SPOTLIGHT ON MISSIONS: Siripong & Jessie Yaebeang • Thailand

• Preaching Trip — I recently had the privilege of preaching at a church camp. It was a three-day event, and almost 100 people were there. The topic assigned to me, and the event’s theme, was a “Fruitful Life.” I taught different topics four times, for almost an hour each time. After much thought and prayer, I taught on the Parable of the Sower from Mark 4. We spent time studying each of the four soils/hearts in detail.

After each session, they separated into groups and spent another 30 minutes discussing/reflecting on what they had just learned. I got to talk to several attendees and hear how the Word was ministering to their hearts and minds. Meditating on and teaching this parable and fellowship with the people there was a blessing. Jessie and the boys also joined me on this trip.

Please pray that the Word of God will continue to work in the hearts of those people.

• Same-Sex Marriage Legalized — We are sad to let you know that Thailand has officially legalized same-sex marriage, and the law will go into effect in about three months. Thailand is the third country in Asia that has legalized same-sex marriage. I knew it would happen one day, but I never thought it would be this fast.

The Thai government (led by the prime minister) hosted a huge event on the day this law was legalized to celebrate this “victory” and recognize the LGBTSQ+ in Thailand. A week or so before this law passed, I took one Sunday to address this topic with our people regarding “What the Bible teaches about homosexuality.” Please pray for us, Thai churches and pastors here, that we will stand firm in God’s law, not man’s.

• Update on Preaching Seminar in October — Registration for our preaching seminar in October has already been closed! We are thrilled to inform you that about 30 men from different parts of Thailand have registered to attend the seminar! This is an ideal number and what we prayed for! We have about three months until the event and so many things to do to get ready, and we ask you to pray for this matter. Please pray that the Lord will provide what we need to host and bless these men. Also, please pray as I prepare the lessons to teach all the sessions during those three days.

• Thai Expositor Ministries’ First Interns — Something I’ve been hoping to do is to have some interns. We are excited to let you know about our first two interns under the Thai Expositor Ministries. Below is a little bit about both of these men:

Mr. Ouan — We mentioned Ouan to you before. He got to preach another time recently, and what made this time different was that it was the first time he preached, and I wasn’t there at church! He’s been helpful at church in several ways. He kept expressing his interest in learning more about pastoral ministry. So, Lord willing, he might be the first intern starting next month. I’m excited to see how God will use him in and through the internship.

Mr. Tao — Tao is a member of our church and one of the guys I meet regularly with each week. He’s been helping the church and me with several tasks. For example, everything on our YouTube and Facebook page in 2024 has come from his work! He is gifted in several areas, especially in media/technology. I wanted him to help officially, and his job is flexible enough for him to be able to help. So, I asked him if he would consider working for/with me one to two days a week. He said, “Yes!” His responsibilities include shooting/posting videos, managing our YouTube/FB, proofreading my writing, helping organize the preaching seminar, administration stuff, etc. He’s been very helpful already.

As you can see, while the first intern is focusing more on pastoral ministry, the other intern is more on assisting our ministry in general. Please pray for these two men. (By “intern,” I mean we help them financially each week/month to free them up from their regular job, so they can devote their time to the internship. If you would like to know more about this, please feel free to contact me.)

• Jay & Pae —Jay, Pae and their son, PJ used to attend our church a few years ago, but since their son was born and they moved to a further location, they decided to stop coming to our church, hoping to find a church close to their home. However, I saw them recently, and they told me about how they’ve been struggling to find a church nearby that teaches the Bible. Though it’s a little far away (25 miles/40-minute drive), they wanted to return to our church again. He also previously helped us lead singing. They will visit our church, and when/if they decide to stay, they will go through the membership process. Please pray for them and us as we walk with them through this time.

• Visiting with Pastors — Two pastors from Northeast Thailand came through town and stayed with someone we know, so they invited my family and me for dinner. Getting to know them, spending time together and praying for one another was great. As we were talking, I was excited to find out that they will also be coming to the preaching seminar in October! One said he believed he was the first to register for the seminar! We gave them one of my books, and I look forward to seeing them again in October.

• Men & Women Group Sunday — Since we don’t have a lot of people, for a long time, we had a combined Sunday School hour for everyone. However, one disadvantage is that not everyone is comfortable sharing in a bigger group, and there’s not enough time for everyone to share, so, in the past few months, we have tried to divide into two groups — men and women. Everyone has been enjoying it and wants to continue! Several advantages/blessings of having a group like this include:

• Since it’s a smaller group, people tend to want to discuss in this setting.

• It provides opportunities to get to know and pray for one another and

• It’s a way for the members to serve one another and raise up leaders. Each week, several of them are rotating leading the group.

Please pray as these two groups meet every Sunday morning, learning and growing together.

Praise & Prayers

• It is certainly still hard for my family and me concerning my father’s passing. However, we praise God because we can tell He is helping us. Thanks for your prayers.

• We praise God that the registration for the preaching seminar went well, and we reached the number we were hoping for.

• We praise God for the opportunity to preach at a church camp and that it went well.

• We praise God for the new people we met and ministered to this past month.

• Please pray for all the people who heard the preaching at the church camp that the Word will continue to take root in their hearts.

• Please pray for me as I prepare lessons for the preaching seminar, and the Lord will provide all we need.

• Please pray for Jessie and the big boys as they are working hard to finish up their lessons for this school year — two more weeks left!

• Please pray as I continue to write the book on the Parables of Jesus.

• Please pray for our first two interns.

• Please pray for several attendees at our church who either haven’t committed their lives to Christ or aren’t serious about becoming members yet.

• Please pray that our members (especially the core group of men) will grow in the Lord in all aspects.

• Please pray as we continue looking for a building for our church.

• Please pray for strength, wisdom, boldness and humility as I continue to lead my family, shepherd the church, prepare and preach the Word, write, share the gospel, train men, etc.)

Thank you for reading our updates, praying for us and supporting us. We thank God for all of you!