A note from the Derbyshire family,

missionaries to Thailand
RAISING
TALES
May 2012 Newsletter #59
Thai
Patient Encounters
Jesus ministry plan that He passed on to
the disciples was to Go, heal the people
you nd and preach to them that the
Kingdom of God is near. It is a joy to be
about that same ministry some 2000 years
later. We see people healed at the clinic,
and we share the Good News with those
who come to us. Im seeing about 400
people a week these days in the clinic. Let
me introduce you to a few that you can
pray for
Mrs. P, a 44 y/o woman came to see me in
follow up. I had shared Christ with her on
her rst visit and gave her a tract to read at
home. On her next visit she was more
interested. She said, I told my family that
I am pursuing God. Mrs. P admitted that
her family became angry with her for
trying to know God. They said that Im
acting like a crazy person. But, I dont
think Im crazy. I think I believe what God
says I feel such peace when I read about
Him and when I think about Him.
Monk K, a Buddhist monk came to see me
at the clinic, bringing a friend along as well.
I asked him if he had read the tract I had
given to him on his rst visit. He said, yes,
and that he wanted to become both
Christian and Buddhist. I told him that God
wouldnt give him that option. We had a
serious discussion for a bit, and when he left,
it seemed that he was still in turmoil over
the decision, but when he went back to the
waiting room he announced to his friend,
Im going to become a Christian!
Mrs. J, a 38 y/o Muslim woman came in
complaining of nausea. After addressing her
physical ailment I asked what she thought of
the Gospel she just heard. Nok, one of my
nurse aids had shared Christ to the large
group in the waiting room earlier that
morning. At once Mrs. J became very
serious, and in a hushed voice, more to
herself than to me she said, Amazing.
Ive never heard anything like this in my
whole life.
I shared the Good News with her in more
detail. She stopped me at the part of Jesus
substitutionary death on the cross. No one
can take away my sins. She said.
Jesus can, I reassured her.
Mrs. J shared that she liked going to the
temple with her Buddhist friends because
they seemed to have such peace after
making merit, and she didnt have that
peace. I compared that peace with the
morphine I give for cancer patients. It may
take away the pain, but does nothing to
cure the disease. But pain can have value,
her pain made her realize that she needed
someone to take away her sins. I pleaded
with her to put her faith in Jesus so that she
could be delivered from sin. Mrs. J left
without saving faith.but she was closer.
I see so many people each week at the
clinic. Almost all of them are lost, without
God and without hope in this world. In I
Corinthians 16:9, Paul said that There are
many obstacles, but a great and effectual
door has been opened to me here. That is
exactly how I feel. I have been granted a
wide open door to share Christ with those
who do not know Him. Please pray with
me that I will boldly tell the Good News,
and that the Lord will draw many to
Himself.
I was preaching at our little house
church meeting in Plaang Yaow
recently. You can t a dozen or so
adults comfortably in the little living
room that we use as our meeting
place. But we had 20 sitting in the
room, and more on the porch
listening in. I was preaching from Job
chapter 1. I had been preaching
probably 30 minutes when a visitor
walked in
Earlier that morning Mrs. Wilai, one
of our rst believers in Plaang Yaow,
took her grandson to the hospital for
a tummy ache. While waiting in line
she began to share Christ with Mrs. R,
a 33 y/o woman. She invited Mrs. R
to church, and a few hours later, in
Mrs. Rs words, I was on my way
home from the hospital, and found
myself in the neighborhood that the
Christian lady told me about where
they were having worship. I had no
idea what house it was, but I just
began to drive around until I found
some cars parked in front of a house.
Cheryl greeted her in front of the
house and sent her on in. We nodded
greetings to her when she came in,
and I continued preaching. Within
minutes she was in tears. After
nishing our service I talked with her
for quite awhile. She had never heard
the Gospel before. But before she left,
she cried out a prayer of repentance
and asked to give herself to Creator
God. I have been doing this a long
time, but on that day, I was blessed by
the fruit of someone elses hospital
ministry.
Ministering to Patients (No, not me)
From the Journal
Yesterday was the Lords day. I love being in His house. All week long the
highlight of my days was delving into Gods Word in preparation for this
weekend. I had 2 hours of Bible study and 2 sermons to prepare for this Easter
weekend, and studying His Message was a daily indescribable joy to me. I
awoke each morning looking forward to reading and studying, and in off
moments from other responsibilities I would look again at verses to see if the
Lord would say anything new to me. Being in the Lords presence as He gave
me words to speak to His people lled each day with pure joy.
Then after church I drove out to Nong Nae for our provincial-wide prayer
meeting. Had I been depressed, the meeting would have been my cure. But I was already lled with peace and
joy, so entering the room just added joy unspeakable upon joy unspeakable.
A husband and his wife enveloped me as I entered. Years ago they brought their grown daughter to me in the
midst of a spiritual crisis. She was delivered and continues to walk with the Lord. They held me long. They
seemed so lled with joy to see me. And it was my joy to see them. We spent long hours together back then. I
remember their daughter well. Her battle was among the most difcult I have seen. To hear she was still doing
well blessed me. Then before I could nd a seat I was held and hugged by one after another people who had
found healing at the hospital, people who had been renewed spiritually, pastors and leaders who have been
sharing the yoke with me for years We held one another, praised the Lord together, and then prayed together
that others might be saved. I see clearly why David said, One thing I ask of the Lord, and that one thing I
will seek, that I might dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to gaze on the beauty of the Lord.
Behold, My Strength
Comes From The Lord!
Im not a particularly brave person, nor am I adventurous in any way. I love the
comforts of home and the safety of my family. God has been very good to me. This
past Sunday evening while safe in the connes of my home, enjoying a movie with my
daughter and her weekend guests, my wonderful world was shook a little when a
knock sounded on our door.
A frantic employee of mine from Thai Country Trim was telling me I needed to come
and rescue another of my girls who was being dragged off by a strange man from her
home with her two small children. You need to get to them before he gets her on the bus, she said. You must hurry, only
you can get her away from him. She exclaimed. (in my mind I was thinking, wow, how would I do that) But I knew I had to
go. I grabbed my husband, called in a couple more men from the church to meet me at
the bus station and away we went. I knew very little about the situation. This young
lady and her two children ages 2 and 6, were recently rescued from an abusive home.
Her husband beat her so bad she was in the hospital for a week. She had just been led
to Christ after she got out of the hospital when I received a call from a collegue
begging me to nd a way for her to get away from this man and be able to support
her and her two kids. So, we made some special arrangements for her to come to
Bangkla and work at our center. I did not know if this man who was dragging her off
was her husband or not. We arrived at the bus station just as they were walking up to
buy their tickets. Doug slid out of the car and told me to park around the corner
while he assessed the situation. After I parked the car and I began the walk to the
station, a voice in my head kept saying, Get the baby and put the mom and her kids
in the car. The man had the baby in his arms and the mom was crying and with a
bruised swollen face walking behind him in obvious turmoil holding the hand of her
older child. I marched up to the man, took the baby and grabbed the hand of the
other child. Still not knowing the full situation, I told the man he was not talking this
family anywhere. I left my husband to talk to the man further and took the family to
my car. Then I got the full story. This man was not her husband but her sisters
boyfriend who wanted her to come and be with them
also. When she was not willing to go, he hit her three times in the face, and told her if she did
not come, he would kill her and her sons. Then he grabbed the baby and started walking to
the bus station. The young mom had to follow, she didnt know what else to do, she begged
the neighbor to nd someone to help her. That is when my employee and her neighbor got
on her motorcycle to come and get me. The man was obviously drunk and had no idea what
he was doing, when it was apparent he would not get what he wanted, he asked for money to
leave her alone. Needless to say, he got none. What he did get was a watchful escort to the
bus station and a warning not to come back. We took the family to our clinic compound and
kept them there for the night. The next day we led a report with the police and put some
protective measures in place to ensure their safety in the future.
So where did I get the strength to stand up to a man who had just beaten one my girls? Only
from the Lord. I know it was from the Lord, because I know Im a wimp deep down. I
couldnt have done that in my own strength. To God be all Glory and Honor. Amen and
Amen.
My little Sandi girl is graduating from high school. We arrived on the mission eld on October 26, 1992. We had 3 cherubs,
Gary was 3, Jonathan was 1, and Becky was 6 months old. About 2 years later Sandi arrived. Blessedly, family was
supportive. Close friends were supportive too.
But I remember the varying pity, disapproval, and apprehension in the faces and words of others who watched us go. One
woman said, I could never make my children miss out on the things your kids give up. (By being missionary kids)
But 20 years later (who could have imagined 20 years), How can I regret what the Lord has done in and for my children?
Gary is married to a wonderful girl. He is a youth pastor, and seeing young people come to Christ. He and Rez are making
plans for seminary, returning to the mission eld and are making plans for their rst baby in October.
Jonathan is interning at the wonderful (and dearly loved) Forest Park Baptist Church in Joplin this summer, and then he is on
his way to India for a 6 month mission trip. He is preparing to serve the Lord with his life and career.
Becky is studying Biblical languages in college, feeling called back to the mission eld as a Bible translator. Her love for
Gods Word is infectious.
And now Sandi is about to leave our nest. She loves the Lord, seeks to serve Him, and leads others to faith.
I am so deeply, humbly, on-my-kneesedly, grateful for what the
Lord has done for my children. I have prayed over them for these
20 years, and now, how could I possibly regret what they
supposedly sacriced to be with Cheryl and I all these years? If
having 4 children, each of them with a vibrant walk with Christ
and a heart for Gods Kingdom is the result of living a life of
sacrice (how can it rightly be called sacrice??) Then I sorely
wish, oh how I would give anything that every parent could live a
life of sacrice like this.
Years ago, while crying out to the Lord in intercession for my
children, my Master brought this verse to me. He has let me watch
Him make it true for me. Isaiah 59:21 says, As for me, this is my
covenant with them, says the Lord. My Spirit who is on you,
and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from
your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the
mouths of your childrens children from this time on and forever,
says the Lord.
I am asked often these days how it feels to be facing an empty
nest. I think I feel full.
Empty Nest,
But
Feeling Full