Grace Place Dedication

Hello everyone:

We just got back from Weing Pa Pao, where Grace Place, Thailand, is located, up on the mountains of northern Thailand. RAD and I rode the bikes back and we arrived safely, though I did have quite a scare with a rear flat tire. Thank God we weren't going down the mountains and it was before we hit the real curvy area. We were following the truck in front of us and after a little while they noticed that we weren't on their tale anymore, so they came back. We had pulled into the sidewalk of a big building and Tutu and Mike went to fetch a mechanic who eventually got the tire out, went back to his shop and brought the tire back fixed. Praise the Lord everything is fine here. Also, though Jeana is still coughing and had sleep in the truck last night (she needs to be somewhat upright when she sleeps), I think she is beginning to turn the corner. Please keep praying for the health of our team.

We had a beautiful day for the dedication. It started with a very chilly morning. I didn't even dare to take a shower in the morning (of the guys that were staying in the same room, including Tutu's younger son, David, and Pastor Mike) the only one who had the courage to brave the cold water (no water heater!) and the cold draft coming from the windows was Nathan. The rest of us chose to go to Tutu's parents' house, where they do have a water heater in the shower.

Around 9 a.m. the widows came with their wears -- purses, shirts, bookmarks, etc., all made by hand (it takes 3+ days to weave and sow one shirt by hand and at least 5 to do a dress). This is all done the old fashioned way, with a manual loom that seems to be as old as this country. It is amazing what they can do with this tool. Jeana was the only one brave enough to try weaving and she testifies that it is hard work. After we went "shopping" with the widows, we were treated to a delicious brunch (see a picture of one of our dishes before it was cooked).

The widows stayed around and helped. These ladies were destitute, sometimes kicked out of their homes after their husbands died. They lost property and had nowhere to go. Tutu had a vision to reach out to them. Now they built a little cottage where they live and a little hut for their weaving operation. It basically gives them a little money so they won't be forced to go to the streets to beg. Wooster Grace, through our Touching Tomorrow Mission Fund, helped fund the planting of thousands of mulberry tree which will be in full bloom next year by this time. They hope to be producing silk from those trees in the near future. Please pray for more funding and for Tutu as she keeps the vision to help these ladies alive.

After brunch at Tutu's parents home, we walked over to the Grace Place and sat down for a worship service with the children. My oh my. I wish I could describe to you the awesome experience of hearing the children pray, sing and recite Scriptures together. It was a heavenly sound!

Each one of our team members spoke at the Dedication service and I preched on the passage in the Gospels where Jesus became INDIGNANT because the disciples were trying to prevent the children from coming to Him. I observed that we still live in a time when children are considered worthless in some parts of the world but I reminded them that this is not how God feels. I ended with a message of hope from Psalm 30:5, "Weeping may remain for a night but joy comes in the morning." For these children their night is over and humanly speaking that is because of the generosity many of you have demonstrated toward these little ones who are loved by God.

At the end of our service I invited everyone to come to the front of the house. We touched the walls of the house and prayed a prayer of dedication. I mean, 7 prayers of dedication, representing the 7 nations that were present there. Pastor RAD ended with English (or his version of it...). Is is not amazing that one little home for FORMER orphans, housing only 25 people, has people from several nations -- Karen, Lisu, Hmong, Akha, Thai, etc. We are reaching the world from Wooster, Ohio. Praise God for that!

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

itrindade@woostergrace.org