| In personal times of meeting
with students, we try to work with students in areas such as walking
with God, growing in Christlikeness, relating to others, and pursuing
their call to ministry. And this summer we plan to visit with
students in their field placements and home settings throughout
Thailand.
During the year, Leith continued to explore (and enjoy) other
ways to contribute to the overall mission of BIT, recognizing
his limited and ever-so-gradual acquisition of Thai, yet convinced
that God has called us here. He was again asked to teach the basic
evangelism course. Although the students had many good chuckles
at his Thai-lish, for many of these students it was their first
experience to share their testimony of salvation or the gospel
message with another adult. Not only were they stretched in faith
and jubilantly victorious, six or seven people (in a land where
one percent are Christians) made first-step decisions to believe
Christ. Hallelujah! “When we (I) are weak, He is strong
indeed!” II Corinthians 12:10.
Carol has enjoyed her new role at the Thai Christian School (TCS)
teaching kindergarten—stories and songs of Jesus, conversation
in English and Thai, finding that little ones are a better fit
for her than teenagers. God has also given her a special relationship
with a Thai teacher, Kru (teacher) Bop. She is very open to relationship
but is very self-sufficient. Please pray that God would continue
to stir in her heart a desire to know Jesus. Praise God for answering
prayer in bringing a couple from the United States to work as
teachers at TCS. There are now four Christians on our foreign
teaching staff. On April 1 we welcome a new director of TCS.
Which brings us to this coming summer in the United States. What
are we going to do with our responsibilities here in Thailand
while we are gone for two months? You’ve prayed, and the
Lord has led the Jim Larson family to come and serve where they
can while also exploring possibilities for longer-term ministry
here in Thailand. Jim is a pastor from Illinois whom we met when
he came out here last year for a visit. We just heard from Jim
that he and his family of six will be arriving one week before
we head out of town on Saturday the 14th.
Our first stop will be in Hawaii, an opportunity for our whole
family to be together and bring closure as we lovingly inurn Mom
beside Dad at Punchbowl National Cemetery. We are really looking
forward to that time of reunion with the Hawaii “ohana”
(family), Sheila (sister) Cole’s family, and Joy, who will
join us at the conclusion of her freshman year at DePaul. Then
we head for Chicago on July 1, where we’ll be based until
mid- August. This time, we’re planning to do things a little
differently from two years ago. Remember the road trip from California
to Tennessee to Washington D.C. and then to Chicago? Either we’re
getting smarter or just slowing down.
Anyway, we don’t plan to just sit around in Chicago. We’d
love to get together with as many of you as we can, so could you
please help us with our scheduling? Between now and the end of
April, we would like to hear from you if you are interested in
scheduling us to come and share our ministry with you. Then, after
we hear from you, we’ll try and put together a calendar
for the summer in another letter sometime in May.
We will have transportation as well as housing needs during our
summer in the United States, and we would appreciate it if you
would pray for this provision for us. If you or someone you know
might also be able to help with this need, please let us know.
We will look forward to being in touch again soon.
In the Shelter…(Psalm 90:1) of the Most High One.
Leith and Carol Fujii
The 2003 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 184 |
