Alise and Mark will serve at the House of Love and House of Blessing in Chiang Mai, Thailand. These ministries were established by IM missionary Kim Brown to serve tribal women and children coping with problems caused by AIDS, disabilities and migration from their rural villages to urban slums. Working through longtime IM partners Integrated Ministries for the Ethnic Minorities Foundation and the Thailand Karen Baptist Convention, Alise and Mark’s ministry will focus on the discipleship and spiritual development of children and staff, administrative responsibilities and community development.

They write – Last week we took the family to Green Lake, Wisconsin and attended the American Baptist World Mission Conference. The theme for the conference was “The Salt of the Earth” and the primary scripture was Matthew 5:13 (ESV) – You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

To say that we were blessed and inspired at the conference would be an understatement. There were some deep biblical lessons about being the salt of the earth, we enjoyed spending time outdoors, and we met so many people who have a heart for missions. … As with any conference, however, the energy can sometimes be fleeting – what we must grasp and hold onto are the stories that change us and influence us for the long term. There was one story I witnessed which moved me and I will remember for a long time about our daughter Sydney.

If you know our nine-year-old Sydney, you know that she is sweet, smart, and energetic. Socially she is a little more reserved and normally takes some time to warm up to people. On Thursday evening, during the Bible teaching session, we were asked to lead the prayer as a family. Getting up on stage with the bright lights and in front of a crowd of several hundred people was a little intimidating to me. Sydney, however, did not hesitate; after Alise introduced us Sydney took hold of the microphone and said the sweetest prayer from her heart. Honestly, I was brought to tears and after she was done, it was my turn to pray and my mind had gone blank. What really moved me was to see my little girl get out of her comfort zone and honestly desire to lead the conference in prayer for kids around the world. Maybe it was my imagination, but it seemed that after she said the prayer, Sydney’s confidence soared. The next day Alise and I had a dinner meeting with two pastors, instead of sitting with us; Sydney took the initiative to sit with their wives (whom she had never met before) at a different table. The next day she was running around with some new friends she met at the conference and she had the confidence to talk to their parents as well. …

Read their full journal at https://internationalministries.org/a-lesson-from-the-world-mission-conference/