Territory Expanding in Thailand

For several years we have prayed that God would be glorified in enlarging our borders. It has been stunning to see how He has been faithful in answering those prayers. Over the past two months so many things have been happening that we sometimes find it difficult to catch our breath. We usually like to keep our video updates shorter than this but there is much to tell…we tried to cram it all into the following 7 min 24 sec video. Watch and see how good God is!

Thank you for joining us on this wild ride with your hearts, prayers and support.

For more frequently updates or ways to join our support team, check out the following websites.

www.jessenfamily.info

jennisuejessen.wordpress.com/category/thailand/

In His grip,

The Jessen family

Compass 31—A new ministry born

The trafficking of women and children is reaching epidemic proportions around the world and especially in SE. Asia.  Thailand, aptly named “The Land of Smiles,” hides a sinister market of sexual slavery. Deceived and hopeless, young women are huddled in dirty shacks or chained behind bars while they await being forced to do things they shouldn’t even know about.  Many of those held captive are between the ages of 12-16. They don’t think of the future because they don’t think they are worth it, their only value is what the customer is willing to pay. They don’t know they were created in God’s image, they don’t know you can’t put a value on life, they don’t know they are priceless.

God is passionate about the broken, and because we too have been broken, we are humbled to follow Him to the darkest corners of the world in pursuit of those whom He loves. Over the past two months God has laid it on our hearts to provide a residential program to young mothers and their children who have been living in or rescued from sexually exploitive situations. On June 15th, 3 girls and their 3 babies moved into our hearts and home. As they live in our family we seek to love them in a way that provides protection, restoration and empowerment.

In praying about this project we sought His will as to a name that could sum up the immensity of the work before us. He directed us to the following passage in Jeremiah 31.

“See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth.  Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return.  They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back.  I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my firstborn.”  Jeremiah 31:6-8 (emphasis added)

Webster’s dictionary gives the following 2 definitions for “compass”: 

n. An instrument for determining directions upon the earth's surface by means of a magnetized bar or needle turning freely upon a pivot and pointing in a northerly and southerly direction.

v. To stretch round; to extend so as to embrace the whole; hence, to enclose, encircle, grasp or seize; as, to compass within the arms.

It is our desire to embrace those in our care and guide them on a path that will lead to their own personal discovery of the Creator who loves them and the purpose He created them for.  Thus, the name for the new ministry Compass 31 was born. 

For more information about our family’s work with Compass 31 check out http://jennisuejessen.wordpress.com/category/thailand/

Thank you Laura Parker for the great photos.

East Asia trip

We are back in Thailand after two weeks in East Asia.  We could so feel your prayers while we were in that country.  Thank you so much for your support.  Check out the video for sights, sounds and stories from the trip.

In His grip,
The Jessens

Community Transformation

Regardless of size or resources, local churches are the people through whom God desires to redeem the world. Every church is unique. Every church shares the same redemptive purpose. And, when churches learn to apply their talents and resources to share God’s love with the world, something amazing happens. The world changes. The blind see. The oppressed go free. The hungry are fed. The weak are defended. And most importantly, people and communities are reconciled to God.

In God’s perfect timing, right when we hit the ground 7 months ago, e3 Partners began rolling out a new strategy on community transformation. At e3 Partners, we know our greatest impact will come by supporting the greatest institution the world has ever known: the Church. It is for this reason that e3 has developed tools designed to empower churches to transform communities for the glory of God.

These tools are biblically based and incorporate best practices in church planting and community development. Three months ago we began piloting the process here in Thailand, helping local churches in three villages take its spiritual and social impact to another level. Promoting justice. Improving education. Providing water. Caring for the sick. Feeding the hungry. Sharing the love of Christ. Building strong communities. The possibilities are endless when a church discovers its unique vision for community transformation and we look forward to watching God work in these villages.

If you are interested in joining us here in Thailand through an e3 Partners short-term mission trip this October, we would love to have you come and work with us. For more information check out the Chiang Mai trip at http://www.e3partners.org/Page.aspx?pid=1939.

Training along the old Silk Roads

Asia and the Middle East are worlds both dark and enchanting. Mysterious in their worship, severe in their beliefs the people who live in this region of the world remain some of the least reached in the world. Although the southern Silk Road has made trade possible in the region for more than 2,000 years, ideas of faith do not trade as easily as spices and silks.

Our family landed in this upside-down world nearly seven months ago buoyed up by excitement and encouragement of you at home. We had God’s call and were sure of His plan. It was our desire and vision to train up nationals from Ch*na to follow Jesus on the Silk Road, making disciples, strategically placing them in city after city all the way Back to Jerusalem. What a vision! How can one, NOT want to be a part of that? Seven months in, this still remains our greatest desire.


The old Silk Roads cut right through the heart of the 10/40 window.

The Back to Jerusalem (BTJ) movement was born out of God’s grace and brutal persecution. The Ch*nese house church has been prepared to face persecution in ways that are only learned by surviving the fire. They can go into places that westerners are not permitted and willingly trade all they have and all they have ever know in exchange for His glory. They are gracious in their losses, heroic in their submission. We eagerly anticipate our first group of students. However, after seven months of fervently praying for that first class, we have found that perhaps our vision was just a little…TOO little. Our plan was to work in one training center here in Chiang Mai and by God’s grace equip up to 60 students a year to follow their hearts, and follow our God into the darkness for His glory. This is a good plan, but sometimes good can be the enemy of great. How much more can the Master of the Universe accomplish with willing lumps of clay?



In the recent weeks, God has opened doors that we could have never foreseen had we not been living on the ground here. Kelly has been asked to teach the e3 curriculum in other BTJ training centers located in Bangkok and NE India. He has also been invited to work with e3 in strategically training nationals in Bangladesh. As such, instead of only working in one training center with students from one country, he will be privileged to be working with 3 BTJ training centers as well as training nationals from Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Burma and Thailand. All of these students, in each of these locations, will be trained to reach the unreached living along the southern silk road, setting up future training centers, multiplying church planters and laying the foundation for church planting movements. As we consider the possibilities and implications of this we are so humbled at our own “little-ness.” Even so as I write this update, I can almost hear Jesus whispering through his laughter, “Oh, you of little faith!”

The gospel is being carried forth, light shining out of cracked clay pots…the ultimate proof of Christ’s death and resurrection!