Elections
2 weeks ago elections took place all over Thailand. L, whom we wrote about in the previous letter, has been nominated as a candidate to become a representative for the district in the province. He is the first Karen and Christian, who ever entered the campaign. In his area, the Karen are a majority over the Thai inhabitants. It was not a surprise when he won with 9000 votes against only 6000 votes for the 2 Thai candidates. The Thais of course are not happy with this result. The Karen lay many hopes on L. He is a charismatic leader and can talk well. He needs our prayer support. We need to pray that he can do God's will in his new position.

Women's Conference
The conference was in the village 3 hours away and the roads are very bad. The other cars were packed with women, who were looking forward to the fellowship. 200 hundred women came together to praise the Lord and to focus anew on Him. The theme was the "Healing of our Heart."

There were many prayers for those who were sick. The speaker also spoke about the need for our hearts to be healed, in order to be able to serve God and to be a light in the world. L preached twice and encouraged the women to live out their faith seriously. He gave the example of the fig tree, which didn't bear any fruits and which Jesus cursed. We want to be trees, which bear fruit. We need to water our tree with God's word and to fertilize it with prayer. Then fruit can grow.

U reminded them about the truth that God has no grandchildren, only children, and how important it is that children get to know God for themselves. Many Karen think that children who grow up in Christian families are automatically Christians. She encouraged them to teach their children in the faith and to pray with them and to tell them Bible stories and not to wait until they are grown up.

The women from SL came with 5 cars and brought a music band and several men. We had the feeling that they wanted to show the others how everyone should do worship. There is a tendency that the people from SL become proud and think that their way of worship is the only right way. We pray that this does not happen and that many can be honest and the Holy Spirit touches their lives afresh. We rejoiced that several men from SL gave their testimony and told us how God had changed their lives. Several of them had been addicted to alcohol and also tried modern drugs secretly. The Lord touched them and freed them from this. May this process of healing continue and reach every area of life so that the words and actions don't contradict each other. May the many lukewarm Karen Christians turn fully to God.

Planning of the Second Short-Term Bible School
We are planning another short-term Bible school in May. Several leaders reacted positively to our suggestions and offered their help in the teaching.

Sad News
There is a mother in T, a village 2 days travel away from us, who died a few days after giving birth to her 6 th child. She got weaker after each birth and this time she could not recuperate. She probably lost too much blood. The family came to faith only a month ago. The non-Christians of the village think that it is a punishment of the spirits that she died. Pray for the father, that he stands strong in spite of everything. We have bought powdered milk for the child. Pray for the newborn baby, that it doesn't die as well. The Karen, who are not Christians, sometimes bury the baby alive with the mother in such cases.

When the women from SL came home from the conference encouraged and happily singing they heard that a 5-year-old gird drowned in the river that afternoon. The mother of the girl had been to the conference as well. Those tragic events are hard tests for the Christians. We pray for them and for the Christians in the village that they can find comfort through their faith in Jesus.