Karl & Sun Dahlfred

Dear Family and Friends,

How do you prepare for Christmas? If your family is like mine, it might involve putting up a tree, decorating the house, making Christmas cookies, buying gifts, attending holiday parties, and reading an advent devotional together. It is both a time of celebration and traditions as well as reflection and meditation on the wonder of the Son of God coming into the world.

In Thailand, however, Christmas looks quite different. In a majority Buddhist country where December 25th is just another day, you see nearly none of the cultural trappings of Christmas that appear in the U.S. That said, in our globalized world, most Thai people have heard of Christmas from movies and media. And some entrepreneurial Thai shopping malls hang lights and tinsel in an attempt to capitalize on this “Western” celebration to make extra sales.

But “What is Christmas?!” This curiosity question in the mind of the average Thai defines the whole month of December for churches in Thailand. December is a month of evangelism in Thailand as churches hold evangelistic parties, outreaches, and local school programs.

This December, will you join us in praying for Thai Christmas evangelism?

One of my former M.Div students, Surachet, whose D.Min dissertation research I am currently supervising, is pastoring a Thai church in Hong Kong. On Dec 18th and 25th, he and his congregation will host Christmas outreach events and are inviting staff from the Thai Consulate in Hong Kong to join them. They are hoping for 200 people to attend, including many non-Christians. Surachet sent me the photo below. He would be grateful for your prayers for these outreaches.

Two other former students of mine, a husband and wife named Ake and Pai, are trying to plant a church in Northern Thailand and are planning a big evangelistic outreach. Here’s a photo that Ake took of his wife doing activities with children in their community. Ake said he would be grateful if you all could pray for their upcoming Christmas outreach on Dec 17th.

Back in the capitol, Grace City Bangkok church, where I served as an elder, is planning an extended time together at church after worship on Christmas Day. Please pray for those that may be attending church for the first time or hearing more about Christ and the Christmas Story.

For these Christmas events and more, please pray that God would be moving hearts and opening minds this December.

As I think about former students serving faithfully in ministry throughout Thailand and beyond, it makes me want to get back to Thailand all the more. I want to meet still more students into whose lives I can have input, to help them grow in knowledge and holiness as they equip themselves for ministry.

This past month, I’ve been busy trying to connect with churches, both those where we know somebody and those where we don’t. By the grace of God, we have been blessed with a handful of new prayer and financial partners. If that’s you, thank you!  Please, everyone keep praying because the amount we still need to raise seems formidable ($3000+ / month). But we serve Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides. If He wants us back in Thailand, we’ll get back to Thailand. Keep us in prayer as I reach out to make new connections and form new partnerships. Do you know a church that might be open to taking on some new mission partners? Could you connect us with them?

Sun and I hope that you and yours have a joyous advent and Christmas season and we look forward to being in touch again in the new year. Thank you for your important contribution to support the work of advancing the cause of Christ among Thai people.

By Christ’s grace,

Karl & Sun Dahlfred

PRAYER POINTS

• Connections with new mission partners

• Additional $3000+/month to meet support budget

• Christmas evangelism all over Thailand this month

PRAISES

• New prayer & financial partners this past month!

• Former students serving faithfully ministering to Thai people & churches 

CALENDAR

7/2023 - depart for Thailand, Lord willing!