Mollie F

Loy Krathang

This week was the Thai holiday of Loy Krathong. This is the time of year when people make little boats called krathongs to be released into the river.  These boats are made from banana leaves and decorated with flowers and lights. The krathongs are made as offerings to a river goddess and released in the river to ask for forgiveness for sins. Lanterns are also released, lighting the sky. This holiday is filled with rich culture and history.

However, even though it has become more of a cultural phenomenon, releasing the krathongs echoes the need of every soul: forgiveness for our sins. These offerings end up downstream in a waste pile and must be presented yearly as the offering is only good for that time.  I praise Jesus for being my offering. I praise him for forgiving my sin. He only had to sacrifice himself once, which was more than enough. He could have just forgiven us and called it good, but instead, he had something better. God wanted to restore us to himself as his friend. We can be friends with God because of Jesus. No banana boat in the river is required. 

Seeing the holiday celebrated in my city served as a powerful reminder that Jesus is the only perfect sacrifice for sin. Through repentance, my act of worship becomes a way to shine His light in this nation. I pray that everything I do—my actions, my attitudes, even my smallest gestures—points others back to Jesus. Though I fall short every day, it only magnifies the goodness of God, who offers new mercies every morning.

Ministry

This past week was a mixture of rest and connecting with other missionaries. My team and I went to a family’s home for dinner. It was so fun to see the children. We played games with the boys. Please pray for this family as their pet dog was hit by a car and required surgery. My teammate and I will help the family later this week with pet support.

Many missionaries give up so much to serve the Lord. I had breakfast at a Burmese restaurant with some ladies and one told me that “it was years on the field before my husband and I had a date night.” As we have connected to families, a few have asked me to babysit. No act of service is too small for my king, especially if my king was willing to wash others' feet. It was my joy to give them this gift. I was grateful to read the Bible and share about faith while tucking the children into bed. These were some of the most precious discipleship moments on this trip. 

I had the chance to reconnect with a friend that I met during my initial trip to Thailand. She is a Thai missionary working in sports ministry and is currently facing pressing needs, including a new computer and a van to transport students. Please pray for her that God will be abundant in his provision of her needs.

Time was made available for me to visit a foster home for children with special needs. I spent 4 hours helping the staff. The opportunities for people with disabilities in Thailand are drastically different than it is in the States. The country is about 20 years behind on adequate research and development. Many children are abandoned, and schools do not provide the support that the children need. The Thai government does not even allow the children to be advertised for adoption. 

But two women, through the strength of God, run this home to provide love and care for these children. I am still taking it all in and processing it. I visited on the day when they worship. A child kept asking the teacher “When will we worship?” He was so eager to do this. They played worship songs in Thai and each child. There was a Bible lesson and time for prayer. They had visuals that allowed the children to point to what they would like to pray. The teacher told me “The Spirit is never disabled.” God knows our needs and understands even our groaning. Not only was there witness to the children, but to the staff as well. Not every Thai staff there is a Christian, many are Buddhist. God can use anyone anywhere at any time to make himself known, and most often it's in those places you least expect. 

Prayer Requests
-          Pray for my Thai missionary friend that the Lord will provide her with a van and a new computer. Pray for her two disciples to turn back to the Lord.
-          Praise God that a friend’s visa was approved.
-          Pray for my missionary friend who needs $250 a month.
-          Pray for the children at the foster home. Pray that their needs will be met and pray for adoption because God can do all things.
-          Pray for the women running the home that the Lord will provide their needs
-          Pray for a family’s dog to heal from surgery.
-          Pray away sickness. There have been lots of colds going around recently.
-          Praise God for an upcoming movement of believers in a closed nation.
-          Pray for a family as there is a sickness of a family member that requires them to travel back home
-          Pray that I give everything I have in these last 30 days, that I will soak up every moment and praise God through all of it.