The pictures above and below are of our dear friend, Pastor S, which spent more than a year imprisoned, baptizing eleven new converts. He is a longtime friend and fellow-laborer. We, along with Dwight Tomlinson and Barnabas1040 have supported and prayed for him and his family for more than two years. He is a faithful servant of Christ who is overseeing more than a dozen house churches and travels the country teaching and training local church pastors and church leaders. We are grateful for many of you that have prayed for him and his family and have helped us to support them financially, especially while he was in jail.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR THIS PASTOR, HIS FAMILY, AND HIS MINISTRY TO CONTINUE TO BEAR FRUIT!

 
Getting Back to Normal

We are so excited! Things are finally beginning to open here in Southeast Asia. Thank you for praying for us these past two years. It has been a difficult two years, to say the least. The pictures below are of one of our churches in one of the villages. After four different lockdowns (including the last one for 27 weeks), they were finally able to have in-person services. Most of the folks have returned, but as you well know some are still sitting out with COVID concerns. Two weeks ago, they had five saved and baptized six. We are so grateful for KX and LX’s faithfulness and fruitfulness and for those of you that are praying for them regularly!

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR KX, LX, AND THIS DEAR CHURCH FAMILY AS THEY CONTINUE TO SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS OF CHRIST WHERE IT IS SO DESPERATELY NEEDED!

School of Ministry

Speaking of KX and LX not only are they doing a fantastic job with the church they started about five years ago, but after Denise and I left the country, and because of COVID restrictions were not allowed to return, they have done a wonderful job running our School of Ministry in the village. Praise the Lord, because we have dorms (houses) for the guys and the girls, we never really had to close the school down and classes have been going on four days a week for the entire time. I am so thankful that I have been able to continue instructing our students weekly online. Right now, I am teaching them on “Marriage and the Family,” a much-needed topic over here. They are loving it! I am so grateful for students that are not only gaining a head knowledge of the Bible but are taking what they learn to the harvest fields.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY KX, LX, AND FOR OUR SCHOOL OF MINISTRY IN THE VILLAGE!

Pastor K and Bible Students in the City

I am thankful for the opportunity to also continue to teach the other half of our students (we had to split them up in two separate locations when COVID hit), led by Pastor K. It is one of the highlights of my week, for sure. We are going through the Book of Ephesians and just so happen to have been stuck in Ephesians 5:21-6:4. Yes, “Marriage and the Family.”

Like our students in the village, Pastor K and these students are not only easy to teach, but they apply that which they have learned in the ministry, and they are ZEALOUS FOR SOULS! Just this past weekend they had six people trust Christ. Very seldom does a week pass that they do not have someone trust Christ. A new church that they started recently (a direct result of Operation Samaritan’s Compassion) is growing much.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR PASTOR K, HIS FAMILY, THE CHURCH FAMILY, AND THE BIBLE STUDENTS!
 
Back Together Again, finally!

As I mentioned above, things have opened here in most of Southeast Asia. Our church family, which had not met in-person for almost ten months is finally gathering in-person on Sundays. Can someone say, “Amen”? Of course, ten months of not meeting together in-person and with some still concerned about COVID, not everyone has returned, but we are just rejoicing that we can meet in person. On Sundays, I am preaching a series of messages on “A Kingdom-Minded People” from the Book of Matthew and on Wednesday’s I am teaching through the Book of Colossians. Unfortunately, our Wednesday Bible study is still on-line.

PLEASE PRAY THAT WE ARE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO GATHER TOGETHER AND THAT OUR NEW BUILDING GETS UP BEFORE LONG!

The New Children’s Ministry

Now that things are opening, we can slowly start to return to some semblance of normalcy. We have just started a new Children’s Ministry in one of the villages. Tom, Sue, Jui, Denise, and I are instructing the children and teens in English and using it as an opportunity to get to know the young people, build relationships with them, help them with their future, and have the opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus with them. We have about twenty-four young people attending, and I believe all but four (children/teens of our church members) are unbelievers.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THESE YOUNG PEOPLE TO COME TO CHRIST AND THIS MINISTRY TO BEAR FRUIT THAT REMAINS!
 
New “BUS” Route

As we mentioned in our previous update, we have a new Team Member. His name is Jui, and he is a graduate from our School of Ministry back in the Creative Access Nation where Denise and I lived and served until COVID locked us out. I also mentioned in our last update that Jui is fitting in extremely well and has been a huge blessing already. We are all so incredibly grateful that the Lord allowed Jui to join us!

Well, Jui has just become our second official “Bus” Captain. Brother Tom Sutrick has been a “Bus” Captain for years faithfully picking up children, teens, and adults from our village and bringing them to the services. Jui will be running a route from another village. Space is limited (we do not have a real bus), but it is going to be a blessing to see some new folks attending the services.

PLEASE PRAY FOR JUI AND THIS NEW MINISTRY!

Long Time Friends Return

This past Sunday we had a tremendous service. Because of a rainstorm both the night before and just prior to the service, we ended up meeting at Tom and Sue’s house. After the service, a handful of us went out for a time of food and fellowship.

Another blessing related to our new “bus” route, it was a blessing to have six new visitors, including two women and their husbands. The two women grew up in the village where our church family gathers. From what I understand, it had been at least a year since they had attended (partially because they live in another village thirty minutes away). It was truly a wonderful day!

PLEASE PRAY KIA AND LUE AND THEIR HUSBANDS TANG AND MO TO CONTINUE ATTENDING THE SERVICES!

Children’s Home

Denise, Jui, and I had the opportunity to once again go and minister at the Hilltop Rong Ber Baptist Children’s Home. It is always a blessing to spend a day or more with these young people. We had a Volleyball Tournament, various crazy games that Jui came up with, a pizza and ice cream party, and a service. During the service I challenged them to be thankful, to be prayerful, and to live lives of compassion. We sure do appreciate Brother Chris and his staff. They are doing a tremendous job loving these young people!

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR BROTHER CHRIS, THE STAFF, AND ALL OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE AT THE HILLTOP RONG BER BAPTIST CHILDREN’S HOME

 
My Teaching Schedule

I absolutely love preaching, teaching, and discipleship (whether it be one-on-one or in a small group format). And to be honest, I am doing a lot of it right now. I am discipling nine different men and a married couple. I am teaching two sets of Bible college students and doing a Married Couple’s Class, along with our Sunday morning and Wednesday evening services here in Chiang Khong. All that to say this, I could use much prayer in this matter.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE VARIOUS OPPORTUNITIES I HAVE TO SOW THE SEED AND THAT GOD WILL BRING A GREAT INCREASE!

Samaritan’s Compassion

While the COVID numbers are dropping and things are slowly getting back to “normal,” the needs are still all around us and we are grateful that we still have a handful of individuals and a couple of churches that have given generously over the past two months so that we can continue to be a blessing to the poor, the needy, and the helpless. Many dear folks have been fed, medicine and clothing provided, as well as some more construction work done for those in need, including an outdoor restroom for a church family.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR GOD TO PROVIDE THE FUNDS, TO KEEP THE FERVOR, AND FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BRING FORTH FRUIT FOR THE NATIONALS FROM THIS MINISTRY!
 
As always, Denise and I want to thank you for your friendship, your faithful prayers, and consistent financial support for these almost nine years that we have been on the field. We could not be here but by God’s grace and your generosity!

Your Missionaries in Southeast Asia,

Johnny and Denise Esposito