Meeting people

We've met several people since we've been here. Some we only saw a few days or less; others we will know on a more permanently, perhaps.

Our landlady we should know for at least four months. We met Mrs. Jannoo-an

early last week when we came to see about renting a room. She was quite eager to help us with our Thai at that time. Saturday morning I was able to ask what her name is in Thai from what I learned in Thai class. The reason I remember her name is because she explained that the Jan part means Monday and moon and she showed me how to write it in Thai letters on her hand with her finger. She told me her husband's name too. It means "golden" so that is why this apartment house is called "Golden Home". I've forgotten how to say his name in Thai, though. I didn't get his name written down soon enough.

She was very friendly to me that day, letting me use her washing machine (and pay her the 20B rather than put coins in the coin operated one), loaning me a clothes basket and some hangers to hang clothes on, pointing out where I could hang up clothes, and talking to me about why I want to learn Thai. She took my hand often and held it when we were standing talking to each other. She offered me more things than I took. I hope I can understand how much she really intends for me to take, and not offend her by refusing too much or taking too much. Also, I hope to understand whether she will expect something from us after she has done this kind of thing. Her husband has tried to be helpful too, but he speaks little English. Please pray that we would be able to show God's love to them even through our cultural differences.

We are likely to have more in common culturally with the other students in our Thai class. The two young women are from the US, two men are from France, one man is from Sweden, one from Mexico, and one from Scotland (who just joined us this week). Then, of course, our teacher is a Thai native. I spoke French with one of the Frenchman for a little while one day. It is kind of ironic because when I am trying to think of some common word in Thai right now, I often come up with the French one first. We are going to be seeing these people 5 days a week for two hours a day for six weeks, and doing some interaction with them in class and in the break.

We walked with C-n almost to his apartment on Thursday because everyday he walked to the place where we need to catch our song tau. On Friday he talked to me more about his ex wife and how dissatisfied she is with everything in his life. I said she needs to have a purpose in her life, and tried to explain what that meant. C-n also said he was unmotivated at the moment to get a job again. Over the weekend I prayed, and asked some others to pray also, to be able to give him a testament and one for his wife. Today at the break he asked me what brought me to Thailand so I explained how we were seeking God's direction and some of the other details. It was the perfect way to lead in to what I have found in those testaments and what they might mean to him and his ex wife. I had them in my pocket to give him. He accepted them. He primarily speaks French, so he may have a little difficulty with them. His ex wife, although Peruvian, is excellent at languages, including English, so she should do ok with it, if she reads it. Please pray that they both do, and for the Lord to work through them.

Please pray also for God to glorify Himself through us in the class. We are the only Christians in there, that I can tell so far, anyway.

:J

Building update

Another potential tenant contacted us about our empty space after the sprinkler decision came down. A small, new, local winery was interested in putting in a wine tasting room to sell their wine and related paraphernalia. The restaurant owner then planned on selling her current bar set up to them. She would sell drinks still, but serve them out of the kitchen.

They also worked out a sharing of the utility costs since the restaurant owner has now taken over paying those. Then Gary checked with the City. They required us to pay an architect $300 and then determined that we must build a firewall completely around the space before they will give us permission to rent it to the winery. Gary estimates the cost for this would be thousands of dollars, well above the return we could get from the rental of the space. So, it appears the area must remain office space. God has a different plan.

Our web site

Most of you know we now have a web site! It is 2sowers.com. Gary is very thankful that Ken, one of our house sitters, has set it up for us. Gary did not want to try to keep up a web site. It is still in the beginning stages, though. We are finding out it involves our time just to get things to Ken to put on it. There are several sections we are slowly getting filled in.

This blog will be on the web site too. Ken said we can use the topic section to put in our prayer requests. That way people looking for our prayer requests will be able to click on that section and see all the prayer requests that we have made over a period of time. We will also be able to put answers in under an answered prayer section. I will be trying to get our prayer requests, and answers, in there soon.

:J

Answer? to prayer

I sent this email to some of our prayer supporters Tuesday morning, 

“A city official has written a report requiring us to put sprinklers in our building before we can

open the wall and let the restaurant use our former office space.  Gary says that would cost about $10 thousand and take quite awhile to get done.  That would be a prohibitive expense and time frame.  The city official is going to meet with Gary tomorrow at 11 am to discuss this.  Gary asked for prayer about this meeting.”

(Gary reminded me later that he said “$100 thousand”.  That’s my lack of number retention for you!)

Gary met with the official, and he did not change his mind.  God answered our prayer with, “No.”  At our church’s day of prayer and fasting last week, Dave Ness said to pray specifically in order to energize your prayer life and see God working.  Another side to specific prayer is that you get clear “no”s sometimes.  I have had several of those lately.

That afternoon, after I laid out the “Sacrifice of Praise” chorus for the worship team folders, it began repeating in my head.  I decided God was telling me to praise Him for these “no” answers as much as the “yes” answers, so I began to do that.

Another speaker I heard recently said we pray not to change God’s mind, but to change ours. When we see clear responses to our prayers, we gain a deeper understanding of who He is. If He gave us all we ask for, we would never be better.  We would make our faulty plans with our puny brains, without His help, and then keep asking Him to fix things when the plans fall apart.  We need His “no”s to begin searching out what He wants of us and to rely on Him as we try to obey the direction we understand from Him.  Also, as one of our prayer supporters reminded me, there may be a bigger issue God is working on and a “yes” answer might not fit in with that plan.

Certainly a “no” answer should drive us to more prayer rather than to less.  God commanded many times in His Word for us to pray and, as said by John Piper this week,  “If prayer did not work such wonders in heaven, ‘Satan would never have such an aching tooth against it as he has.’ Th. Brooks.”  That opposition by Satan is a good indicator that God’s will is accomplished when we pray.  

As to the building situation, if we don’t rent to the restaurant then we will need to rent it to someone else or leave it empty.  Without a renter for that space we won’t recoup the expenses we put out to fix it up.  Gary hasn’t told the restaurant owner yet.  He also plans to get some bids on sprinkler installations next week.  Keep praying with us for God to show His glory in what happens in this situation.

:J

House sitters

A family we know well has told us that they have decided to be our house sitters. We met Ken when he moved into the house across the street with some other guys. Then, later, he introduced us to Karen and we went to their wedding. The other guys moved out and Karen moved in. As a young couple, they helped me out by teaching some Sunday school sessions to the youth at our

church on good male – female relationships, even though they were members of a different church.

Our friendship continued as they had their three children. Their two older children sent some presents with us to share with children on our mission trip to Chile. Now, Ken has said he would like to help us set up a website. Overall we have been impressed with their faith and determination to follow God in their lives. We are glad to help support their decision for Karen to remain a stay at home mom and to continue home schooling their children. Living in our house would likely ease their cost of housing.

Also, Ken has worked on fixing up two houses, so he has some expertise in maintenance. They have all had experience raking leaves, although not in a yard quite as big as ours.

When they read our email newsletter about our need for a house sitter, they independently thought of the possibility of their doing it. They were a little surprised when they mentioned it to each other.

Ken then came to speak to Gary and the first of our three dinners together came soon after. We have all been praying about it. Last Friday they brought dinner to our house to tell us they had decided to go ahead with this.

Now I need to write up something for us to work through so we will be clear about what we all have agreed to.

Thank you for your prayers about this already. Please pray now for wisdom for us as we go through this process. Please pray that we would know what we need to write down and that He would protect and increase our friendship as we enter this relationship concerning the house.