Temporary homes, eternal treasures

The 13-hour bus travel from Bangkok to Mae Sai was pleasant but not the less tiring. We arrived in bus terminal very early in the morning. I remember everything, it was January and it was raining. It was cold, in fact, it was colder than we had expected. Even the sun seemed so lazy to peek out from the thick clouds. We had arrived to the place we know little about and would become our home for seven years.

Although we were commissioned by two churches and several organizations, we had not received any assurance of commitment for regular support. We came to the field on our own. Nobody arranged for our housing or the ministry that we would be doing. We were totally dependent on the Lord's guidance and provisions.

Fortunately, there were people who kindly helped us during our first two weeks. We met Angela, whom until that time, we only knew by name. We also met Pastor Maung whose church we would become active members. He, his wife and few church members would become our friends and family during our first year of stay in Mae Sai.

We believed that we were in the place where God wanted us to be. with only a few clothes and some books for our kid's home schooling, we practically did not have anything. No house we can call our won. We slept in Angela's house during the night and walked around the town we could call our own during the day looking for the elusive home.

After two weeks, with the help of a lady named Nim, we found an abandoned row house. Apparently, some people thought it was a good idea to buy these cheap houses but realized later that they did not want to live in this kind of house. So they abandoned the house and was left uninhabited for many years. But for us, it was once again God’s miraculous provision at that time. The house had everything that we need in it. It had closets, book shelves, mattresses, bed frames, bedding, comforter, blankets, dining table and a rice cooker. It was our first experience of God’s miraculous provisions.

We lived in that house for over three years. God proved true to his promise that he will provide. Monthly provisions for the payment of rents and utilities always came in the nick of time. God is faithful. We were in that house when we got Tina and a year later we got Nuch. Few more children will be added a year later. It was then that we realized that God was giving us a new ministry. We need a new house with a big a yard that the children can play and work on.

A year later, God had found us another home. An old but bigger house with a big yard but it needed a lot of works--cleaning, painting and repairs. But God had helped us in many ways by sending teams and individuals who were willing to do the hard works. We cleaned the yard, trimmed the grass and made vegetable gardens. For us, it is the most beautiful small spot in this part of Mae Sai-- our home.






Until recently, the house seemed to be getting smaller. The children are growing so fast. This is something we already anticipated but it is coming sooner than we thought. Nuch is now in college and the girls, of course, are growing faster than the boys. Moreover, we are having English, Thai, Bible and music lessons in the house. Visitors and guests were coming often and at times with twelve and when so many things were going on at the same time, the house was verging in to a chaos. We realized we need a separate place for the boys and to hold those classes. But then we thought, it was financially impossible. We could not afford the monthly rate and the utilities.

Needless to say, God never ceased to surprise us. A home that fits our need had become available. A row houses nested in the middle of a community, a strategic place to know the people and minister to the children were provided by God. We converted it to learning center and invited the children from the community (besides our adopted children) to learn English and Thai for free.

We thank the Lord for the people who have been helping us with our ministry. Keeping two houses is not easy but we believe that God will provide for the monthly rent and utilities. We believe that God will use this place to point people to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We believe that this will be a place where God will be honored and glorified.

Not One But Two

We have been working with Sayama ever since we came to Mae Sai. She is managing several children’s homes and orphanages in Burma. When we took Tina into our home, it marked the beginning of our ministry to the orphans and abandoned children. She began asking us to help her in by “adopting” the younger children who come to her.

So we were not surprised when one day, she called us up and told us that a Pastor came with a little girl from a remote village in Burma. And although she wanted to take care of her, the orphanage had no room for another child.

We had been very selective in adopting children. Our experiences had taught us that we could not just take every child who comes to us. We had adopted children before whom we thought do not have parents or next of kin. Only to be  surprised that after a year,  people claiming to be their aunties came and took three of the children away from us. We felt cheated.

To make sure that we were not getting another child who might be claimed by a relative later, we asked Sayama to give us the child’s background story.

Her story goes like this. The little girl’s mother has died. The father has remarried and moved out of the village. The little girl was left behind to the care of the neighbors. Sayama said the neighbors took turn in providing food and shelter for the child. The girl even though she was only four years old was asked to do menial chores in the neighborhood. Her main responsibility, however,  was to go to the jungle every day to gather firewood. This was what she was doing when the Pastor saw her in the woods.
Narlin and I knew when a story was made up or true. This story at least for us, sounded true. But we did not want to appear very enthusiastic about all this. We set a date with Sayama to see the girl first and only then we would decide if we would “adopt” the little girl.

We met Sayama at the border and saw the girl. But lo and behold, there was not only one girl but two. Sayama had found a way to “trick” us to consequently take not only one but two girls. (The other girl was almost a year older.) She knew beforehand that we were hesitant to even take one but she put us into a position where it was impossible for us to say no to both. “They have the same story".” She quipped. It didn’t matter anymore to us that time. We cared for the children more than we believed her.

The girls were dirty but beautiful and relatively healthy. At first glanced, they looked strikingly similar but upon closer examination we saw their individuality. One has round dark brown eyes and hair while the other has jet black China eyes and hair. I guess because they had been together a long time, they now have each other’s look. It made sense to us then that they need not separate, we had to take them together.

Pia and Kristi with the other children during Pia’s birthday.

The girls had been with us for almost a year. We changed their names to Kristi and Pia. Kristi has a cute sense of humor, full of life and laughter. If you happened to be with her, she will just talk to you and tell her story. It does not matter if you understand her or not, she will surely make you laugh. Pia was very quiet when we first saw her. But that did not last long, because now she also learn play with the other children. She has already won a coloring contest in the school.
They are both doing well in the school. Every morning I drove them to school, I watched them go down from the truck and run to the school happy and laughing. We thank the Lord that we have the opportunity to take them under our care. By God’s grace, we already had saved these girls from child labor and perhaps we had saved them from child trafficking as well.
Please pray for Kristi and Pia. Together with the other children, they need your love, support and prayers.
This a repost from Missions Beyond Borders.

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From Bunker to New House

The quiet night was broken by a loud banging noise that made the floor and windows vibrate. Tina fell from the top of the bunker bed that the girls are using because of the limited space of the bedrooms.

Narlin went to the room and found Tina sprawled on the floor crying. We took her downstairs and checked if everything was well with her. Fortunately, there was no broken bones and big bumps except for a small bluish swelling on her right cheek. We put ice pack to reduce the swelling and to give some relief to the pain she was experiencing. We delayed her sleep for an hour and observed her to make sure that everything was really alight.

We woke the next morning and she seemed to be fine. That was until she was in school. While Narlin was teaching at the school, Tina’s adviser approached her and said that Tina had been crying the whole morning. The reason was her bruised was painful. So after Narlin’s class we went straight to Mae Sai hospital and had her checked by the doctor. The doctor thought that an x-ray would be required, so we have to wait two hours because we came during the break. We had our lunch at the hospital.

The result: no broken bones but the inflammation on her cheek was not looking good. She had to take medicine for several days but she will be fine.

We need to get rid of the bunkers but it means we need more space for bedroom. This what made us think that our decision to get another house for the boys is a very good idea. The children are growing. Boys and girls could no longer share the small space upstairs. And besides the Thai government requires boys and girls to stay on separate buildings.
At first, we were thinking of a place that we could use for ministry like English learning and training center.  But if it is the reason, we are willing to forget about the idea and we almost did.
We have been moving stuff for a week now. The boys are sleeping in the new house starting tonight. Tina does not need to sleep on top bunk. There will be enough space for everyone.
This means additional expenses. But we believe that God will provide. We are grateful for our family and friends who remember us in their prayers.

Technorati Tags: Tina,house,orphan

Buddhism

I stumbled on the lecture notes by Professor Malcolm David Eckel, Ph.D. an Associate Professor of Religion in Boston University. I found his lecture notes enlightening and current. I will be posting fragments of his lectures here.

The lecture is a survey of the history of Buddhism from its origin in India in the sixth century B.C.E. to contemporary times in America. The course is meant to introduce students to the astonishing vitality and adaptability of a tradition that has transformed the civilizations of India, Southeast Asia, Tibet, China, Korea, and Japan and has now become a lively component in the cultures of Europe, Australia, and the Americas.
The lecture begins by exploring the religious and cultural world of the Buddha in ancient India. To understand the Buddha’s contribution to the religious history of the world, it is important to know the problems he inherited and the options that were available to him to solve them. In ancient India, before the time of the Buddha, these problems were expressed in the Vedas, the body of classical Hindu scriptures. The Vedas introduce us to scholars and ritual specialists who searched for the knowledge that would free them from the cycle of death and rebirth. The Buddha inherited this quest for knowledge and directed it to his own distinctive ends.
Born as Siddhartha Gautama into a princely family in northern India about 566 B.C.E., the Buddha left his father’s palace and took up the life of an Indian ascetic. The key moment in his career came after years of difficult struggle, when he sat down under a tree and “woke up” to the cause of suffering and to its final cessation. He then wandered the roads of India, gathering a group of disciples and establishing a pattern of discipline that became the foundation of the Buddhist community. The Buddha helped his disciples analyze the causes of suffering and chart their own path to nirvana. Finally, after a long teaching career, he died and passed quietly from the cycle of death and rebirth.
After the Buddha’s death, attention shifted from the Buddha himself to the teachings and moral principles embodied in his Dharma. Monks gathered to recite his teachings and produced a canon of Buddhist scripture, while disputes in the early community paved the way for the diversity and complexity of later Buddhist schools. Monks also developed patterns of worship and artistic expression that helped convey the experience of the Buddha in ritual and art.
The Buddhist King Asoka, who reigned from about 268 to 239 B.C.E., sent the first Buddhist missionaries to Sri Lanka. From this missionary effort grew the Theravada (“Tradition of the Elders”) Buddhism that now dominates all the Buddhist countries of Southeast Asia with the exception of Vietnam. Asoka also left behind the Buddhist concept of a “righteous king” who gives political expression to Buddhist values. This ideal has been embodied in recent times by King Mongkut in Thailand and Aung San Suu Kyi, who won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her nonviolent resistance to military repression in Burma.
The Indian tradition was radically transformed by two major new movements. The first was known as the Mahayana (“Great Vehicle”); the second, as Tantra or the Vajrayana (“Diamond Vehicle”). The Mahayana preached the ideal of the bodhisattva who postpones nirvana to help others escape the cycle of rebirth. Tantra developed a vivid and emotionally powerful method to achieve liberation in this life.
Buddhism entered Tibet in the seventh century and established itself as a powerful combination of Indian monasticism and Tantric practice. Tibetan Buddhism eventually developed four major schools, including the Geluk School of the Dalai Lama. Today, the fourteenth Dalai Lama carries Buddhist teaching around the world.
Buddhism entered China in the second century of the common era, at a time when the Chinese people had became disillusioned with traditional Confucian values. To bridge the gap between the cultures of India and China, Buddhist translators borrowed Taoist vocabulary to express Buddhist ideas. Buddhism took on a distinctively Chinese character, becoming more respectful of duties to the family and the ancestors, more pragmatic and this-worldly, and more consistent with traditional Chinese respect for harmony with nature. During the T’ang Dynasty (618–907), Buddhism was expressed in a series of brilliant Chinese schools, including the Ch’an School of meditation that came to be known in Japan as Zen.
Buddhism entered Japan in the sixth century of the common era and soon became allied with the power of the Japanese state. Buddhist Tantra was given distinctive Japanese expression in the Shingon School, and the Tendai School brought the sophisticated study of Chinese Buddhism to the imperial court. During the Kamakura Period (1192–1333), Japan suffered wide social and political unrest. Convinced that they were living in a “degenerate age,” the brilliant reformers Honen (1133–1212), Shinran (1173–1262), and Nichiren (1222–1282) brought a powerful new vision of Buddhism to the masses, The Kamakura Period also saw a series of brilliant Zen masters who gave new life to the ancient tradition of Buddhist meditation.
Since the end of the nineteenth century, Buddhism has become a respected part of life in countries far beyond the traditional home of Buddhism in Asia. The teaching that began on the plains of India 2,500 years ago has now been transformed in ways that would once have been unimaginable, but it still carries the feeling of serenity and freedom that we sense in the image of the Buddha himself.

Technorati Tags: Religion,lecture,Buddhism,Buddha

Hearts full of joy

“This is the time of the year in Mae Sai when you can experience three seasons in a day”, a Thai friend told us. True enough, the remnant of the summer heat, the rainy season is still at its peak and the cold season is slowly seeping in. Seasons change but God remains faithful to his children. Paul explained this truth to the people in Lystra in Acts 4:17:

“He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”

Indeed, regardless of the situation, we can testify that the God’s faithfulness never fails and he has filled our hearts with joy. Here are the highlights of our recent activities.

 Mother’s Day Celebration

Thai people celebrate the Mother’s day in honor of the Queen’s birthday on 12 August. We were happy to be part of the celebration both in Pantamit church and in the Rongriyan Tesaban 1 (municipal school). To of our children once again won the prizes in the drawing contest held in the school. The holiday also gave us the opportunity to go for picnic and swimming at our favorite place- Khon Nang Nam Nun Lake. We are grateful to the Lord for the break.

ASEAN English Camp

After being postponed for three weeks, the English camp was eventually held on 31 August. A total of 260 students joined the activities of learning English through songs and games.

Chai read the history and purpose of ASEAN in English and she did very well. Tina on the other hand recited an English poem.

Once again, we thank the Lord for the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with the school.  The occasion made us know the school supervisor more, develop our friendship with the teachers and we become more involved in the life of the students. We thank the Lord for this privilege of being part of the school family.

ASEAN English Camp

New House for the Boys

We have been praying for another place for our other ministries like English teaching and discipleship. We also noticed that the children are growing up to become young ladies and gentlemen. Hence,  we need another house for the boys. The Thai government also requires orphanages to have separate buildings for older children.

This week a friend has called us to tell us that they are moving out of their house. The house is relatively cheap and they are leaving to us some of their furniture (bed frames) and stuff (beddings, blankets, pillows, etc.). This is an opportunity we could not let slip away.

However, we need your help in prayer for the support of the monthly rent and utilities. Any amount will be a huge help. We will be moving in the new house this coming Saturday (22 September). If you have any questions regarding this matter, please don’t hesitate to ask.

More Prayer Requests

Please continue to include us in your time of prayer. 

• We thank the Lord for keeping the children generally healthy despite of viral fly break out in Mae Sai.
• We thank the Lord for the children’s diligence to study. Their education will be their ticket to a better life here in Thailand.
• Thank you for praying for Jared and Reuven. Jared is now in his second trimester in college in the Philippines. He is  doing well with his studies. Reuven is holding his own in Thai school. We thank the Lord for his provisions too.
• We thank the Lord for Narlin’s teaching ministry at Rongriyan Tesaban 1. Our relationship with the school helps us to minister and share the gospel to the teachers and students.
• Pray for the Tina, Ayung and Mike’s ID. We are hoping that their ID will come out on the 17th of September. Pray for Nuch's ID too. There is a problem with her ID but hopefully with the help of some people it will be resolved soon.
• Pray also for our plans to go to the Philippines for a week in December. We are invited to share our testimony by Asia Vision Short-term Missions.

Technorati Tags: prayer update,ASEAN,English Camp,children,missions,orphans

Day 12: 40 Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of the theologians I admired. He died as a martyr resisting the Nazi reign in Germany during the Second World War. So when I read from the Bible Gateway site that his 40 Day Journey is being reissued to be sent directly to my inbox, I subscribed. Bonhoeffer’s theological reflections are very practical and truly relevant today as they were more than 8 decades ago. I am sharing in this blog some of his thoughts that challenges us to look at ourselves as Jesus’ disciples.

These people without possessions, these strangers, these powerless, these sinners, these followers of Jesus live with him now also in the renunciation of their own dignity, for they are merciful. As if their own need and lack were not enough, they share in other people’s need, debasement, and guilt. They have an irresistible love for the lowly, the sick, for those who are in misery, for those who are demeaned and abased, for those who suffer injustice and are rejected, for everyone in pain and anxiety. They seek out all those who have fallen into sin and guilt. No need is too great, no sin too dreadful for mercy to reach. The merciful give their own honor to those who have fallen into shame and take that shame unto themselves. They may be found in the company of tax collectors and sinners and willingly bear the shame of their fellowship. Disciples give away anyone’s greatest possession, their own dignity and honor, and show mercy. They know only one dignity and honor, the mercy of their Lord, which is their only source of life.

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