Baan Zion Children Prison Ministries A Foundation Zion Child Care Trust Intl. Project T. +66(0)871001356 E. reverend.smit@gmail.com FB www.facebook.com/baanzion Father, I thank you that you have heard me John 11:41 News flash June-July 2016 Dear friends, This newsletter is a bit later than planned due to the fact that we in Baan Zion experienced some serious problems with one of our staff that jeopardized the care of our girls. This caused that not just 4 weeks in my furlough and finally after more than a year being able to spend a longer time with my family, I had to rush back to Thailand. Consequently I had to cancel all my speaking arrangements, finishing the Baan Zion documentary which was filmed by the Dutch team and to be used for sponsoring, our family holiday, information meetings and the possibility to meet with individual sponsors. Due to the seriousness of it all, we could only share with our inner circle and are very grateful for Pastor Mattheus van der Steen of House of Heroes Church, who immediately stepped in and was a constant encouragement and prayer partner, Pastor Jan Meijerink of VEG Church and the team of SOW for immediately wrapping their arms around us. Girls All girls are doing well and have found their normal daily school routine. After such a long almost 3 month school holiday with so many activities and the presence of two fantastic mission teams always a bit difficult in the first week, in special when confronted with loads and loads of home work again. Our three new girls of course also enrolled in the same school and have adapted very well in this school looking at the fact that they hardly had any previous education. They meantime are fully at home in Baan Zion, have found their place, joyfully participate in all activities, are touched by Jesus and physically and mentally bloomed since being with us.
Leaders For Ellen and me raising and equipping young female leaders for the Kingdom of God always has been a priority. For a longer time Ruth, Fa, Naree and Wan have been personally trained in all aspects of our children s ministry and church. These 4 young women stand next to me and have proven themselves in bringing in new children, helping me with the often difficult and extended amount of official paperwork, preparing everything for the mission teams, leading church in worship and preaching, taking up daily tasks with and for the rest of the children, including Godly upbringing, being good financial stewards, being advisors, prayer partners and of great help to my staff etc. They have grown to such a spiritual and practical knowledge level that we have decided that, next to me, these 4 young women now officially are part of Baan Zion leadership. This does not give any friction with the rest of the children since they are respected nor with our staff that in fact always have functioned as the surrogate mothers of our girls and never had any leadership tasks. Internet Yes we do have internet for the computers on the ground floor and a wireless connection for my 4 big girls and myself. Finally after more than one and a half year all girls can do their homework and studies at home. By two special donations and the Grace of God we were able to buy laptop computers for our 4 University students. For our 5 th student, who is doing Higher Vocational training at the Hotel School a laptop is not really needed yet.
House Our landlord is indeed in the process of selling the property and at date the largest part of our grounds being the front garden went to a new owner. The land in the back of the house has been inspected by interested parties several times and for the house itself there has been an appraisal by the bank. For the moment no building activities by the new owner of the land is taking place and the house is not sold as far as we know now. If it comes to that we will almost certainly have to move, but we trust that if so the Lord has a new place for us. Baptism We started by writing that we had some serious problems which urged me to return to Baan Zion rapidly. Indeed the problems were and are huge, but in confessing that Jesus is Lord and that He would lead us out no matter what, something happened in 7 of our teens. By forgiving the person who caused these immense problems, by blessing the 5 loaves and 3 fishes we had left and like Jesus in John 11:41 calling out to God in saying Father, I thank you that you have heard me, by not losing heart or faith but being certain it would happen the Lord stretched out His hand. For these 7 teens it was a boost of faith and this experience was what they needed to make the ultimate choice in giving themselves fully to Jesus and being baptised on Sunday 10th of July.
We are so very grateful to all of you that stand next to us, pray with us and support us in whatever way. You make the difference. In the service of His children, Rev. Dr. Jan and Ps. Ellen Smit Thanking points The constant movement of the Holy Spirit in Baan Zion The unshakable faith of our girls The 7 girls that have been baptized The 3 new girls that have adapted so well and are blooming in His presence The 4 young women, trained and ready for leadership The internet connection The laptops for the girls that go to University Prayer points The so needed sponsoring to continue our work The house The sending by the Lord of a new staff member How to donate to our Ministry For donations directly towards Thailand Bank: Bangkok Bank Swift code: BKKBTHBK Account number: 537-0-35592-6 In the name of: Foundation Zion Child Care Trust Intl. Chiangrai 57000, Thailand For donations in the US We are blessed to be in partnership with Emerge Children s Ministry USA. If you feel that God is leading you to partner up with us please use the following donation link https://www.egsnetwork.com/gift2/?giftid=e15b7c93d4f240d In the US, Baan Zion is also in blessed partnership with Commission To Every Nation, a 501c3 missions organization. You can send your tax-deductible donation to them by mail at: CTEN PO Box 291307 Kerrville, TX 78029-1307 {Please include a note with Baan Zion on it} Donate online at http://www.cten.org/baanzion/ Click the donate button. For further assistance call the CTEN Finance Dept. at 800-872-5404. Thank you for your prayerful consideration to partner with us.