Near, Far, Wherever You Are

First off, Happy Birthday to mamma Choi back at home. I miss you and I'm sorry I won't be home to celebrate with you. I hope that you're feeling better and I hope you have a great day! Take care and may God bless you. Love you.

Second, yesterday I must say was one of the funniest bike rides I've had. I had the opportunity to bike the one and only John Chow back to our resort. We almost crashed a couple times cause we couldn't stop laughing but like the Titanic, it was a pretty magical ride (before it went down). All thanks to God for keeping us safe.

But all jokes and funny things aside, there is much to be thankful for on this trip. This is my fifth year and I can definitely see God moving here in Thailand. Today Clement and I had an opportunity to eat with some of the students after teaching class and when we sat down, one of the students asked us to pray for their meal. Both of us were a little bit surprised at first but Clement went ahead and prayed for their meal. It's amazing to see that the students know that we are Christians and because of that, opportunities are opened up to share about why we our here as well as share our own testimonies of how God has moved in our lives.

I am also thankful for this team. From the moment we got to Thailand, I was very encouraged to see the courage and boldness of the new team members going out to meet the new students despite not speaking the language. And even though our schedules aren't always set in stone for each day, everyone has been very flexible and has been able to adjust to what has come our way.

Lastly, you can pray for our team in a few ways:

1. We only have a couple days left so pray that we take every opportunity we have to share God's love with the students. May we have sense of urgency and continue to go out with boldness.

2. Pray for Thursday as we will be holding an assembly for some of the Christians at the school as all the other students go out to the Buddhist temple. May we use this time to encourage the students to be bold about their faith so that they can be lights upon this campus even after we leave.

3. Lastly, pray that our team doesn't forget all that God has taught us and shown us on this trip. It's very easy sometimes to forget once we get back home because we can get caught up in our busy lives whether it be school or work. Pray that we may always have a missions mindset because the missions field isn't just here in Thailand. Whether we are near at home or far away, wherever we are the harvest is plenty but the workers are few.

In Him,

KK (Caleb)

No Sign of a Drought Here!

Hi all! 

Today marks the start of our second week of teaching at Jianghua Vocational High School. We could not be more blessed with the outpour of love from the school! Rain poured non-stop and all day long. In the morning we would typically ride our bikes to get to the school but God is so good to us and right as we were leaving, we saw a van coming up to our driveway that the school sent to pick us up. Once we arrived at the school, we were all excited to start a new week with new teaching plans and plans to share the gospel with our peoon (Thai for friend) we made last week. Shortly after adding a few students on Facebook during lunchtime I was surprised to catch them staring at a photo from my baptism. They were really curious to know what was happening and asked me to explain it to them, so I told them that I was a Christian and despite the language barrier I tried my best to explain what baptism is. Even though I did not get a chance to share the gospel with them I felt very blessed by this moment because they knew that I was a Christian and why we are here in Thailand. They responded in a very respectful and understanding tone, which uplifted my spirits because I did not know how my friends, who were either Catholic or Buddhist, would react to me being different from them. I hope to share the gospel with them soon because they are very dear to my heart! Besides that, our day was pretty calm and filled with a lot of relaxation from our long weekend. I am so amazed how God's timing works and I am very thankful that God has given us a day to rejuvenate. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!!!! 

-Noel 

Village Setting

This past weekend we visited the Akah village therefore we didn't have a chance to post on the blog ...so here's a recap of Saturday and Sunday!

Our trip to the mountains took around 3 hours and a few doses of Dramamine. The Akah kids were at first very shy but it's crazy how God's love can transcend language barriers! That night we helped the Canaan Center kids with their children's program. Our team had a blast teaching them the songs "Making Melodies," "Deep Deep" and "Jesus is a Friend." Unfortunately and/or luckily, on the way back from dropping off the village kids in the pick-up truck, we ran over a large snake!

The team stayed overnight at the village's church with the Canaan Center kids on floor mats. We didn't get a chance to shower but we did get to use the infamous squatty toilets! Despite how uncomfortable it was, by God's grace we had a decent amount of sleep (enough to function and to play with the kids the next day)!

And side note: every meal we had this past weekend was delicious!

On Sunday we performed "Hosanna," body worship to "Unchanging," and a mime to "Lamb of God." Our team learned and practiced the body worship and mime only four or five times the day before we performed! Cindy also presented her testimony to the adult village congregation.

As for the kids program, Caleb shared the gospel using the Evangecube and Kristy led a Popsicle airplane craft. Lastly, the kids had a great time whacking away at our piñata! After church, Lillian helped many of the Akah adults with acupuncture. All in all it was a very joyous Lord's Day!

We drove back to Chiang Rai in time for dinner at Tesco and then immediately headed to the Canaan Center to visit! The kids prepared a performance which included different dances, instrumental, and singing numbers. And I have to say, these kids are so talented!!! Our team also performed the body worship to "Unchanging" and had a Q&A session with the kids (not our idea haha)! Some questions even included why some of our team members were so tall and why some of us are still single. It was a very encouraging time getting to share our testimonies in how our team dealt with hardships and how God perfects us in our weaknesses.

We have a week left here in Thailand and we cannot wait to see what God will do. Thank you so much for your prayers thus far! May all the glory go to God!

-Rochelle

A little late, but happy fourth (seventh) of July!

Long post (sorry!), but bear with me :)

On a normal day on July fourth back in the states, people celebrate with BBQ and fireworks with family and/or friends. We were expected to continue teaching today, however it was the school's volunteer project day; therefore we didn't teach and instead was able to spend the day winding down, prepping for the upcoming weekend, and celebrating the American holiday!

We went to Bethel Bible Institute (BBI), home of our Thailand mother and father (Lillian and Peter), for lunch and met some of the students/residents. Most of the students studying at BBI graduate in hopes of becoming missionaries, ministers, or pastors. A good portion of them are Chinese students who come from surrounding borders, and the rest of them consist of Thais, Burmese, and other minorities. Some of our teammates met Elaine, a graduate from Canada visiting her parents who are teaching at BBI, and shared many wonderful conversations about one another's stories and faith.

After the stop at BBI, our team made Tesco and Makro runs (equivalent to our Costco and Smart and Final) to stock up on team necessities as well as buy more materials (candy and such) to prep for the weekend (elephant-atas)! We came back to our resorts and immediately started on our projects for the villages. Every weekend, the Canan Gospel Center students travel up to the mountain villages in hopes of sharing Christ's love by serving and loving the residents. Through hosting evening services and acupuncture treatments, the Canan students continue to faithfully love on the villages' elders and children. This weekend, we have the honor of partnering alongside them to serve and love on the kids. We built 2 piñatas out of cardboard boxes and construction paper, and filled them each with candy and prizes.



After much team bonding and silliness, we headed off to BBQ in celebration of America's Independence Day! (Yay!) but before we did, we picked up Elaine on the way and invited her to celebrate with us. The location we decided on wasn't too far from where we were staying, so it was a nice night to just enjoy and embrace community with one another.









After dinner, we headed back to the resort, and then to end the day...we celebrated with lanterns! (YAY!) Caleb was kind and generous enough to surprise us with some floating, wicked lanterns he bought for the team. We spent the rest of the night lighting and watching them float through the clear sky! It was beautiful. Many smiles. Many laughs.





Coming off of a packed week, it was nice to have a day to wind down and celebrate. We praise God for being with us in our time of restfulness and joy.

But on top of the many adventures we've been having in Thailand, I want to share a blessing I've encountered with a former Thai kid I met last year by the name of Somrak. Elliott and I met him last year playing frisbee in the fields, and luckily this year, he remembered who I was! Yesterday (Thursday) for lunch, I sat by him and for the first time, got the chance to hear his testimony. He lost both his parents at a very young age, his mom due to a car accident and his dad to a gunshot fired by a friend who thought he was a cop. Thankfully, his parents were Christians, and in turn, raised them through the Christian faith. He has two older brothers and one younger sister who live in Chiang Rai (about 3-4 hours away), so he doesn't get to see them often. At one point during the conversation, I got sad because he began asking about my year in school, found out I was a fourth year, and then realized it was my last year coming back. I told him that it's true that our team won't be coming back, but not because of our age, but because of certain circumstances. (I didn't get a chance to, but my hope before I leave is to share with him why we're here in Thailand and how he can share and empower others through his faith, especially since we won't be coming back!) And then I was saddened again when I found out he didn't have a computer, cellphone, or Facebook not because he lacked the funds or resources, but because he intentionally chooses not to. Such a sweet and kind kid with a gentle soul. I was touched. Humbled. I'm so encouraged by him and amazed at how God uses him and will continue to use him here at Jiang Hua. There was a mix of emotions and thoughts going through my head until God gently reminded me that...it's not through me, or through our team, or even through missionaries that people come to have a relationship with God. Yes, we get the opportunity to share about the life of Jesus and people come to know about him, but only God breathes in life into each person and only in his timing will they come to know him! (Not that that stops us from coming and witnessing, continually sharing the gospel!) And even when our team is gone, God's still working. He's been working and will continue to do big things here in Thailand. Us coming is only a glimpse of his magnificence, and so as we have one more week left, pray that our eyes and ears would be open and sensitive to the opportunities God is giving us.

And to end this post, some prayer requests!

- We're heading to the mountain villages this weekend so pray for safety in health and travels going up, down, and transporting from location to location. Though the Thais are used to it, riding in pick up trucks aren't quite the norm for us. In addition, some of us have motion sickness and aren't used to the weather and conditions traveling.
- We're finishing our first week here and jumping into our second week, so pray for sensitivity to the Spirit working. Pray that we'd continue to deepen the friendships we've built here with the Thais, and that we'd be bold in our sharing. In addition to our sharing, pray that we'd be people who are listening as well.
- Lastly, because we've been here for a week, pray for our team to grow stronger and deeper in unity and relationship. Jesus is the backbone to our trip, but as a team, pray that we continue to be one another's support and encouragement. Pray that we'd lift one another up in words of joy and love, that we continue to learn how to serve one another with a humbling and sacrifice heart.

for His glory

Hello friends! This post is a little late, but I hope that it encourages you as much I was encouraged throughout yesterday. I'm going to share about how I experienced God in times of prayer, stillness, and fellowship.

Thursday was one of the days this week that I really experienced God speaking clearly to me. My teaching class didn't have class in the day time at all yesterday, which allowed us to have a lot of freedom in what we wanted to do that day. As a team, we were able to take some time and go on a prayer walk around the school campus. As I walked and prayed, God really reminded me that education is a blessing, and that school in Thailand is definitely a means of students coming to know Christ. I was reminded that because of education, our team is able to come and work with these students and teach them with what we have been taught in the US. As I continued to walk and pray, God put on my heart to pray for the teachers and administrators that work at Chian Hua, and that they would also come to know Christ and be examples to these students. Lastly, God put on my heart to pray that Thai culture would really bring together the students. From what I've observed, most students aren't bound by religion here, and that Buddhism is more culture than religion. It's really great because these students that are culturally Thai can connect with these students that are Thai and Christian, and that these Christian students see that they aren't restricted by being Thai and can share that with their classmates and friends.

In my times of being still and listening to God, He reminded me to remain joyful throughout the difficult days of this trip. He reminded me that the work we are doing for him here is not in vain, though it may be something small. I saw that these relationships we have and are forming with these students mean a lot to them, and that us working and interacting with them in something to be cherished. He reminded me once again that short term missions is for His long term glory. Building relationships for two short weeks is worth it if it means that these students can see Christ's love in us!

Lastly, I was extremely encouraged and blessed by a conversation I had with Cindy and the devotionals time that Kristy and I had together last night. I share much with these sisters and their hearts for the Thai people encourage me and remind me that God has called us here because we have experienced His love in such great ways. As we reflected on how half of this trip is almost over and how this may be our last trip here, we all shared that we felt that God wasn't exactly closing the doors for FCBC collegians to come back to Thailand. These relationships with the students have reminded us that God really calls us to love the Thai people, and that if God wants us to continue to be in relationship with these students, he will make a way for us to return. I am encouraged that my sisters share the same heart for Thailand, and that it motivates us to make most of our time here with the students, whether we return or not.

I hope that the things I've experienced are a small glimpse at how God is moving in Thailand! God is great and mighty, and He truly holds power here in Thailand. As we have another week here, pray that we will be renewed each day and be able to see God's heart for His people. Also pray that we would know that God's power gives us authority to go and be love, kindness, and compassion for our students. Lastly, pray that God's name would be glorified in everything we do here!

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!" Psalm 115:1 (ESV)

-Joyce

Everyday is an Adventure in Thailand

After our first two days of teaching, the team got to take the morning off from teaching as there was some sort of special assembly for the students. Our team took this opportunity to go and explore the district of Mae Sai. Peter took us to see and smell and experience the street markets. The fruit was extremely cheap and oh so very sweet!!! Our team bought a large bag of mangos to share. I'm really looking forward to eating them tomorrow.

We had lunch in this small noodles and Baozi shop where our team demolished bowls and bowls of JaJiangMein and pig feet with noodles as well of steamed taro baozis and steamed ground pork baozis. We were given a few more ours to explore the streets and buy souvenirs but we all grew pretty tired from the intense heat and humidity.

What makes Thailand and adventure everyday is that something unexpected and crazy happens EVERYDAY! On our car ride back to the resort, a thunderstorm rolled in. 7 of us were sitting in the bed of Peter's pickup truck when the intense rain started pouring down and pelting us. Peter thought he knew a shortcut back the resort which accidentally turned into dead ends and one way back streets so by the time we got back to the resort, the 7 of us who sat out in the back were soaked. Our light rain resistant jackets and ponchos were no match for the downpour. Still, this was quite an adventure. 30 minutes prior, we were all sweating from the 90° weather+the humidity. Now, we're all wet from the rain. Though soaking wet, this was definitely a team bonding experience that we won't be forgetting any time soon.

My teaching team (Caleb, Cindy, Rochelle and I) were the only ones who had a class to teach in the evening. We had an energetic and smart group of students in this class. The hour and a half flew by extremely quickly and we had a blast teaching them. (All) The students are really sweet, though a bit shy at first. By the end of class, most feel comfortable talking to us (the teachers) despite the language barrier. It's extremely evident how big of am impact a warm smile makes in building relationships, pointing out how the love and joy that comes from Christ really does transcends all language and cultural barriers. Some of our students stayed a few minutes after class to talk to us and to take pictures and selfies with us. 

After a short team meeting back at the resort, 6 of us and John biked back out to the night market next to the high school for some food. We bought some baozi's and meat skewers and brought them back as late night snacks for the team. Caleb, Ian and I each rode a bike and each carried one female member of our team on the backseat. Our bike ride back eventually turned into a race where our very own Rev. John Chow out pedaled the 3 of us and beat us back to the resort. We ended the night with some more team bonding: eating baozi's and meat skewers and playing tonk/tunk and Heads Up.

Today was an adventure indeed.
I'm grateful that we got a small break and a day of rest. Please pray for strength and energy and joy and patience and love as the week goes on and as the heat and humidity brings us out of out element.
I'm thankful for all the fun and adventures that our team has had. Please pray for continued safety as we go about our day. There have been some adventures that could have potentially ended badly but God has been good to us in keeping us safe.
I'm encouraged by my teammates efforts to get to know the students in and out of class. Please pray for boldness and the willingness to be the initiator of conversions.
I'm excited to see these students learn English. Please pray that our lessons would be a blessing to them as this is our method of starting relationships with these students. Please pray that we would have the opportunities outside of class to foster and grow relationships with our students so that we can have the chance to tell them and show them the good news and the great gift that we have in Christ Jesus.

We are half way through our first week and we are still all alive and well. Thank you for partnering with us on this trip and for supporting us with your prayers.

Khap khoon kap!
-Clement N.

Teaching in Thailand

Hey everyone!

Tonight we just finished our second day of teaching and boy was it exhausting. Even though it was exhausting, every minute of it was worth the effort. Our team's purpose is to help and teach the Thai students at Chian Hua high school to practice and use English. The team is divided into three teaching groups, and each group is assigned to a grade. These grades are equivalent to the american school system's sophomores, juniors, and seniors. With in our groups we design  lesson plans which can consists of basic grammar, pronunciation, and games. These lesson plans are usually taught multiple times, as our teams have to teach during the day and at night and taught to different levels with in the grades.
Teaching has been such a humbling experience for me, as I was able to learn how to serve others in a much more rewarding way. I would have never imagined that the English I have been using in my daily life  can be used to help others. Through the brief conversations with the kids, I am able to see their curiosity for the English language and it is this curiosity that excites and energizes me to teach them. Even though we are not able to evangelize as much during our teaching times, we are able to show Gods love through our actions.

Prayer requests:
-Energy for the team so that we may be able to give our 100% to the Thai students
- Quick recovery/ health: some our team members are still recovering from sicknesses prior to the trip. pray that they will recover quickly so that nothing will be hindering them

Khap khoon kap! (Thank you)

Ian K.