Greetings from the Powell family! Hi this is Ron,
We give thanks to God for you and the many blessings you have shown
to us. Not only have you been praying for us, but many of you have
given generously toward our ministry in Thailand. I want to share
some exciting changes as well as encourage you to continue with us
in this journey of serving Him. Much of what we do in life is a
process. We make our plans and God directs our path.
2003: God used my first trip to Thailand to give me a greater
passion for the lost. I was overwhelmed by the fact that 95% of the
people in Thailand are Buddhist. I saw crowds of hundreds worshiping
idols. The words in Matthew 9:36 - 38 spoke so loudly to me. When I
returned home, I knew I had to be involved in missions in some way.
2004: Laura, Kimberly, Melissa and I served in Thailand for a short
term trip. It was such a blessing to see them work side by side with
people I met the year before.
2005: I connected once again with Thai nationals and missionaries
serving in Thailand. I also saw first hand the effects of the
tsunami that occurred December 26, 2004, which took the lives of
approximately 8,000 people. I was amazed to see how God even used
this for His glory!
2006: We were tested, examined then commissioned by ABWE
(Association of Baptist for World Evangelism) to serve in Thailand
as full time missionaries.
Between then and now we have come so far and yet still there is so
much more to accomplish.
2009: Prayerfully, with the leadership of both ABWE and FCC (Faith
Community Church) we have recently made a transition. We
transitioned from full time missionaries preparing to live in
Thailand to Assistant Missionaries where we will serve in more of a
supportive role. There were several factors that went into this
decision. One of them being that our family all have the same desire
to live full time in Thailand. For now, we see God using us on short
term trips and encouragement from the States. Also, I will be able
to continue building into my retirement with the Sheriff’s
department which will help with future support. Along with the
economy, the fall in the housing market, some incurred debt and the
need to help my mom have all weighed in on this decision.
We are excited about this new position because it will afford us
many opportunities. The first opportunity will be the ability to
stay connected with our Thai friends and missionary team members in
Thailand. We will be able to do this by serving on or leading a
couple of short term trips a year. This also allows me to be a voice
for our team, “City on a Hill” here in the States. I will be seeking
to recruit people with a desire to not only partner with us through
prayer and finances, but actually serve with us in Thailand.
Ask yourself how you can be a vital part in furthering the kingdom
of God. Whether it is in your local neighborhood or on the other
side of the world seek to be a doer of the word and not just hearers
only. If we do not engage the culture around us with the living hope
of the gospel our culture will engage us. Those of you faithfully
partnering with us financially, thank you for your continued
support. If you would like to make a special donation or to begin
giving on a regular basis please visit
www.abwe.org/give. There are
instructions on how to donate on-line or by mail. It will be helpful
to include our name and account number. C/O Ron & Laura Powell, #
0133763 if you have any questions or if you have any specific prayer
request please let us know.
In His Love
Ron, Laura, Kimberly, Melissa
