Pray for my November Trip to Thailand
Pray for uneventful travel. My trip there and back involves about 24 hours in airports and planes (in economy). I’ll also be heading halfway across northern Thailand – and back – by bus, and taking a few dozen trips by taxi, song tao and tuk-tuk. Pray also that if my plans are interrupted, I’ll be alert to any God-ordained interruptions.
Pray that I am able to get some good, useful photos during my time in Chiang Mai prior to the international meeting. With NTM exploring more urban options, as people groups are increasingly found in urban settings, such photos could be helpful in illustrating our work. Pray that I have patience in working toward the best framing and the best lighting for each shot. Pray that these photos encourage people to get involved in the work God is doing among unreached people.
Pray that the international meeting is encouraging and helpful for all involved. We’re bringing more than 160 people together from all across the globe for this. Pray that I can get a good handle on where things are going internationally; that I am articulate if I am asked for input; and that I can clearly convey what I learn to the rest of our team here. Pray that what I learn makes us more effective in helping people get involved in establishing a thriving church for every people.
Pray that my time among the Prai people is a blessing to the missionaries and believers there. Pray that the interviews with Prai believers are productive; that they are talkative and clear. Pray that I am able to get good photos to illustrate a future article on the work. Pray that I am able to find the story that wraps all the facts into a clear and compelling package for readers. Pray for patience and clarity of thought while taking photos here as well. Pray that God will use what I write and the photos I take to draw people into His goal of making disciples of all nations.
Download a PDF of these prayer requests: how-you-can-pray
Help Get Others Involved by Praying
Download the prayer requests in PDF form, print and share them with your small group, your church prayer group, your friends – anyone who will pray.
Encourage people to go to our blog and sign up for our newsletter so they get our updates and can pray along with us. Or ask to sign them up yourself – get their email address and put it in here, or send it to us. (Please make sure you have their permission to do so.)
Call up the photos page on your phone, tablet or computer and share them, in order to encourage others to pray and to sign up for our email newsletter. Thailand Photos page
Sponsor my Trip
Although NTM pays the bulk of my costs each time I travel for the mission, I am still finding myself spending about $1,000 on each overseas trip. That was true of my trip to Africa last spring, and true for this trip.
That includes big-ticket items like travel immunizations (I needed a lot of those for Africa) and a camera lens (I need one for Thailand), and smaller stuff like notebooks, and bottled water and coffee while traveling.
A gift of any amount would be helpful. Here are some specific items needed for the Thailand trip, and their costs, in case you would find that helpful:
- 12mm lens for Sony NEX5: $399
- Two new batteries for Sony NEX5 (my current batteries are six years old): $108
- Backup battery and charging cable for Surface Pro 4 (for long flights with no outlets in economy): $230
- Remote for NEX5: $24
- Filter for 12mm lens: $24
(I would love to replace the 6-year-old Sony NEX5s that I’m relying on for ministry, but for the cost.)
You can give online or scroll down that same web page for other ways to give.
Find More Sponsors
Since many of the items we need for Thailand are for photography, you could open the Photos page with your phone, tablet or computer, and show them to someone you think may be interested in sponsoring our trip. You can use our update, our prayer items and our list of items needed to give them more information. They can even go to our giving page on your device and make a secure gift themselves, or can go there on their own smartphone, tablet or computer.
You could challenge friends or family members to match your gift for our trip, or offer to match theirs, effectively doubling their impact.
Get Creative
Starbucks gift cards: Maybe you have one you’re not using, or buying one would be an easy way for you to pitch in. I use them when traveling. Sharing it is as easy as emailing me the code on the back of the card.
Delta Skymiles: You can “gift” Skymiles to my account, though Delta charges a small fee to do so. Email me and I can make sure you have what you need to do so. Skymiles can help pay for future travel, or for upgrades like a little more legroom on flights of eight hours or longer. (I’m also accumulating Southwest and JetBlue points, if you have those you want to give.)
Sell stuff on ebay, at a garage sale, etc.: It’s a quick an easy way to raise some cash to help – and get rid of things you don’t need.
Buy a paperback of my devotional, The Focus of Prayer. Buy copies for friends, or as gifts. Each paperback sale helps. (The ebook is available free from NTM: https://usa.ntm.org/the-focus-of-prayer/free-book-download)
Coming soon: Buy a print of one of my Thailand photos. Or two or more. Buy them for friends. Buy them as gifts. I’ve included a couple of other photos as well, and you can buy them as phone cases, shower curtains, greeting cards and more.