News from Huai Khu Baptist Church, Chiang Rai Province

Please pray for the Huai Khu Baptist Church

Huai Khu Baptist Church has an opportunity to purchase property and two buildings (church building and house) from Huai Khu CMA Church for about $3500.

The church building is a brick structure, has a concrete floor and will accommodate 100 people. There is also a house, water system, and a playground area. The property is only 200 meters from the current location. This is a wonderful opportunity, but they don't have $3500.

The current building of the Huai Khu Baptist Church has been very badly damaged by termites. It is made from bamboo, evidently a favorite food of Thai termites. It has a dirt floor.

One of the pictures above is of the current property before the bamboo building was built. Pictured are Xeng Lor, Pastor; his wife Xai; and Shirley and me.

Xeng and Xai harvested the bamboo for the current building from the forest and stripped it. This was no minor task. In one of the pictures from inside the church, you can see that stripping the bamboo was an awful job.

The building was then built with the help of members and they were able to buy enough metal for a roof.

Xeng and Xai are wonderful Christians and have dedicated their lives to Jesus. Xeng works with several other villages teaching the Bible, Conducting Discipleship Development Classes, Teaching Hmong Literacy, visiting the sick in the villages and visiting Hmong in the Chiang Rai jail.

He does all his traveling through Chiang Rai Province on a motor bike which Salem Baptist Church, Mc Donough, GA bought a few years ago. The bike is now in need of some major repairs. Before he got the bike, Xai and Xeng would walk over 20 kilometers (steep mountain roads and paths) to tell people about Jesus. Also, you will see a picture of the family.

Shirley and I first came to Huai Khu in 2000 with a medical team from First Baptist Church, Woodstock, GA, directed by Dr. John Gibson. We had four Hmong on the team from GA and after just two days in this village more than 20 people were baptized.

We have returned to Huai Khu many times and have seen first hand the work that God is doing through HIM Leader and the Lor's. Scores of people have been baptized since our first visit. The church is growing and God has used Xeng and Xai to be His faithful leaders.

Please pray for the Lor's and Huai Khu Baptist Church!

If you would like to help Huai Khu Baptist Church buy this property,
please send your donation to: Hmong International Ministries, Inc., 3867 Airline Road, Mc Donough, GA 30252-4013

Hmong International Ministries, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.

Francis D. Keck, CEO/President

Report from Thailand-It is an Awesome God We Serve

We just received AWESOME news from Thailand that only the Holy Spirit could have caused.

I cannot share the details, but this is something we have prayed about for over three years.

WHAT AN AWESOME GOD WE SERVE!!!!!

HIM Leader Report-Education Ministry

The Education Ministry covers many areas of opportunity: Villages, Border, Dorms, etc.


Dear Fran and all,

To keep you up dated on Education Ministry in Nan City, Nan Province. Today is a blessed day for students in Nan City Dorm. There is a total of 12 students in this dorm and 7 graduated from High School. Many parents attended the graduation party. I have been teaching Bible and Hmong Literacy Classes for sometime at this dorm.

As I have mentioned to you, we have tried to make programs available to reach Hmong College and High School students. I am sure that God is using us to reach Hmong people and perhaps God has touched many hearts through the program.

We have a vision to reach many Hmong animistic people by 2010. Please pray for us and the people we are ministering to.

In Christ,

HIM Leader

My Friend Mack Riggs Has Cancer

Please join me in supporting Mack Riggs' prayer team during his treatment for prostate cancer.

I received the following E-mail from him today.

Mack Riggs, mackriggs@earthlink.net


Hello,

I am putting together a prayer team for support during my treatment for prostate cancer. The fact that I have been diagnosed with cancer is the bad news. The good news is that it is early stage cancer with a high probability for a complete cure.

Several good options are available for the treatment of early stage prostate cancer. After extensive research into treatment options, I have chosen proton beam therapy due to its excellent cure rate and its low risk of short and long-term side effects. No surgery for me. The closest Proton Treatment Center is in Jacksonville and I will be receiving 5 treatments per week for about 8 weeks - beginning in about a month. I praise God for identifying the cancer early and for guiding us to the University of Florida Proton Treatment Institute (UFPTI) in Jacksonville for the best treatment possible for my situation.

Respond by email if you would like to be on my prayer support team. I plan to send out 2 or 3 email updates per month along with a couple of key prayer needs. I lost my email address book during a recent hard drive crash, so feel free to forward this if you know of someone else who might be interested.

Current prayer needs are (1) for good results during 3 days of additional tests and preparation on March 10-12 at UFPTI, and (2) that we find God's choice of a place to stay in Jax during the 2 months of treatment.

One more thing - if you are an adult male living in the USA you should gain a fundamental knowledge of prostate cancer as you have a 1 in 6 chance of getting it during your life time, and that risk is on the increase. Those with a history of prostate cancer in the family have risks of 33% to 90% depending on the number of close relatives with prostate cancer. But be encouraged, early detection on the cancer is easily done during annual physicals, and like I said, the chances of a complete cure of early stage cancer is very good, through a variety of treatment options. (Surgery is no longer the best option for many men - although your urologist will probably recommend surgery since that is his speciality.) And for you younger men, a pill for prostate cancer is under development. For those who are interested, I have prepared a little more info for you on the attachment, including links to appropriate web sites.

I wish I had done this kind of preparation years ago as I could have caught my cancer even earlier. Call me if you wish to talk more about early detection and treatment options.

I hope you will join our prayer team for the next few months, but I understand if you are led otherwise. I want the choice of the team members to be a God thing.

Blessings in Christ Jesus,
Mack

HIM Leader Report-Coffee Ministry and Border Ministry

HIM Leader has been spending a great deal of time with two ministries: The Border Ministry and the Coffee Ministry.

The group picture on the right is a Coffee Ministry meeting with shaman and village leaders. Through this ministry, HIM Leader is able to set-up future meetings with villagers for Bible Study, Hmong Literacy, Community Development, and sharing the Gospel.

HIM Leader has been meeting Hmong from Laos on the border. Sometimes the people have been able to attend meetings with Thai Hmong groups.

Below is a recent report of a border meeting:

To keep you up dated on border ministry today. We met with several Hmong people there and have shared the Gospel, testimonies and gave them tracks and Bible stories. Several people were interested in the Gospel and they asked for us to be back to share them more next weekend. It is risky for us and for them also.

These people were in bondage of the evil spirits for a long time. They want to get rid of the spirits (ancestors). Please pray for them and us.

In Christ,

HIM Leader

HIM Leader Report: Xeng and Bangyat's Feb. Report

Monthly Report from Xeng Lor and Bangyat Her-Sent by HIM Leader

Dear Fran

Just to report you regard to Banyat and Xeng's activities during February-08 as the following

From Xeng Lor:

1. He brought a family of 6 people into saving faith in Jesus Christ
2. He shared the Gospel and testimonies to 41 people ( 4 village)
3. Preaching and leading worship services in his church
4. Visitation to members who were sick and prayed for them
5. Follow up prospects and have Bible studies and pray for them in villages
6. Maintain relationship with key persons on villages

Conclusion: Hmong Ministry is progressing. God touched many people's hearts and saved many people through Hmong International Ministries. Please pray for Xeng and his family and the people of Chiang Rai province.

From Banyat:

1. He brought 1 people into saving faith in Jesus Christ in Ban Nam Tuang last week
2. Bible studies and lead fellowship services in 4 villages
3. Follow up prospects and have Bible studies and pray for them
4. Sharing the Gospel to 10 Lua people on "Hill"
5. Coffee Ministry in his village and still coordinated closely with NTBC

Conclusion: Hmong Ministry is still progressing. Without your support many Hmong and Lua believers will be isolated. They needed Bible training for significant Spiritual grow.

In Christ

From Banyat Her and Xeng Lor

HIM Leader's Monthly Report

Monthly Report from HIM Leader:

To report you regarding Hmong Ministry of Northern Thailand as the following detail:

1. 9 new believers and baptized 1 member
2. Bible studies in 5 church groups
3. Bible studies, teaching Hmong literacy, English classes in 3 dorms
4. Conducted Coffee Ministry in Ban Song Khwae, Nan, I believe that God touched shaman's and leader's hearts and will bring them to know God
5. Follow up prospects on Phuchifa, Chiang Rai and ChiangKham District, Phayao. God is working among Hmong people and will encounter their lives soon
6. Attended International Convention Of Faith Ministries in Chiang Mai, 5 days: Power to Serve
7. Coordinated closely with Hmong denomination churches
8. Expansion: We have tried to expand Hmong Ministry to Hmong of Laos on border

Summary of work of Hmong Ministry is still in progressing. God touched many people's lives and saving many souls through Hmong International Ministries. Without your support many people won't have chance to know the True Living God. Please pray for us and the people we are ministering to.

In Christ,

HIM Leader