Eugene Morse
North Burma, Thailand |
March 31, 2012 (Sent April 10, 2012)
Dear Friends and Family in Christ,
The days seem to pass by so very quickly. Please find an
update covering March and some progress reports on
events going on here. Due to space we were not able to list everything, but wanted to cover a few things to
keep news flowing on recent project results.
Around March 20th my father Eugene Morse came down with a case of severe urinary tract infection and after
going to see the doctor he ordered him admitted immediately. Then he started him on antibiotics, IV and basic
stuff to help get this under control. Dad could not eat and was weak, after not being able to keep much down
or eat any new food for a few days. It came up too that he had some internal bleeding from an ulcer and so
that had to be checked to make sure it was not continuing to bleed. It had eased up so all was on the path to
recovery.
On Saturday the 31, Dad was released and sent home in good spirits, appetite back and strength returning. He
is now resting a bit more and getting back up to speed as he says, and doing a whole lot better. He lost about
20 lbs which was okay. Some of that was water in his system which had gotten backed up a bit from all of the
inability to pass water well. So that too, is now much better. We all took turns being with Dad at the really
very efficient hospital and excellent doctors.
During the month of March I was out speaking on 3 weekends at different churches as well as visiting with the
pastors and elders of different churches. It has been a busy time and at the end of the month we had our
closing program for the recent term of Bible Training school and the close of the annual pastor's retreat.
Work continues on with the work at the youth homes as well as making progress on village chapels and new
village relocation projects. These will give greater stability and a stronger sense of community for the
believers who are in the lowlands working, and who will most likely end up being permanently located in and
around strategic places like Chiang Mai or other rural towns. More on these later on as we get farther along
and have more news to share with you.
Two days ago we learned that a long-time family friend who had been with us through the Hidden Valley years,
had died in northern Burma. His name was Julius, a faithful servant of our Lord Jesus. His last few years
were very hard ones and he is now freed from all the pain and discomfort he had to go through. He leaves
behind an aging wife and an adult son. Julius was like an older brother to me, and but for some health
issues, should not have had to leave this life so soon. The Lord knows.
Another brother also passed away last night our time, here in Thailand. A number of our team has headed over
there today to be with the family. We realize that so many things are uncertain in life, but we do know that
in Jesus our hope and our future is secure. Let us hold fast to the profession of our faith in these perilous
times, knowing that He has everything under control in His timetable. We appreciate each of you and covet
your prayers as we look forward to the coming months of service here during the hot, hot season in Thailand!
You are in our prayers as well.
Your continued support and faithful partnership with us is always such a great source of strength to us,
knowing that we have really wonderful people standing behind us. At times we feel rather alone, even though
we are always surrounded by truly dedicated fellow servants and friends here in the Lord. It is something
about knowing you all are "there", and standing with us as we are here… that is of true encouragement…God's
gift to us. We don't do well going "solo" in His service! It is His Body that we are part of, not just His
toe or finger, right? So we again thank you for your friendship and kindness to us in these times.
May His peace and provision surround you each day during the coming days of this new month.
With all our love and warmest regards to you,
Ron and Pat Morse and Justin
Chiang Mai, Thailand
| |
|
March 31, 2012 (Sent April 10, 2012)
Dear Family and Friends in Christ,
This past month has been one of a lot of pollution and smog throughout the nation, and especially bad for us
in the north. We had no rain till just a week ago, and then a heat storm hit really hard with wind and driving
rain. A number of homes were seriously damaged in the area, but nothing to our family and team homes thus far.
Trees were snapped off, some were uprooted… it was unusual. But we thank the Lord that no one was harmed or
hurt.
Please check
the attached news update on recent happenings here.
I have been somewhat held up due to a severe UTI bout, but now I am much better and feel more restored than I
have felt for some time! Thank you for your prayers. All of our family and team also are doing well, with part
of our force being on the move, traveling or on furlough - all in rotation so everyone is not gone at once.
On the local work we see opportunities as well as challenges for the cause of Christ. Many doors are open…more
open than ever before in some ways. At the same time, materialism and the lure of this world is also impacting
many, and the dangers of being led astray into the paths of darkness are again very real. We realize that as
more of this present generation becomes better educated, they will be facing temptations their forefathers
never even knew about. Along with language acquisition comes a power to decide for oneself… this was not
something young people did on their own in the past; family and even community pressures helped people to
balance pursuit of a better life with that of making decisions involving right and wrong, a common sense
responsibility used to be an underlying 'given' among the Lisu and other peoples. Today, we see these
boundaries being tested, stretched and crossed over as capability to just "go" wins over common sense issues
and we are seeing the world's values descending on churches and members the region over.
Please pray with us that there will not be a loosening of Biblical and even traditionally strong cultural
values that have been in place here… even though the opportunity to "sin with impunity" is ever more real
today than in the past. Opportunity must be balanced with Responsibility as well as a lot more in the decision
making process. I write in the abstract, but if you work with people, you will know how this struggle is very
real - probably in every culture and locale the globe over.
In Eph. 4:11-16 Paul talks about the role church leaders and teachers have - to equip the saints for the work
of service; to stand firm, to not be easily shaken, to grow, mature in the body of Christ. This is our desire
here, to "Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus…" (Phil-2:5) - to have His mind, and to be
transformed into His likeness (Ro-12:2 and elsewhere). What an awesome task we have before us! First for
ourselves to continually and humbly be sure we are on track, then to pass on the Biblical teachings to others.
Once again, pray for all the churches in Thailand, for each believer to be convicted of the truth, transformed,
equipped and willing to be used of God each day.
We thank you for walking with us, with me, over these years. In a few weeks I will have my next birthday, and
I have seen so many who have gone on to glory, and I, and you, we all, look forward to that time when we will
be with the Lord. But for now, we must work while it is day, and put all our time to good use. I look back on
the many places God has led us to, and out of, and I know He is the only One to serve. Our family and team
here continue to serve Him, and we consider ourselves an extension of you there even though it has been some
years since I have been able to be back here to visit with you. That is due to logistics!! I am confident that
you have been able to follow the progress of the work here through my reports, and even visits your way by
members of our family team. I will continue to keep in touch each month, Lord willing! May His fullest blessing
be upon you, your church and each pastor and individual partnering with us here.
Your fellow servant for Christ,
Eugene Morse and all the Thailand team
| |
|
Dec. 31 2011 - sent Jan 7th 2012
Dear Family and Friends in Christ,
Happy New Year to you!
As we have come to the end of the year and start a new one, I and all of us here want to convey our wishes to
you for another fruitful year in 2012 and that the Lord would bless your labors wherever you are. For many
people, 2011 has been a year of change, transition and great hardship.
We've heard of the tsunami in Japan, earthquakes in many places as well as floods, all of which have meant
significant loss of material possessions as well as loss of life. The world leaders have all been perplexed
with the global economy and few seem to have any answers. Political upheavals have resulted in turmoil and the
rise of new regimes. We all look feel a sense of concern, as we are not sure whether these changes bode for a
better or a worse future for those who have struggled and even died to see change come. Through all of this,
we know that Jesus said there would be wars and rumors of wars in the end times, along with much disturbance
in the earth and heavens. We wonder if these are indications of increased end time tensions, or if this is yet
another cycle of struggles our world is going through as we do in fact head ever closer to our Lord's return.
At the same time, we also see how this past year has been a time of huge progress on many Kingdom fronts for
our Lord Jesus Christ! Literally millions have come to Him this past year from all we have been able to
ascertain. Of course much of this is "under the radar" and is not headline news. We've observed how the church
has been very active - and this means that eternity will never be the same for millions - it's changed for the
better! This is what keeps us thrilled and hopping - and we hope this thrill is true for you too!
Whatever the year ahead holds for each of us, let us commit to being faithful in our love, obedience and service
to each other and to Lord, overcoming in His Name and through the blood of the Lamb. We are continually amazed
that regardless of how much gets "done" there seems to be even more to do in His vineyard. At times it seems
like we are dipping out scoops of water from the ocean, only to find there is just as much left to scoop! It
is not discouraging though, because we know that for the scoop that was made, it is now "in the pot" and safe.
Sorry for using such an illustration when I know that a person's salvation is a lot more precious than a scoop
of ocean water! It is just that there are times when the sheer amount of unfinished work indeed seems
overwhelming. But as I was reminded by a brother from a distant tribe just today who told me, "If the work
of sending the gospel to our people had not been done, there would not be thousands of followers who love
Jesus today. And our people could not have begun to reach out to another tribe next to us - the Kamen people -
among whom there are now over 120 believers. Please don't ever stop the work of serving Jesus Christ, even
when you don't see the results from where you are. The gospel effect, once begun, continues outwards and
never stops. Thank you for not giving up even when tough times have come your way."
Brethren, this is the crux of it all, is it not?
We thank you for your prayers, notes as well as your continued faithful support of myself and the work here
that goes out through myself, my family folks and all of our coworkers. May the Lord strengthen and continue
to enable you to keep doing what you have been doing in this coming year as well. We endeavor to do the same
for as long as the Lord gives us time and strength!
I have shared some end of year news and reflections with pictures in the attached letter.
It has been a busy month, but one that has been extremely fruitful on all fronts. May the Lord encourage you
through what you see and read of what has been going on here, and continues to take place.
If I have failed to respond to your notes to me, I apologize. It has not only been a busy time, I continue to
be find some problems with my email as well. Please do not stop writing though! I always look forward to and
appreciate news from your side as well, and I want to acknowledge your notes to me even in this email note.
With love to each of you in our Lord, whom we all serve where He places us,
Eugene Morse and all of our NBCM family team here
| |
|
|
| |
|
| Go to top |
|