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Our family has been in Thailand for five incredible years now. When we arrived, our youngest son, Kolin, was just 6 years old and refused to eat anything other than white rice and chicken nuggets (and the nuggets had to be shaped like dinosaurs!). Fast forward five years, and he’s eating more Thai food than anyone else in the family, putting hot sauce on just about everything.
Like Kolin’s evolving taste for food, our plans here have expanded greatly. When we first came to Thailand, we thought our focus would solely be on discipleship. That plan has changed, and each year our work continues to expand and stretch our comfort levels. As a Christian, I see that expansion as God in action; both in Thailand and in my own journey. For the past five years, almost all of my time has been dedicated to building relationships, strengthening the organization, and developing programs here in Thailand.
The good news is that things are starting to flow much more smoothly, and the staff require less direct input from me, allowing me to shift to other responsibilities. Now, my focus is shifting to a more international context – gathering and sharing stories – from my own experiences and from other people. My communications the past few years have not been as frequent as I would have hoped, but I needed to concentrate on establishing the foundations of our work on the ground here and clarifying our mission.
Looking to the next few months, we already have some stories of impact to share with you about the difference God is making and the impact your partnership makes. Thank you for your prayers and your partnership.
The children we work with, both on campus and in families, started the new school year at the end of May. This was especially exciting for the students who live on campus, as they began at a new Christian school this year. Their house mothers are particularly excited about how organized the new school is and how the school has challenges the kids to excel with an increased workload. Please pray that their excitement continues after the first few weeks of school.
During the school break, the also participated in activities by a local organization called Orphans Future Alliance. This organization pairs orphans with local college students to encourage them to dream bigger and learn about different career opportunities. It was a lot of fun, and the kids really enjoyed having mentors who were enthusiastic about doing activities together. Over the past year, they have gotten to spend time together on activities such as field trips, painting, and visiting local businesses. Please pray for the continued positive influence these young students will have on their lives.
We have 46 students in three classes this year. The teachers are excited, but not as excited as the kids – they would not leave the playground on the first day! There were only a few expected tears (mainly from the youngest class who are experiencing school for the first time). Most of the new students this year are from the Lahu tribe and speak very little Thai upon entering our preschool.
My favorite moment from the first day of school was when a little girl in the Year 3 class held hands with her little brother all day. The young boy was a new student, trying not to cry or be scared. She proudly took him around, introduced him to all the teachers, and included him in all her activities throughout the day.
Please pray for all 46 students this year as they begin their educational journey, and patience for our teachers!
Last month we welcomed a new cohort of eight families to undertake the 18-month Keeping Families Together curriculum. These families are all from the Karen tribe. They are very excited, having heard positive feedback from families in our other Lahu tribe cohort. Because this group is from the Karen tribe, different staff members assisted with the training and it was the first teaching this material for some of our staff, they did fantastic! This is all part of the challenge as a curriculum written in Thai is now being adapted for the language and culture differences of both Karen and Lahu,
Additionally, a group of 14 Karen students from the local Siloam Bible College participated in a 1-week long awareness summary course of the curriculum. Many of these future leaders will be working to plant churches in mountain villages. For these students, our goal was to equip them with knowledge of the family strengthening program so they can spread awareness in their communities. They had a great time and were very thankful and excited about what they learned.
To capitalize on the energy of the new school year, the Christian Center for the Development for People with Disabilities (CDPD) organized a Sports Day for People with Disabilities. Among the attendees were the Mae Sariang District Chief, various government officials, educators, schools, local leaders, people with disabilities, and their families.
The goal of the event was for people with disabilities to have fun and gain confidence as well as fostering awareness in the community about people with disabilities and how the community’s positive attitude can make a difference. Overall, it was a great success with over 60 people with disabilities participating and many people from the community in attendance.
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