April 12, 1998   Sunday Evening

Dear Family,

Sunday was exciting in Songkla today.   I stayed here for a month in 1991 while Prateep, their preacher and his family were in the United States. God has blessed this congregation with a great evangelistic spirit, a loving family atmosphere, and a wonderful location.  In 1991 the congregation's building was at the end of a dead end street. Now there is a 7 - 11 on the corner and multi-story, city housing buildings, line both sides of the street. The cramped office where I lived and studied in 1991 is now part of the expanded 80 seat auditorium.  This morning the auditorium  was packed as Christians begin to gather from all over Thailand for the annual teen & family Bible camp.  

The Songkla congregation has been fervant in prayer since February 1st when they first learned of the Vientiane raid and arrest. The picture from the Laos 10 web site was on the bulletin board.   It was a joy to relate to them the events that God has worked out since Janaury 30th.  They will continue to pray for and remember the remaining ten Lao Christians until their release.

The Songkla church has rented a city school complex right in the middle of the city for the Bible camp. Tomorrow morning at 6:30 A.M., three Thai Navy buses will make the 30 minute drive to Hat Yai to meet the morning train. Over 200 Christians are traveling together from Bangkok for the five day camp. Prateep called me this afternoon about 4 P.M.  I was surprised to hear Anne's voice. Remember the one Lao/French Christian that was arrested with us?  Anne returned this week especially for the Songkla Bible Camp, and also to visit her husband Stephen who still lives and works in Vientiane. They arrived on the afternoon flight from Bangkok and  Anne brought over $300 that the Church of Christ in Paris sent to assist the Lao families. We agreed that Stephen would take the money to Vientiane and use it specifically to improve communications  with the Vientiane families (the West-Ark Church of Christ Lao family assistance fund has already received generous donations).  Stephen tells very concerning stories about his status in Vientiane. Last week the  police warned him not to  communicate with Kenneth Fox or other foreigners.  He is still trailed by police spies so the danger of government prosecution is still very real.

This week is the Songkran festival in Laos, Myanmar and Thailand so all government offices in Vientiane will be closed this week. We will share more stories with you as Anne &  Stephen, and Udorn Inthong all get together this week in the wonderful religious freedom of Thailand.

God bless,

Ken & Jean Fox
Songkla, Thailand