Dear family and friends,
It been a week since we returned to Chiang Mai, Thailand, and we wanted to provide a quick update on how we’ve been 🙂
So many thoughts and emotions have been running over us in the past month due to various unexpected situations. We hope to share more reflections along the way as we sit with God and process all that’s been going on. In the meantime, we really wanted to give thanks and ask for your continued prayers for the weeks ahead.
Closing a Chapter
We are extremely thankful to God for each of you and the overwhelming support we’ve received. Many of you have prayed with and for us, given to us, and sent us your blessings 💛
J+D Living Home Cafe
In our last newsletter, we invited you, our family and friends, to our home cafe. Over 2 days (8-9 Nov), 50+ people gathered in our little home. Beyond the food and drinks and flea market, we are especially thankful for the meaningful time and conversations we shared.
We’ve always enjoyed offering hospitality and making space for people. Being able to bring together the people closest to us this time round is the greatest celebration of the space that God has gifted us with over the last few years. Thank you for joining us!
Praise be to God, we also managed to raise the funds needed and more, thanks to your generosity!
Being Sent Out
Thinking back to how we went out on our own in 2019 to explore missions, we experienced a much fuller sense of being supported and sent out by the body of Christ this time round.
And we were very blessed indeed to experience this multiple times in the last few weeks—from an intimate gathering of close friends to being prayed for at our local church service, and finally saying our farewells at Changi Airport.
We can be confident that we’re not going out and doing this in our own strength, but through Christ—and his body—who lives in us. We are especially thankful to our church community and brothers and sisters in Christ who have journeyed with us through these years.
(Re)opening a New Chapter
While our return to Chiang Mai this time round was filled with some trepidation, the familiarity of both place and people here has given us comfort and is helping us to settle in well. We thank God for our pastors and friends who welcomed us back at the airport and others whom we are looking forward to reconnecting with as well.
Our first day back was spent unpacking, worshipping and praying as a couple in the comfort of our friends’ home, and joining a pickleball session with BDR’s staff. It was wonderful to be able to catch up with young people whom we’ve taught and seeing how they continue to follow God and serve him in different ways.
Settling In
We’re also filled with gratitude for our Singaporean missionary friends here in Chiang Mai, who have “adopted” us in their lovely home for the next 2-3 months as we find our own house. They’ve been a tangible extension of God’s love and grace to us during this tiring period, giving us guidance on local affairs, providing space for us, lending us their car, and even bringing us out for a picnic at a beautiful local park.
Reconnecting
What really gave us a sense of returning to our second home here was when we went to church on Sunday. We attended service at Nong Yaeng Methodist Church, where we will likely be continuing to serve at in the near future. After service, we had the chance to reconnect with the pastors over lunch, to listen to their challenges and needs, and to pray over them. In that moment, it truly felt like God was welcoming us back to His house in Chiang Mai.
We also dropped by Shineforth Methodist Church, where we used to serve at back in 2019-2020, and caught up with the pastors and members there too.
God knows our need for community, and He provides!
Pray with Us
Missions Trip
A team of 14 from our home church, SKMC, will be arriving in Chiang Mai this Thursday, 27 Nov. Most of them are new to missions and the Thai field. We will be serving together at Nong Yaeng Methodist Church in the city and Maephaphai Methodist Church up in the mountains till 4 Dec, participating in children and youth ministry, home visits to the sick and elderly, and community outreach activities. We are excited to see the movement and power of God through our humble efforts. Please pray for divine presence and protection over the team, as well as open hearts and ears for the team and the Thais whom we will meet.
Personal Retreat
Before the team arrives, we will be heading to the mountains for a couple of days to rest and be with Jesus. We know we need it so deeply because of all that’s happened over the past month. Do keep us in prayer as we lie down in green pastures and sit beside still waters, drinking from the well of living water. Pray also that we will be recharged for the weeks ahead of hosting the missions team & our friends, as well as the Christmas activities and admin matters we need to settle thereafter.
Partners in Christ,
แดน + แจน
(Dan + Jan)
