April 2008 Update

Richards Update

April, 2008

Dear Friends, Prayer Partners, and Family,

We praise God for your prayers and for all that the Lord has been doing to bring about His Kingdom here in Thailand.

I really want to encourage you to make praying for the nations and especially for Thailand a prominent part of your prayer time. Actually, I would encourage you to add to your prayer time. Pray more. Pray more often. Pray more effectively. Pray with Passion!

God uses your prayers to accomplish his purpose in the world. But there are few people who manage to pray enough to get beyond themselves, their family, and their circle of friends. God is looking for those who will look for the big picture. See what He is doing in the world, beyond ourselves, and take part in it through prayer.

May the Lord bless you as you seek Him and His Kingdom!

Here are a few of our current prayer needs. Put them in a place where you will pray for them often.

CURRENT PRAYER NEEDS:

Ong and the mushrooms: Pray for our Thai co-workers as they attempt to raise some additional support through selling mushrooms. The Lord has helped them get started. They have mushrooms. They have buyers. Pray that they will bear much fruit and that the Lord will use this to help them continue to serve Him full time.

Nong and cancer: Join us in praising God for Nong (Ong’s older sister). She was diagnosed with cancer several months ago. She was determined to trust the Lord for healing. To God’s glory, the cancer is now gone! Pray that it will not return and that she will be greatly used by God in her testimony.

Leader in Deenkow: Pray that the Lord will raise up a strong leader in Deen Kow House Church. Pray that all the members will grow in the Lord and began sharing their faith. Pray that they will be the Light of God to their community.

Teams are coming: We have three volunteer teams coming over the next several months. They are Flintgrove BC in May (6 people), Southcliff BC in July (30 people), and Heritage BC in August (8 people). Pray for these teams as they prepare to come. Pray that God will use their testimonies and their witness. Pray that the Lord will prepare the hearts of people to receive the gospel as it is presented.

Thailand Baptist convention: Last month we asked you to pray for the TBC. Thank you for praying. Not only was it a joyful time of fellowship, but we saw a real zeal in the Thai people to share the gospel and start new cell churches in various communities. Pray that the Lord will send out many laborers for the harvest.

Caleb in Conway: Please continue to pray for our oldest son, Caleb. He is now living with a Christian family in Conway, Arkansas where he is working and preparing to enter college in the fall. Pray that he will stay close to the Lord and follow Him.

PLEASE DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF YOUR PRAYERS! Pray powerfully. Pray effectively. Pray much! You are the beloved of our Father! He hears you! He wants His Kingdom to come! May the Lord bless you as you pray.

Your servants in Christ,

Keith & Tracy Richards and family

Phang-nga, Thailand

An Opportunity to Train Others

Last month, we had the wonderful opportunity of training the members of two churches in Ranong, Thailand in the methods that we have been using to plant house churches.


Ong and I were very excited to teach these believers (about 15 Thai and 15 Burmese) how to share the gospel using the Evangecube.




The next morning, we took a group of about 15 people, including the two pastors to share the gospel. What an exciting time! We found several people interested in starting a group in their homes. Praise the Lord!


Pray for these believers in Ranong that the Lord will give the vision and the determination to lead people to Jesus and start many new churches in their area. Thank you for praying!

Caleb in Arkansas

One of the most difficult things about being a missionary overseas is when one of your children returns to the states to start college, get a job, and start his own life.

Caleb is in Arkansas this semester. He is sitting out this semester to get everything ready for college: job, car, etc.

Please pray for Caleb as he begins this journey. Ask that he would love the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. Ask God to bring him a good job and good friends.

We are thankful for our pastor, Mike Titsworth and his wife Kathy for taking Caleb into their home and watching after him during this time.

Day at the Beach

One of the nice things about living in Thailand in the beautiful beaches. We live about 40 minutes away from some very scenic places. Last week, we took a day off and went for some fun in the sun. After we had been there a while, we saw someone bring a couple of elephants down to the sea to bathe. Here are some of the photos. Enjoy!