We are starting the year with intention.

Please include us in your prayers! <3

It was April 2019 when we left LA and excitedly traveled to Thailand with an expectant spirit.  We feel so privileged to be full-time missionaries here in Thailand—our dream career. We were amazed by the generous giving of our family and friends, which sustained us all these four years, PTL!

It has been almost a year now that we have changed our teaching technique; we are now doing Art Integrated Learning, I didn’t even know that there’s such a curriculum until I realized how effective it is and have been doing a lot of research.  We have two groups of kids that we’re focusing on right now.  The big one is Ban San Raek Kindergarten School, there are 50-60 kids at any given day, ages 2-7 yrs old.  The other one is in Saimai Village Library in a nearby district, where we have 10-15 kids, ages  7-15 yrs old.

Art materials are expensive, even here in Thailand.  And since we are using mid-priced materials for ease of learning and better outcomes, it adds up very fast.

Can you partner with us to invest a small amount every month (even $10.00 goes a long way) or a one-time gift?  I hope you are following us on FACEBOOK @M1040, and see our posts on how the faces of children light up while they’re learning English and producing their masterpieces at the same time.

Thank you very much.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.  Check out our website, m1040ministriesinternational.com.

Blessings,

Richard and Julie

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are indeed grateful to our friends & family who have been part of this work here in Thailand and most especially to the Lord Almighty for guiding us!

Love,
M10:40 Ministries International

Our Art Classes are in full steam!

We’re teaching two groups of students. One in a Kindergarten School, I’m teaching ESL Art Integration & it’s been very effective.

The other group is in a village in Saimai. There’s a small library where kids go & we were asked by the administrator to teach, both teach English & Arts.

Thank you for all your support & more importantly, your prayers.

We were supposed to go back to WatMai Krathumlom Elementary School two months ago, but we were told that we can’t continue to teach anymore. We were heartbroken, we had so many plans for this school year.

While we’re still busy with our online classes, I keep on telling Richard, the Lord has a better plan for us, as in Jeremiah 29:11:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Today, we start teaching in a Kindergarten School less than a kilometer from our house. This school caters to low-income families, most of the students are not even wearing uniforms because they can’t afford to get one. But it’s indeed a joy to teach these kids because they are so attentive & the Thai teachers are very helpful! Our hearts are so full today!

Please continue to pray for us, that we will continue to do what we came here for, to share HIS LOVE & WORD!

Classes will start next week.

I’ve been praying for these kids even before I put together my lesson plans. After teaching them for one year, I know probably 30% by name. Very bad.. right? I’m trying.. I’m trying.. But what’s important is Jesus knows their names.

Please choose one name (I know these are difficult to pronounce) and help me pray that these kids would accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

Thank you for your support & prayers.

We Are Back!

We are back, after a 10-hour straight flight from Sydney. It was a very relaxing & fulfilling trip.

As you all know, our friend requested us to visit them because her husband has Stage 4 colon cancer & only God knows how fast this dreadful disease would progress.

Praise God! Freddy’s hope & joy with the Lord is so evident & to see this every day is such a great testimony.

We had a scare in our second week, we have to rush him to ER because he has a fever, and his markers are up. He needed to be confined overnight which was very difficult for him, but he came home the next day stronger.

We helped in every way we could, doing house chores & encouraging everyone. But it didn’t stop us to walk on the beach almost every day before everyone gets up.

Watching the sunrise on Bombo beach is God’s way of telling us “I LOVE YOU”.

Thank you for your prayers & support!

We just came back from our 5-week vacation.  The word which is always resonating was RELATIONSHIP during this time.

Our big family of 6 was in one place after 27 years. We celebrated again our 25 years of marriage!

But the LORD gave me the best one on our last day in Davao, our last destination. There was a tribal woman selling goods at the entrance of the Philippine Eagle Center, I approached her & bought a few souvenirs, before leaving I asked her which tribe she belongs, and she said “Matigsalog”.

25 years ago I joined a Medical Mission Team to minister to them. Back then they were still considered an unreached people group. Now, she said there is a Christian church in that remote area of Kadayawan Village, 6 hours by foot back then.

ALLELUIA!

We are preparing to go to the border again to conduct a 4-day art workshop for the Myanmar kids.

Please pray for us…for safe travels, our health & most of all that we’ll bring the name of Jesus wherever we go!

Our ongoing goal is to know all the teachers at Wat Mai Krathumlom. It’s quite a challenge because only a couple can speak a little bit of English.

Last week was Mother’s Day so we gave all the female teachers & staff (all 12 of them) a small bag of our favorite chocolates, with a hand-painted card. That did the trick, most of them tried to talk to us & expressed their “thank you”.

PTL!