Dear Family & Friends,

 We would like you to know that the Oasis Coffee Shop will be closing 31 December, 2010 under our direction. The new landlord, who bought the property earlier this year, is increasing the rent by 43% on 1 January, 2011 and is requiring a minimum of a one-year lease. We can’t afford the new rent price and do not feel we should sign a long term lease, so we have decided to close it. 

 We have no regrets; Oasis has been an oasis to those who came to be refreshed, take a break or just spend some quiet time in the ‘upper room’. Several people gave their lives to Christ and many were strengthened in their walk through the Saturday Night Fellowship. The Oasis has been a place of networking to find people jobs, to learn languages, to find their way around Mae Sot and several other connections.  We have met so many wonderful people literally from all over the world who had come to Mae Sot for a  variety of reasons.

 We are so thankful that God gave us the opportunity to oversee the Oasis and all the good things that have happened here over the past 2 ½ years. We feel that God is closing this chapter of our book and beginning a new one. We are not sure what that ministry will be specifically yet, so please pray with us for guidance and divine wisdom for the next part of our journey.

 The Oasis will be under new leadership. Mike Arter, Foursquare missionary in Mae Sot, and his wife, Bee, will be living on the premises and keeping the coffee shop going. They also plan to use the building for youth meetings and activities and teaching English. Mike and Bee had been looking to move to a different place and also that the place would have room for the youth and for teaching English. So it appears that God has His hand in this so that we can be released into a new ministry and Mike and Bee can expand the ministry God has given them.

 Blessings,
Neill & Diana