We wanted to update a bit about where we're at and where each of the ministries are at since we haven't updated for awhile.
Family life
Firstly, we are excited to announce that there is another baby on the way - yes, Eliyah will have a younger sibling sometime in the beginning of March next year! Eli is very excited about becoming a big brother. We will probably be travelling to Bangkok for the delivery of this baby and are aiming to go sometime in October for 1 week to check out our options there.
Discipleship Training School
The DTS that I've been a part of staffing this year only has a couple of weeks left before the students go on their major outreach trip. I've just been helping where I can (as well as being very blessed through listening in on the lectures!) but in the last few weeks I've been slowly stepping back and only involved in it part time now. I've learnt a lot through this experience and been able to get back to basics before heading into this next season! Picture below shows the DTS group in July:
Bethany Home
We are still raising money and planning to open a family centre as the last blog mentioned, but the whole process has been put off due to the house owners needing more time to fix up the place first. It was hard to put it off as we can still see the desperate need for a family centre but have also seen that it's happening in God's timing. The main mother who Bethany Home was supporting is now able to take care of herself and her daughter (which is one of our main goals!) so I've also been gradually stepping back and visiting her once a week instead of every couple of days. She is going well and has recently started selling food in the markets to make a living. We are still there for her when she needs a listening ear or advice, and are still involved in discipling her as she came to know God just 1 month ago! Picture below shows that very moment:
Soccer ministry
With DTS going on we were no longer going to Noom's village for a week every month to do the soccer program he started with the boys there. Now that DTS is almost finished and Noom has had a chance to re-evaluate the vision God has given him, he is really hoping to get that program started up again by the end of the year - whether 1 week a month, or every weekend. However, he is still building relationships with other young men in Ubon city through fortnightly soccer games.
Music ministry
As we've mentioned before, Noom has been involved in an Isaan music project - writing, singing and recording Bible stories in the Isaan language. A few days ago when he travelled to Sisaket to record some more demos, he felt really encouraged by God that this is one of the things he is meant to do. While in Australia he wrote many Isaan worship songs that he's now praying about recording so that they can be a blessing to others. It's an exciting time - more to come in this area! Picture below is of Noom recording in Sisaket a few days ago:
Building relationships in different villages...
...Through chicken-raising! It's very common in Isaan for people to raise fighting roosters, and although sometimes they can be used for gambling, Noom and a few other friends from our YWAM team are dedicated to raising them only for food, self-support, and for helping them to build relationships with others in different villages. After a year of raising chickens, God has already opened many doors in different homes in the Ubon area where Noom and his friends have been visiting and using the chickens to build relationships with the locals. Raising chickens, along with the soccer and music ministry, have all come under our initial vision for reaching the Isaan people through their own culture. Picture below is Eliyah with his friend Isaiah - both playing with baby chickens:
So that's a bit of an update about where our different ministries are up to and where we see them going in the near future. May God alone get the Glory from His work here in Ubon!
