Dear Praying Friends,
As you have likely seen in the news, Thailand is experiencing severe flooding that has killed at least 380 people nationwide and affected more than 9.5 million people. The government has called the flooding the worst in 50 years and it might take more than a month before the waters recede. Since the capitol Bangkok is the main distribution center for the entire country, many places are experiencing shortages.
I recently received this news from one of the churches we planted in the Bangkok area. Pastor Ohm said, “... the church is safe and not flooded yet. (Praise the Lord!!!) Right now, our church has become a shelter for the flood victims. There are over 40 people staying at the church. Some of them are the church members, the children's families (from our child development center) and some of them are people who live nearby the church who were effected by the flood. We know this is a perfect opportunity to spread the Gospel. We have been to the government shelter near the church for 2 days which have 1,500 people there. We are blessed by our Christian friends who give money and food to do the shelter ministry. Please keep us in your prayers that the Lord will work through our ministry in this time of crisis so that people get saved!”
In our last news letter I shared that my mother has been sick with cancer. During the last week of August her condition worsened. I returned to the states on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 2nd and my mother had gone to be with the Lord on that morning just a few hours before I arrived. I spent the month of September back in the USA helping to settle my mother's estate and then arrived back here in Thailand on September 28th.
Life is full of heart-aches and troubles sometimes as big as nations and sometimes as personal as close family members. But either way, God's goodness and mercy is never changing. We praise God for allowing us to partner together with you in sharing the good news of God's mercy and grace with the people of Thailand.
Yours for Thailand
David M. Speights