Please keep me in pray and please keep supporting the Kingdom of our
Father. I can’t do anything without you all backing me up. I can’t stand alone
along the border and see the kids and the homeless with no help. Many times I
prefer to die because I don’t want to see and to hear the needy asking for
help. I have been deeply in debt for the hungry.
At the Restoration Christians Center we are starting to build
the first house. We will need the first payment today. We should have some
money for them but still nothing. When this house is done the girls from the
broken families will move in with us. They keep asking when it’s going to be
done. I am many times asking the Lord why some people have a very big house for
animals but many man being still have nowhere to go. Only God knows the best
answer. I need prayer and back up.
I Rodney, normally rework what Phimpha sends to me before I send it out.
But this one I will leave in its entirety. Her writing is from the heart and
very hard for me to correct and still keep the same heartfelt meaning. Though it is not proper English neither is
mine.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ
Now we are going forward as the
Father leads. I have more motivation to move forward. I really know His
touching and saying to me to start building the first house. I have been
praying for a month after I received His instruction.We started to apply for
electric on the first week of this month and so we have now started to build
the first house! All of these actions I am doing are done trusting that God
will continue to provide, as l have nothing to work with, but we follow anyway.
Today the electric company called me for the fee for the electric, and last
week the construction service department of Aranyaprathet district asked me to pay for the house building plans.
I just found out they didn’t allow to build with out permission! But by God we
made it! Right now we starting to build the first house just following what I
received from the Lord Jesus Christ. I need prayer, back up and support for the
building process. This is a great project for you to support, I would ask you
to be a part of what we are doing here, and again please don’t feel a pressure,
but ask God what He would like you to do. We are working hard to do all that we can do to support all
that God has put in our hands to do, but the needs are overwhelming without
more help. Thank you for all support from your heart and prayers that you have
for us.
So please keep me and the project in
your prayers.
It is a joyous call we are partners in. Remembering His love, grace and
mercy encourages us all as we build the Kingdom of His love around us wherever
we serve keeps us in joy!
I want to try to explain a little of
what it is like to be on the receiving end of someone looking for help. Phimpha
has been doing this work for over 20 years. Working with the poor. She doesn’t
like to speak about it much. She has help thousands of people over the years.
She doesn’t even tell me about all she helps. If she did we would not have much
time to talk about anything else. A young man who used to live with us
contacted me out of the blue the other day. I had not heard from him in many
months. He was asking for some financial help. He wanted more than the $3.00 I
had in my pocket. I messaged Phimpha and asked if we could help him. She said I
send to him every month and twice so far this month. I said sorry I didn’t
know. Some people she helps off and on, some for years and many are emergency
cases. Like the man a couple weeks or more ago. He contacted the flesh eating
disease. (Necrotizing fasciitis) It is bad this year and they are mentioning it in the news and
warning people to watch out for small wounds that become infected. It spreads
quickly. It’s a terrible disease. I Googled it for images and was amazed at how
horrible of a disease it is. It is the same one the little girl had that I
posted about for prayers a couple of weeks ago. By the way she is getting
better. Most with the severity she had do not survive. The man who is a member
of one of the churches she works with contacted the disease and was going
downhill fast. She talked to a doctor in a private hospital and decided to have
the man transferred there. The doctor said his best and maybe only chance of
survival was some medicine from Germany but it was expensive. She of course
said give it to him. After just a couple of treatments he turned for the better
and survived. Today he had to go back to the hospital for his last treatment to
ensure it did not come back. He needed to pay for that treatment and the
previous one. The responsibility fell to us. The bank accounts were empty so
she took money from a friend where she works and used it to pay for the
hospital. Now she needs that money back in a few hours to pay salary. This is
the way it has been going with us for a long time. Many years in fact. God
tells us to help the poor. They have nowhere else to turn to. If we don’t help
then who will. Usually it is not emergencies of life or death. Thank God. Maybe
it’s just an electric bill way past due. Or the children need to go to school
and the caregiver cannot afford it, so the child stays home and works or we
help the family ever month so the child can get an education. That scenario has
been ongoing year after year with countless students every month. I don’t even
know about all the families she helps. She doesn’t have time to tell me about
the many phone calls every day asking for help. She tells them we have nothing
but they keep calling, begging. Her name and phone number has circulated around
Thailand for many years. Her reputation has preceded her. They say if you
really need help, call this lady she will help you. We don’t just give out
money. She checks things out and tries to get them help other ways but by the
time they call to her they have usually run out of other options. How far do we
go? How much is a life worth? Here in Thailand if you don’t have the money you
don’t get the treatment and you die. Many countries are like that. I know we
have saved many lives over the years just with good treatment and prayers. You
want people to listen about Christ then help them and they will listen. Our
ministry is to save souls. Whatever the cost. Money in hell is pretty
worthless.
So right now we need $800.00 in a
few hours so they don’t throw her in jail. I told her I would visit her if they
do. If you are willing to help you can use PayPal or Western Union. It’s the
only way to get it here instantly. Or just jump on a plane and fly over. It
would be good to see you here in Thailand.
Phimpha again. I have been working along the Thai -Cambodia border with many projects going on. But now my only truck is in the Toyota service for many days the bill is high 34355.00 ($1,200.00)and I never have that kind of money in my pocket. I had been putting off the maintenance for months but it was starting to make too much noise so finally I was forced to bring it in. I have many projects and work so it gets too much use.
The man I wrote to you about earlier is still in the hospital. I had him transferred to a private hospital three hours away from where he was. If he would have stayed where he was I believe he would be dead by now. He is getting better fast but the bill is high too. His bill is 9968.00 ($350.00)today, I don’t know about tomorrow. I need prayer and support from my family, all of you are my family.
Please don’t think that I am using the ministry of God as a hostage. I am following my calling. I am praying to pass the day today. Your sister in Christ
Phimpha
Rodney here. I know we sound like a broken record to many of you. I hate this part of the ministry. Asking for help. We have no one else to turn to but our family in Christ. Phimpha writes up some of the updates and asks me to correct them. Today at the end of the message she sent me this.
” Please correction it and send out for me. My heart full of tear I can’t write more.”
The weight on a soft heart that gets so many asking for help is very stressful. If you could see what she sees and hear what she hears your heart would be in tears too.
I thank God for those that continue to support us with prayer and donations!
Phimpha here. I have
been busy but quiet. In the quiet time I have been praying and waiting for God to
move on the Restoration Center. We now are using the funds we have to pay for
the personal loan that was graciously given to us by friends in order for us to
complete the land purchase. The salary from my work all goes to the needy and
poor in the Love and Care Project ministry. But the restoration Center needs to
move forward also. As I was lying on my bed praying with tears asking God what
to do He told me to just step out in faith. He said: “Go out onto the land and
do something so I can see you there. So I took with me 3 widowed ladies that
will live with us there and we went out to dig holes to put up a fence across
the front of the property. I had a small backhoe come and dig holes so we could
plant some trees on the bare land. We planted some coconut trees to start with.
I called the electric company and asked them to come out to see where to run
power into the land. I also talked with a draftsman about the plans God had
showed me for a small house. I currently have no place in that area to call
home. I live from place to place and out of my truck a lot. The widows and I
are waiting for a place to live. Please pray with us as you have been blessed
by God already.
Please pray and support the kingdom of our Father
From Phimpha’s heart.
Rodney here.
Phimpha just told me about this the other day, even though she had been out
working on the land as she could 3 weeks before. She did not tell me what God
had said because honestly, she was afraid I would discourage her. Well
unbeknown to her at about the same time God had convicted me that I needed to
get out on the land and do what I could. Just start digging a footing and fill
it with cement. Just do something as I could. I was thinking to cut some trees
for poles and put up a roof to live under while we build. No power, no running
water just do something. But I didn’t tell her and didn’t go out. I need to
learn better. So God kept convicting her she needed to speak to me about what
she was doing and just 2 days ago she told me. I was glad to hear we had the
same thing at the same time. Not glad that I didn’t go out.
Some days I
let it get to me. I need to praise God in all times. He is good to me and has
more love for me than I can possibly imagine. He sent His Son to take the pain
and beatings for my shortcomings in life. My open sin my hidden sins. He knows
and see’s all and no matter what. God alone is always worthy of praise. He sees
the suffering children and wonders why we do not help. He has given us the
earth. It is ours to share. It is not His fault the children suffer, it is
mine. I need to do more to love more to walk more like Jesus in His power and
bring in the lost. It is why we are on the earth.
God has given us all power. He is in us
and He has full power and is willing to work through us. All we need to do is
to humble ourselves and allow Him to use us. He will do the work if we can just
let go of ourselves and live for Him alone. I thought I was living for Him but
the more He shows me the more I see how far I have yet to go. But I will go and
I will be there and I will allow Him to use me. This life is so short and not
ours and no matter what happens to us on this earth it is meaningless if we do
not allow Him to use us.
I was in bed but Phimpha messaged me asking me to send out for
help. It’s the last thing I wanted to do tonight. I hate this part and told
myself I wouldn’t do it anymore but… I wish I could explain what it’s like to
have people who depend on you for food and necessities call you over and over
asking for help, but you have nothing to give. She gets that a lot. She told me
she doesn’t want to see the suffering anymore. She told the people we support
in Cambodia that last month was the last time we could help them but they
called again a couple days ago begging for help. How to do? Yes they have the
same God but they don’t have the same faith. We sent them all we had now we
have nothing too. Then the home up north has been calling. They need food and
such for the 60 kids they care for. Then there is an old lady that needs a bed
and more adult diapers. She is going downhill but we would still like to get
her into a bed. She sent me the picture. It got me up to write. It never ends
when you work with the poor.
I am sure many of you think you could do a better job of taking
care of the ministry here. Well come and show us how to make it work. Sorry I
am a bit frustrated with God. If you have His attention tell Him we could use a
little help for the people He keeps sending to us.
I don’t know what else to say. Its midnight, I am going back to
bed and pray more.
Yes it has been a while sense I have
written. I was on an extended stay in the states. A lot longer than I had
planed. I spent a lot of time with family and it was a good visit. I have been
back in Thailand less than two weeks now. I am grateful for the heat. I was
cold a lot of the time in America. This
morning here in Thailand it was 75 degrees so I put on a log sleeve shirt over
my T shirt when I went to the kitchen for coffee. God knew what He was doing when He called me
here.
I thought things would stay the same here
at Timothy House without me but that was not the case. Many of the people that
were here have left for one reason or another. Some may come back and some not.
I am leaving that up to God at this time. So right now we are quite empty. One
high school boy will be back soon when school starts and Mo is still here with
me. Also one disabled lady is still here.
I am not exactly sure what God has in
store for us next. I am working on fixing up the place now that it is almost
empty. I will start with the kitchen wall the elephant tore down. I am still
trying to come up with a good elephant-proof wall that doesn’t cost a fortune
and looks good. Anyone willing to come help? Let me say you are more than
welcome.
We don’t have many kids here but we are
supporting a lot on the outside. Phimpha has expanded the ministry in her area
with different projects and families. She is working a salary job to try to get more
funds for the children we support.
Currently we are supporting or helping to
support 110 children in 4 different children homes and some individuals in poor
families. Three of the children homes
are in Thailand and one is in Cambodia. She also gets calls every day for help
from the poor. We do what we can, which really means giving all and going into
debt ourselves to help. She has already taken an advance on all her salary for
this month and still the calls keep coming. We also give to 4 pastors to help them get by
every month. Pastors here get a very small salary if any. Many of them work a
full time job to make ends meet. One of the small churches we have worked
closely with has been informed they must vacate the building they have rented
for many years. They have found property and are building a temporary structure
to live in and hold church in. I will post pictures.
Phimpha has been working to come up with
ways to help the poorer families make it on their own. That’s not as easy as it
sounds. Many have little or no education. She has what she calls the Goat
Project. She buys goats. She always tries to get the pregnant ones. Then she
gives them to the poor families. They give birth and breed and multiply. She
said two poor widows that live together started with 4 pregnant goats. Now 1 ½ years later they have 30 goats and are
making a much better living as they can sell the milk or the meat. Because
goats eat a wide range of foods they are a good choice for poor families with
little land. Phimpha buys them at $100 dollars each which is a bargain. Because
she is giving them away they give her a price break. She has bought 60 so far.
Last week a poor church in another area heard of the project and came out to
look. She will work with them to help
them get going. Many farm labors get about 15 dollars a day so to sell one goat
gives them 10 or more days in wages. And they don’t have a chance to work every
day. Only when they are needed.
She also still has the flower project
going where she had someone teach the women how to make artificial flowers. She
sells them to the people she meets and also is setting up a wedding shop where
people can come and rent accessories for weddings and buy the handmade flowers.
I thank God for the many people who give
to God’s children and brothers and sisters in Christ, through His ministry
here. I don’t know who gives what. God knows and that is where it matters.
Nothing I can say would be enough to thank you. Please continue to keep us in
prayer for strength and safety and wisdom and more love for others.
The Restoration Center? We took personal loans out from friends to finalize the purchase. We are working to pay that back and until we do we will not move forward. God needs to do something if He wants us to start to build. So for right now we pray and wait on Him.
Rodney and Phimpha
Missionaries Thailand
Phimpha and her friend.The Goat ProjectThe Flower ProjectChurch and Pastor living quarters.Old Church new location.A few children at one of the homes we work with.
Last week Phimpha was praying and God told her He would send enough for the land payment for the week and enough for a ticket for me to visit Mn. I need to visit my parents among other things I must do. I told her that would be impossible with what has been coming in. But true to His word it did come to us from a friend. I was shocked! It was enough to cover us for the week and enough extra for my ticket. So I will be home to MN before too long. I feel guilty going now because we have so much need, but Phimpha told me that God said it is for me and I need to go. I try hard to stay on His good side,hers too.
One of Phimpha’s projects is trying to help the poor along the border area where she works. She is buying goats and gives them to certain families to help them try to become self sufficient. She is giving 5 goats at a time to each family in the hopes that they breed and multiply. She has bought 60 goats to date. At about $90.00 per goat it is costly so she is working nights to help with the funding for the outreach ministry projects she has.
She also has a flower project. She hired a lady to teach the women in the outlying villages how to make artificial flowers. They are very time consuming to produce. She is looking for outlets for the finished products.They make some beautiful flowers. It amazes me how real they look.
Then she is also working at night till early morning to bring in extra income to help churches in Cambodia. That is why she has been a little stretched and tired. She sends a lot of funds over to help the poorer churches that work with many children. Because of her reputation to help anyone any where she gets many calls from all around the area and the country, looking for help.It grieves her to get calls and have nothing to send. That is the hardest for us in this ministry. We always pray for them but the word tells us to act as well. The calls are not always from Christians so we cannot just tell them we will pray and hang up, or turn and walk away. We give all we have. The calls come every day and never stop.
Well December 25th is coming up quick. That is the deadline for our land to be paid in full, except we don’t have a way to pay for it without your help. The owner said he will take it back and leave us with nothing if we cannot make the contract. Phimpha is very tired of the struggle to make the payments. She is at the end and has not spoken real positive about God at times but is still trusting and having faith that some way it will be paid for. It is purely on Faith. We do not have any promises and all our resources are exhausted. We don’t believe that God would allow us to lose the deal now because this was His idea not ours. So we wait, praying hard that $26,000.00 USD will somehow get to us before the 25th. With the holidays on us that is a huge stretch. But God is the master of the impossible. We have gone as far as we can go, it is up to Him.
With the holidays upon us not many will take the time to read this anyway so I will keep it short. God Bless you all! Enjoy your families and worship the reason for the season.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
As you all know we are moving forward to prepare for the great harvest that is coming in the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. We hold on to the promise of God. He said: “He is with me.” I really believe almost every missionary has heard the same. The work we do around here is not a hostage for money. It is the Kingdom of God’s business. And we serve in His Kingdom not to gain more favor but because of the love that we have in Him for Him, as everyone using the gift from the Holy Spirit of the Lord. I hope you are all still standing with me in pray and love. Christmas at the children’s home up north and other areas is coming next week for three places that we help to support. I need food and gifts for 110 kids. We also need gifts for the abandoned disabled along the border. (Disabled from mines) Please keep me in pray. We are asking the Father to provide for His children on time. Thank you for your joining in the battle. Please keep me in your love.
Your sister in Christ.
Phimpha
This Wednesday we must pay for the land too. We are already so late. Please keep praying for me.
