The Derington Family
The Derington family together with an elephant

“This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”

Psalm 118:23

A Season of Growth – in the Midst Café Update

Thank you so much to those who have been praying and to the many of you who reached out with a word of excitement or encouragement regarding the café ministry. God continues to bless this new chapter of ministry! Our relationship with the owners, Zane and Ning, has deepened, and they’ve entrusted us with more day-to-day operations and larger decisions. Sales have grown, and the café has become a vibrant hub for the Grace International School community, local families, and even those outside of the community who come to use other facilities on the property—fitness center, pool, and spa. We’ve been encouraged to see new friendships forming across cultures and faith backgrounds, often over a simple cup of coffee.

Traci has made every effort to make the café a warm and inviting space and to get to know the regular patrons. Last month, she befriended a young Muslim man from Morocco who was here just for the month to volunteer as an English teacher at a local Thai school. After a few conversations, she invited him to join us for our Friday Sabbath meal. He came to our house for dinner, and through the sharing of our Sabbath liturgy, he was exposed to a clear Gospel story from creation till Jesus’ return! He seemed to really take an interest in the liturgy and our family, and also joined Nick for soccer a few days later. We are trying to maximize even these brief encounters, and are specifically praying that seeds of truth have been planted in this young man’s life. Each week brings fresh opportunities like this to listen, pray, and share Christ’s love in natural, unforced ways. It’s been amazing to see how something as ordinary as a café can create such an extraordinary space for ministry and connection.

It’s always a joy to have guests participate in our Sabbath dinner and liturgy, but especially when it means introducing them to Jesus!

The café remains a safe after-school gathering place for students and a welcoming space for conversation and connection. We’re also thankful for new relationships with local vendors and artisans, which open doors to more profound community impact and shared trust.

The Lord’s Faithfulness Within Our Family

We’re overjoyed to share that both Moriah and Wren have now accepted Christ! We’re incredibly proud of them for making this decision when they were ready, and we’re discussing baptism plans during our family trip to the U.S. this summer—Grey will join in as he gave his life to Christ back in January. With this, all four of our children have made a personal commitment to follow Jesus, and we’re deeply grateful for God’s faithfulness in their lives.

While we have had many salvation conversations with the kids over the years, it took a sick day (for Moriah) to bridge the gap for greater depth and understanding, and for her to state that she was ready to make a personal decision for Christ.

We continue to marvel at how the Lord is using this small café—and our family—as a place of connection, discipleship, and hope. Thank you for praying with us as we seek to make His presence known in the midst of it all.

Prayer Requests

  1. 1. Café Ministry

    Pray that In the Midst Café continues to be a place where God’s presence is felt, Christ’s love is experienced, and relationships naturally lead to Gospel conversations.

  2. 2. Staff & Hiring

    Pray for wisdom as we hire additional employees and for spiritual openness among our current Thai staff.

  3. 3. Family & Next Steps

    Praise God for our children’s new faith in Christ! Pray for their continued spiritual growth and for wisdom as we guide them and consider their baptisms this summer.

Throughout the week we pray for our ministry partners as a family. We would love to know how we can be praying for you specifically. Click the button below to send us your prayer requests.

Send Your Prayer Requests

Additional Highlights

We had another opportunity to share our Sabbath liturgy with a group of Thai service staff from a local school and a visiting group of Chinese believers. Friends helped us translate it into both Thai and Chinese, and our family led the group through how we do it as a family. The Chinese group was especially excited to learn how to encourage and guide families back in their “mother country,” since meeting as a church body is often not possible.
Traci’s Thai teachers were back for “American” cookies and a movie night—The Princess Bride. We have loved bringing them into our home and sharing the love of Jesus with them, and they have enjoyed getting to know the whole family more.
Nick and his team enjoyed a well-deserved lunch out together. They have worked so hard over the last several months, including helping us with marketing materials and translation for the café.