Dear Friends,
Looking over our records of supporters I am touched by the generosity and compassion of so many. I can only imagine where we would be without your support. So many times through the years God has made us aware of how we are not in this mission endeavor alone. Without your prayer, emotional and financial support we would not and could not be doing the things God has called us to do here in Bangkok.
This last year has been a difficult year for us in many ways. I have learned so many lessons, one of which is to praise and worship God continuously in spite of our circumstances. Some days I have had to fall on my knees and weep first but when I began to worship I began to feel God's peace and strength sustaining me.
One day a few months ago our family was returning to Bangkok from a vacation up north. Suddenly smoke began pouring from our car. We quickly pulled into a gas station, miraculously just a minute away. As we jumped out of the car attendants came running. They opened up the engine and then quickly backed away to let it cool. They wouldn't get any closer for fear it would blow up. The engine was directly under my seat. When I got back to Bangkok I opened an e-mail from a woman at FBC Sioux Falls asking me what was going on in my life. She said she had woken up in the middle of the night with an urgency to pray for me as though my life were in danger. I was amazed and humbled! God had been watching out for us and had called others to pray for us. Thank God for Susan's sensitivity to God's warning and her willingness to hold us up in prayer! I am always amazed and grateful to learn of how many hold us up in prayer and I wonder how many dangerous situations God has pulled us through on behalf of your prayers.
Missionaries around the world are in danger. Our mission board is in a financial crisis and missionaries are in danger of being called off the field for lack of resources. I am confident that just as God calls people to pray for us in times of physical danger, God is speaking to churches and individuals to release the resources and cover missionaries financially. I thank God continuously for your generous and faithful support. I pray and ask you to pray with us that American Baptists will respond generously as they hear God's call. I also ask you to prayerfully consider how your church can increase support of mission work through the World Mission Offering. God has incredible plans for mission work and for increasing (not decreasing) the number of workers for the harvest. At the World Missions Conference, churches were encouraged to increase giving by 36% this year. I believe that we can do even more. Let's aim for 100%. We are not alone but God has brought us together in this mission to be fruitful and multiply His work and harvest. Thank you so much for your partnership in mission!
May God Bless you abundantly!
Annie Dieselberg