Needed PRAYERS...............

Well, yes, I am having a rough day over some particular issues................don't have many bad days but but every once in a while something sneaks up on us. I usually write about all the good days, the fun that we are having and all the great things that are happening over here on the mission field...............BUT, it isn't all great. (We do thank the Lord daily for all His blessings!)

Dave's Mom and Aunt Sandra have just returned to Canada after a three week visit here. What a great time we had showing them around and showing them all the wonders of life and ministry in Thailand. Their responses to each new discovery helped us see the things from a fresh perspective. Like Auntie Sandra says, "You can explain it all you want to people back home, but coming here makes it all real."

So I would like to share some real things that we haven't talked about or you didn't see on our recent El Shaddai TV episode. After seeing our big family on TV, my younger sister said, "Those kids aren't the malnourished kids that you usually see on TV." Our mandate is to take orphans and make sons and daughters of them; children who can hold their heads high and become future leaders of this nation. But each one has an amazing personal story of redemption!

Isaac. Both parents are alive, but they do not want him. He was covered with cigarette burns from his abusive mother and he suffered from serious malnutrition. Today he is happy about his newfound future.

Matthew. His parents left him with his grandmother when they divorced. We found him being dragged around by the old lady, constantly crying because of the pain of his insides being full of parasites. He was eating off the ground with the chickens. She could not look after him and if we hadn’t picked him up he would not have survived for long.

Ruth's parents didn't want her - they 'disliked' her, as if that's a choice that parents have. She was full of ulcers, at 8 years old. I cannot conceive!! She has become so peaceful and relaxed now. When she first joined our family she was very skeptical about everything but now she is such a great joy!






The list goes on, all children who simply needed to be rescued; how awesome it is to watch them discover God’s love. They all have accepted Jesus into their lives and we are teaching them daily about our awesome God and His plan is for each of them.

So we would like to share some real needs the children have. As people visit our home, each one identifies with different needs. Of course, a lot of what we need comes down to finances and prayer. The kids only get milk on Sundays and they seldom get fruit, simply because there is no budget. We do have rice for EVERY meal, along with a few veggies and chicken or pork. The veggies and meat are usually in the same dish. School books, clothes and other supplies have just gone up 30% because of the cost of fuel.

We are also in dire need of a vehicle. The truck transmission needs to be replaced, last week it was the clutch. This tired old half-ton hauls all 22 of us everywhere we go and any day it may leave us all stranded on the side of the road. A vehicle is not a luxury, we have to drive the kids to school and back every day and we are also responsible to keep them safe, and dry.

Toys are ever so scarce, we do have some books and they are re-read and re-read. We really do need some educational toys in English. The older kids are required to do their homework on a computer; in fact most of their homework needs to be researched on the net so we need computers that process in both English and Thai. With 20 children, the need for socks, or shoes or some article of clothing arises daily. With only one month left until school is out for the holidays, we will make it through, but in May we will face the big expense of tuition and supplies for the new school year. Most of us know how much it costs to raise children; can you imagine 20 children? We’re not just supplying a meal and some basic necessities for kids living in poverty; we are raising these kids as you raise yours, with a hope for a great future.

So, please, we are asking you to help us, support us with prayer and finances. We barely provide these children with the basics, yet they are so thankful. They wear big smiles on their faces because they love Jesus and they love those who are helping them find a better life!