Showing posts tagged Neill and Diana
Ask our Missionaries (AoM):
The Gilberts
If you had five minutes to preach right now, what would you share?
I AM WITH YOU
In Joshua 1:5 God tells Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you, I will never leave you nor forsake you.” In the New Testament Jesus tells His disciples, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Mt 28:20) This comforting promise is given to us in many Scriptures throughout the Bible. No matter how we feel, we are never alone.
When one lives in another culture for an extended period of time, they go through what is called ‘culture shock’. Some call it ‘homesickness’ but the fact is, is that we are missing what we know and are uncomfortable with what we do not know and are experiencing at the moment.
We have an ‘English speaking Fellowship Night’ on Saturdays at the Oasis Coffee Shop. Being a Christian is not a prerequisite. Everyone is welcome, as we have had atheists, agnostics and people of various religions and denominsations attend. Some nights have been very challenging and very interesting. The main purpose for this group is to offer comfort and understanding for anyone going through a difficult time in a strange and sometimes perplexing cultural environment. We have seen people come with various religious backgrounds and watched them grow and blossom into committed Christians who now understand much more about our loving heavenly Father, His Son Who died for us and His Spirit Who empowers us.
Through the group’s love, fellowship and empathy extended toward them, people understand that they are not the only ones who are feeling alone or afraid or angry. They are not the only ones who have gone through communication and other cultural problems. They come to know that we are there to help them, encourage them and support them. They understand that God will always be with them even when they leave Mae Sot to serve God in other places around the world. If you are feeling alone, afraid, angry or fearful, be encouraged to know that God is with you always; He will never leave you or forsake you.
Ask our Missionaries (AoM):
The Gilberts
Where have you experienced success in your ministry?
Pastor John Srivichai, the Foursquare Thailand president and Foursquare Maesot Pastor, asked us to visit a couple, Nuanjan and her husband Sawang in the village of Lii, which is about 1 1/2 hours from Chiang Mai. Sawang and Nuanjan were interested in starting a church in their village. We were eating with them when Nuanjan mentioned she had only been sprinkled in her baptism and would like to be immersed, as she felt this was the biblical example. We went right after eating and baptized her!
The next day we visited Nuanjan’s mother, who had not walked since accepting Christ as her Lord and Savior about four months prior. Diana sensed that she was believing the lies of Satan instead of in her Lord, Jesus Christ. She told her that nothing is impossible for God and that she can walk! She said if you believe, then you can do it! She got up with some help and then walked around the room. She had believed in Christ her Savior but not Christ as Lord. We rejoiced with her and her family that night as we saw the power of God through faith.
Ask our Missionaries (AoM):
The Gilberts
Where have you experienced failure in your ministry?
Missionaries experience all types of failures in ministry, in language, in culture as we learn our roles. Here is a great example from Neill and Diana:
We were in a council meeting and made suggestions as to how things could be done. We found out later that culturally, since we were older and missionaries, that they took it as we were telling them what to do, rather than suggesting ideas. The council was upset and it took us years to regain their support.
Ask our Missionaries (AoM):
The Gilberts
What is the focus of your ministry?
We have 3 areas to which we commit the main focus of our ministry here in Maesot:
- We help run a home for at risk children called Home of Hope, and are currently trying to complete construction of their new home. If you would like more info how you can be involved, please visit the Home of Hope page.
- We also manage the Oasis Coffee Shop here in Maesot. Oasis provides many services and benefits to the community, both Christian and secular. Find out more about Oasis, Maesot.
- We also assist Pastor John Srivichai, the president of Foursquare Thailand, with teams, church planting and whatever else he asks of us.
Ask our Missionaries (AoM):
The Gilberts
Share your heart for Thailand / the Maesot area:
Our hearts go out to the children and women who are at risk for human trafficking. We also love going to the mountains to visit the Hill Tribe people, who are mostly poor and looked down upon by the Thai people.
Our hearts are with the Thai people because they are so blinded by Buddhism and pride. They take pride in themselves because they have never been colonized and there is a common philosophy in Thailand which states that “to be Thai is to be Bhuddist.” These are difficult things to overcome but not impossible at all for God!
Ask our Missionaries (AoM):
The Gilberts
Tell us about your call to missions / ministry!
Neill and Diana each have a unique call to missions and ministry. Diana knew she would be a missionary at the age of 12! Her call came when she met some New Tribes missionaries living off the land in northern Wisconsin in preparation for their missions work. Neill received his call to missions during a short-term construction missions trip to Mexico.
We prepared for 13 years to become long-term missionaries, but never gave up on God’s call on our lives. We took part in several short-term missions trips, including inner city work, Mexico and overseas. Our ministry has mainly been in evangelism, church planting, discipleship and raising up leaders. We pastored for four years at Calvary Foursquare Church in Tipton, IA prior to our appointment to Thailand.
Meet our Missionaries (MoM):
The Gilberts
An introduction to Neill and Diana Gilbert.
Neill and Diana Gilbert have been married 40+ years and have been serving in Thailand since 2003 We have one daughter, Melissa, and 3 grandchildren
We are currently serving in Mae Sot, Thailand, overseeing the operations for the Home of Hope Orphanage and training national Thai staff to eventually run it themselves. We also assist Foursquare Thailand President, Pastor Somphon (John) Srivichai, with teams, evangelism, church planting, discipleship and the teaching and training of leaders.
We have served in Mae Sot, Thailand since 2004, but we are just scratching the surface of the Thai culture. Language learning is another vital part of our work here. It enables us to better communicate with the Thai people and be more a part of the Thai culture. We enjoy forming relationships with the local people and through these relationships, share as we can about Jesus and invite them to church services and other events where they can hear the gospel from their own people.
Feel free to contact and connect with the Gilberts through any of the following methods:
Gilbert Thailand - our website
