Mae Gone 2010!

It's been such a long time since I've posted! March has been the most busy time in the year over here as the children are off school! Every year, there would be children camps at various places and so it's a very busy period!

On March 21st, our church mission team arrived in Chiang mai and we headed up to Mae Gone!

The night before we left for Chiang mai, we found out that there was not going to be a translator! I laughed! Literally! I didn't know how else to respond!

Some miscommunication I thought! I started getting a little scared as I knew that I would have to be the one translating the next few days! I started typing out the my phonetics for the scripts of the story telling and ended of staying up till 3:30am! ( it's a good thing I was not driving the next day!)

Looking back, I'm glad God gave me that oppotunity. If I had knew there was no translator a month before the trip I would have been worried about practising everyday and it would be at the back of my mind the whole time worrying me! So I'm glad I knew about it the night before!

What a funny way of seeing things I know!

We had a good time with the kids this year, however, seeing them all grown up was something different! The girls were really receptive this year and included me in their volley ball games!

We had about seven youths baptized this year and it was encouraging to all of us!

Seeing them again and every year was a blessing, and I'm looking forward to the next time!

Have a Blessed Easter!! Having a sun-rise service at 6:00am tomorrow! May we always remember that Christ died on the cross for us while we were still sinners! That shows His conditional love for all mankind!

4 YEARS!

It has been 4 years since we've first stepped into Thailand! These years has personally been the years which I've grown in faith. And that definitely has been very exciting and challenging!
The times here has taught me a lot of things in life, it opened my eyes and my heart.

Yesterday was the last day of "school" or english lessons for the kids I teach at Baan nana.
This is the summer break for all the local schools as well! So as the kids have their holidays I've to study harder as I've a little bit more time now. This March, we would be having a children camp at Mae Gone, so we've also been occupied at planning the programme.

Tonight there would be a rally by Will Graham at Chiang rai! I'm excited about it!

happenings and things in my week...

When we came back and returned to Baan nana we found out that the storeroom, library and the first-aid room has been burnt down! Some kids were playing with fire and the house caught on! Within 3o minutes, everything was gone. Medicines, supplies for school, everyday necessities and all the books they had!

So right now, they're slowly buying medicines, soaps and laundry powder to start off again.

They're thinking of building a new one soon but yet to find funds to do that.

For the past 6 months that I have taught at Baan nana, we've been using the library as a classroom. It was a bright and clean place that had a plastic sheet over the cement floor. Last week, I returned to teaching! But it was a challenge to find a new place. We tried the office on thursday but it was too cramp as this year we have 6 more kids than the last. On Friday we wanted to go to the main hall ( the Church) but it was locked up. So we decided to go to a nearby villa (bamboo house) to have class. It was a pretty scenic place over a small stream directly below us. The danger was, things fall in. And it did! My teaching cards! Haha! It's now being dried. Overall, I think we should go back to the villa for lessons. It's a nice place. =)

Another thing to thank God for is that Achan Sompong was ordained as a Rev. after 13 years in ministry!

"True Friend" camp

So it has been a week since I've posted! It has been a really busy week for me with two camps going on! Well, I'll let the pictures talk! We had so much fun! The pictures below are from the Shan kids camp, the BNN youth camp pictures would be posted later! On other news, my family and I have enrolled ourserlves to thai lessons again after a year of break!! I'm pretty excited but yet hesitant as it would take up time for other studies. Anyway, enjoy your week ahead!

LOVING you always

Having a sister around again is something special! The way she and the kids talk is so nice to hear, watching her teach with experience is something I need to learn. The kids never cease to brighten ones day and especially my sister's! Creating a special bond with them ever so fast!

Yesterday, my sister left for Singapore. Goodbyes to me are hard, but yet I've been so immune to it. This one though I cannot, it was hard. Having a brother in one other country and having a sister in another country. That makes it hard. Thank God for skype! =)

After a one hour english lesson, we'll have story time and games time. The kids just shrill with laughter everytime we play. Each child has their own character to love. And I know they're specially and wonderfully made by God.

good times....

The Tehs and Rachel was here for 5 days! =) They taught Character First and they did a great job. We went to two schools, two mountains and just enjoyed each other's fellowship. The kids really enjoyed the night that they held the chalk talk and gave out the bomerangs! The analogy was great, telling us that whatever we do, it'll come back to us. Our speech and our attitudes. Just like the bomerangs. Today they've left and the house is quiet again. Thank you for coming! I'll never forget our supper times!

Please Pray...

Nin jar is a sweet boy that has been in Baan nana for less than a year. He has been such a cheerful, bright and active boy. Recently he has lost his parents both to cancer.

Just last week, he went back to his country to study further. I'm sad that he has left, but I'm glad that he wants to pursue to study further. Please pray that he'll keep God close to his heart, and he'll not pick up bad things and he'll know what is right from wrong. Thank you! :)

a "t" but also a cross!

Every time kids do say something funny that you'll want to remember. Yesterday while teaching at Baanana, they just cracked me up.

Me: What letter is this? (* draws a "t"alphabet)
Kids: a cross!!
Me: (started laughing) yes it is, but it's also "t"!

I'm really happy that they have the impression that I like to teach them about Christ.And when they see the cross or "t", it reminds them about Jesus! =)
Seeing them learn is a blessing, being with them is being blessed. Yesterday, Kannah ( a boy that is a little bit slow in learning) could finally remember how to write his name in English! I was so proud of him!

Tissue (literally) has been helping me alot too! Everytime the kids get any squable and they really do kinda fight ( with a real tight fist), I hand out the "magic tissue"
The magic tissue does clear up quite alot of tears! And of course I do talk with the offender.
Teaching this little kids has taught me alot of stuff and I'm happy for that! =)

BNN News: Painting...

The kids were painting the meeting hall! Although I don't quite agree on the colors it is going to be worth it! The kids had their share of fun and I had my share by looking at them.

Previously, the NTU team from Singapore had scrub the walls outside and painted them. Now the kids did the inside of it. ( the walls were painted with mud last time!)

I'm sure this Sunday will have a different atmosphere! =)

BNN News: Mother's Day Celebration!

Decorations all done and dances all prepared! It was a day where the kids thank God for their moms! Some parents came down for the celebration although most kids either have one side of their parents or none.

Mothers and a dad was up there giving advice and sharing about how BNN has

helped them.

Kids that don't have parents came to the staffs for a hug. Many of them were in tears, as I saw sadness in their eyes I teared.

But aren't we a big family? Love you all!

Pray for them as they're missing their parents love and that God will be their comforter and their refuge of strength!

Kids day out! =))

This was after their performance.
I'll let the pictures do the talking!

BNN News: Performance at BIG C!

The kids went to perform at BIG C ( big shopping centre 60kms away) at Chiang rai! They were natural actors and they were great!

They sang and did some magic tricks. They also did a mime that was very meaningful. It was about kids that were on glu sniffing and having Satan always at the back of them telling them to do sinful actions. The conclusion was about Khun Abraham ( the BNN director) bringing them to BNN shelter and telling them about Jesus and how they recived Jesus in their hearts! I was touched at how much the kids has grown in their faith. As people came to watch them, they were giving out tracts! =))

Crazy weather

I've been experiencing crazy weather these few weeks! It was nice and cool with rain a few weeks ago, very hot last week and back to heavy showers again!

On a personal note, I've been busy studying and teaching the kids at Baan nana. Dad teaches the older kids and I teach the younger kids. Still, the age range is from 4-9! I was wondering if they were capturing anything I taught last week. I went back the next week and they suprised me that they remembered some words I taught! I was so glad and encouraged!

Bapti-sama ( Baptism)

31 Baan nana kids were baptised today! Praise God!

God showered His blessings by letting the rain pour. The Baptism was held in the rain.
Everyone armed with rain coats, umbrellas or some without.

One by one they went down into the pond and was baptised. As the rest wait for their turn,

they were shivering in the rain!

I thank God for changing the kids lives and drawing them to Him!

BNN News: From Bible Club to Church Service

Being back in Thailand has been quite a blast! On Friday, I returned to Baan nana to teach English. Some of the kids that previously joined are now attending school! Praise God!

On Saturday, they had an appreciation day. We were encourage by they're thoughtfulness. In that program, the staffs had also wanted to share their problems with the kids and how they can all work together to achieve goals.

Recently, the Baan nana Christian staff has formed a cell group and so every Saturday we would have a prayer meeting with dinner included! =)

Many things has been changing with Baan nana, and it's for the better. Previously, we would have a Bible Club for the kids every Sunday. Now, the Christian staffs will be taking over and having a proper service for both youth and children. The kids have been very active and we're all seeing the change in their lives.

Teacher, just one more story!

So today was the first day of lessons at Baan na na for the kids that don't go to school.

There were about 15 kids and they were attentive! Better than expected.
We taught them the alphabets and the sounds of the letters- phonectics. The age range is so wide and so it was hard to teach them all. But with the grace of God, they were all quite attentive!

Tonight there was a prayer meeting and it was uplifting! One girl - Agar was telling me that her parents were Buddist, she asked," If they did good will they go to heaven? "No they wouldn't" And if they were going to die and believe the Lord at the last moment will they go to heaven. " Yes" " But why not now?Isn't it better to believe now?" She nodded and we prayed together. =)) Do pray for her, she's such a young girl with curiousity and a love for Christ.