Dear Family & Friends

We hope your Christmas was merry and bright—we know for several it was very white! We pray this new year will bring you much contentment and peace as you grow in your relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ. This past month we have been caroling, having community outreaches, the church Christmas party, Home of Hope Christmas party and the church's New Year's camping outing, as well as teaching at a seminar, attending a seminar and visiting our friends in Ban Gao Village as well as hospital and home visitation of people who are ill.

We have also been praying for a while about what God would have us do in this next part of our journey serving Him. We had several options: 1) return to the US 2) go to another country 3) leave Mae Sot to start a church in another part of Thailand 4) stay in Mae Sot with a different ministry focus. After much praying and deliberation we feel we are to stay in Mae Sot but with a slightly different ministry focus.

1. We will still oversee the staff at Home of Hope and keep them financially accountable but the decisions will be made by Visanuk and May. This is what a missionary does is to train up nationals to take over the ministries.
2. We will be teaching and training the small Hill Tribes Church in Ban Gao Village. We have known most of the people there for over six and one half years and we are excited to be able to do this. Neill will be studying the Thai language more, to be able to communicate better as he teaches.
3. Diana has received training concerning human trafficking over the past couple of years and will assist Pastor John in his vision of having a training center to give the migrant young people job skills to be able to make a living without venturing to the larger cities and becoming easy targets for trafficking. She will be starting a 'micro business' enterprise, which means she will give a small loan to someone who wants to start a business. After they show that they are diligent in working and faithful in repaying the loan, they will receive a larger loan to expand their business until they are self-sufficient. When the Home of Hope building is completed, it will house about 40 children and it will also be home to women and children who are at risk of being trafficked. Now we understand why we built it so big—God knew we would need more room! This is still our top prayer priority. It will serve the church and community in several ways and help the Home of Hope to become self-sufficient as well.
4. We will continue to visit various pastors and churches to encourage them and also help Pastor John with teams, outreaches, visitation and other needs in conjunction with the Mae Sot Foursquare Church.

Just as the city of Mae Sot has been going through several changes over the past years, so our ministry continues to change little by little as God directs us. Come by yourself, with your family or with a team to see Thailand, Mae Sot and the ministry here first-hand.

Diana's Delights

Uli, a good friend of ours from Germany, passed away last week. It was a bit sudden but not totally surprising. He will be missed by many people, especially those at Mae Tao Clinic, where he taught and performed acupuncture. We first met Uli when he came to the Oasis. I discovered he was a doctor and hooked him up with Mae Tao clinic. He was very likable and was always smiling. He had lived in Sri Lanka for over 20 years, then came to Thailand after losing his wife to the tsunami. He loved Mae Sot and the people at Mae Tao Clinic. He considered this his home and his family.

Neill's Notes

Thank you so much for giving to the Home of Hope Christmas party fund. Everyone had a great time of eating, singing, playing games and opening presents.

Each year the church has its 'welcoming in' the new year by going camping, eating lots and lots of food, singing karaoke and just visiting. Everyone seemed to have a great time, especially the next morning with huge pork burgers, eggs and other culinary delights—food ;). They say that if you starve to death in Thailand it’s your own fault. There is always food and lots of it!

Prayer Requests

• Completion of the Home of Hope building
• Funding for the micro-business enterprise
• The church at Ban Gao Village
• The breaking down of spiritual strongholds in the Mae Sot area
• Good health, strength, wisdom and protection for Pastors John & Dear and their families
• The same for us during this transition time

Once again we thank you for partnering with us in Thailand. We would love to have you visit individually or with a team. We could not be here without your prayers and financial support.

Love, Prayers and Blessings to you,
Neill & Diana
Your missionary partners in Mae Sot

ndgthai@hotmail.com
www.gilbertthailand.com
www.homeofhopethai.org

If you would like to write to us or send us something please use this address:
Neill & Diana Gilbert
c/o Foursquare Mae Sot Church
P.O. Box 13
Mae Sot, Tak
63110 Thailand

If you would like to support us financially you can donate online. Otherwise you can make your check out to "Monticello Foursquare Church" and mail it to:
Lynette Rohde
c/o Monticello Foursquare Church
P.O. Box 1356
Maple Grove, MN 55311

FMI
P.O. Box 26776
Los Angeles, CA 90026