Hello everybody
On Sunday I got baptised in the Mekong River because I felt that it was the right time to do it and I remembered that Jesus got baptised in a muddy river too!
I wanted to get baptised to show everyone that I love God and that I am a sinner but Jesus took my sins away and cleaned me. I want to follow Jesus and love him forever.
The water was very nice and refreshing even though it was very muddy!
See you soon
Love Jacob
We spent most of the day with the church on the banks of the Mekong river overlooking Laos. Since we visited last time the church has grown significantly and the bamboo hut was nearly full, including lots of children. I shared with them about the oranges from yesterday and Russell and his friend Andy spoke in very impressive Thai. We went down to the river for the baptisms, a fantastic setting.
Jacob will say more about these in a separate blog entry for reason’s that will become obvious.
We were given lunch afterwards and chatted and hung about a bit until we drove home later. We feel so encouraged and privileged to be be able to share in these experiences. I hope that the pictures convey something more than my words can. Click here.
Much love, Andrew.
We had a wonderful time today visiting the large orphanage run by a pastor called Joseph. It is on the Thai side of the mountains that form the border with Burma. It was a real God appointment.
We were nor expected so called first. Joseph was going to Chiang Rai, as was his son, so they met us near the airport. We chatted awhile and then followed his son back to the orphanage. We would never have found it otherwise I think! We stopped at a large market on the way and bought meat, fruit and veg. It was great fun. The back of the son’s pickup was full up with food.
As a further treat we bought oranges for all the children. We used some of the money that the TAG children raised for these orphans.
When we arrived we got the usual lovely reception from the children and they sang to us. We had with us a friend of Russell’s, Andy, who we had picked up from Chiang Rai airport. He is a fluent Thai speaker and plays guitar well so we borrowed a guitar and sang ‘I could sing of your love for ever’ to them. We did very well under the circumstances. Russell said a few good words, and even more that I did not understand…he was great.
We handed out oranges to all which
was a thing of some mystery as I will explain. We had weighed the oranges at 8 oranges per Kg and bought 23.5 Kilos which comes to 188 total. There were 4 bags each with about 5Kg in.
We were concerned when we got there as they said there were 184 children there at that time and we were concerned that we had cut it a bit fine and may not have enough. Esther and I prayed hard as we got them out of the back of the pickup. Esther had read in her morning reading about the feeding of the 5000 so we were all fired up! When we handed them out we started in a all 4 corners of the room and, when put together at the end, had 2 full bags left, probably enough for them all to have another later! Explain that then……Thankyou Lord!
We gave them additional money from Arun CC with instructions to buy food with it. They were very grateful of course. Joseph’s wife said that they had really been desperate for a couple of weeks and really had nothing but rice to give the children that evening. The food that we brought really was the only edible thing in the kitchen. I was pleased to note that the fridge was cool and working which will help the meat stay fresher longer.
We had the guard of honour with the children lining the streets again on the way out and had a great time and felt God’s hand on us at every point.
We are now at Chiang Khong in Nomads guest house on the Maekong river, Tomorrow we are going to a baptism in a Lao village church, with the baptism in the river. What a privilege to be witnesses to what God is doing here! More pictures here.
Much love and thankyou all for enabling these children to know that they are loved.
Andrew & Esther XX
Just got back to from an exhilerating plunge in a reservoir about an hour north of here. We went with friends, Jeff and Birgitta and som Joshua, in Jacob’s class. We were taken by boat to a floating hamlet of rafts with restuarant and rooms where you can stay the night if you like. Perhaps a future trip…. The children had a great time in and out of the water all day - beautiful!
The place had a small fish pen at the back and when we ordered lunch they had to catch the fish first! Once it had been cudgelled into submission which gracefully happened behind a pile of baskets it cooked up nicely and was delicious when it arrived of course.
On the way home we took a short cut and found ourselves in to middle of a Thai festival of some sort on a road that was too narrow to turn on. We needed to reverse back through the crowds and down the road about a mile before we could turn around!
Close to home there is a new road being built which is currently a mud track. It had rained and we got grounded on a mud hill. It was the kind of mud that sticks and then resists removal so we were in a right mess. It was dark and we had only taken posession of the car today from friends who left to go to Bangladesh with the leprosy mission. Lots of Thai people stopped to push but it was jammed fair and square. Eventually a cement lorry turned up and a group of teachers happened to be driving past at the same time. Thanks to the cement man and Walt DeMoss we managed to drag the thing out and limp home caked in mud.
A fine end to a lovely day out! Wish you were here……
Andrew
Today was tinged with sadness as we had to say goodbye to the Jackson family. Barry, Linda, Peter and Leonie have lived opposite us for the last year and have become good friends who will be sorely missed here. Barry was a fellow science teacher here at Grace and I was sorry to see his desk cleared today when I went in to do some sorting out. Esther will miss Linda badly I know and we hope to be able to visit them in New Zealand in the future.
I do have a sense that, after their time here with all its challenges and excitements, they will be a real blessing back home and are ready to see God leading them into new things.
We will miss you all.
With love,
Andrew & Esther
PS that bike you left is a mechanical disaster. Thanks a bundle!!
Its me again.
I am still warm from the Graduation ceremony held at the Phucome Hotel
up the canal road here in Chiangmai. I must say that I went from a
sense of duty and returned with feeling privileged to have gone.
We from the UK are not used to the Rite of Passage that is the
Commencement Ceremony and I do not know what it is like at regular
American Schools but this was an inspirational time of celebration and
sending-forth. It gave me a fresh affirmation of why Christian
Education is so important and why God called us here. We honoured the
students who, at the age of 18, are going out into all parts of the
World to study and, more importantly, to demonstrate the servant heart
of Jesus in giving what they have and the hope they carry. All 33 young
adults have a different set of abilities, dreams and destinies but all
went with the commission to serve God in all they do.
One of the highlights for me was the address given by a thai young
lady, Myrrh, the Valedictorian (highest achieving student). She
compared the values of the World with the values of the Kingdom and
exhorted her fellow students not to be tempted into accumulating but
always seek to give of themselves. She spoke with exceptional maturity
and strength of purpose and from her it had a passion of conviction
that challenged all present. It is she that initiated the ministry the
students perform in visiting the local AIDS orphanage every Saturday
and the English clubs run for Thai students where the good news is
shared. She is a leader of extraordinary humility whose actions speak
louder than her words.
I was so encouraged and proud to be part of a school that not only has
the highest ideals but puts them into practice and seeks to do so in
increasing measure. I am excited by what she and the other thirty-two
students will achieve after the nurturing, teaching, encouraging and
challenge that a school like Grace has given to them. I am delighted
and honoured to have played even a small part in that process and look
forward next year to continue the same.
Andrew.