This morning we arrived in Phuket, after spending the first 5 days in Thailand in an area called Chonburi- about an hour outside of Bangkok on the coast.
While we were there we were introduced to the bigger picture of the MBMSI ministry in Thailand, spending time with local Thai people and foreign missionaries involved in the work here. Also, we've synced up with 2 TREK teams, which are teams of Young Adults spending 6-10 months in an internship volunteering here. Inspiring stuff.
Top of my mind right now is the orphanage for HIV positive boys and girls. Inspiring stories. Please do check out the www.mbmsivideo.org (or some weblink very close to that spelling) for videos of the stories of these kids. This orphanage comes out of the heart of Karen Sanchez, a Canadian missionary here with her husband and 4 kids the last 12 years. The stories of how it all got started are in some of the short videos you can watch. But we played with these kids. Ate with them (delicious curries and cashew chicken). Helped with projects around the boys' home, and generally just sweat a lot learning to play hide and seek in Thai.
In Thailand these kids are truly the lowest of the low in society. Stories of how they got HIV include prostitute mothers (now deceased), sexual abuse from HIV+ men in their families, and sometimes bad blood transfusions.
If you are praying, please pray that they are all able to enter school this year. The school year in Thailand starts this week, and there are many prejudices and hardships they must overcome to be allowed in classrooms with other children, despite the fact that the other children are in no danger of infection at all. Lots of hatred, distrust, and simply lack of education on AIDS issues.
Pray for the new centre they are building so more kids can be in small "family homes" with a mother and stability, rather than more institutional settings they could be put into in Bangkok (Karen Sanchez described these huge orphanages with 100s of kids as "Hell on earth"). With the recession, this building project has lost some funding.
We as a team are all well here. We laugh a lot and are learning a ton. Excited to finally be in Phuket where we will be teaching English, running day camps in a slum area, and doing work with "SHE" for women coming out of prostitution.
Pray for our team as we really get into stuff here. This is a heavy place if you know what I mean.
peace
Jo
So good to here how you guys are doing - we are praying for you. Good to hear there are laughing moments in the midst of some pretty sober stuff. Bless you girls - looking forward to more stories and prayer stuff.
ReplyDeleteLove ya,
Robyn
Hello Jo and ladies!
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear from you on the blog! I hope you're coping ok with the heat. My Thai friend here also said it is unusually hot this year! take rest when you can.
Isaiah 12 is wonderful. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day:
"Give thanks to the LORD,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted
We're proud of you all and will pray for you.
Love, Mum sylvia
Praying for you all, thanks for the updates, it makes it easier to know what to pray about. He is with you!
ReplyDeleteSam McIntaggart (friend of Laura's)
yay for Apple Stores taking over the world!!!
ReplyDeleteYou can tough out the heat, dutch girl...just imagine January in Waterloo. Not helping? Oh well, just enjoy it for now. You'll be back in 'fake' spring in Ontario soon. So glad to hear your updates. Keep 'em coming!
xoxo.
Amanda
Sounds great! It's not hot in Germany at all... in fact just the opposite! It's quite cool. It is good to read your updates. If you meet Sara Falk (she is on a TREK team) say hi to her from me. Blessings, Teri
ReplyDeleteThinking about you daily. Looking forward to hearing about your impressions and experiences. Mum/Valerie xo
ReplyDeleteP.S. Hope this works. Have never posted on a blog before, wonder if I am ready for Facebook?!
Ok. Sorry for the non-communication. Just got back from Nicaragua and I'm catching up on you.
ReplyDeleteI am so pleased that you guys are digging in. I am curious as to what God is doing in your hearts. From Canada, it is hard to imagine. We have news of some turmoil in Thailand and are watching that closely. I hear nothing of that from you so assume it is not affecting you. I am praying for you in that circumstance.
Just getting back from Nicaragua and experienced some tough visits there in a Managua barrio. Sounds like you are deeper than that with the aids affected children. How sad...what is God doing in your hearts?
Jo- I am curious about your team and the dynamics. I hope and have been praying that you all would knit together and begin to rely on each other (we are taught to be tough and self sufficient but I believe we were designed to work together just like God is wired up). I am praying for you girl as you LEAD - you are so wired up for that and I believe that you will be a great one! I miss you.
Blythe - How does a gentle soul with so much to give survive in the Thai culture and a place where perhaps so many have basic needs. I have been praying for your heart...that you would be able to rest back in His arms as you gently pour yourself out. You, my young friend have such gifts that the world needs but I realize that it comes at a cost to you. My prayer for you is that you will first and foremost - rest back in Him...you are special. I miss you.
Cressman - Oh Leah, this is our second year of knowing one another - you are practical with some clear and present whims, you are out there and fun to be around, your smile is as big as the sun, and it is simply good to be around you and in your space. I am praying that you will be a "real" effect on the team, that they will see some of this through your eyes and be influenced by your perceptions. Enjoy girl! Do you feel like a giant over there? What's are you grinning about in that photo in the back of the truck? I miss you.
Laura, Catherine and Alaina - I don't know you girls as well at all but I am praying for you. I am praying that God will keep your eyes open when you want to close them from what you are seeing... I am praying that your hearts will be CHANGED by this and that He will be doing something new and wonderful there.
GIRLS - May God bless you today. May He remind you that there are people praying for what He is doing in and through you. May you feel His hand deeply within your hearts and may you enjoy the simple touch of little brown hands, and little white smiles, the nods of old mothers and the gentle reminder that in the midst of the mess - He is there with you and He has things for you to do.
I miss you guys...
Pete
Hi ladies!
ReplyDeletePlease write and report! We are missing the news! Is all well? We trust so.
What temperatures are we talking about?
We miss you. God bless you!
Love Mum sylvia
Thanks for the comments! Mum- you. Are probably ready for facebook! Get on there and feel like you have all the friends in the world.
ReplyDeletePete- thanks for the encouragement. Eager to share stories of God's work and provision in hard circumstances.
Amanda- how was Cambridge? How is planning and Toronto in spring?
We are singing the hokey pokey several times a day with different Thai classes. The students really like watching us phalong dance around at the front!
The scripture on my mind today is out of Romans 5. When we are ready to open our doors to God we find at the same moment He has already done the same for us and is waiting to invite us into what He has in mind.
It's a beautiful picture of the posture we need to be in, and I am experiencing great joy through that.
Love, blythe.