Final Farewell

Well what can I say? Its the end! I can't believe it! Seven months seems like a long time in another country but it goes so fast at the same time. Right now we are focused on goodbye parties, gifts, and getting in those last hang outs and fun Thailand things. I am getting less prepared to leave as the weeks go on. Kind of backwards isn't it?

This last month was focused on our relationships with our Thai friends and other evangelism events. We also had some visitors this month that brightened up our may! Here is a recap:

Our Thai worker Bia helping with craft

Bryan teaching them a thing or two about hockey

We enjoyed our usual time at the park playing sports and crafts with the kids. Always great to provide a fun activity for them, and we are able to share bible stories and/or testimonies at the end.

We also had some great visitors this month! Becky Oullette's nephew and his friends did some traveling around Asia and came to stay with us for about 3 weeks in Phuket. They helped out with things and were a great asset to our little group here. But my favorite visitor of the month award goes too....

They helped me cook a Thai meal for Church

TONY & SARAH!!! My brother and sister-in-law! They were able to spend a whole week with me here in Phuket. They were a great encouragement and help (couldn't have cooked that church meal without you!) and we had a lot of fun together.

An outing with my friend Mai

We also kept up with our regular activities such as missionary kids youth group, language lessons, and teaching English.

Youth group game

We also had a team from a church in Abbotsford called Northview. They were here for 5 days and we did a lot of evangelism ministries including singing songs in the hospital and praying for people, handing out tracts at the market, the football (soccer) game, and the park, and prayer walked around our neighborhood. It was neat to see Thailand again through fresh eyes do some new things!

Our friend who begs in the market that we always visit. He is a major sweet heart and always thanks God for everything.

That was our month! It was almost too busy too realize how time has crept up on us! But I have been trying to mentally prepare myself for leaving Thailand. But I know that I can never be fully prepared to leave. It probably won't kick in until I'm on the plane. I am also anticipating emotional goodbye's from my Thai friends. On the upside though, that lets me know that I have made real connections here and God has made an impact on people through me. That is an exciting thought!!! If I had an easy time leaving, that would not be a good testament to the time I have had here. So I will gladly take the sad goodbyes, the pain of leaving, and the heartbreak I will probably experience afterward because it means that God has used me and that was able to leave a part of me here and Thailand and take a part of Thailand with me.

Until then, please pray for

- Our goodbye party for our language teachers that we are having with the missionaries. Pray that they will get connected to the missionaries so that they can continue showing them God's love and sharing with them after we are gone

- That our relationships will end strong and with good closure

- That all the logistics of leaving will go smoothly

- Safe travel

- Debrief - that it would be a healthy time of sharing, reflection and closure.

Season's change but God stays the same

Of all the months I have been here, April has been the most unique. Due to different activities and holidays, our team did a lot of things independently and our schedule looked a lot different.
    We started out with another kids camp in the school that we used to teach in. School is out for Thai kids right now so it was actually a summer camp. We taught a lot more English but still used bible stories and songs to convey the message. Had a great time. These kids are like little sponges!

These boys got right into
decorating cookies for
the Jonah craft
                                We had a lot                         of fun on the last
                      day because it                     was water fun day!

We finished the week with a dunk
tank!! Very fun. All the leaders had
their turn and the kids loved it!!






That action packed week was with followed by a week off celebrating the Thai holiday of Song Kran. For people who don't know, this is the funnest holiday on the face of the earth. If you can picture a nationwide water fight spanning over sometimes a week or more, then you can imaging Song Kran. In Phuket only water fights for one day which I found out was enough for me! It looks like this: the streets are covered with people using big garbage cans to hold their water and they use buckets/water guns to splash people driving by. We did that for a while outside the center, and then we ventured out with our neighbors who have a truck. We all sit in the back with our water-filled garbage cans and buckets and we drive around splashing people on the street and in vehicles. You might also get some coloured paste put on your face by a passer-by, and the traffic is so packed with trucks like your own, that you can hardly move. Be prepared to not have even one dry moment. If you don't want to get wet, then stay indoors! No one is safe, anything goes. Good way to get to know the neighbors and the city!!

Soaking our unsuspecting victims

Our little army of water fighters. We so much fun with the neighbors!

Truck wars on the streets of Phuket.

The next week we had another small kids camp in the village we go to every Thursday, and some work projects at a fellow Phuket Missionary's property. Had a great time with the kids and it was great to help our missionary friend with his vision! They work with women in the sex trade in Phuket and are building a bigger center with more room for teams and tenants, and with beautiful grounds to create a peaceful atmosphere.

Craft time! Also a crazy fun mess

Singing silly songs at kids camp

Working hard and smiling at the same time!

Other events that happened this month were a sunset service with the missionaries at Easter, a parade with all the churches in Phuket, some youth nights, and half of our team went to Chonburi to help with the Thailand MB family camp! Lots of action here as you can see.

This next month we are in has been dedicated evangelism month by our team and the missionaries. This is our last chance to minister to our neighbors and friends, to share with them, and to have fun with them! We really want to make the most of this time and to allow God to use us. For me, my focus will be with my neighbor and language teacher Dtuk. She has been coming to church, listening to us share about God in our lives and how much he loves her. She is taking it all in and is taking little steps forward but I think she is still having difficulty making that final turn from Buddhism to Christianity. Please Pray for my relationship with her to grow and for me to be able to share with her in the right way that will encourage her and help her to turn to Jesus!

Me and Dtuk at Song Kran

 Please also pray for our last month that I would use it to the best of God's ability and that we would fill it us with great last memories!

March: The month of kids

The Month of March. Over the hill but still lots of time to go. And plenty to fill our time with! This month we had our regular schedule most of the time with a week of kids camp right in the middle.

We put on a week long, morning mini bible camp for the kids in the nearby village who we see at sports every Tuesday night. We had a lot of help but it took much organization and planning. We each had a job to do (or several actually), and we were able to pull off a pretty big production! It was held in the park, and it was only a miracle from God that the rain held out for the most part, because it rained for 2 weeks straight after that. Our program included songs, craft, games, and a bible story. Plus, as a special feature we had some Thai boys from the orphanage up north come down to help up and teach break dancing along with a friend I know from Canada who I had no idea was in Thailand!
Here we are with everyone, with the amazing sign we made in crafts (can you guess who was in charge of crafts?).

The theme was water, so the camp was called "SPLASH!!"

This week was extremely busy but very fun and very rewarding. We got to teach kids about Jesus everyday, and have mega fun with them.

Craft time with Alison!

Game time with Bryan and the Parachute!

Our Mascot Captain Splash

Song time with Greg

It was a VERY full week with lots going on but it was so fun. And the coll part was, we had a few of our Thai friends who are not Christian helped us so it was fun to have them along so they could learn too! It was also really great to have our Thai boys from the orphanage along. They were a big help. Also taught some really great break dancing.

Mac, Folk, and Golf teaching a routine

Jonathon Pankratz helping out

My favorite part was going into their village afterward and giving a show for their parents. It gave the missionaries a chance to meet some of the people in the village and hopefully make some lasting relationships.

The rest of the month was so rainy that we weren't able to do many of our ministries! I think that was God's way of giving us some rest. Especially since we have two more kids camps in the month of April! We are crazy.

As for me, despite a small bout of homesickness, I have never loved Thailand more, or been more sure of where I am supposed to be. God is good.

half way done and lots to show for it

Well the landmark has hit. The half way point! When it hit I wasn't sure how I felt about it. Did it seem too soon? Too slow? Am I sad? Happy? As I thought more about it, I felt more and more like it was just right. A lot has happened during the 3 1/2 months we have been here and I know we have a lot more to come. Allow me to recap the last month for you:


We started this month with prep for the Big Valentines Party we gave to all our friends and neighbors. We made cookies and handed out invitations, and prepped a lot of food and games. It was a big success! All of our regular church attendees came and some new people. We had a some fun games to start, a live band, and some Thai guest speakers who spoke on relationships and love. And of course, delicious eats!

Everyone had a great time playing "honey if you love me"

We also had a chance to take a short trip to the Similin Islands in the Pangnga province with our friend Bia who works at The Phuket Life Center office and lives there. We stayed at nursery of a friend of hers and even experienced a Thai style Barbecue! It was fun to see another part of Thailand and to see Bia's house and church in Pangnga. Oh ya, and the islands were amazing!
                                                                              

Beach in Pangnga

Bia cooking the meat for our BBQ

This month was also our midterm retreat with Brian and Gay Best. We went to a resort on Koh Kho Khoa Island in the Pangnga Province just above us. It was really beautiful there and was a truly restful time. We had a blast playing in the waves, lounging by the pool, eating at the restaurant and playing pool in the game room. We talked about Spiritual gifts and assessed what what we have as a team and how we could work together with our individual gifts. it was very enlightening!

Here we are taking advantage of the fruit drinks by the pool situation. yum and fun!

This month was also filled with several other mini adventures such as team time on paddle boats, festivals in town that last three days, elephant treks, chinese new year meal at our landlords for example.


Here are some prayer requests as well.
- Please pray my friend Dtuk and her family. She is coming to church more and more and is becoming more interested in Christianity, pray that God would help me to give me the words to say to her and that he would lead her to give her life to him!
- Pray for the kids vbs camps that are coming up this month and next. It will be very busy but very fun and we are excited to have fun with the kids but we want to them to really hear the message of God


That is all for next month, see you in the next!


Blessings,
Alison

Welcome 2011!

Well, it is a new year, and January has already zipped past me. I have a feeling that time will be moving  at super speed from now on. Time to bring you up to speed. So far this month most of our ministries have remained the same with a couple of new additions.
      
I have started a baking class! I am very excited about have had a lot of fun with it so far. Even though most Thai's don't have an oven, they love to bake and make "foreigner food" as they call it. It gives me a chance to do something I love and spend time with my Thai friends. We meet together once a week, and bake what they request. I have even had a chance to learn some Thai desserts as the same time!

       We also had our first official University drop-in this month. One of our goals is to meet students at the Phuket Universities and then invite them to the center for events. We would love to draw more young adults age people to the church. We know that this will take time. A lot of our usual friends came but no new people that we met at the University. We are planning to go their every week to hang out with them at lunch times. We will need to build relationships their before most of them will be willing to come to our center. Keep praying for good relationships!

    
One of my most exciting stories this month is of my language teacher Dtuk. My relationship with her has been growing and she has become a good friend. Her family has also become very involved in our center and our events. They have even started coming to church. Dtuk usually is helping in the kitchen but she loves being there. she has also had some amazing conversations with the missionaries Becky and Cynthia. she told them that she has been noticing good differences between Christians and Buddhists. I think she is becoming very interested in Christianity. She and her children love coming to the center and being around us. Her husband is also warming up to us! I am very excited as Dtuk and her family have become very special to me, and I know they are special to God. Keep praying for them that their hearts would soften towards Jesus and they would be willing to open their hearts to him!

Dtuk teaching me how to cook Thai

Another new ministry we have begun is teaching English to highschool students at a local school two days a week. This school is a little less privileged than others and doesn't always have good English teachers. Our classes are pretty fun as they mostly consist of playing games and having fun! We have really connected with one of the teachers there who is a Thai English teacher. she translates for us in the classroom. Her name is Dtoom. Last week we had a great conversation with her about Christianity. She said she had a friend who was a christian who she went to church with once. She said she has always been interested in Christianity but her husband is very buddhist and against it. Please pray for them that their heats would be softened and our relationship with her would be fruitful!

Next month we have a retreat coming up and many other fun events planned. Never a dull moment!

Over this next month please pray for:
- new relationships
- for transformation in the lives of the people we already do know
- for a spiritually, emotionally, and physically refreshing retreat for our team

- also for two of our Thai believers whose house just got broken into. Many things were taken of the little they had. Pray that they would not be discouraged and that we would be able to meet their need.

Christmas in Thailand!

Despite the fact that Thai's don't officially celebrate Christmas, we were very busy this season! I got to participate in all the "normal" Christmas activities, it was just hotter and all in Thai haha!. We started with some very rigorous Christmas baking, which we used at all our events and to give as gifts to friends. 

We also did took part in a Evangelistic Christmas Festival that the churches of Phuket put together. It was very successful and many of our Thai friends came and heard a great message about Jesus! they all said they had a great time.

Then we participated some Christmas caroling in a hospital, villages, and church with Thai Christmas carols! Pretty fun. The hospital was especially amazing. We spoke with many people and prayed with them, shared the love of Jesus and hopefully brought a little joy into the place!

Caroling at the hospital

Christmas Party for the kids in the village

We also managed to have our own Christmas dinner together with our missionaries in the midst of all the events! we finished off with our Church's Christmas party in which there was games, prizes, and Christmas songs and sharing the Christmas message. Lots of people came which was great and we are getting to be quite well known in our community!

We now have a little holiday to recuperate, but next month we will be starting again in January at full force! Please pray for our continuing ministries: English class, youth, sports in the park, music class, and also for our language teachers. These are people in our neighborhood who we get to spend consistent time with and have become our friends. We have a great opportunity to witness to them and to build relationships with them. My language teacher's name is Dtuk. She has a husband and two children and lives next door in her restaurant. She is very fun and Has been getting more involved in our church. I pray that God does a work in her and her family's life.

God bless you all!

Month 1 Completed!

Well, Month 1 has been very busy and full of surprises. After completing our orientation with the Oullettes in the first week, we spent time preparing for the ministries we would be involved in, and working with a DMI (Discipleship Making International) team from BC, Canada who came to do some evangelism with us. We spent a couple afternoons in the two major universities in Phuket hanging out with the students and sharing our testimonies. Although this may sound a bit bold for us Canadians, I have learned that Thai people are very open to talk about spirituality because with 95% of the population being Buddhist, they are a very spiritual and religious people. What is more difficult, is explaining to them the concept of Christianity and how it applies to them. This religion is very foreign to them and takes some careful explaining. During those two days, we were able to have some good conversations about Christianity with them, and start some relationships that can hopefully be continued during our stay in Thailand














The next week we traveled to Chonburi, Thailand, to visit Karen and Ricky Sanchez (part of Team 2000), to do some orientation with them about missionaries in Thailand, and help them with whatever needed. This trip was especially great for me because I finally got to see the founding MB church in Thailand, and meet some of the people that I have been hearing about from my church's missionaries Dave and Louise Sinclair-Peters. We also ran an after school kids program for the neighborhood kids in the community of Angsila where we were staying. It was a very fun week and it was neat to see another part of Thailand. We also managed to squeeze in a visit to the Tiger Zoo, and a day in Bangkok!

Since we have been back, we have been enjoying a more regular schedule and preparing for the ministries we will be involved in the rest of our stay. These will include:
Mondays - Teaching English to a childrens class in a Thai school, and sports in the park with the locals (our team really enjoys this night just to have fun and make friendships)
Tuesdays -One-on-one Thai  language learning with Thai neighbor, and sports in the park with kids from the neighboring slum followed by bible story
Wednesdays - English class in Thai school, and English class for Adults at our center in the evening (We have made some great relationships here and many have been drawn to our church because of this class!)
Thursdays - One-on-one Thai  language learning, Bible/English lesson for kids in a village nearby, and guitar lessons for Highschool/University age
Fridays - One-on-one Thai  language learning, Youth group for missionary kids of Phuket every other week, and possible University student drop in.
Saturdays - Church in the evening!

Its a full week and there are lots of opportunity to make some meaningful relationships and connect with the people around us. More updates to come, and feel free to check out my pictures!