getting a number of requests for English teaching and need to say no to some of these requests.