Karl & Sun Dahlfred

DOWNLOAD PDF - DECEMBER 2024 DAHLFREDS PRAYER LETTER 

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope you’re all doing well and looking forward to Christmas and New Year’s. We’re finally at the end of the year and it is time to look back and look ahead. We really appreciate you standing with us as we minister in Thailand.

Christmas in Thailand

Christmas in Thailand is a bit of a weird time. Churches are gearing up for evangelism with lots of extra activities with non-believers in mind. They are also caroling from house to house and doing outreaches in local schools (among other places). Meanwhile, the majority Buddhist culture is putting up generic Christmas decorations like lights, wreaths, snowflakes, Santa, etc. under the banner of some vague, amorphous winter festival. Retailers are taking full advantage of the opportunity to sell more stuff. Stores and coffee shops are playing what they think is Christmas music, namely Mariah Carey and Wham on repeat.

In the midst of this odd atmosphere where a Buddhist society is vaguely aware that some festival called “Christmas” is happening, I want to ask for prayer in a few areas. First, pray that the Holy Spirit would use the natural curiosity that Thai Buddhists have about Christmas to open their hearts to hearing the Gospel message through Christians friends, family, and neighbors, and to attend Christmas events where they will hear the Gospel. Second, pray that Thai churches would clearly proclaim the Gospel and not give into the temptation to focus merely on a dramatic story about a cute baby or handing out gifts. It is too easy to let the Gospel get lost amid the trappings of Christmas festivities and wanting to retain an audience. Third, please pray that our family will be able to get some rest around Christmas and New  Year’s. The kids have had a busy homeschool year and I have been very busy with seminary and other ministry responsibilities. We need time to rest, reflect, meditate upon Christ and His Word, and get renewed for the new year coming up.

Click here for video of seminary students Christmas caroling at our home

Discipling New Believers

As some of you may remember from previous prayer letters, every Tuesday afternoon Pastor Jed and I meet with a small group of new believers from Grace Church Chiang Mai.  We pray for each other, open the Scriptures, and address whatever questions come up. This time is really crucial in helping them get a better grasp on the faith and equips them to answer and interact with the many non-Christians in their lives.  One man in our group who got baptized last year shared a screenshot of a chat thread between him and a friend who was asking if it was true that he’d become a Christian and what that was all about.  “Pastor, what should I say to him? How should I answer?”  Coaching new believers in talking about the Gospel is an important part of both evangelism and discipleship. Most Thai people who become Christians don’t just randomly show up at church on a Sunday morning. Most often they have a friend, co-worker, or relative who is a Christian and it is through that relationship that they are first introduced to Christ. For sure, the preaching of the Word and the church community are crucial in the process of people coming to faith and growing in the faith; But relationships are essential and Thai culture is very relational. Please keep praying for the growth of new believers at Grace Church Chiang Mai. Pray that God would use them to introduce their friends, relatives, neighbors, etc. to Jesus Christ. 

Now Available ~ Karl’s New Book

Many of you have tracked with us for many years and faithfully supported us when we were away in Scotland for a few years as I completed a PhD, writing my dissertation on Thai church history. I finished that dissertation in 2020, but I was determined to not allow my work to just sit on a shelf or in a digital database somewhere, hidden from public view. My research was not just for my own benefit, but for the church. As I have been teaching a course in “Thai and Asian Church History” at Chiang Mai Theological Seminary this term, I’ve been pulling from my doctoral research to improve and enrich my lectures and discussion with my students. I am also pleased to announce that the book version of my dissertation has now been published as, Conservative in Theology, Liberal in Spirit: Modernism and the American Presbyterian Mission in Thailand, 1891-1941. You can order it from Wipf & Stock Publishers, Amazon, Logos, and other booksellers. I’m afraid the paperback version is a tad expensive but the Kindle version is a reasonable $9.99. It is my hope and prayer that this book will be a blessing to many in the years to come, including missionaries working with Thai people, Thai Church leaders, and more. It is a history book and is heavy on narrative, so you’ll probably find it much more accessible than other books that started out as a doctoral dissertation. If you have a chance to read it, please consider leaving a review on Amazon in order to encourage others to read it too.

Jehovah Jireh

We’re thankful for God’s provision and guidance during this past year and look forward to what’s ahead. Recently one of our larger supporting churches informed us that this is the last year they will support us because their mission priorities have changed. This was obviously disappointing, and we look to see how God will make up that support gap in the future. If you are interested in making a one-time year-end donation or pledging regular monthly support, please visit our donation page on the OMF International website. 

May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you with joy during this advent and Christmas season, and give you rest and refreshment as we look ahead to a new year. May the Lord Jesus be glorified in Thailand, in our homes, and wherever you find yourself in 2025. 

by Christ's grace,

Karl & Sun Dahlfred

PRAYER POINTS

• God to open hearts to Christ at Christmas

• Thai churches to faithfully proclaim the Gospel

• Rest and renewal for our family

• Budget shortfall of 10-20% monthly

PRAISES

• On-going discipleship & visitation with Grace Church Chiang Mai

• Publication of Karl’s book

• God’s provision during 2024

CALENDAR

• Dec 8 – Karl preaches at Grace Church Chiang Mai

• Dec 22 – Karl & Joshua run Chiang Mai Marathon

• Jan 5 – teaching resumes at CTS