THE RIVER CONFERENCE 2013

The River Conference plays a strategically important part in building a common vision, heart and purpose for bringing healing and wholeness to the broken... 

Our life of Grace starts at His finished work on the cross...

Praise and Worship was exuberant, with several young people making a first-time decision to believe.

"It is Finished" by Ps Ross Smith - hot off the press - in English and in Thai - launched and signed personally by the author and teacher at The River Conference 2013! The books are going fast!

The River Team members facilitated powerful sessions for women, called  "Shine" - Value, Power of Choice and Purpose... 

... and for men, called "Strength" - Being strong and courageous

16 people made the following decision...

Our band draws in young people who are discovering their value and purpose in God and now want to live for His purpose!

Celebrating the "unsung heroes", who faithfully build His House in the most difficult of places. "The New Shoes" presented in the gift bags to "Bai" and "Daeng" remind them of their new Walk of Grace.

I have decided... and my friends are so excited!

We are many, but one in Him.

EASTER WEEKEND 2013 @ THE RIVER

Our very own worship band with a new sound - excelling in leading people to exhalt God - full of faith and excitement about His plan and purpose for this generation! Young people, some rescued from very deep - now living confidently to fulfil His Cause to bring healing and wholeness to this nation!

Building His House, brick by brick....

 I have decided...

Welcome home....

We are many, but one in Him

Celebrating around the table...



Tears of joy... We are truly brothers...with the same Father!

THE FLOODS

From the beginning of the year unitl mid-March, the weather in the South of Thailand included rain, rain and more rain!  As the town is situated on the Kolok River which separates Thailand from Malaysia, flooding is inevitable.  This means that some of the low-lying communities either become stranded or must be evacuated.  This time, evacuation was in order, and a refugee-style camp was set up in a local school which is visible from our team house.  The government asked us to organise activities for the people, while they waited to return to their homes.   Our team went in, and started teaching how to make bags and boxes out of recycled plastic.  This is a skill our team has perfected and already trained hundreds of people.  We train to empower people with new skills, which will provide them income and a sense of worth.  This kind of interaction with the local people also helps the government and the local to see that we are serious about our commitment to bring healing and wholeness to the South.

VALENTINE'S DAY 2013

The River Team spent Valentine's Day 2013 delivering lovingly prepared baskets of roses in the city of Hangdong. The sense of unity and excitement amongst the team members was contagious! The surprise and delight on the faces of the police, hospital staff, postal workers, municipal council officers, school teachers, bank officers, just to name a few... made all the hard work worth it!

JOY MEETS JOY!

Recently a couple from Australia, along with their teenage kids came to visit The River. During a conversation with The River Team member, the wife called Elise,  inquired about a Thai lady called Joy. She wanted to meet her.  Elise said that she has been praying for Joy since she received a River prayer card about six months earlier in Australia. One of the reasons Elise picked Joy's card was because her own middle name is Joy! Elise had no idea of the life and struggles this Thai lady, called Joy, had endured. She did not know that Joy is a single mother of two and a breast cancer survivor, who is trusting in God as her Almighty Provider and Healer. Elise was overjoyed in hearing Joy's story, because she herself had been healed of cancer! 

The day we phoned Joy, she had been asking God to send her encouragement.  It was an unusually difficult day at the bakery she works in and she felt tired and alone. 

The meeting of the two women at our River Café was truly joyful! The two discovered how much more than their names they shared in common. For almost an hour, these two daughters of the Father chatted about their families, children, and about how Jesus had individually impacted them and cared, loved and healed them and changed their lives for the Glory of God.

God brought these two beautiful women together through a simple River prayer card. Today they are praying for each other and giving praises to God in their homes thousands of miles apart.

MIRACLE ON THE MOUNTAINS

This story is incredible!

A Karen tribe man and his wife went to work in the fields as usual. The wife had a precious bundle on her back - their baby secured in the folds of a cloth wrapped around her. This is how the mother works for the survival of her family, while also attending to the little one.

Until recently, the young couple lived in fear of the spirit world. They spent their meagre resources in appeasing the insatiable appetites of the demons. Every sickness and misfortune was attributed to the angry spirits and required the  counsel of the community witchdoctor. Whatever the family owned was used as offering. Poverty was guaranteed. It is no wonder why so many are lured into giving their kids to “employment brokers”, who fuel the sinister activities of sexploitation, drug dealing etc.

Poverty is much more than just lacking physical resources.

Yingwhit, our River Team member from the H'Mong tribe, lives cross-culturally amongst the Karens. He stands out in the village: He is joyful. He sleeps his nights peacefully. He is generous and very hardworking. He genuinely cares for others. He volunteers to help villagers in their fields. His consistent, unconditional and fearless love for others is beginning to have a ripple effect... 

The young couple became curious to know the source of Yingwhit’s happiness. What they discovered was The Way to an eternal relationship with the One True God! The young couple made the life-changing decision to change their allegiance from demons to the living God. They have been set FREE - just like Yingwhit is free!

.... So, after a long day at the field, the little family returned to their bamboo hut. They became increasingly worried, because the baby was too weak to suck at the mother’s breast and repelled any offer of fluids. By the morning, the child was completely listless and unresponsive. Were they going to lose their precious child.... The man ran over to  Yingwhit's hut pleading for help. As Yingwhit entered the family's hut, he heard God say to him, “Take the child into your arms”. He gently eased the ailing baby from the mother's arms and held it close to his chest. Something completely unexpected happened! The baby stirred, its face became animated and Yingwhit handed the child back its mother. The child began to suck normally! 

We are incredibly glad to report that the baby is well and everyone is amazed by the healing power of the One True God!

NOOM'S STORY

Noom and his “family” were one of the first in Hangdong, which our team befriended some 8 years ago. Noom’s mum and dad had died of AIDS and he now lived with his brother and grandma.  This little “family” struggled to survive in the seemingly uncaring urban community.

Num wearing silver shirt with a friend

Our team began to empower Noom's family to improve their situation. Noom was enabled to concentrate on his studies, because our team connected with his school, made weekly visits to his home, picked him up for Kid’s Club and so on.  In those days, our base was a crammed shophouse building. Later on we moved to the much more spacious property, which became know as The River. Noom, by this time already in his teens, came with his  friends to hang out and practice music.

At times, the scream-style "singing" and ear-breaking loudness of the “music” was pretty challenging to listen, but we knew that these boys were with us for a reason. They were hugely excited about opportunities to perform at the combined Community & The River events. Then there were the camps, where they met ” purpose-living” young people. Noom loved it, but felt like an outsider.

As a teenager, the pressures of home, the gripping sadness in his heart, and the influence of his peers led him to seek comfort in places, which proved to be more like traps. He became addicted to drugs and before long was also selling them to support the habit. Grandma and brother were aware of the situation, but unable to help.  

One day, at his lowest point, Noom suddenly remembered something he had heard so many times at the Kid’s Club: 'Pray to God'. In desperation, he cried out, “God, help me!” Immediately, something unexplainable happened: Although he was physically alone, he felt the presence of God! It felt like FREEDOM! He was instantly set free from the bondage of drugs!  On 19th of August 2012, Noom came to The River and made a public confession of his new-found faith in God! 

Today, Noom is an enthusiastic musician in The River Worship band! He is also now a full-time member of The River Team and loves working with kids and youth.

Cassie, our volunteer and Noom today singing, "Greatest day in history..."

In October, as part of  The River Team, Noom made his first-ever trip to Bangkok!  At a large International Network Event, Noom served as one of the volunteers.

At praise and worship times he joined others right at the front to experience first-hand the joy of  truly "belonging" to the ever-growing number of young people, who have found their purpose in living for God!

The young generation of Thailand long to know the FREEDOM and HOPE Noom has already found!

We trust that you have been encouraged by Noom's story!