Saturday, January 31, 2009

The invitations has been sent

On Valentine´s Day we are arranging the party: "Celebrate Marriage". Now these invitations has been sent out and we expect around 15 couples to come. Every couple invited are precious friends that we have got to know in this city. Our prayer is that they will be encouraged to build great marriages and inspired to find out more of God´s principles of how to do that.

We've got a great deal with an award-winning (and very exclusive) Italian restaurant and the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit has promised all the married couples who wants to a complimentary hotel room! We really sense God´s favor when we are preparing this. At the same time we experience that we are in a war when we deal with something so important. The Bible teaches all of us to hold every marriage high. So please stand in prayer for this party and all these marriages and families represented.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

A two year old miracle

I thought my wife was just about to give birth when the midwife yelled to the nurse to press the alarm button. The midwife jumped up on the bead and pushed back the baby. The naval cord had come first. Within a minute my wife was rolled into a room where I could not follow, she was knocked by the anesthetic and surrounded by doctors. I was left in the corridor, put my hands on the wall and started praying desperately for my wife and child. I knew the situation was serious but also sensed holy faith rise up within me. A worried nurse told me to sit down. After a few minutes we heard a baby cry. "Oh, your child is alive..." said the nurse with a smile. But her facial expression changed as we both realized it was from another room.

A doctor came running with Jonathan´s lifeless body, they put him on a small bed and started to give heart massage and oxygen. I grabbed my son´s hand and prayed aloud that my son would live and be a strong and healthy boy. The levels were not good at the start but I knew God´s life giving breath was coming into his body. After a few minutes things were looking better and then he peed on the nurse...

Every child is a miracle. We have four. Today is our youngest son´s birthday. He had a miraculous start and today he is a healthy and strong boy. Last night he told me he wanted "brumbrum and namnam" (cars and candies/cookies/goodies) for his birthday. And so far he has not let go of his new car this day.

Yes, I am a very proud father of this miracle boy and a very proud husband of my super-wife.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Friends in high places

This year is going to be special. On Sunday there is gubernatorial election here in Bangkok.

This weekend we went to Chatuchak-market. As we sat down and had a cup of coffee one of the candidates walked by. Waving, smiling and picking up small kids and being photographed. There was a big team of people walking around him handing out flyers. He took a brake and sat down at the same coffee shop, the table next to us. We exchanged a few sentences (in Thai that is, he probably knows English better than I do, but I didn´t think about that). I (Daniel) told him I am a pastor and that I pray for this city every day and that I would gladly pray for him as well. We then exchanged business cards. Please pray for him and the elections on Sunday.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

New beginnings

This is our city. This is our slogan. This is the first day of this year. This is our first blogpost in english (it might not be the best grammar or spelling... please send us corrections).

This is the view we woke up to this morning. Last night we found a "last minute deal" on a hotel downtown so we could get a good view of the fireworks and the celebrations. We actually managed to keep all our kids awake until midnight (four kids under the age of eight) and they all got up to enjoy a great hotel breakfast. What a great start of 2009!

We love this picture of Bangkok. It speaks of the new face and the new phase of missions among the unreached. (We´ll be back on that subject.) It speaks about the masses in Asia and its mega cities. It also speaks about a new season in this part of the world. A harvest season. The lovely Thai people is among the least reached people groups of the world. But there is something on the horizon. The power of darkness is losing its grip, "the sun of righteousness will rise".

Trust God for your best year ever. We do. We are expecting many people to come to the Lord this year in this city. We are expecting a church, LifeCenter Bangkok, to be born this year.
Please stay tuned, we need your prayers.