Keeping you in the know about everything God is doing through my partnership with YWAM North Idaho’s ministry so you can see how your support is spreading Christ’s love to the ends of the earth.
Ministry Update:
Hello friends, family, and partners! Here is a brief update regarding ministry with YWAM North Idaho - if you would like to hear more about these things before I visit Virginia in July, please let me know. I’d love to set up a phone call with you. I am hoping to see many of you when I am home for the month of July but for now, I pray this gives you an idea of what the Lord has been up to in the ministry I am a part of. I am sending my love and genuine appreciation for your prayers, encouragement, and financial partnership.
In these past six months, we have run the Discipleship Training School and successfully graduated nine students. Four of these students are joining our long-term team of approximately 20 staff that are relocating to Trang, Thailand this upcoming July!
I’m Moving to Thailand:
As many of you know, I have been serving with Youth With A Mission full time for 2 full years now. I have been blessed to serve at YWAM North Idaho in the capacities of: Communications Director, Member of our Base Eldership Team, DTS Staff and Outreach Co-Leader in the past two years.
My vision is to see the nation of Thailand reached and transformed with the truth and love of God by motivating, equipping and sending armies of Christ followers to zealously engage in the command from Jesus to “Go and make disciples of all nations,” especially those nations that have never heard of His name (Matthew 28:18-20).
Approximately one year ago, God moved unanimously upon the hearts of all the staff at YWAM North Idaho to relocate to southern Thailand to fulfill this vision of seeing God be praised amongst the unreached peoples there. It was a special and unforgettable time of the Holy Spirit moving and making clear His will and calling for us to go. At the time of this initial leading of the Lord we were a team of 10. Now God has doubled that number!
About Moving to Thailand:
Currently we have about 20 staff relocating from YWAM North Idaho to Trang Thailand, including myself!
I have just recently returned from leading an outreach team of four students in Thailand for two months. We graduated these DTS students on March 11th. YWAM North Idaho’s base directors have similarly just returned from a scouting trip into southern Thailand to confirm the location, make needed contacts, and assess accessibility to facilities and housing in regards to moving our ministry to Southern Thailand. In the next few months we will be transitioning base leadership of YWAM North Idaho to new leaders, support raising and preparing to move to Thailand in July of 2022. I am planning to spend the majority of July in Virginia and will be flying to Thailand at the end of that month.
Vision for Ministry in Trang, Thailand
Mobilization
1. Partner with Thai churches in both mobilizing believers to unreached people groups and making disciples.
2. Raise awareness among Thai believers of God’s global purpose in reaching ALL unreached people groups and our collective call as the church to engage in it.
3. Encourage and equip short term teams we host to engage in missions in Thailand and other unreached countries.
Discipleship
1. To make disciples that make disciples in all aspects of our day to day life and ministry among Thai’s.
2. Annual Discipleship Training Schools.
Go
1. Plant YWAM bases, ministries and churches in all southern Thailand.
2. Have regular short term staff outreaches throughout southern Thailand.
Pictures
Here are some pictures from the DTS Outreach I just returned from co-leading. I was blessed with an incredible co-leader, Makayla Hunt and students who served with humility and love beyond their years. We were able to partner with local ministries and churches to build relationships in the community, share the gospel, encourage local believers, and complete service projects which were able to bless the long-term ministries we partnered with. We witnessed salvation, physical healing, and continued discipleship amongst His church in Thailand. Truly we serve a great God deserving of the praise of all nations.
This picture is in Uthai Thani, Thailand. My team was partnering with the Ruth Center, a ministry pioneering an elderly living facility with the vision to see the elderly they provide for come to know Jesus through their consistent witness and love.
This picture was taken after a service in a local church in Uthai Thani where we were able to encourage the believers, fellowship, share testimonies, and do kids ministry. Our team was able to open doors in many of the local churches so that the long-term ministry of the Ruth Center above can continue to build relationships in the community for further advancement of the gospel in this unreached region.
This picture was taken at another church in the area where we similarly spent the day ministering with these few believers.
This is Makayla Hunt, my co-leader.
Our team after doing evangelism on Koh Samui Island, Thailand alongside the local church of five members. We spent this weekend doing home visits with the local believers (less than 100 believers on the island), encouraging them in their faith and partnering with them in local outreach to their community. I met the first Christian Pastor to pioneer a church on this island - truly the Lord is pursuing every corner of the earth, ensuring that every people group hears of His name.
“Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate” (Psalm 145:3-5).
Prayer Guide:
Below I’ve listed a few ways you can be partnering in prayer with YWAM North Idaho’s ministry and the nation of Thailand. I hope this is a helpful resource for you!
YWAM North Idaho Base:
Base leaders: Brandon and Angela Oliver and their two children: Noah (13) and Ellie (3), you can pray also for Katie and Andy Lincoln as they are transitioning to taking over leadership of YWAM North Idaho as the Oliver's transition out and into directing the new ministry in Trang, Thailand
Staff: Debbie and Caleb Bartel, Thaksin and Kwan, Mikayla, David, Makayla, Erik, Jael, Connor, Nicole, Rebecca, Braden and I
Intern: Ethan
Transitioning to Thailand:
Visas
Partnership: prayer, pastoral, and financial for our entire team
Unity
All that goes into moving across the world :P
Thailand:
Pray for the 78 Unreached people groups in Thailand. To explore the specific needs of these people groups visit https://joshuaproject.net/countries/TH
Thailand has opened for 90-day visas: we are hoping to send a few of our staff on a scouting trip next summer so please pray for a 60-day visa to become possible!
The economy continues to deteriorate due to Covid-19. Please pray for those that have lost jobs and are struggling to provide for themselves. Please pray that through this struggle, individuals come to a deep revelation of their need for an eternal Savior, and that they find Jesus Christ.
Pray for the Christian ministries there: for financial provision, strength, boldness, and success
For those who have heard the Good News but need discipleship and a Christian community, please pray that the Lord provides a way for them to come into contact with support.
Thank you so very much for reading this update, and most especially for your continued friendship and partnership in ministry.
His servant and yours,
Marie Freemyers YWAM North Idaho Staff (540) 845-5919 marie@ywamnorthidaho.org 1913 North 4th Street, STE. C Coeur d’Alene, I.D. 83814
https://mlfreemyers.wixsite.com/website
“I thank my God in all remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all, making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in this gospel from the first day until now.”
Philippians 1:3-5 (ESV)