Celebrating 25 years in Thailand and October update 2021

 

                        CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF MINISTRY TO THAILAND

On this day 25 years ago, Annie and I started our journey as missionaries to Thailand and Southeast Asia.  It has been quite a journey through out all these years and I can’t say it has always been fun but I would not change a thing because we have done all that God wanted us to do.  Amen?

On December 23, 1973 we left Thailand as newly married couple with our daughter Ruby and our luggage back to America.  Our luggage was all that is all we had to our name.  After 23 years in America and coming to Jesus we accepted the call of ministry to Thailand and we came back on October 15, 1996 with only our luggage.  The difference was that when we left Thailand we didn’t have Jesus and when we came back we did. Amen?  

We had served as pastors at COTR Palestine , when we took a missions trip to Thailand and Vietnam.  God spoke to us while we were there and 8 months later we had sold everything we owned said good bye to our family we loved and we moved to Khon kaen, Thailand. God had given us a vision to come to be a spiritual father and mother to young pastors who’d had no one like that in their life at the time. We only knew one person who was a director at a Bible school where we had agreed to help out.  Within the first year we had moved out and visited many churches all over northeast Thailand. For the next 20 years we did about everything you can think of, including revival services, youth camps, children camps, and helping churches to grow in the spirit and in size. We saw God use us and had many victory’s and failures. We worked with the faithful and the not so faithful but we bore much fruit and most of that fruit still remains today.  Praise God!

About 5 years ago we decided to move to Khon Kaen, the city where we started at 20 years before.  We were still helping 3 churches at the time and one of those was a small church in Buriram that was not associated with any organizations.  Our main focus became the small church in Buriram where we saw the most fruit and potential. About 3 years ago we ordained the pastor and accepted the church into the Church on the Rock organization and the name of the church was changed to COTR Buriram. Praise God! Then about 2 years ago, we were able  to start a foundation ( Saints on the Rock Foundation) through this church and pastor to reach out to the community, provide community services to their area and eventually to have a Christian school. When COVID came last year, it looked like it would be a hinderance to our ministry and also to the churches here, because everything is being done by online services only. But thank God, during this time COTR Buriram has been able to use this time to build their first building project.  A temporary sanctuary and kitchen and kids room is almost finished as I write this. When the main church building is built, this building will then become the offices for the church and Saints on the Rock Foundation.  So, that is where we are today as we wait for the COVID situation to clear up and then we are looking forward to dedicate the new buildings and continue with the churches and discipleship.  Amen?  

Annie and I thank God for all of the Lord has done in this last 25 years and looking forward to doing His will for the next 25 years, whatever that might be. We are starting to get old, but we still believe God has a few things left for us to do here in Thailand.  So here we are Lord, Thy will be done!

As far as Thailand , the COVID-19 situation is still about the same.  The government is saying that they will open up Thailand on November 1, but we will see.  As far as ministry today, we are still teaching online.  We are praying and still hoping that we will be able to start visiting the churches soon. Amen?

As I mentioned in our 25 year update, COTR Buriram has almost finished their first project of building the temporary church, children’s room and kitchen.  It will most likely be complete this coming within a week. We praise God for what He has done, because it is truly a miracle, all done I faith and God has provided each step of the way!  Especially during this time of the Covid-19 situation here in Thailand and everything else going on.  We give all glory to God for everything.  As Thailand opens back up, the church has a new sanctuary built on their own land where they can have live services!  Praise God in the highest! We pray God will bless everyone who helped make this possible!

Okay, guess that’s enough for this months update. Haha. We than everyone for you support and prayers.  Please continue to pray for us in every area as we pray for all of you!

We love y’all!

Ralph and Annie

PS
 
If anyone would like to give a one time offering or support us on a monthly basis on line, click on the Donate Button at www.ralphdryden.com , or give via PayPal directly to us at PayPal.Me/RalphDDryden or give via mail:

Contributions by check can be sent to:

Church on the Rock
P O iBox 1228
Nederland, TX 77627

September Update 2021

 

                  Greetings everyone in the Name of Jesus!

We pray all is well with you and God is protecting you during this critical time all over the world. Thailand is still about the same as last month, and seems to be getting a little bit better. We are still in semi-lockdown as before, so not getting around much except for necessities and doctor visits. The churches here are still mostly online every week as well. We are still doing discipleship and teaching online every week. We keep praying that this will pass soon and we can get back to visiting the churches soon.  We miss everyone here and are ready to get back to normal ministry.  So pray with us that it will pass soon and God will continue to protect Annie and I!  Amen?

Praise God for a good report with our tri-monthly blood check up.  Annie had a great report, her sugar levels went down and everything else is good as well. Afterwards we had Annie’s yearly mammogram, ultrasound and Xray done.  We don’t get the official reading until the 21st of this month but as far as I can tell it looks like a good report and nothing abnormal.  Amen?  Pray with us this week as we believe for complete healing in her body, amen?

Praise God for Church on the Rock Buriram and Saints on the Rock Foundation has continued faithfully in faith with their first project at building their first building on their new property.  Praise God, the first project has been completed and they now have a temporary sanctuary to have Sunday worship for the time being. After the main church building is finished this building will be used for an office for Saints on the Rock Foundation.  Thank God for all those who gave and made this possible, may God bless you with a hundredfold return.

Now on to project number 2 in the building project and that is to build a children’s room and a kitchen. The building begins as of today on faith again and praying for God to provide!  Amen? Please keep us in prayer for God’s provision for the vision. I will keep everyone updated as we progress through this second step, and if anyone would like to be a part or feel led to give towards this project, just let me know!  Amen?  

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support and may God bless you and protect you all!  Continue to pray for our health and protection during this time as well.

We love y’all!

Ralph and Annie


PS
 
If anyone would like to give a one time offering or support us on a monthly basis on line, click on the Donate Button at www.ralphdryden.com , or give via PayPal directly to us at PayPal.Me/RalphDDryden or give via mail:

Contributions by check can be sent to:

Church on the Rock
P O Box 1228
Nederland, TX 77627

August Update 2021

 

 

Greetings everyone in the name of Jesus!

We pray all is well with our family and friends in America and you are all staying safe. Here in Thailand, everything here is about the same.  We are all still in a semi-lockdown and new infections are over 20,000 a day, over 800,000 have been infected, and 210,000 still being cared for. All the hospitals and field hospitals are full at the present time. This is a lot for this small country.  Even in our province there has been as many as 300 in one day.  So for the most part and we are staying in as much as possible.  Only going out for necessary business.  Please keep us in prayer for our protection and that things will get better soon.

All of the churches we minister in are still running online. We truly miss seeing our spiritual families and being able to fellowship together. Hopefully this gets over with and we can get back to ministering in person. Amen?

I thank God for the internet because we can at least continue our discipleship training and teaching. At least once a week, teaching the word of God and encouraging our disciples.  

Church on the Rock Buriram is not being idle and using this time to build a building on the new land so that when the lockdown is over they will have a new place to worship. The first building is going up by Faith! This is an ongoing project until the completion of the new facilities.  Please keep this little church in your prayers that God will give provision for the vision. And of course if anyone feels led to give some help with this project just let me know.  The more provision that comes in the more they can do.

Keep Annie in prayer next month.  We have several doctor appointments during the month of September.  On the 7th, we have our normal blood work checkup, then around the 16th a mammogram, ex-ray and ultrasound, then on the 21st we see the radiation doctor for the results. We are believing for a great report and no problems whatsoever. Once free always free! Amen?

Okay, well this update is short for now because we are in lockdown. So, keep praying and we continually pray for all of you as well. Thank you for all your prayers and support which helps us so much during this time.

We love y’all!

Ralph and Annie

PS
 
If anyone would like to give a one time offering or support us on a monthly basis on line, click on the Donate Button at www.ralphdryden.com , or give via PayPal directly to us at PayPal.Me/RalphDDryden or give via mail:

Contributions by check can be sent to:

Church on the Rock
P O Box 1228
Nederland, TX 77627

July Update 2021

 

25 Years ago!

Greetings everyone in the Name of Jesus!

 

This month, Annie and I are celebrating a big milestone in our Christian life and ministry. On July 9, 1989, 32 years ago Annie and I both were baptized in the Holy Spirit at the same time during a foundation class at our church. We had a upper room experience at the end of the class where the Holy Spirit of God came upon us like tongues of fire all at once. That moment changed everything in our lives forever! We were delivered of many things at that time and the major thing for me was after 20 years of alcoholism, I was totally set free! From that day forward until even today we fell in love with Jesus and wanted to serve Him any way we could. We started immediately in lay ministry at our church. We became greeters, ushers, intercessors, small group leaders, leaders of small group leaders, licensed ministers with jail and prison ministry within our church. In October 1993, we sold everything we had and quit our good jobs and we became pastors at Cotr Palestine, Texas. We gave up all we had and became pastors of this small church where we learned our first lessons in full time ministry. We went from almost nothing to a good size church for a small town in east Texas in three years. During the 3rd year, we went on a mission trip to Vietnam and Thailand, where God began to speak to us about moving to Thailand to be missionaries.

On October 15, 1996, after much prayer and fasting, many prophesies and confirmations, we left to be missionaries in NE Thailand. We knew only one person here in Thailand when we came and we began our life as a missionary helping as many churches and local pastors as we could. This coming October we will have been in Thailand for 25 years now. We have done everything and went through many trials and tribulations, sickness and sorrow, hurts and pain but it has all been worth it and we are still here until God let’s us retire. We are still full of love and fire to serve God but our bodies are getting older everyday, so we know that some day in the future we will have to be a day to return to live close to our children and maybe we can do some lay ministry in a local church. But until that day we will continue on here making disciples and edifying the local churches where we minister. That too has become a big challenge with COVID but we are here Lord use us as long as you can. So praise God today for 32 years of being filed with the Spirit of God, and almost 25 years of ministry here in Thailand. We will be here till you lead us somewhere else. So we celebrate and give praise and glory to God for all that He has done!

Khon Kaen, Thailand

Lock down food!

This update is mostly a prayer request for us and for Thailand.  Just as we thought things were getting better in our last update, another wave of COVID broke loose in Bangkok and now has spread to all over Thailand.  Today another record of infections of over 10,000 people and over 100 deaths for Thailand.  Our province is better than some places but infections are increasing every day.  Right now, all of the hospitals and field hospitals are full. So, much prayer is needed for all of us.  Bangkok area is in total lockdown and we are in a partial lockdown here.  Annie and I have pretty much quarantined ourselves except for going out to shop for essential items.  Please pray for our protection from all of this and it will pass quickly so we can get back to visiting the churches.  Amen?

Another problem is the vaccine situation.  It’s getting to the point where you have to be vaccinated to travel around here in Thailand.  The problem is the two vaccines (Sinovac and Astrasenca) that Thailand is using are almost worthless against all variants and have many bad side effects.  Some of the other embassies are helping their citizens here to get a good vaccine but of course the American embassy is not interested in helping us Americans here in Thailand.  The private hospitals are trying to purchase the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines but there is a long waiting line and supposedly will not be available until October or later.  Pray for Annie and I to have favor and be able to get a good vaccine soon.

As far as the churches here, almost all are back to online church, including COTR Buriram.  They are taking advantage of this time to start the move and build a temporary building on the new land.  The old church building has been disassembled and will be used for the new one.  Hopefully, they will be able to get the new temporary building finished before the lockdown is over.  Amen? Once again, if anyone feels led to give to this project, please let me know.

I thank God that I have been able to continue to minister with online teaching during the time but it is not the same as going out and preaching.  Especially for Annie as well. Pray this COVID situation will be over soon and we can get moving again. Amen?

Okay thanks for all of your prayers and support!  We pray for all of you continually for God to bless you all and meet all of your needs as well.

We love y’all!

Ralph and Annie

PS
 
If anyone would like to give a one time offering or support us on a monthly basis on line, click on the Donate Button at www.ralphdryden.com , or give via PayPal directly to us at PayPal.Me/RalphDDryden or give via mail:

Contributions by check can be sent to:

Church on the Rock
P O Box 1228
Nederland, TX 77627

June Update 2021

 

 

                      Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus!

Thanks to everyone for your prayers for Thailand and the COVID-19 situation here. There is still a new wave going on in some places but in our area and Buriram area is getting much better and we are praying that by July we will be able to visit the churches again. Please agree with us in this area as well.

In the meantime I am still teaching and disciplining online.  It is working out well for now, but Annie and I are both ready to get out and minister in person again. We miss all the members and are ready to see them all again. amen?

We had a pastor friend, who we have not seen in a long time, come by to visit us and we were able to minister and pray with her about some important decisions coming up soon in her life.  We enjoyed the visit and the ministry time.

Please continue to pray for Buriram COTR and Saints on the rock foundation and the vision of building the new church building and nursery building.  We are trusting in God for provision ($33,000 usd) to finish everything and we are taking things step at a time while waiting with the resources we have from the church members. Hopefully in July they are going to start taking parts from the present building to construct a small building for a temporary church on the new land which will later be used as a kitchen.  Praying that we will be able to start having services in the temporary building within a month or so.  Please agree with prayer for this next step towards the vision. If anyone feels led to help with the financial part of the vision just let me know and I will instruct you on how to give.

Please continue to pray for our health as well.  Thanks for all your prayers last month and I am doing much better now. We get our blood work done every three months and so far all is well with me and pray for Annie’s sugar and calcium levels to go down by September.  They were a little bit high this month. Thanks in advance for all your prayers.  

Please continue to pray for our health, provision and protection from the COVID situation here.  The Better vaccines won’t be available until October.

Thanks to everyone for your support and prayers as we pray for all of you as well.

We love y’all!

Ralph and Annie

PS
 
If anyone would like to give a one time offering or support us on a monthly basis on line, click on the Donate Button at www.ralphdryden.com , or give via PayPal directly to us at PayPal.Me/RalphDDryden or give via mail:

Contributions by check can be sent to:

Church on the Rock
P O Box 1228
Nederland, TX 77627
 
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