Dear Friends and Supporters,

We send you greetings in the precious name of Jesus. All of us here (ourselves and our coworkers) are very grateful for all the prayers you have sent up on our behalf during the past month. The situation inside Burma continues to worsen despite the lack of media coverage. At this point, the military regime is hauling in for questioning anyone and everyone they suspect of having played a role in the recent demonstrations. Those they deem as a threat (whether real or imagined) are being carted off to nobody knows where. Relatives are unable to obtain any information of them. These are extremely hard times for those who felt compelled to publicly express their displeasure of the conditions inside Burma. Let us continue to lift the people of Burma up in our prayers as they face these increasingly difficult times.

Concerning the national scene here, this country too is still under the rule of a military government. This is a real setback for the region as a whole in that if even Thailand, which has been experimenting with democracy for some time now, can't make a go of representative government — then what hope is there for neighboring countries such as Burma? The continuous tug of war that goes on between rule by military dictatorship and that of civilian leadership serves only to dash all public confidence in whatever system comes into place. It does seem like political uncertainty is here for the long haul.

All this goes to show that lasting peace is not something this world is capable of giving us. Our hope can only be placed in Jesus, our One and Only True Haven. It was Jesus who said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). This is a powerful claim worthy of our full confidence. The world may fail us, but Christ will see us through every life situation. This is the good news that we as Christians have to offer. Even if we should find ourselves in the most desperate of circumstances, Jesus can lead us out of the quagmire and set our feet on solid ground!

Our Prayer Priorities for October

1). Please Pray For the People of Burma

The military regime in Burma has again chosen to react with violence to any opposition to its iron rule. Word is slowly coming out of Burma that thousands of innocent citizens, as well as Buddhist monks, were brutally murdered in last month's peaceful demonstrations. Pray that God will bring about a lasting change for the better in Burma.

2). Please Continue to Lift Up Our Children in Prayer

Rebecca has finished her teaching English certificate program in Egypt. She is now teaching there to gain practical experience. Benjamin recently had his car break down and is without wheels. Please pray that he gets his situation remedied. Anthony continues to work at the Guitar Center, and Katherine is managing to hold her own in 7th grade.

3). Pray For Our New Term of Service

Pray that God will show us His priorities in every aspect of His work.

10/23/2007 Prayer Alert!

Last night (Mon. Oct. 22 nd), our Eden Center caretaker Luka, who has been with us for nearly fifteen years, along with his twelve year old daughter Ah Thai, were hit by a car while they were going across town on motorcycle. Luka died shortly after being taken to a local hospital. He sustained severe head injuries. His daughter Ah Thai survived the accident, but has suffered a broken leg, a broken arm, and head injuries. She is now fighting for her life in ICU.

All this has thrown us into a tail spin as we try to cope with this sudden loss. Because today was a public holiday in Thailand, we didn't get much accomplished at the hospital or the police station. Hopefully we can get all the paperwork completed tomorrow. The family has decided to have the funeral in Nongkhio, the village where most of Luka's relatives live. Please lift all of us up in your prayers. Pray especially for Ah Thai – that God will mightily intervene in her life and completely heal and restore her.

In need of your prayers,

Joni, Nangsar and Family

10/25/2007

Dear Friends,

We want to thank all of you for your many prayers and words of encouragement. By God's help we were able to attend to the many details involved in arranging Luka's funeral. Luka's daughter is now out of ICU and is recovering in the emergency ward. She still has a rough road ahead of her, but is now out of immediate danger. Please continue to lift up Ah Thai in your prayers. May God's grace and mercy continue to abide on all His children!

Joni & Nangsar