ministry highlight: Krutmuang's Farm

Hey friends and fam! It’s NOVEMBER. Wow. We’ve been told that it’s really starting to get chilly back in the states! SO fun! I am happy to report that our weather here in Malaysia has not changed one bit in the past months from its daily forecast of 88 degrees, extremely high humidity point, and thunderstorms at some point in the day haha! Wesley and I have laughed recently about how we think we will be SO cold when we come back to the states since we will be coming straight into winter weather!

Today we want to share a Ministry Highlight with you! As I mentioned in our last blog, last month, we spent a few weeks in different parts of Thailand meeting many mission partners based there and getting to film for them in lots of different ways. I want to share more about our day with Josh and Marlieke, a young couple that lives and works right outside of the Bangkok area. They have a heart for “the overlooked”; specifically the homeless, those in youth prison, and refugees. Since their marriage in 2020, Josh and Marlieke have spent the past few years building their ministry and establishing themselves in their area. Their current main focus of ministry is their farm! They have begun a farm with the vision to employ those who they are ministering to in hopes to give them a platform in which to make an income, as well as build relationships with them to share the Gospel. On their farm, they have chickens, ducks, rabbits, water buffalo, as well as grow different crops. Wesley and I got to spend the day with them at their home, and film a short bit of their story. We spent the day capturing shots of their farm, hearing and telling stories, and enjoying getting to know them (you can hear more about them from their video attached below 🙂).

They are an amazing couple who are obviously passionate about the Thai people knowing Jesus. Their humility, selflessness, and lack of fear in dreaming their big dreams were all things that stuck out to me about their character. Josh has an amazing story of redemption. He was a gang member, in prison himself, and comes from a very broken family. He was introduced to Jesus in prison of all places, and since then, has wanted that same hope to be made known to every one of “the people like him”. Marlieke was a successful neuroscientist back in the Netherlands, but felt a pull on her heart that despite the “good” she could do for mankind in this field of study, that there was a much deeper “good” to be done, and knew God was asking a different path from her. In listening to them share, I felt very encouraged by their passion for what they are doing today. They are people of humble faith and surety in who God says He is.

I want to share a few ways that we felt moved to pray for them, and would love it if you would stop and pray for them as well.

Prayer for Josh and Marlieke–

–deeper connection with the people they are ministering to- that these people would be curious and hungry to know more of why Josh and Marlieke love like they do. That they would be receptive when the Good News is shared, and that they would be hungry then for discipleship!

–continued provision- it is not cheap to have all the animals that they do, or grow the crops that they do, so please pray with us for continued provision for them! Not only for farm expenses so that they can continue their ministry by employing people, but also for provision for their dream of building housing where their workers can also stay and live during their time at the farm, giving them even more exposure to the Gospel.

–growth in their house church gatherings that they host- that leaders would rise up, as well as prayer that more people from the community would come to experience and hear of Jesus.

–greater reach and exposure for them in what they are doing- that even through this video of a bit of their story, people's hearts would be stirred to come alongside of them in their ministry.

Thank you for praying with us for our brother and sister, Josh and Marlieke!

Josh showing us around the farm.

Marlieke welcoming us into their home by feeding us!

Wesley getting to know the farm members :)

We love all of you tons!!!!!