Update from Bangkok

We have been in Bangkok for almost a month already. We thank God that He has provided the necessary funds to sustain us while we have been away from home. We are aching to get back to Phnom Penh, but we know that for this time we must be here.

Being in Bangkok has been a tremendous physical help to Linda. The apartment where we are staying is substantially cooler than our apartment in Phnom Penh. Part of that is due to the fact that it is a slightly cooler climate here; part is due to the fact that our apartment in Phnom Penh is adjacent to a tin roof that deflects the heat directly into our house, turning our living room into an oven of sorts. Living in Cambodia, we became accustomed to constantly sweating.



Not only has this cooler environment been a blessing, but the fact that Linda is able to actually rest has proven to be extremely beneficial for her wellbeing. Since I have no outside ministry engagements and no language school- two factors that keep me out of the house somewhat frequently in Phnom Penh- I am able to devote my energies to helping with the kids, thus giving Linda an opportunity she didn't always have in Cambodia- rest.

In addition to the cooler environment and the opportunity for physical rest, the doctors have prescribed a powerful medication to stop Linda's contractions. I believe that had we waited much longer in Cambodia, the baby would have been born prematurely. There have been several occasions here in Bangkok in which Linda's contractions were getting closer and closer together; but after taking the medication, within thirty minutes the contractions subsided. The doctor told Linda to continue taking the medication as needed until she reaches thirty-six weeks in the pregnancy. He said that at thirty-six weeks, he will be comfortable with allowing the contractions to cause Linda to go into labor. Thirty-six weeks is only three weeks away.

As we have been patiently waiting for the arrival of Emily Faith, God has opened several doors to give the Gospel. If you have read any of my previous updates, you know about the Khmer speaking people who work at our apartment. I have given all of them, including the non-Khmer speakers, Gospel tracts, and I have had small windows of opportunity to speak with our Khmer speaking friends about Christ. Even though they speak Khmer, the fact that we speak two different dialects of Khmer causes a difficulty in communication, especially when dealing in spiritual matters. Please pray that the tracts we have given them, the conversations we have had with them, and the love that we have displayed to them will be used in conjunction with the Holy Spirit to bring about conviction in their hearts.

Since we cannot speak with the Thai people about Christ, our only recourse is to give them Gospel literature. Last week, we rode about an hour away from our apartment to a Christian literature distribution company and purchased several hundred Gospel tracts in Thai. We have endeavored to give these tracts to every person we have come in contact with, and so far every one that has been offered a tract has received it.

When I am not tending to Elisabeth and Judson, I devote what energy I have left- which, after watching those two children, is usually not much- to reading helpful books like Disciplines of a Godly Man and The Pursuit of God. I also review my Khmer vocabulary and work on developing sermons. Please pray that as we continue to wait for Emily's birth we will remain useful in the Master's hands.