In This Issue

U.S. Trip for the Holidays

A church plant in Phuket

Prayer  Requests

A Blessed New Year

Quick Links... Our Website YWAM Outreach Locations Church Density by Province More About Ministry in Thailand

As we enter 2008 and reflect back on 2007 we are reminded of Paul's word's to the Philippians,

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:12-14 (NASB)

 God has been so gracious to us.  We spent four weeks in So. California and nearly a week in Oregon visiting our family, friends, and churches.  We spoke at the First Chinese Baptist Church of Walnut, the Sky Valley Chapel and Grace Community Church in Desert Hot Springs, Grace Brethren Church in Whittier, Magnolia Avenue Baptist Church in Riverside, Sunrise Church in Rialto, and Iglesia Bautista in Ontario.  We mentioned our Chinese friend Esther from Thai language school  at the Chinese church and a lady there donated a Bible in Chinese for her.  We had a great welcome home reception last nigh as well as help with our luggage for our friends here at the apartment where we live at about 2:30 a.m. New Years Day. 

A white Christmas in Medford, OR	Our daughter Desaree, grandson Jacob, and son in law Justin
Cindy's sister Karen and brother in law Mark	Our son Aaron, Dana's Dad Gary, Mom Janet, and our daughter in law Holly
Cindy's Mom Norma	Our son Nathan and daughter in law Denise

 

A church plant in Phuket

We recently received an email from our pastor at Calvary Chapel Ban Nam Khem, were we attended for five months in 2006.  The church has just been registered under the Southern Baptists of Thailand.  Pastor James wrote:     This past year we have a church plant that the Lord gave us, it  started 2 and 1/2 years ago as an outreach where one whole family accepted Christ. That family was hungry for the Word but at the time we were ministering in so many places I prayed and felt it best to find a faithful Pastor in Phuket to take over the study. Well, he neglected it and the Lord put it on our hearts to go down every month. The body of Christ increased and we sent Pjum and Kwan down as missionaries from the "mother" church in Ban Nam Khem to live there full time. Pjum is still there, Kwan faithfully served her commitment wonderfully and went back to serve with YWAM and now another sister from Hat Yai who speaks English and Thai is there. Every week myself, Joe or Pastor Pichai (he was ordained in August) go down to teach the bible and we have been praying for 1 year for a married couple to live full time in the house the Lord has given us. We are praying that the man would be not just teaching through the Word, but there are numerous members wanting to get deeper and I just haven't had the time to do an IBS workshop and bible classes. There are plenty of good language schools in Phuket, opportunities to teach English at the thai schools, and new cell groups have opened up just across the bridge in Kok Roi. PJum is gifted in evangelism and discipling women, PTak (the other woman there) is extremely gifted with teaching children and we have a great 4-15 year old youth group that hangs out everyday at the house. We are just praying for a man who can and has a burden to teach the Word, and to teach how to study it as well with prayerfully a wife wanting to reach out to the numerous widows, neglected children in the village. I know you are more than qualified and it would be a blessing to have you come down and just teach the Word." 

We believe the Lord would have us move to Phuket.  We plan to make a trip down this week and move in the near future if we receive approval from our leadership.  When we move will need to purchase a car as soon as possible since taxis will not be as readily available as in Bangkok.  We will also need some additional furniture, plus the cost of a moving truck.
 

Prayer Requests

A few months ago a number of YWAMers joined several hundred Thai Christians from around Thailand in the city of Hat Yai, to intercede for the troubled 3 southernmost provinces in Thailand. Over 2000 people have been killed in those provinces in the past several years, many schools have been burned, and people are living in constant fear. We believe it will take continued prayer to see this situation turned around. Please join us praying for the provinces of Yala, Narathiwat, and Pattani

Pray for the spread of the Gospel through out Thailand breaking down the spiritual walls of Buddhism and animism that held this country for centuries. Pray that the Lord will send more laborers for the harvest here.

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.

Pray for Southern Thailand and especially for the church plant in Phuket.  Pray that we would be able to move soon.

Pray the Lord will provide a car

 A Blessed New Year

 

In this new year, may "The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace."  Num 6:24-26 (NASB)

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."  Eph 3:14-21 (NASB)

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