In This Issue	Our Website
Ten Baptized	Calvary Chapel at the Bridge
Two Saved in Easter Service	YWAM Outreach Locations
Community Center	Church Density by Province
Bo Dan	More About Ministry in Thailand
Buy a Song Tao Project	Thailand Evangelism Committee
Prayer  Requests
January letter	February letter
March letter	April letter

10 Baptized in the Sea at Thachatchai

 It was an exciting time a few weeks ago, when I baptized 10 in the sea at Thachatchai.  One whole family was baptized, except for Rolf who has to be gone to Switzerland, his homeland, on business.  Several more will be baptized soon.   It is a thrill and honor to pastor this church, Calvary Chapel at the Bridge, though of course it is not without it's challenges.     I am preaching through the book of Luke we are now in chapter 15.  Services are in English and Thai with translation and a Power Point gives Scripture and songs in both languages.  We have four young men who are helping to lead our worship.  They live in the other side of our duplex.  They are Bible school students who are off from school two months, so they are here to do an internship with us.  I meet with them each morning for exercise together at the Health Center, then scripture reading, prayer, and worship back at their house.  I am also having them read Calvary Chapel Distinctives in Thai.   We are learning from each other.

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 Two Saved in Easter Service

We had an Easter Sunrise service on the beach at 6:00 a.m. then our regular worship service at 10:00 a.m. I spoke of course on the resurrection and two boys responded to the invitation to accept Christ.  We borrowed a song tao truck from another church and took twenty of our young people to a major Easter event downtown.  Nearly 30 churches from the island province of Phuket met together in the convention center and then walked in a parade about 2 1/2 miles to a beach and park at the far north end of the island.  Each church carried one or more banners with scripture or other messages, mostly in Thai but also some in English and we carried one in Burmese.  We passed out tracts along the way and then picked up trash on the beach, followed by a time of prayer and worship at the park.  Cindy and I treated the young people in the song tao to dinner at our favorite restaurant, just about the only one, between the two highways in Thachatchai.  To say that we were tired at the end of the day, would be an understatement. 

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Community Center

We bought and installed curtains in the Community Center, which is helping eliminate the terrible echo we had with the solid walls, floors, and ceiling.  We may still need to add some acoustic tiles.  We've added fans.   We would like to build a stage/ platform, add acoustic ceiling tile to reduce the echo, and some air conditioners.  We would also like to add some computers, a TV, some books, and games.  We hope to survey the community so that every resident can have a voice about their Community Center.  Perhaps you know of corporations that would be willing to donate toward these improvements.

Cindy has had about 35 students for her five English classes that she teaches each week.  We bought a new white board and lots of ink for our printer.  Plus we found something similar to Legos for the children who come to our home and some children's videos in Thai.

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Bo Dan

Bo Dan is a small beach village about 30 minutes north of our home in Thachatchai.  Every Thursday Jum and I plus two of our Bible students lead a Bible study there.  Mainly it is one large family, but we've had one old man visit a few times.  The host family is very gracious and hospitable, they harvest coconuts and cashew nuts for a living, so they always offer us, some coconut milk and roasted cashews.  This week though the hostess forgot me, and I was quite thirsty hoping for at least water.  So after waiting quite awhile I said, "kahtoht krap, aow naam krap."  Excuse me, I would like some water.  They told me to follow their son Bird, he led me to the back yard and began filling a bucket of water in the outhouse.   They thought I said "hong naam" which means bathroom.  Meanwhile Jum, had been talking to the visitor, and he accepted Christ, praise the Lord!

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New web pages and a House for Sale

At some point I hope to have a complete website for the church, but for now we have a Calvary Chapel at the Bridge web page.  There is a new page of pictures of the baptismal service.  About a year ago I built the Thailand Evangelism Committee website that is now being totally rebuilt and improved upon by OMF and a team of Thai Staff.  I have posted information about the 2010 project, the province maps and some of the resource documents  on my website to help missionaries and Thai pastors. 

Our beautiful house is for sale. $305,000 Quiet neighborhood with shopping and schools nearby. Double door entry, ceramic tile through to the kitchen and in all bathrooms. Step down into a formal dining room, plus a large separate family room with a fireplace and wet bar, and there is a separate computer office. The kitchen overlooks a covered patio and the hillside. Mt. Rubidoux can be seen from the front yard. There is a nice sized back yard for gardening and pets. This home is great for entertaining. Vaulted ceilings, lots of parking, wood cabinetry in the kitchen. There are two closets in the master bedroom. There is direct access to the three car garage and electric door opener. Laundry set up in the garage. Easy access to the 60 freeway, nearby shopping and schools.  Click here for more information.

 

Cindy teaching	Her students include our Bible School interns
Dana, Jum and those who were baptized	Sim (Oraphan) and her four children were baptized
Easter Sunrise Service	Easter Sunrise Service
Easter Sunrise	Lunch after church
Sim and Patuk at the Easter Rally of all the Phuket Churches	Easter Sunday Parade of all the Phuket Churches

Buy a song tao truck project

Alistair and M have a 2001 Nissan Frontier pickup with only 25,000 miles they want to sell to us for $8,000 U.S., and they will deliver it from Bangkok.  We will then add the song tao, which means two benches; there is a frame with an aluminum or canvas roof, like a camper shell but with open walls and two benches. That part costs $800.  So we need $8,800.  The truck will be our personal car as well as the church van.  Can you help us with this project?

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Prayer Requests

We need the Lord's wisdom in leading and overseeing this ministry which will probably also involve many new programs in the community center.  Pray for Southern Thailand and especially for Calvary Chapel at the Bridge, the church plant in Thachatchai, Phuket.

Pray for Cindy as she teaches five English classes in the Community Center each week.  Two are designed for adults, two for children, and one is to teach reading.  Many young children have come to the evening classes that are supposed to be for the adults, that has seemed to chase away the adults.

Pray that the stewards of the Community Center which is Food for the Hungry in Bangkok, and leaders in the village will labor together to develop programs for the Community Center.  Praise the Lord our meeting with Pastor Sampam went well and we should be able to use the building long term.  There is though a bit of a power struggle with a lady in the village who has the keys to the building. 

Pray that God will enlighten the minds and understanding of Buddhists, to recognize God as the only true God.   Pray that the Lord will send more laborers for the harvest here.  We especially need a new children's worker who also speaks English, so she can work with Cindy in children's ministry.

We need some additional monthly support  Support may be sent to YWAM Montana 501 Blacktail Road Lakeside, Montana 59922 U.S.A. Project number 3454.

Pray the Lord will help us to become fluent in Thai so that we can be most effective in sharing the Gospel and training and discipling.   We will begin lessons soon with a teacher from the Thachatchai school.

Pray for the song tao truck project

Pray for unity in the church and for God to raise up servant leaders

Pray that our house will sell. Our sons and their wives have determined they cannot afford the monthly mortgage on our old home in Riverside.  They just replaced the heater and air conditioner, have done some painting and yard work and have put it up for sale.  Pray that it will sell quickly and at good price that will benefit them and us. The home is located at 6517 Avenida Mariposa Riverside.  A three bedroom house, two stories, three car garage, 2 1/2 baths, we have reduced the price to $305,000.  Contact Jerry Cook at Park Place realty in Moreno Valley.

Nathan and Denise are expecting their first baby in May.  Praise the Lord!

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Cindy works with the children each day in our home.  She has one adult English student.  She is the computer operator during church and does everything to keep our house a home.  Including preparing tacos for part of the team from Ban Nam Khem.  Dana praises the Lord for such a help meet. 

Thanks for partnership with us, we greatly appreciate your support through prayer and financial giving.  God bless you,      

Dana and Cindy Bratton

YWAM Thailand missionary. Support may be sent to YWAM Montana 501 Blacktail Road Lakeside, Montana 59922 U.S.A. Project number 3454. or through   PayPal

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