Dear Friends,
I am excited to announce that EFM is allowing me to take the next four months as a sabbatical switching my work focus from my ministry to growing in my primary relationships with God, my Debby, and my children. I have come to realize that I have held my ministry and my calling over my family. What a gift to understand this and to have the next months to turn this around. God led Adam into an amazing calling of ruling the whole earth, and they worked hard together naming the animals; fully understanding them, and learning how to steward them. Yet in the middle of all this fulfilling work, God said, “It is not good for Adam to be alone!” Adam first of all needed a deep, intimate relationship with God, then a deep intimate relationship with Eve, and out of these two primary relationships would flow the rest of life; including his calling and ministry. So, I am taking this time to bring my Debby and our kids and their families back into the right, high priority in my life.
I love the grace of this time to lay down my calling, my ministry, my intercession, my D4D teams and projects, and to focus on becoming all that Papa has created me to be. I also physically need this time to fully recuperate from a nine-month parasitic infection.
All my Discipling for Development teams are in good hands. Gary Hipp is leading the Bolivia D4D team with amazing people from the US, Mexico, Chile, and Bolivia. Scott Purser with Navigators USA is leading our amazing Thailand D4D team accompanied by Ronald Mazune working with Navigators Uganda, and also our former D4D coach for our team in Rwanda. Our various Rwandan D4D teams are currently led by Nsabimana Tertullien along with Gerard and Augustin. EFM is also progressing well on its Luke 10 Initiative of starting at least 5 new fields with 10 new missionary households by the end of 2025. I am free to take the next four months to release, rest, recover, reflect, renew, and re-establish my priority relationships, refocus, realign, and at the end of my sabbatical time re-engage in the amazing ministry God has given me.
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Early morning in JaSoPa. |
I am including two videos I took in Thailand this last January- February 2024 trip. The first video is a one-minute view early in the morning above our special Discipling for Development village of JaSoPa (above). The second video is six minutes long and is for those interested in praying with me over JaSoPa village. I pray “Let Your Light Come!” as well as pray through the Lord’s Prayer and Isaiah 61:1-3 (below).
Thank you in advance for praying with me for a more intimate and trusting relationship with Papa, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit through this sabbatical time, as well as for some wonderful growth in my relationships with my family! Pray also for the full restoration of my gut health and physical strength!
I won’t be sending updates until it is time to reengage in four or so months.
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Praying over JaSoPa Village |
Bless you!
David Thomas
Planting whole-life, disciple-making movements
“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.” Psalm 67:1-2
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