Easter 2020

                          

        Wishing you all a happy and meaningful Easter 2020.

Easter 2020 is indeed a very different Easter. Here in Ubon-Pakse we are not suffering due to sickness in Corona, but many are suffering due to no unemplyment. Many shops, restaurants, transports plus other places of work are more or less closed.

As the children are suffering the most, Child Safe is continuing to work slowly and carefully.

As adults are seeking peace with God, Streams of Grace Church is now working both inside the church and also visiting the homes. And we are sending Facebook Live. 

Ajarn Jeet made today a very special Easter decoration.

God Bless Ingvar(Fred) and Anna

Closed and open

Many matters in the communities are under the Law and many matters are to be handled with care, according to recommendations and with responsibility. We need the Law for many things, but we need also God`s Love and Grace from our hearts. Jesus power with Agape love and Grace... is stronger.

The Church with it`s Mission is both under the Law and under GRACE. We are now here in Ubon-Pakse carefully having the work open, but closed for bigger crowds. Working more with individuals and smaller groups. 

Today we hade a good Church service in Streams of Grace with a few that came and with Facebook Live.  Klick on the blue....and receive many blessings from Numbers 16:41-50.

                           

                                 

                                

Today during the worship God spoke about: Sing unto the Lord a new song.... even these days. Many now need a big portion of encouragments. God of all comfort. 

Ingvar (Fred) 

Now is the time to......

Now, is the time for The Church with its Mission to raise up and shine more than ever. We have over the years seen that during catastrophes, more people are coming to Jesus.

We have had a good weekend here in Ubon. Several came to the Streams of Grace Church during Fri-Sat-Sun with a growing hunger. Many are now unemployed without any unemployment benifits or social help. Our Ubon Music Cafe for teens in the risk zone will now increase opening hours per day.

Now is school summer holiday 2½ month and ….. many are struggling in their homes.  

                         

Now we have a BIG task. People feel helpless, they seek peace with God, they want to experience a spiritual peaceful home and LIFE where there is a real security and true Father and Mother love.                                             

Yes now more than ever, The Church with its Mission can show that God's AGAPE love is in working also in times of catastophe. Ingvar (Fred)

                              
                                                                               

Today very happy

                           

Today I became very very happy. Jho (he has another name) come to The Ubon Music Cafe/Church. He is living in a dangerous situation. One of the main reason for us to start The Ubon Music Cafe is to help children/teens like him. 

Ubon has many teenagers who are talented but they are testing everything and staying up the whole night often out on MC and …. making a lot of noise. But in the morning they are tired and don`t go to school. So after some time they drop out of school. It is hard to find out what makes them HIGH. I am asking people and they say: It is not alcohol. It is not drugs. It is medicine. They don’t look like they are alcoholic or drug addicts but are very confident and become very loud.

There are 3 steps to help

1. We do direct Prevention. We mentor them and guide them.

2. We do direct Rescue and rehabilitation.

3. We Encourage friends and relatives not to Give up on them but to do what they can do and … help others to spread awarness that helps others to help other.....

We cannot step into every situation and do the work but people are coming to us, being transformed and with a new hope they can help others around them.

Our prayer is that many will come in but ..... even if they dont they still will be encouraged to follow Jesus.. out there.   Fred

His Peace stronger.

We are doing well and have both concern and trust. We are here in Ubon-Pakse and are not afraid of being infected by the Corona virus, but because tourism and trade are now falling in other parts of Thailand and Asia, people from Isaan and Laos are now losing their jobs and must return home, unemployed. It is obvious to us that people have less money to spend. And unfortunately, many teenagers are now forced to quit school and take bad jobs.

When Ove Anbäcken worked with us in Chiang Mai, he often refered to Learning Experiences. (= my Testimony). He really had an attitude of not only counting on knowledge and facts but also our Learning Experiences. And that attitude blessed us also. We have over the years received many testimonies of how God helped us. With God's help we have come-through-stronger.

We are Equipped to Equip. We follow Jesus so people can follow JESUS. Let us live in:

         Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, 

                            to which also you were called in one body; 

                            and be thankful.

  

One fact is that when life is tough – people are seeking the spiritual in a greater way. We have now therefore the opportunity to present JESUS ​​and testify of what He has done and are doing in us. No one can take away from me my Learning Experience. Worry is an active factor, but God's peace is stronger…. and His Peace can reign in our hearts also today.

Inspiration from a grandfather

My prayer is that I can, in a small and humble way, encourage and inspire you. When I was a teenager and also in my 20^th I was greatly blessed by many elderly believers and ministers that spoke their experience and blessings into my life. I have 4 points for you:     

Look to JESUS … in problems and in blessings. Yes ”He walks with you and talks with you….” He is Emmanuel with you always.

Go for Pioneer work … the whole life. Many places are still waiting for the Gospel. It is believed that even now more than 90% of Mission initiatives goes into “reached” areas. It is easier to go to “reached” areas, build institution and …. train others to go out.

Plant new Churches. The mandate of reaching out in Missions is from the local Church. Churches can plant Churches. Offices can establish offices. To plant new Churches here in Isaan is…. a hard work. We need to help each other from many Churches in different kinds of Fellowships and Networks, so many new Churches are planted in unreached area like here.

Don`t give up …. at 60. Use your “Learning Experiences” and capacities to bless many…. even the young people. The World today needs more Spiritual Parents than ever. 

Greetings from a grandfather Ingvar (Fred)

Hands

Yesterday we had a Pastors Prayer Meeting here in Ubon. After a time of worship Geang said: "Let`s have 2-3 people sharing some Thanksgiving reports".

My first thought was: But here are so many problems, so many Prayer requests. 

3 pictures came before me:

1. One hand ….. full of problems

 




2. One hand ….. full of Blessings 

3. They came together     

This spoke to me:

First view: We are coming with all the problems. JESUS HELP US.

But in midst of problem we choose to praise and choose to thank JESUS. Not as an escape from reallity, but becase this is the reallity.

He is the only one who can turn the mourning into blessings. 

Thank you Jesus: I am learning to trust in you. I am becoming stronger. I am Thanking you with my both hands. 

So I can put the problems and the blessings together and I will find that …. the blessing is stronger. Much STRONGER. 

Yes, that’s the truth today even here in Ubon-Pakse. Ingvar (Fred)