2025 in Review Looking Ahead &
New Staff
P’Mem joined our team in October after P’Puu left.
STAFF Update Update
New Believers
New Season
3 of our staff came to Christ this year. All of them shared that they heard about Jesus through working at The Pines. In December our former coworker left. Now it’s just Tum & I as managers. We are greatly enjoying the challenges and new rhythms of the new year.
Meet Lucky & LuLu
That’s right folks, we prayed for a new puppy and God gave us double!
It seems silly to start out a ministry newsletter with puppies, but these little guys were actually a huge answer to prayer. Dogs play an important role at The Pines. They alert us if there are intruders or other dangers. They become like family, and shape the atmosphere of home away from home. They provide comfort and love for those who need it.
We found them abandoned on the beach, and it was love at first sight. They trusted us right away, which is rare for Thai street dogs. They are full of puppy energy and mischief, but they are both truly sweet.
They love swimming, wrestling, and tummy rubs.
We’ve lost count of how many times the kids have told us their favorite thing about The Pines is Lucky, LuLu, and Wags.
Fighting Beach Erosion
After months of deliberation, Admin Council decided to install a rock barrier to protect the property The installation was completed in June. We waited in anticipation for stormy season to arrive...
Praise God, there were no high waves this year! We are almost through stormy season, and the rock barrier has held its ground.
As water levels continues to rise throughout Thailand, this will only buy us time; but we are hoping it gives us a few more years to enjoy the seaside pool.
A
Fallen Tree & an Opportunity for the Gospel
In May our neighbor hired a day laborer from Myanmar to cut down the trees closest to our property. Our neighbor was worried one of these trees might fall during a storm. Unfortunately, in the process of cutting them down, one tree fell and crashed through the roof of our laundry area.
Thankfully no one was hurt, but our insurance refused to pay for the damages. Our neighbor demanded that the day laborer pay, but this man’s wage was less than $10 for the day. The dept would be impossible to pay in his lifetime.
Tum and our Line Manager, Bruce, saw this as an opportunity to share the gospel and show grace. The day laborer was understandably distraught when they first found him. They told him that we would cover the repairs ourselves. Furthermore, this wasn’t to earn merit, but out of the love from Jesus Christ who loves us and loves him. The day laborer was filled with joy and relief. It was a beautiful opportunity to put faith in action.
“THE
PINES IS MORE OF A HOSPITAL THAN A HOTEL”
Last month we had a missionary family unexpectedly walk through our gates. They had been driving for 15+ hours only to find out their hotel didn’t have their booking. They had heard about The Pines and decided to take a chance. Praise God we had one last room available! They walked in completely exhausted with their little kids. They shared they were on medical leave for burnout, and desperately needed rest & retreat.
They dropped off their bags and headed to the pool. Along the way they ran into other guests who they knew! It was an unexpected surprise, and we watched as our community surrounded them with encouragement. Not only were they welcomed in, but they had people around them who understood their struggles.
We had the honor of watching this family go from burnout to glimmers of light. By the end of their stay we had seen them come back to life. The heaviness in their face was gone, and they laughed and played as a family.
This is just one of the stories of how much The Pines can make a difference in the lives of missionaries. It’s an honor to make sure they ar ve space to spend time with Jesus
Looking Ahead
We are excited to announce that Natalie will be the new High School Counselor at the International Community School of Bangkok starting in July!
While it’s been a beautiful gift to serve at The Pines, we knew ICS was an opportunity that wouldn’t come around again. Natalie had applied in previous years, but at that time there was no opening. We were pleasantly surprised when their HR department reached out to her to say they kept her resume on file, and were now looking for a new school counselor We decided to prayerfully go through the interview process, and during that time God gave us more and more confirmations that this was the next best way for Natalie to use her gifts and skills.
ICS is one of the top international schools in Bangkok, but their success all leads back to their Christ centered practices. ICS is a Christian school that focuses on strengthening community as much as academics. They even interviewed Tum as they were interviewing Natalie, because ICS recognizes that they are bringing in families; not just hiring staff.
We will even stay connected to many of our guests and current colleagues because many of their kids attend this school. We went for a visit recently, and Natalie was already busy connecting with all the kids running up to her
It’s truly amazing to see how God has brought it all together. Without our rough start in Pattaya at MIS, she wouldn’t have the experience needed for ICS. Without coming to The Pines we wouldn’t have heard about ICS, and we wouldn’t have connections to the community.
It’s a big change yet again, but God is good through it all.
TUM
Healing from Surgery
Tum had surgery in December, and the surgeon found scar tissue leftover from when his appendix burst when he was 12 years old. Praise God this surgery fixed 2 problems, one of which he didn’t even know he had!
Direction for BKK
There are several ministry opportunities with OMF that Tum will be exploring. However we can’t explore those options until after we move. Please pray for God to make it clear to Tum where he is called to next.
NATALIE
Grace in Grief and Bittersweet Transition
Natalie’s grandpa passed away a few weeks ago. Pray for her grandma, mom, and the rest of her family as they navigate their grief.
Praises for ICS, but also pray for the grief that comes with saying goodbye to The Pines...especially the dogs. We can stay in contact with our friends, but we’ve never had to leave behind pets.
THEPINES
New Managers
Please pray that God provides good managers to oversee The Pines. May they have the spiritual leadership skills, office skills, people skills, maintenance skills, and doggie skills needed to run this unique ministry.
Prayer Requests
Thankyouforallyourloveandsupport.Your prayers,giving,andemotionalsupportmeanthe worldtous.Youareanamazingpartofourteam! Thankyou!