The Lord’s promise that his Word will not return to him empty (Isaiah 55:11) has been proven to be true once again when eight young people believed and were baptized on March 14, and a couple on April 11. Seven were from Roong Aroon Children’s Home: Somchai (Noi) Wiangkham, Sunarin (Rin) Paopa, Sunida (Nit) Doseng, Supinda (Miew) Wongsampankiri, Pisamai (Phung) Paopa, Yia Saelo, Netrapa (Peng) Rakwong, and Anong (Kai) Saete, a friend of one of the children from the Children’s Home.

The couple, Wirayuth and Nonim Jeraponthewi, is regular attendees at Dawn of Life Christian Church. Please pray for them that they will grow in the faith and be victorious in their walk with the Lord.

CHILDREN’S HOME CAMP

On March 12-14, 2004, Roong Aroon Children’s Home held its first camp, titled “Learning for Service”, with 50 people in attendance. Some of the children were from the same school where our young people attend. Hannah and six youth from Dawn of Life Christian Church worked together and did most of the preparations for this camp, acted as big brothers and sisters, and led the programs; the adults of the church taught the workshops. The programs consisted of messages, testimonies, workshops, games, and singing. During this camp the eight young people who got baptized confessed Jesus as their personal Savior.

FOUNDATION APPROVED

Many of you have prayed for the establishment of a foundation in Thailand. We are pleased to announce that the Ministry of Culture of the Thai government has approved our application on March 9 after three years of waiting patiently. The name of the foundation in Thai is: “Pleo Chiwit Foundation”, in English “S.A.L.T. Ministries Foundation”. The objectives of the foundation are the same as SALT Ministries Inc: evangelism, church planting, development, education, benevolence, and leadership training. With its legal entity in place, SALT Ministries can now own properties.

GOOD FRIDAY & EASTER COMMEMORATED

The Good Friday and Easter services held at Dawn of Life Christian Church were blessings to each one. During the all night vigil and prayer time on Friday evening, seven people gave devotional messages: the Delos Santoses (Virgilio, Esther, James, Nerissa, and Hannah), Prathom Takiew, and Jonglak Yingcharoen. We prayed for evangelism and churches in Chiangmai, Maekajan, Baan Haen, and Omkoi; for the newly approved foundation and its various ministries, for church leaders, for the 3rd national convention of the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ to be held on October 21-24, for our coworkers, for the Roong Aroon Children’s Home, for the Day Care Center, and for our prayer partners. As the dawn was breaking, we were saying our last prayer.

On Easter service, Acharn Prathom preached on the hope of resurrection. “Because Christ himself has risen from the dead,” he said. “So we who are in Christ will also be raised from the dead to share with his glory”. James de los Santos led the singing with Nerrie in the praise team, Esther in the keyboard, and Hannah playing the drums.

After the service, we went to a man-made lake and there Virgilio baptized Wirayuth & Nonim Jeraponthewi.

A YOUNG MAN TO GO TO A BIBLE SCHOOL

Mr. Worawoth Katkeo (Eiw) is one of the active young people of Dawn of Life Christian Church. Virgilio baptized him in October 1999. Since then he has served as president of the young people and other roles. He felt the call of God to serve Him full time in the ministry, so we encouraged him to study at Lanna Christian College here in Chiangmai. He will start pursuing his Biblical education in May through the sponsorship of SALT Ministries. Please pray that he will endure the four-year program. Meanshile, Miss Bantitha Wiangkham, another youth SALT Ministries is sponsoring, is in her last year of Bible training, also at Lanna Christian College. She has already been serving Dawn of Life Christian Church as teacher for the children and secretary of youth group.

HANNAH TO GRADUATE IN JANUARY 2005

We are so thankful to the Lord and to all of you who helped Hannah go to college. She has finished her four-year education at Assumption University in Bangkok. She will be graduating in January 2005 with a degree in Communication Arts Advertising. On April 8, we went down to pick her up in Bangkok, stayed for few days and returned to Chiangmai shortly before Good Friday and Easter services. We also took with us Phanni Katkeo to visit her second son whom she has not seen for months. She wanted him to go back to Chiangmai to serve at Dawn of Life Christian Church.

Hannah will be involved in the ministries of SALT especially at Dawn of Life Christian Church and Roong Aroon Children’s Home as a teacher for the children, musician (she plays drums and guitar), praise team singer, leader and treasurer of the young people, and tutor in English. She has also been given the responsibility of doing all the print layouts for the upcoming COC convention in October, which includes the poster, handouts, convention booklet, and screen presentations. Thank God that she has been able to use what’s she’s learned in university in her service for the Lord. She is planning to go to a Bible school also at Lanna Christian Colleg to prepare herself for the ministry more effectively. She once had plans to do Bible School in either the Philippines or the States, but after prayer and consideration she feels that God wants her to study Bible school here in Thailand and in the Thai language since she will be working with the Thai people.

ESTHER TURNS 60

We all get older (and wiser) each year. Esther turned 60 on April 4. We praise the Lord for her dedicated ministry in Thailand for the past 30 years. Please pray that the Lord will bless her with many more years in the service.

MOUNTAINEOUS LAND LEVELED

Our Omkoi brethren have their church property leveled in preparation to building their house of worship. On April 15, Virgilio, Esther, Prathom Takiew and his wife Kasamon went to see the leveled land and to talk to a contractor. It was unfortunate that preacher Chan, however persistent, was not able to get the contractor to meet with us. The reason was that April 15 was the biggest day on the Thai New Year.
Towards the end of April, rain showers start to come which signals the rainy season. This means that it will be impossible to build this time because the trucks won’t be able to transport construction materials. The roads to this village are muddy and slippery when wet. It has been been decided then to build the house of worship after the rainy season to have the land settled.

THE “BIG SISTER” GETS MARRIED

On April 23, part of the Children’s Home committee rented a van and traveled to Nan province for seven hours to participate in the preparation of a wedding. Siriwan, the “big sister” at the Children’s Home and also Christian education assistant, was to marry Wichian, a Hmong tribe preacher, on April 24. Our team left Chiangmai at nine thirty in the morning and arrived in Nan at four thirty pm. We brought with us some flowers to be used for bridal and bridesmaid bouquets and for church decors. The afternoon sun almost dried up the flowers, but by evening they were revived. Our team was in charge in decorating the church building but didn’t get to work until eleven p.m. During the process, we had to look for some foliage and we finally finished at two in the morning. At four thirty in the morning, Hannah had to drive Siriwan to town to get her hair, makeup and dress on. By nine a.m., everything and everybody were ready.

The village church building was decorated with white and pink flowers; the parents of the bride and groom were regal in their attires but the bride out did them all. She was so radiant, and the beauty of Christ exuded from within her and people were in awe. The ceremony was so meaningful that every body was all ears. James played the keyboard, then he and Hannah sang a special. Esther took care of the entrances of both the groom and bridal entourage.

Virgilio and Esther led special prayers for the couple. After lunch, our team headed for Chiangmai through the afternoon heat. We survived the travel through cold drinks and cold towels. It was quite an experience.

Let us close this letter with Apostle Paul’s admonition; “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9, NIV). We are always thankful for you prayers and financial assistance towards the work of the Lord in Thailand.

In Christ,

Virgilio & Esther de los Santos