Mae
GIRLS HOUSE:
I wanted to give you a quick update on the girls’
house. We had planned for a total of 10 girls, and just before I came back, there were indeed 10 girls. However, a few days before I arrived, 2 of the girls unexpectedly left. I’m not sure why they left, either because they were homesick or because they don’t like the rules here at the girls’ house. Kia (the staff member who works with the girls) said they didn’t give a reason for not staying, just that they refused to stay. Unfortunately, things like this happen. So, we currently have 8 girls, 2 of which are new. There are also a total of 8 boys at the boys’ house, 4 of whom are new this year.
Here is a list of the 8 girls currently living at the girls’ house:
Nai: She is 12 years old and in 7th grade. She is new this year. Her parents are divorced and she has 3 brothers and one sister. Nai comes from a family riddled with family problems/issues. Her parents are divorced and since neither one of her parents know exactly what to do with her, they were going to put her in a Buddhist temple. She didn’t want to go, and God opened the door for her to come to us. No one in her immediate family is a Christian. She came not knowing anything about God, and she has a lot of questions. (Nai is the 2nd picture from the bottom.)
Crème: She is 13 years old and in 8th grade. This is her first year here. She has 6 brothers and sisters. Crème has had an introduction to Christianity, but mostly through the Catholic church. Her family is very poor. She is a very sweet girl with a sweet disposition. She likes to play and have fun. She is very interested in learning more about Jesus and I believe she will very soon accept the Lord. She is very open to the gospel. (Creme is the bottom picture above.)
Newt: She is 13 years old and in 8th grade. This is her 2nd year here. Her parents are divorced and her mother remarried and lives in the same village. She lives with her father who has also remarried. Even though her mother lives in the same village, her mother refuses to speak to her and because of absence of love in her life, she finds it difficult to understand God’s love for her. This causes her to act out in ways that are not always appropriate. Pray that she would understand God’s love for her. She raised her hand to accept the Lord last year, but she needs to grow in the Lord. (Newt is the 3rd picture from the bottom.)
Mone: She is 14 years old and in 9th grade. This is her second year here. She is Newt’s older sister. She doesn’t act out like Newt does, but she is very quiet and keeps to herself a lot, but she’s coming out of her shell more and more. She wants to be a scientist and gets good grades in school. She accepted the Lord last year.
Peace: She is 13 years old and in 8th grade. This is her 2nd year here. She is very cute, but sometimes has problems obeying staff. Her mother is a fairly new believer, but her father isn’t. Her father wanted to put her in a Buddhist temple as education is free there. But God heard her and her mother’s cries and brought her here to us. She accepted the Lord last year and is growing in the Lord, so pray for her growth and that she would understand God’s unconditional love for her.
Kung: She is 14 and in 9th grade. This is her 5th year here. Her family is very much into the spirit/ancestor worship that non-believing Hmong practice. Kung has accepted the Lord and her desire is for her family to come to know Jesus. Last year we finally started seeing spiritual fruit in her life. She is now taking on more responsibility and is growing up. Pray that she will stay close to the Lord and that she will continue to grow spiritually.
Nee: She is 15 years old and in 10th grade. This is her 4th year here. She is at the top of her class at school. She is a believer and her family are all believers. She has grown in the Lord quite a bit since she first came. She is now starting to lead worship and taking a more active role in student leadership. She is very bright and loves to laugh. She tends to get stressed about her homework and studies, though. Pray for her.
Mae: She is 17 and in 12th grade. This is her 3rd year here. When she first came, she looked slightly malnourished. I really don’t think she was getting enough to eat at home. She comes from a Christian family, but they are very poor. She accepted the Lord and is growing in her faith. She’s praying about what to do after graduation. Pray for a goal and a vision from God.
THOSE WHO HAVE GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY SUPPORTING:
Mai: She is studying accounting at Achiwa. She took some general college courses last year at Rajaphat University and has now switched to Achiwa, which has a very good accounting program. She is a believer. Please pray that this year, the first year on her own, that she stays connected to her power source. Pray also for her adjustment to living in a new city with other people and her adjustment to this new school.
Nai: This is her last year of Bible College in Bangkok. She did her internship with us last year. The girls loved her and hated to see her go. She has a gentle, quiet spirit and is a blessing to everyone she meets. Nai was one of the former Bible training center students when we used to have the Bible training center.
Chai: This is Chai’s first year of college. He is Pastor Somboon’s younger brother and he has lived in Chiang Khong with us for the past 6 years. He is studying music at Rajaphat University in Chiang Rai. He is majoring in piano and he is already a very talented musician. He has been leading worship, and in the future he wants to use his talents to teach music as well as being part of worship team at church.
Jaelyn: She is going into her 2nd year of Bible College. She is doing ok. She had actually gone back to her village during summer break April and May. I talked to her a few days ago, and she is doing ok. Her health is ok. She went to the hospital in Payao where her Bible college is and the doctors there finally did an X-RAY and discovered that there is indeed a problem with the bone. I don’t understand everything, but it has to do with a time when she was about 10 years old and she fell out of a truck that was going at a good rate of speed and she never sought treatment for it. She feels relieved that there is actually something wrong with her and it’s not in her head. She says it’s difficult, but she’s determined to finish Bible college and serve the Lord. Pray for her.
Please pray for all of these students, that they grow up in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ!
We had a great day yesterday! Of course, since it was the Lord's day, it was a great day to begin with! What a joy it is to meet with other believers and worship the One who alone is worthy to receive our praise and worship. There were 2 first time visitors at church. They were 2 teenage girls studying at the local tech school. They are Thai and from this area. One of them, we know isn't a believer, and God brought them and they heard the gospel. 
We had a great day yesterday! Of course, since it was the Lord's day, it was a great day to begin with! What a joy it is to meet with other believers and worship the One who alone is worthy to receive our praise and worship. There were 2 first time visitors at church. They were 2 teenage girls studying at the local tech school. They are Thai and from this area. One of them, we know isn't a believer, and God brought them and they heard the gospel. 
