Thailand Update

Hello Friends!
I cannot believe that we have been in Thailand for over a month! It has been quite an experience. God has been so faithful to our family. I have been sick very little, and Robert and Lily have had amazing health. Thank you all so much for the prayers! We have been so blessed to have you all behind us as we serve God and the people of Thailand for this time.
We spent our first few weeks in Chiang Mai working with the @peace Smoothie shop and the university student ministry. We also spent time doing program for children in a local orphanage and local schools, and doing prayer walks through Buddhist temples. Robert has been sharing his testimony, and speaking on God’s love and relationship with Jesus. It is very apparent that God has called him to speak, and he has been developing and using him in that! I have been leading worship, and building relationships with the Thai people! Lily has been hard at work too… looking cute and getting big! People here absolutely love her. She has been opening doors to relationships and conversations everywhere we go.
We are currently working and living in Chiang Mai. We will be here for a total of three weeks. We are working with a ministry called TLC Center. They offer English classes for university students. We have been teaching classes and putting together programs to minister and build relationships with the university students. It has been great! Last weekend we did a children’s program for the National Thai Children’s Day at a community center and had a great turn out! The biggest part of ministry here in Thailand is building relationships. Buddhists believe that there is no God, and that to spend time thinking about the existence of one is a waste. The most effective way to do mission’s here is to build relationship and trust, and to let God shine through us. So you can be praying for us and the relationships we are building!
We will be doing a program for our students soon, called Quest. In it we will be presenting the gospel and answering questions about God and our faith. The students are all being presented with an invitation to the program, so pray that God places a burning curiosity within them! Pray that he speaks through us, and that these university students have a real encounter with Jesus!
Our team has been given the opportunity to minister in the red light district here in Chiang Mai. There are pretty intense statistics for adult and child prostitution here. As a family we are praying for God to give us wisdom about our role in this ministry, and how to balance a family and ministry of this type. Please keep us in your prayers regarding this.
In a week and a half we will be headed for Ratchaburi for two weeks. There we will be working with an YWAM base and a church doing various ministries including street evangelism. We aren’t completely sure what all we will be doing, but we are very excited! Please continue to pray for our family for the remainder of our outreach, our trip home, and our adjustment back into American culture. We really appreciate you all. Please feel free to message us with any questions, or just drop us a note!
Sincerely,
Robert, Jenny, and Lily Barber