Amy Cottle

Dear friends and family,
Happy Easter! I pray that this letter finds you well and that you have a renewed sense of God's love for you at this special time of the year. Like the U.S., it is Spring in Thailand and there are so many beautiful blooming trees and flowers but unlike the U.S. it is hot season here. So hot every day! 

In this prayer letter, I want to focus on the stories of 2 students, PK and Grace. Both students will be in the U.S. this summer working at hotels and it will be their first time traveling outside Thailand. Did you know that the majority of international students are never invited to an American home? I am praying that with your help this will not be the case for PK and Grace. I hope that knowing more about them and their lives will inspire you to pray for them and other international students in a new way. 

Grace in Virginia Beach Grace's connection with me began with another student GaoDa. In a few of my previous prayer letters, I have written and shared about GaoDa when she was a student here. Although GaoDa was a seeker while at the university, she and her family remain devout Buddhists. However, she invited Grace to come to the student center to practice English at our Bible discussion group on Sundays. Grace has been studying the Bible with us for over 2 years and understands the gospel well but is not ready to accept the Lord. Grace left Thailand at the end of March to work at The Holiday Inn at Virginia Beach. I have been praying for Grace for a long time now. Grace is transgendered and I have been praying that he would see his true worth and identity in Christ. (From now on, for less confusion and to match the pictures, I will use she/her in reference to Grace). One of my prayers is that God would bring a Christian into Grace’s life while in Virginia. And the Lord answered my prayer! A Thai Christian woman with a heart for Thai students coming to America reached out to Grace through the hotel and offered to pick Grace up at the airport and take her to the hotel. The Thai woman also connected Grace to a local church who let Grace borrow a bicycle and provided food. I don't know what the outcome of this relationship will be but I praise the Lord that this woman was the hands and feet of Jesus to Grace on her arrival to America!

                             Grace
Top left: First time I met Grace (L), with GaoDa
Bottom left: Grace and PK, Easter 2021

PK in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio!  I met PK through Grace. After GaoDa graduated, Grace continued to come to the student center on Sundays and she brought along her friend PK, who lives in the same dorm. She is graduating this month with a degree in Biology. Although PK's school work prevented her from coming to the student center as often as Grace, she has heard the gospel and has yet to believe. She will be leaving Thailand the middle of May to begin work at The Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. She will be there from May - September. She will be working and traveling with another Thai student, Kiki, who I haven't met but I can assume she is also gracious and polite, a cultural norm. I am asking my contacts: Do you know any Christian young woman, college student or family that would be willing to befriend them? Someone living in Cuyahoga Falls or nearby? I would love to have someone reach out to them, to welcome them by offering to take them shopping or introduce them to an Asian market or invite them for dinner in your home or at a Thai/Mexican/other restaurant, invite them to church, etc. They will have wonderful and interesting stories to share with you about Thai culture! The gospel opportunities are endless! Please let me know if this is something that you would be interested in or if you know someone who could reach out. What better way to glorify God in America than to befriend the sojourner and do good!

                            PK
Top: PK and me / Bottom: Guitar, me and PK

PK and Grace represent many of our students coming to the student center who have heard the good news of Jesus but have yet to put their faith in Him. I believe that God has brought these students into our lives for a reason and I want to do my part in making Christ known to them. Please pray with me that God will raise up believers in the U.S. to do their part in showing God's love to PK and Grace and all the international students they represent.

May God bless and keep you! Please keep in touch and Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Blessings,
Amy Cottle