Amee and Alei
In November 2015, Titus and Newa traveled to a Lisu village to check about bringing two girls to Gethsemane Home. Their names were Amee and Alei, and they arrived at Gethsemane in January 2016. They were and still are the only twins to live at Gethsemane.
In March of this year they graduated 9th grade and in May they started high school. A few years ago we didn’t know if going to high school was in their future. At one time Amee and Alei didn’t know if they could handle high school and that technical school was a better fit for them. They have worked so hard the last few years to be ready for high school.
When you’re at Gethsemane Home, you’ll find them helping Newa in so many ways. When you see one girl, the other one will be close by. They’ve always said they don’t need friends because they have each other. We’re so proud of these two girls!
The Exchange
June is church camp season at Flaming Spirit Christian Service Camp. The theme for the 2026 season was “The Exchange.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 states, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” This year Under the Son Ministries was asked to be the mission for the last two weeks of camp. This included Juniors (155, 5th and 6th graders), Middlers (90, 3rd and 4th graders), and First Chance (75, 1st and 2nd graders).
We were able to share many things about Thailand and the ministry. Learning a song with actions, in both English and Thai, was probably their favorite part of missions. The kids also asked great questions ranging from, “What religions are in Thailand?” to “What is your favorite food in Thailand?” There were 25 baptisms this year during the camp season. It is so awesome to be a part of God’s kingdom!
Operation Christmas Child
A few years ago, Antioch Church, which is near Gethsemane Home, was introduced to Operation Christmas Child. Some of the members had to attend a meeting where they learned about the project and received Sunday School materials and boxes for the Gethsemane children. This year they received more boxes which they wanted to take to a remote village. On Saturday, June 27th, Gethsemane Home and a couple of Santisuk Bible students drove six hours to Tak province. The reason was to share the love of Jesus with the children of Ban Gao village where a relative of Titus preaches. At the church our staff and the Gethsemane children shared the story of creation with the villagers. They also passed out 50 Operation Christmas Child boxes to the children. On Sunday some of our girls led the praise team during the worship service and Titus brought the message.
Adding to God’s Kingdom
Animistic beliefs are strong among the hilltribe people in Thailand. Even though people are willing to listen to God’s Word, in a hierarchical society the consent of village leaders or other family members is important. The reality of becoming rejected by other villagers can outweigh their real need for God and believing in Christ for their salvation.
The staff of Under the Son Ministries prays every day for those who are lost. While in Thailand earlier this year, we experienced the joy of seeing five people give their lives to Christ in the waters of baptism. We were able to present three of them with Bibles. What is equally exciting is that since our return to the States our staff has immersed five more brothers and sisters into Christ. Two of these people were the parents of one of the young ladies baptized while we were there. God is moving among these people!
Upcoming Fundraising Events
We want to thank everyone who purchased geraniums the first of May. This was the twelfth year for this fundraiser, and we’re thankful that our customer base continues to grow. What a blessing! A special thank you to Steve Miller for helping with the delivery of the geraniums! We were also able to donate a few of the plants to Oak Pointe of Maryville. Soon we will be taking pre-orders for our mums fundraiser and will be using the same supplier that provides our geraniums. We will have orange, yellow, red, and purple colors available again this year. They will be delivered this year on September 10th.
We are in the process of selecting new inventory for the Fall and Christmas seasons. We will hold a Pop-up Shop in our home during mums delivery. The Christmas Craft Fair at the Maryville Community Center will also be on our calendar in November. You can follow our Wonderfully Made Facebook page to be informed of these events and possible future pop-up dates. We may also be doing some online events.
Plans have also begun for the 10th Annual Christmas Homes Tour to be held on Sunday, December 6th. This is always a fun day for everyone who attends! There is also a Christmas Homes Tour Facebook page you can follow as we begin to share information about this year’s tour.
Proceeds from all of these fundraisers are applied to our educational fund. This money is used to pay tuition for children at Gethsemane Home that choose to attend university or a technical school, high school tuition, and so much more. We hope to see you at one of these events and appreciate your continued support!
