Pre Christmas Time

Dear friends,
Some snippets of fun news from Paul & Penny in Chiang Rai. 


It’ll be a joy to have almost all our Thai kids home for Christmas, so they will come to share Christmas Day with us at home, with their friends tagging along. Our decorations just went up in preparation for celebrating Jesus’ birthday. Of course, we will miss some of the kids who can’t come home, Foon 3rd year at university in USA, and Jono studying in Mexico. Nui leaves Thailand on Jan 1, 2023, she will fly to Cambodia to study DTS (discipleship training school) in Battambang on Jan 4.

 





We are so encouraged by opportunities to bless our neighbors this coming Christmas season. 

If you have it on your heart to help us out during this Christmas season… there are 2 specific ways you can …. 
1. Toward our community gift packages or
2. Toward painting our office.

 We are thrilled that Luke will be coming home for Christmas this year, as he has not been able to travel to Chiang Rai since Jaci & Evans wedding here in April 2014. Our Thai kids are very excited to have him join us all.

We pray you all have a joy-filled Christmas season.

Peace,
Paul & Penny

Never giving up on seeing them through



Dear friends and family,
Life in Thailand seems to have a unique way of daily presenting us with interesting and unexpected opportunities and experiences. The reason for this could be a combination of facts, not the least of which is that we are foreigners living in this asian culture, and also that we have chosen as one of our major life roles, the joyous challenge of raising a largish number of Thai children as our own. We do find great joy in the process, and are acutely aware of our need to rely on Jesus, not our own strength or wisdom in all the ups and downs of life. 



We hope we are coming to the end of our rainy season, this year the rains started early, and have lasted longer than any year we can remember. We have lost power and water more times this year than ‘normal’ and we have seen more flooding than other years. Needless to say, as well as being involved in flood relief, everything is a beautiful shade of green, all the trees and grass, the surrounding rice fields and even the inside walls of our house, our cupboards, ceiling, roof, etc, which we prefer were not moldy!  Vinegar is a great solution at this time of year.



Mai and Mae are both enjoying almost full time child care work. Yanee is a beautiful encourager. She continues at home working alongside Supun, making meals, cleaning, shopping, serving our kids church, joining us on regular community visits as we support families in our nearby communities who are affected by HIV.



Some of you might have heard directly from Nui and/or Jono, regarding their future plans. In summary…. It was disappointing when Jono was denied his Mexican visa in May, however, we learned in the process and were able to reapply three months later. So, on August 15th we travelled again to the Mexican Consulate in Bangkok, to reapply. Hugely grateful to report that Jono was successful on his second attempt. He plans to travel to do his DTS (Discipleship Training School) in Mazatlán, Mexico on September 10th. Paul will travel with Jono, as he has never travelled outside of Thailand. We want to be sure he arrives safely in Mexico. Thanks to so many who have cheered him on in this process.



Other news is Nui, who also has the goal of doing a DTS, also has changed her location choice to Battambang, Cambodia. Previously she had thought that she would go to Orlando. Several factors have caused her change of heart, most significantly is the level of difficulty for Thai passport holders to enter USA. We all believe she will have a great experience in Battambang.



August 17, was Arnie first day in grade 3. We are grateful his health is much stronger. He is a carefree and caring young boy, it is a delight to nurture him. 

Mercy and Faith (twins who continue in Colleen’s care) also started grade 4 on that same day, at the same school. Both girls are thriving in Colleen’s care. Colleen does a spectacular job of caring for their many varied special medical needs. They do need more tuition support for school fees, so if you have a heart for education and would like to help specifically with their school fees, please email me.Thanks for standing with us in prayer and thanks to so many of you who encourage us and continue to partner financially with us.
Paul & Penny.

Introducing Jono

Hi friends,
So I know many of you know already that I have decided to go to Mexico for DTS. My parents have passed this info on to many of you and many have already responded and even offered to send some funds to help me pay fees. I’m super grateful for a team of people who might be interested in hearing from me, pray for me while I go on this adventure with God.

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My goal is to write a short note with a couple of pictures once every two months. So This note is to ask you … “would you like to hear from me during my adventure with YWAM?”

Currently, my goal is to complete a DTS (discipleship training school) in Mazatlan, Mexico. This gives me 12 credits toward my degree with YWAM’s University of the Nations. After that, if I can renew my visa without leaving Mexico, I will register for another course in art, that is offered in that same location. That will give me a further 12 credits. My current goal is to pursue a degree in Digital Animation, I want to use this art form for God’s Kingdom. I am aware there are many opportunities, many more than I currently even know.
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        So if you want to follow my journey, know how to pray, even help me out from time to time if God puts that on your heart and most of all know where I end up. Please reply to my parents, Paul and Penny at this email and then, they will pass it on to me and I will form my own email list and write to you about once every 2-3 months.

       Thanks for being part of my life and for praying and supporting my parents to help rescue me from a pretty tough situation when I was very little and then help me grow up.

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Please pray my visa is approved for Mexico on May 12. Mum and I are going to Bangkok to the Mexican Consulate to apply. I will graduate from high school in 3 weeks on the 21st May and I’m both nervous and excited about the future. It’ll help to have people standing with me on the journey starting out.I leave Chiang Rai, flying from the nest and the security of my parent’s home, end of June, and the DTS starts in Mexico on July 4.

Thanks for considering this,
Jonathan Wilcox
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