Heal me, Lord

Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed, save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.

Jeremiah 17:14

Sixteen years in Thailand, sixteen years of God faithfulness. We went to Mae Sai on the 4th of January 2006. It would take us another four years before we could go back to the Philippines. Airfare was expensive then. Later, we would have opportunities to go to conferences, funerals, and other special events. We were never away from home for more than three weeks.

My sickness and the pandemic caused us to stay for most of the last three years in the Philippines. It is a challenging season of our life. However, we believe that God has a purpose for our stay here. First, we have seen how well the children take care of themselves and the help in our ministry with minimal supervision from Jillian and our Pastors. We are proud of them.

Second, it is time for recovery and healing. Both for me (Joey) and my mother. I wish I could say that our presence was not necessary to nurse my mother to recovery. But I believe, God meant it to be that way. We are thankful for the opportunity to care for her.

After seventeen years and a series of sicknesses (skin disease, foot injury, psychosis, mild heart attack, and Parkinson’s Disease), my mother finally returned to our ancestral home in Cainta (East of Manila). My brother will take care of her.

My mom is so happy to see her brother’s family. They Pick her up in Baguio to Manila.

Returning to Mae Sai

We can’t wait to go home. We are scheduled to go home this month, but the Omicron variant might move back our leaving for yet another week.

The supporting documents for our Thai non-immigrant visa are on their way. We will receive them in a week or two. We have the vaccination certificates and the Covid insurance. We even renewed our passports which will be good for another 10 years. We will buy our airplane tickets as soon as we get our visas. We are ready to go in God’s time.

Please pray for a smooth process in the Thai Embassy and for God’s provisions for our travel back home.

Thankful to the Lord for giving us an early schedule to renew our passports.

Home for Reuven

Reuven, our youngest son, is studying in the Philippines. He used to stay with my sister while we are in Thailand. But that is no longer possible. At the moment, he is staying with us we are renting in Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary (PBTS). They allowed us to stay here for the sake of my mother.

We need to find a place for Reuven when we leave. But we are grateful if PBTS will permit him to stay for another year.

Please pray that we can find a home of our own in the Philippines.

We are praying for a house for Reuven before we leave.

Ready for University

We need to be in Thailand soon. Our five of our older children are going to college in May. They will study in Chiang Rai City about an hour road trip from our home. We need to enroll them in the university and look for a boarding house. We have to buy them each a laptop that they can use in their studies.

The same five children are studying in the Bible School every Saturday under our Pastor. They will graduate next month, and they will go out to share the gospel in the community as part of their training.

Our children with their classmates in the Bible School.

Prayer Concerns

1. Pray for healing both for me, Narlin, and my mother.
2. Pray for our visa and safe travel back to Thailand. That we can pass the covid test and submit all the documents.
3. Pray for a house for Reuven and provision for his studies.
4. Pray for the children as they are preparing to go to university. Pray for wisdom and provision.
   
   Thankful to God for providing for our ministry and needs. Thank you so much for your love, support, and prayers.