Loss

Dear Friends, It’s with deep sadness that we tell you we’ve lost our baby. Amber was 16 weeks pregnant but the baby was only 13 weeks. He came on Christmas Eve and was a little boy. We named him Christopher David. He looked as if everything were normal on the outside. He had all of his fingers and toes, ears, eyes, little nose. We were able to hold him and morn our loss together. There was no one in the house when he came and Amber’s pain although great was less than she expected. God’s grace is brining us through and we are finding comfort in believing God is who He says He is even if all circumstances look otherwise. If He’s not then we have nothing and that is too much to bare. We’ve found great comfort in the words of friends and knowing that there has been so much prayer covering us. We buried Christopher tonight with our family on top of a mountain. All of our hearts are broken, but we are clinging to Jesus. Thank you for being such faithful friends. Love, The Garsees

To our dear friends, It is with great sorrow that I write you this email. As you all know, Amber is14 weeks pregnant. A week after arriving in Thailand we made her first prenatal visit. The doctor said even though Amber had had several ultrasounds, she would like to do one for her own records. This took place last Friday. We were shocked and bewildered to find that there was no heart beat and that they baby hadn't grown in 6 days. By looking at the ultrasound, the day that the baby's heart stopped beating was the day that we landed in Thailand. There is no explanation for this other than it was the will of God. Amber's uterus is healthy, her placenta is healthy and the baby looks healthy. She's had no bleeding, spotting, or cramping, and her cervix isn't dilated at all. Medical terminology calls it a "miss miscarriage" in that you never even know that it happens without getting an ultrasound. One of the causes could be chromosomal abnormalities along with a few other things. The doctor couldn't really give us a good answer. We stood in prayer and fasting for the last three days that God would give life back to the child. Upon doing another ultrasound today the baby still has no heartbeat and there has been no growth. We are choosing to let nature take it's course as opposed to doing a DNC. However, the doctor said that this would be quite painful because Amber is so far along. I'm still trusting God for a miracle. Until the last minute I will believe God to do the impossible. But I ask you to pray for my wife. She is hurting and very confused and feels that God has forsaken her. Her faith is very low. We covet your prayers during this time. Clinton and family

Big news!!!

After 2 years and 7 months of trying...................i have news!

I'M PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Family pictures

We took family pictures today. It was quite a task getting all of our clothes to match. I told Clinton, "When it was only four of us it was so much easier." But we wouldn't change having a full house for anything in the world! We're having fun I love this picture because it'so natural looking. Joseph is sooo cute!! All our boys are handsome. Thank you Lord! For those who don't know whose who yet.... (From lft to rt back row first) Colton, Judah, Chase, Joseph, Bang

Chase Tanner's 16th birthday

Here's Chase's friends practicing for a song they will sing for him. This is his present from his friends. Clinton and I picked the scripture on the bottom. It says, "The fahter of the righteous will greatly rejoice and he who begets a wise child will delight in him." Proberbs Here he is as he walks in on the surprise Wow! What a handsome We had a great time. There were about 50 people who came and I made a slide show of Chase's life from birth until 16. He loved it! One of the ladies a the church made some food and we all chipped in and made desserts. Everyone there said something nice about Chase or gave him a blessings. He had a great time!

Boys at a sand pit behind our house

Judah and Michael Bang... sorry the pictures sideways

More pictures of Joseph

Mina's newfamily

Here is a picture of Mina's new family. They've also already taken in a boy named Samuel from this same group.

Let the music move you

These are my big boys! They love to go up to our church and practice on their guitars. This one is Chase Tanner Wow! Now that's talent

Orphans

This is Judah. He's a little boy we found on the street of Hat Yai on May 15th. His father and mother are dead and his two half brothers are in jail. He's been living on his own for about a year, although we don't know the exact time because he has no concept of time. He's 10 years old and before coming to our house he has never studied. We have him studying with a tutor right now. When we brought him in we had no intention of keeping him. Our thoughts were to pray and see where the Lord would have us bring him. By day two, he had stolen the entire families heart and we've taken him in as a son. We are trying deserately to get some paper work on him. He was born at home to illegal immigrants....making him an illegal immigrant. But God has broken through and we are working on getting him a birth certificate. He has been severely abused physically, and emotionally. Please keep him in your prayers. This is Mina. She comes from the same people group as Judah. They were raised like brother and sister. Both of these children were used to beg money on the streets. She's only 13, but has lived the life of 2 adults! She's been abused emotionally and physically. She's been sold several time but always escaped. God has been watching over this precious one. She was with our team for about 5 weeks, but God has now put her in a family. She's living with a missionary family here in Hat Yai. This is Michael. He's also from the same group as Judah and Mina. However, we found him in a different city. I had gone to Ko Lok with a social worker looking for some family of Judah's when I found Michael. Judah showed us where one of his relatives lived...... a slum worse than i've ever seen. The housese are built on top of trash! Michael's dad is a relative of Judah. He also used to use Judah to beg money on the streets. When Judah couldn't take it anymore, he ran away. The man showed me a chain in his house where he tied up his childen when they diobeyed. This seemed quit normal to him and he bragged to me, showing me the chain. All of his children(6of them) are addicted to huffing glue, including Michael. But this fahter begged us to take his son so that his son would have a future. When someone hands you their child with tears in their eyes ans asks you to take them so that they will have a better life...... what do you do????? Well, we brought him home. This is Joseph. When we went into the slum to get Michael's clothes, a grandmother ran out of the house and begged us to take her grandson. The baby's mother is only 17 and she's an alcoholic. She also has a 10 month old baby. This family home was worse than you could imagine. We told her that she had to call the mother and get permission from teh mother in order for us to take the baby. The mother came right away and signed papers to give the baby away. My heart was broken for this precious little boy who was living amongst every kind of vice known to man. As we were signing the papers to take the little boy, there were about 5 men sitting in the back of the house gambleing and smoking. It was a disgusting scene. We brought this little one home and he has stolen our hearts!! All of the childrens's names are ones we have chosen. God spoke to us for each one of them. Please pray that God would provide for us financially and emotionally. All of the children we have taken in have major emotional issues, but it's nothing the God of heaven can't heal.

Revival meetings in Pa Yao

We've been traveling!! We left on the 3rd of April and returned on the 15th. We drove 26 hours North. We were on the boarder of Loas and Burma! We did revival meetings and showed the Jesus film. Our boys helped lead worship and Clinton preached. We had a wonderful time and embarked on a learning curve we hadn't ever experienced before. We've never traveled with Thais.... and let me tell you, learning experience it was. After realizing that we were going to be in this situation for the next two weeks we both just took a deep breathe and enjoyed the ride. You see when we(the Garsees) travel, it's always a race to see if we can get to the destination any faster than we did the last time. Clinton isn't one to mosey along. When we travel he's on a mission.......mission: to get to the place we are going. However, the Thais take their time. They aren't in a hurry. The drive that could have taken 18 hours, took 26 hours!! They stop every hour, get out of the car, buy snacks, walk around, wash their face, stretch, etc. After the first 8 stops in only 6 hours, we realized we might as well just take it easy. ; ) and that we did. The following pictures are of the revival meetings in Pa Yao. God visited us in a mighty way!

Revival in Chiang Kam

We did revival meetings in Chiang Kam for 5 days. Clinton preached 4 times in 5 days and all in Thai!! The first night was a struggle because they told him 2hours before the service that he wouldn't have a translator, but the next three times he did awesome! The Pastor backed out after hearing Clinton speak..... he said he spoke too fast. However, we are blown away that God has helped Clinton in such a way that he can preach in Thai!! What an answer to prayer. We saw 8 people come to the Lord in these meetings! That might not sound like a lot but for Thailand is wonderful! We were so blessed! Colton and Chase praying over Bang to receive the Holy Spirit
Our friend Oh worshiping God.

More revival pictures

Colton and Chase play on the worship team with the Thais. My heart is blessed everytime they get up there! Chase plays the electric and sings and Colton plays the bass but sometimes he helps lead. The pictures speak for themself..........

House building in Chiang Kam

One of the days that we were in Chiang Kam the team spent the day helping to build a house. Colton was in charge of making the cement. All of the girls on the team had never done anything like this in their lives! Thai girls DO NOT go out in the heat of the day.... their one fear in life is to be dark... however, Pastor Sutat had them out in it for several hours. But they did really good and none of them complained.


Brothers Chase helping to build the wall around the house.
This man is whose house they are helping to build. Note the hats ; )
Bang pretending to strain under the weight of the cement bucket
More cement making