Wednesday, January 07, 2015

"HE Answered me from HIS HOLY MOUNTAIN !!!" PRAISE REPORT 2015


WE HAVE A LOT TO CELEBRATE ... SO READ ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM!

“But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the LORD with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain.” Psalm 3:3-4.

As we close out 2014  and “Ring-In” 2015, I can relate so well to the words of David in Psalm 3.  We too have been under physical and spiritual attack at Narrow Gate Asia and we are overjoyed to share with you that “THE LORD IS OUR GLORY!”  In the past couple of weeks we have had so much to celebrate, during the Christmas and New Year season.

Barn Site - Before
December 18 was our one year anniversary for the relocation of our ministry project to Chiang Rai.  This has been an incredible year and despite all of our challenges our farm and team is running smoothly.  We have more milk than ever and we are close to being self-sustainable.  More than that, I am so blessed with the opportunities that the Lord opens up for us to share the Gospel through our Business as Mission Project.  It is so interesting to me how being a farmer and member of the community helps people to relate to us.  I praise God for our relationships in the community and we pray for many hundreds more to hear the gospel in the farm, in the markets, and shops where we live and work.  We celebrate each one of these relationships in the community and for the opportunities that open for us to share Jesus with them.

New Barn in Chiang Rai - Ready to move in Dec 2013.

December 25, we shared what might have been the most special Christmas ever.  The holiday season in Thailand looks much different than America.  For most people, it is just like any other day.  No music.  No Decorations.  No Christmas “Spirit”.  BUT … at our house, we had a sweet time of celebration together.  Many of our gifts this year were hand made.  What was so special about that was the thought and care that went into preparing them.  We made lots of good, favorite, Christmas foods.  We watched Christmas movies, and had our time around the tree.  As our kids grow, it is important that we think about our own traditions and create new ones.  It has been 10 years since we celebrated Christmas in the US with Family and Friends, so bringing these holiday traditions alive makes the season special and fun.  This year we also remember that Hattie, our oldest, will be going away to college soon, and while this is NOT our last Christmas together, things will certainly be different next time.  We celebrate the birth of Jesus and we also celebrate the special relationships that we have with our family.




December 26, We loaded up and went to Mae Sai for a Christmas Outreach at Great Thais Academy with four other families that we serve with.  The principle of the school invited Pastor Ahmeh and our Family to come and share about the TRUE CHRISTMAS STORY!  She is a Buddhist lady but she has known lots of Christians and believes that her school and children NEED JESUS!  I was blown away when I heard this.  During the outreach we sang Christmas Carols, Told about the meaning of the Christmas Tree, Performed a live Nativity, and very clearly shared the Gospel of Jesus with close to 500 Students, plus their parents, staff, and teachers.  It was such a blessing to be back at this school.  When we first came to Thailand all four of our children attended this Thai school.  It was here that they learned to speak Thai and we made many relationships in the community.  Pattie taught English language there for one year as well.  Going Back,  all of our children had rolls in the program, and Hattie (17) did a fantastic job sharing the Gospel Message.  It was a great time of sharing and fellowship in Mae Sai.  We celebrate our relationships in Mae Sai where our ministry began.






December 28, We went to church at PhaMii Village with our friends and partners Pastor Ahmeh and his wife Milky.  This is the fifth time that we have been there to celebrate Christmas in this village.  This Christmas program is always a time to invite the entire village to come and see … That Jesus has been born!  The first year there was a very small group, but now, more than 250 people came together to worship, hear God’s Word, and Celebrate Christmas with great Akha Hill Tribe food.  I look forward to this time every year.  We celebrate the growth of the church in PhaaMii Village and we Celebrate our relationships with partners like Pastor Ahmeh and his Wife Milky.  I thank God for them … They are special friends!





January 1, we celebrated New Years with friends in Chiang Rai.  January 2, we celebrated with a surprise party for Big Harry’s birthday, and on January 3, Pattie was in Hong Kong to celebrate a wedding with dear friends who that volunteered at the school.  We celebrate the relationships that we have with missionaries and volunteers in our international community here in Chiang Rai!

BUT WAIT … IT GETS BETTER!

Over the course of the past year we have been praying for God’s provision for the funds to purchase the land where our ministry / outreach project is located.  After we moved last year we entered into a two year purchase contract, and God has put on the hearts of many of you to be a part of this project financially during that time.  With all of the struggles related to the land in 2014, culminating with my apparently related arrest in November, we close out the year, crying out to the Lord for help! 

“AND HE ANSWERED ME FROM HIS HOLY MOUNTAIN!”




Through a very generous contribution to Narrow Gate Asia, the ENTIRE REMAINING BALANCE for the purchase of our land has been PAID!  In less than one year, the Lord has provided abundantly for his work here through the people, churches, and partners that God has given to us over the past nine years of ministry.  When I received the message a couple of days before Christmas about this gift, I was overcome with Joy and Exaltation … for God is my Glory, my Strength, my Shield, and my Provider…!

Contract Signing January 2014  -  This January we Pay it OFF!
 
As we ring in this New Year.  We Celebrate YOU, Our partners in Prayer, Encouragement, and Financial Support.  Without you, it would not be possible for our family to live and serve in Thailand as YOUR Ambassador for the Gospel.  I truly believe that God has provided this land and this ministry project to be a special sort of light in a very dark and needy place.  This milestone, is a defining Chapter in the development of our ministry and service of our family and we are blessed that you are called to be a part of it with us.

Going forward, we ask that you PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, and then PRAY some more, for the people of North Thailand to have their eyes and ears opened to the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  We have been here 9 Years … but we are seeing that our work here is JUST BEGINNING!  God is creating many special opportunities for sharing the Gospel, Discipleship, and for ministering to the needs of people in the community in tangible ways.

That said, as we enter 2015, ask God how you too can be an integral part of our team through your financial support.  Yes … We have paid for our land, but we still need your help to develop our ministry projects and programs, and to support the Brittan Family as they live and work in North Thailand.  We desperately need your prayers and gifts on a monthly basis and ask that you pray towards that partner relationship.  If you have questions about how you can partner with us financially, please contact me at hbrittan@narrowgateasia.org , or mail your contribution to the PO Box listed below and let us know about your monthly commitment.


We Celebrate, continually the Name of Jesus Christ, and we long for His Will, and His Kingdom to come in our ministry, in our family, in the Nation of Thailand, and in Chiang Rai, as we seek to bring Him Glory, Honor, and Praise.

Celebrate with us … and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2015!

God Bless … In His Grip,

The Brittan Family
Harry, Pattie, Hattie, Emma, Harry V, and Nellie.
 
Send Letters and Tax Deductible Contributions to:

Narrow Gate Asia
P.O. Box 260275
Plano, TX 75026-0275 USA

Please use this link to go direct to PayPal:

Contact us on Facebook, or at hbrittan@narrowgateasia.org 

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