God is Good!

We are in the middle of our first week of teaching and what a blessing it has been! The Thai students are all very respectful and full of smiles, which makes it a joy to teach them...well, most of them. My favorite are, of course, cute, chubby little boys who turn away shyly when we talk them...they are just so precious :)

Anyways, UPDATE: we have finally gotten a complete schedule of classes and the team has gotten used to our lesson plans. At today's English Corner, our after school program for the students, we practiced spelling and helping the kids with their pronunciation through the reading of the story of Zaccheus. The story helped us introduce the idea of salvation and Christ's forgiveness to us. I even had a student ask me about forgiveness! It was very exciting to have struck a curiosity in them about Jesus.

God has definitely been very good to us. For the past few days, there has been nice, heavy downpour, which really helps cool the heat. It is still very HOT but tolerable. The teachers at the school are also very appreciative of our help, and it is very nice to know that we're a blessing to them and not a burden. Many of them are very baffled by the idea that we, a group of collegians from America with all different majors, were willing to give up our summer and to come to Thailand to teach English without pay. But perhaps our sacrifice will allow them to see Jesus' love. We are trying to take hold of every opportunity God gives to us, and are very excited to see what else God will be doing.

Through this trip, God has also showed us a lot about ourselves. For me, I have come to accept that I have a gift in language. Because we are in an area very close to Burma and China, many people here in Chang Rai are either part Chinese or full Chinese so they can speak Mandarin very well. I don't think I have ever spoken Mandarin so much in my life but it is wonderful to have that ability where I am able to communicate with the students and create a deeper relationship with them. Definitely all apart of God's planning.

Last but not least, thank you, everyone, for the continuous prayer supports! 


—Esther


p.s. I hate sharing a bed with Alisa! j/k.

Saw wah dee Hey

THANK YOU for your prayers, financial support, and encouragements over the last two months. The team has arrived safely into Chiang Rai, Thailand on Saturday morning. My face has been lit up with a HUGE smile the second we landed and hasn’t gone away since. I feel like a kid in a large candy store amazed at everything. Thailand is colorfully beautiful with nature and waterbeds surrounding every piece of land.

The team is staying at Shalom House. It’s a resort/church 10 minutes walking distance to the school, Maesaipasitsart. This is the school where the team will be teaching over the next two weeks. We got a chance to tour the school, met some of the teachers, and pray.

            Worship was quite an experience this morning at Shalom House. As the congregation worshipped in Thai, our team recognized the songs and sang along in English. Our team was given the opportunity to lead one song, Beautiful One (Phil Wickham). The pastor preached about the growth in Christian suffering. It was a bit distracting with so many translations going on in the room. After service we witness one baptism and ate lunch with the congregation.

            The Thai people have been very welcoming and respectful. The food has been very tasty and spicy. I’m stoked to continue meeting new friends and trying all different types of food. We’re heading to the night bizarre tonight and I’m looking forward to trying a fried chicken hamburger.

            I’m truly blessed to have this opportunity to serve God in Thailand. Please keep our team in prayer that we take every opportunity to build relationships with those we come across. Pray for our preparation for English class tomorrow, we have yet to receive our teaching schedules. 

Looks Like We Made It!

We arrived in Chiang Rai, Thailand, on Saturday morning. It was a long trip but the flights went well, and everyone is feeling okay. We're stationed in Mae San, a border city to Burma. It's hot and rainy ("Hello monsoon season"), so we go back and forth between rain gear and sunblock.

Thanks for all the prayers. God is definitely answering them.

One big item to pray for: we still haven't received our assignment yet from the language department head as to who we'll be teaching and when.

Kup koon krup!

Pray in THAI

Sawadee kaa, friends and family! In 1 week we will have settled in our motel, taken in God's beauty in His creation, and will probably be sitting in worship service!

As the day draws near for take-off, I'm starting to get anxious about everything--preparing for the classroom, working on my testimonies, making sure I have everything I need to bring. But today a couple of friends reminded me of the reason and purpose of going on this trip: I'm on a mission to pursue the people that God breaks my heart for, a people whom I have been called to share something far greater than my own testimony--the gospel. I cannot be convinced that we are unprepared, for He has already equipped every member of this team.

An extended kop koon kaa to everyone who has been supporting us! Please continue to pray for us this week as we continue to train and prepare physically and spiritually!

TEAM:

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." #Ephesians4:2-6

Pray Ephesians 4:2-6 that in any circumstance our love and team unity will be a good witness to the people around us. Pray for team chemistry, that we would be able to encourage and support each other on the field.

HEART:
Pray that God would give each team member a heart of compassion and love for the Thai people, a heart that can overcome unknown conditions, locations, and situations.

ALIGNMENT:
Pray that every member of the team would stay completely aligned with the will of God and the leading of the Spirit. Pray that we would recognize what/where/when He wants us to act and then to do it with boldness and a spirit of obedience, humility, and joy.

IMPACT:
Pray that this trip will have lasting spiritual impact on both the Thai students/teachers and our team members. For the Thai people, pray for good follow-up to commitment decisions.

-Alisa

Take Off: July 5!

The team will be meeting at church on July 5, Thu, at 10am. Please come and send us off with prayer and a hug. You're welcome to hang out with us at LAX (Bradley Terminal) at the food court but you'll have to find your own transpo.

Thanks for Your Support!

Thanks for stopping by our drink table on Sundays, May 27 & June 3. We hope you enjoyed the Thai tea and watermelon juice. (On those hot days it's good to get something refreshing). We hope you picked up a letter describing our trip. If you want a copy, just ask any of our team members. 


Please pray for us for the matters listed on the letter. We cannot go alone. We need your prayers. Be a significant partner on this trip.


If you are led to support us financially, please leave any cash or check support with a team member. (All checks should be written to "First Chinese Baptist Church", leaving the memo line blank) You may also deposit check in an envelope into the church mailbox of Min. John Chow. 
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We're currently reviewing and rehearsing our salvation testimony in preparation to share it with anyone "in season and out." It's been a joy to hear how God has been present and working in each member's life. Through stories of hardship and trials, we've been discovering how God has been victorious in our lives while growing and stretching us. 


In the same vein, we've been reviewing the Bridge to Life and the One-Verse (Rom 6:23) methods of evangelism. We'll soon be learning it using some Thai words. Pray for us!


This coming Sunday, we'll learn from Donald Yuan how to use the EvangeCube to share the Gospel. Pray for us!
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Thanks for reading. We'll keep you posted. 

Sah Waht Tee Hey!

Thanks for checking into the 2012 Thailand Team blog. 

This year's team is composed of Kara Lue (our fearless leader!), Caleb Choi, Kevin Wong, Esther Yue, Alisa Wong, and John & Doris Chow. We are really excited about how God will direct and use us in Thailand. 

We're super glad you're partnering with us. What you're not?! Well you can! You can partner with us through prayer and financial support! Contact any of the team members to receive a support letter. 

Kup Koon Krup (Thank you). Be sure to check in with us regularly.