Look at those little beauties!!!!

ARn't they little beauties!!! look at those colours...look at those delicate legs, those big broad wings. As big as they are, they still can't push into the wind, which makes them little fellas that just go with the flow...or the blow.

Tat Moon...small river flowing into the Mekong

Some water always make a pinic just a little bit more fun...
We're told that the water will be rusthing through here in the wet...it's just around the corner

God's little beauties...

I've been stunned by the beauty of butterflies recently...we've been out and about and i've been chasing the little critters around the muddy forest earth...its so hard to take a picture of these fellas!! I need a zoom...my cyber shot just can't get close enough!

How to make friends, CJ's way...

SEth's best buddy....His name is CJ. When Seth came to class on the first day, CJ stood up in class and put his arm around Seth and said, 'come on Seth you can be my friend, i'll show the class and school'. Seth looked at me as if to say, 'is this guy for real?' And he was. He's been Seth's mate since. His dad and mum are the nurse and teacher at Pattana. Recently we took a trip into Thailand together...it was fun and restful. Maybe that's a good way to make friends...the next person that walks into your classroom or work place...put your arm around their shoulder and say, 'i'll be your friend'...and then show them around and be their friend!!! On ya CJ!!!

Man's Yummiest Friends

Ifound this recipe on the door of Sarah's class cooking expo. I think i'll stay with some more pet friendly cook-ups!! But what if they served this at a small village...some people love dog here. Would I join in the meal, or paw my way out!!! What would you do...? Post your comments to the forum, 'dogs can be man's yummiest friends'.

Up a tree without a ladder!!

UP a very tall tree..

Up a tall tree...

Up a tree...

Up a tree without a ladder...

Country Men, Women and Children

What a great TEAM>>>>we managed to meet up with the team that came do last month. They did some Medical Work and some English teaching at a Village not far from town...We were very encouraged to have these Saints in our home..playing and praying. Thanks for coming mums, dads, kids and friends!!! HOpe to see ya before the Mango Tree Blooms!!!

We shall be jolly friends...under the mango tree!!!

The old MGS girls caught up in Lao recently and spent a lot of time laughing joking and eating...they also did renditions of 'CC my BAby...come on and play with me, we shall be jolly friends under the Mango Tree, slidedown the rainbow into the toilet bowl, we shall be jolly friends for every more, more, more!!

Teresa, the Super Mum who trooped with her daughter Caitlin, was a joy to be with. I think mum and daughter enjoyed most of theTuk, Tuk rides!! It was nice to be with our country ment!!!

The last day of School and a Beautiful Lao Dance...

Our Lao daughter was in a Lao dance recently...she was terrific! Fortunately I taught her I knew about Evlis moves and she was able to incorporate some twists and turns. So yep, went really well..

Kneeling Down to Look Up....

‘He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn…the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…’Ps 37:6

Some thoughts about fasting and prayer…

God’s word doesn’t teach us a whole lot about the specifics of why or how His disciples were to fast & pray. Jesus did say though that we are not to act as if fasting & prayer exalts us before God. And if this happened, He would humble the person with such an attitude (Lk18:9-14).

Nevertheless, Jesus was not cautioning his disciples. He was urging them to fast and pray with humility. Prayer with humble fasting is Biblical.

Jesus fasted. ‘For 40 days Jesus ate nothing’ Lk 3:2
Jesus expected His followers to pray and fast, Lk 5:35 ‘But the time will come when the Bridegroom will be taken from them [the disciples]; in those days they will fast’.

Fasting helps to center us on the ‘fact’ that the physical world we live in is very much a ‘spiritual’ world. When we fast we’re telling our body what Jesus told his body, ‘man doesn’t live on bread alone’ (Lk 4:4). What we see around us isn’t all that’s going on.

Through our actions (fasting) we withdraw from the material world to focus our body, mind and soul on the Spiritual world. Often during these times of shutting out worldly noise, we are able to hear the Lord better and know what and how to pray.

Jesus taught us that some work in His Name can’t be done unless we pray & fast Mark 9:29 [several reliable manuscripts have prayer and fasting. NIV has fasting in its footnotes].

With the above in mind, there seems to be ample reason for the Lord’s Body to fast and pray before the Bridegroom returns!

There are some very good modern fasts that can help us center on the Spiritual world- an afternoon free from the mobile phone; laptop or TV goes along way. Perhaps we could lay down a gadget during our food fast?

The food fast can also take different shapes- veggie or fruit only or perhaps a fluid only fast (e.g., juices or Milo). Whichever fast you choose over these next 5 Tuesdays, let the Lord lead you with lots of water!!!

Tuesdays

What are we doing? We are making a commitment to Kneel Down and pray for two groups of people living in hospitals:

1. Followers of the Way who have been wronged and mistreated

2. Poor people who are broken-hearted

Where are we doing it? Wherever it suits you/your gathering

When are we doing it? Over the next 5 Tuesday lunchtimes; or which ever day in the week that suits you and your gathering

What else? It would be helpful if you journal what the Lord said during your times of pray. Please bring or send these thoughts to share with others (at our usual Sunday meeting place) on the evening of the 24th of July, 7.30pm.

Possible Topics for Hospital Prayers:

Tue 26th June,

Topic: Pray for those who are wrongly hospitalised and for those who are mistreated in hosptial

Devotional Thoughts

There are a lot of God fearing people who spent time in hospitals. You may remember the young man Joseph. Joe was sent to a hospital because he stood up for what was right. Unfortunately, powerful people didn’t give Joseph a chance to defend himself and tell the truth. But even though Joe spent many years in a rather grotty hospital, God didn’t ‘forget him’. The Bible says, ‘But while Joseph was hospital…the Lord was with him; God showed him kindness and granted Joseph favor in the eyes of the hospital warden. So the warden put Joshua in charge of all those held in hospital, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did (Gen 39 20-23).

Isn’t that so like the Good Lord: turning bad situations into opportunities? …Protecting the weak & those who look to Him.

David was another mistreated. King Saul wanted him in hospitals all the time. Take the promises David wrote in Psalm 34 and pray them over the mistreated and Brocken-hearted

Psalm 34
1. I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be
on my lips.
2. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and
rejoice.
3. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.
4. I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me
from all my fears.
5. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never
covered with shame.
6. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved
him out of all his troubles.
7. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear
him, and he delivers them.
8. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man
who takes refuge in him.
9. Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him
lack nothing.
10. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who
seek the Lord lack no good thing.
15. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears
are attentive to their cry;
16. the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut
off the memory of them from the earth.
17. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he
delivers them from all their troubles.
18. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves
19. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord
Delivers him from them all;
20. he protects all his bones, not one of them will be
broken.
21. Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will
be condemned.
22. The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be
condemned who takes refuge in HIM.

Tue 3rd July,
Topic: Patient families…Spouses, Children & Relatives

Devotional Thoughts…

1 Kings 17.7-end…This is a story about a widow and her son who felt alone in the world. Without a husband or a community to care for her, this family thought they’d soon be dead v.12.

And yet, as we read through the story we discover the giving of care and love at every turn. The Lord heard the cry of this widow and her son. According to custom, if a woman was widowed her community was 'supposed provide for her needs’. This wasn’t happening. So God cared enough for her to send a great prophet to her door step.

The widow and her son had ‘one more mouth to feed’. But the Lord was going to do miraculous things. She would have people to love and respect her. She would have enough food.

Over several months the widow and her son encountered the compassion and TRUTH of the LIVING GOD through human flesh and supernatural faith. God used His servant Elijah to bring food, respect and love to the family. This family is transformed. We don’t know who else is transformed as a result of hearing what happened to the ‘widow family’, but it isn’t hard to imagine how the mum and son spoke to relatives, friends and ‘on-lookers’ about their living God. This story is set in the context of Israel's rich, powerful and doubting Kings. The Powerful men of the day had everything except ‘God’s powerful love watching over them and their families. This woman and her son were living in desperate times, but God’s great love did not look over them. God looks out for the vulnerable women and children in every generation.

The same Lord reigns today…for all generations!!! Spend time praising the Lord and lifting up spouses, children, cousins and friends of people in Hospitals.

Ps 146:7-10 says…7. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free. 8. The Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. 9. The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. 10. The Lord reigns forever, your God, for all generations. Praise the Lord.

Q: How can you bring ‘Elijah hope’ to widow families?

Tue 10th July

Topic: Hospital Workers and their Superiors

Devotional Thoughts

The movie reminded us that amazing things can happen when the Spirit of the Lord moves into lives of hospital workers and their superiors.

There’s a story in Acts that is quite funky. It makes you want to stand up, and in a loud voice say ‘that’s very cool’. You can find it in chapter 16:25. ‘About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly, there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the hospital were shaken. At once all the hospital doors flew open, everybody got loose.

The hospital worker woke up and when he saw what happened, he drew his needle and was going to do something quite nasty to himself (poetic license ok!) because he thought that all his patients had run off.

But Paul shouted, “Don’t jab yourself! We are all here!” The hospital worker called for the lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved- you and your household’.

They then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour the hospital worker took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The hospital worker brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God- he and his whole family.’

This could happen in any hospital today. Do you believe that? Let’s pray it by faith. Prayer, worship and God’s sovereign power are the key to ‘doors flying open’. The hospital workers aren’t much different to the ones today. Many don’t want to be there and hospitals are lacking the most basic things:

Clean and enough food
Water, medicine & fans to stay cool
Many hospitals don’t allow visitors

Let’s pray that the Paul’s and Silas’ in hospitals will always seek to bless the hospital workers and be kind to them. Pray that more hospital workers will say, ‘what do I need to do to be saved’? And their ‘whole household gets saved’!!

Tue 17th July
Theme: Ministry of Justice and Hospitals

Change at the very top & change at the very bottom
Institutions reformed across the land
Socially just and ‘corrective’ health care in all institutions
Accountable and inclusive systems of governance

Two weeks ago the Minister of Justice Mr. Chaleun Yiapaoher affirmed the need for legal aid to support the poor and vulnerable in our society. Justice is on the heart of our Lord. God is at work. He has gone before us. Let’s lift up to our Father the Minister of Justice Mr Yiapaoher and his entire Dept and workers across the nation. We need to see where God has gone before us and not become ‘cynical’ when we don’t see justice very often.

Isaiah has much to say on Justice issues…lets pray that more will want justice on earth and there will be a healthy fear of the Lord.

Isaiah 10:1-10...Thoughts and Reflections

Jenny the Nurse from NZ update on Khampheng

Khampheng update: 18th June.

Since I last wrote about Khampheng he is still continually having skin grafting done over many parts of his body on a regular basis. This has been going on now for 6 months. Some areas are improving slowly while others are still being hampered by infection.

Unfortunately in Laos the techniques are far from ideal so hence there is a lot of permanent scarring from some of the donor sites due to the thickness they have taken for grafting.
He is still unable to walk due to the lack of care for several months initially with his feet so now he has severe foot drop and lack of movement in his ankles and feet.

The grafts done last Monday were to his eyes once again and shoulders. They are still trying to make eye lids for him to protect what little light he has coming into his right eye.
It has been a very long and hard battle over these past six months battling with the medical system here trying to get a ‘suitable level of care’ for him and many times it has been very inhumane.

All of his surgery done of course has been extremely painful for Khampheng to say the least as there is not such thing as pain medication used only what I can obtain through my sources which is still very inadequate for his level of pain. I am constantly in awe at how Khampheng and his father who never leaves his side, copes with this situation; of course there have been many occasions where he has just cried all night due to the pain but yet his heart remains so beautiful and humble.

He never once has complained about anything. Certainly a lesson in it for each of us.
I know that the girls from the skill centre that came out with me every Sunday to sing and pr with him were totally inspired and touched by him. They did not want to miss a Sunday seeing him. They loved singing with him and were also making cakes for him. Khampheng would always ask for more songs he too loves to sing with us which is so special. These are songs he has learnt from the tapes we have taken him.

Now that the course has finished and many of the girls have full time jobs they are unable to see him as often but still try to make the effort to come out when they can to see him.
The other area of real blessing is provision of funds for him. I continue to thank G for the awesome way he provides funds for Khampheng’s ongoing needs. It is around $600US a month to pay for is treatment, medicine, hospital room and food but each month these needs to date have been met. So thank you to all who have contributed towards his provision.

I must be honest in saying that many times I have pr’ed for G to relieve Khampheng of his pain and take him home but still he fights on and I can see why and that is because G still has a plan and purpose for his life and I see that in the way he is touching so many people from many countries now and how he is inspiring and blessing others through his life. So thankfully G is far greater and sees the bigger picture all we can do is continually support him in pr, provision of funds and make sure we continue to share with others, of the transformation of this young man’s life in knowing and following G, and how G chooses to use each of us in different ways to serve him for his kingdom and glory.

Warm regards

Jenny Ewing

Somethings we do the same and some different...

Some things in Singapore we didn't do...

we didn't get to swim in blue lagoons or visit crystal caves (only Crystal Jade)...

we didn't get to eat worms... and our chickens weren't pumped up with air...

we didn't get to sleep... anywhere we liked...

And we still get to drink our tea and coffee from plastic bags!

Makan and Cc is vely harpy!!!

Cc's eyes popped out when she saw the plunger and the packs of Chicken Rice and Mee Siam...We ate our first packet today...shoek! Thanks to any and all who brought stuff to make life more 'singaporean' for us....Bless ya.

On the topic of food...

Jed, Jesus and Kebabs

What does Jed, Jesus and Kebabs have in common? Let me tell you a little Ian story. One day little Ian was walking down a dirt lane in Laos when this bald headed Middle Eastern guy shoved a pamphlet into his hand. The pamphlet had the directions to the bald headed man’s new kebab restaurant. Sadly, the flyer was so poorly done that little Ian couldn’t find the Kebab restaurant.

Then one day little Ian walked passed the bald headed man’s restraint. Little Ian said ‘hi!’ and decided to come back on Friday night to get his family take-away (little ian’s family usually order takeaways on Friday nights. Usually they eat “OK 100” fast-food chicken). So last Friday Little Ian and Seth zoomed down in their little Jeep to order kebabs from the Middle Eastern man’s restaurant.

Little Ian found out that the bald headed Middle Easter man’s name is Jed. Jed is originally from Lebanon. He used to run a Kebab Restaurant in a little town called ‘Bethlehem’. That was until the Israeli authorities put a wall up in front of Jed’s kebab shop. Then the 600 tourists that were regularly coming to Jed’s shop stopped coming. Jed’s business closed and Jed ran away from Bethlehem.

Jed said that he went ‘half mad’. He divorced his wife and ran off to Asia. Jed met a new lady from Scandinavia. This lady has a child and now they all live together in Vientiane Lao. Jed’s restaurant is called ‘Samia’. Samia is the name of Jed’s first wife!

When Jed told this to little Ian, little Ian hit him on the shoulder in a friendly way and said, ‘mate, that must be so hard for you’! Jed smiled and laughed a bit, ‘I named it after her to show her some respect’. Little Ian has never divorced a ‘wife’ before but it seemed a good thing for Jed to do- show his wife some respect. Little Ian wondered what Jed’s new Scandinavian friend thought?

It turns out that Jed has big plans for his future. He plans to franchise his Kebabs restaurant all over Asia- Cambodia, Vietnam and Nepal. Little Ian doesn’t think Jed’s much of a business man because in Jed’s current shop it was quite gritty. It looked like a ‘backpacker’s house’. Jed’s was cooking his chips in a wok by the front door. And when little Ian walked in Jed was doing his washing in the restraint eating area. Little Ian didn’t say much but he was thinking, ‘eer…Jed this doesn’t look like a good start to an international Kebab Franchise’. But then little Ian thought, ‘don’t despise small beginnings’.

Jed asked little Ian what time does the boarder close. Little Ian old him it opens at 7am but I don’t know what time it closes. He then went on to explain that his visa (tourist?) runs out tonight. He’ll have to go across the board to get it chopped. I was thinking to myself, ‘Ok, but first finish my kebabs….i’ve got a hungry tribe waiting at home ready to much on those Kebabs and watch home videos!!

I do hope that Jed makes it big. I do hope he gets the wok away from the font door and he stops washing his clothes in the restaurant. I do hope that Jed stays open because he has tasty kebabs and it gives our Friday take-away choice good competition. And I do hope Jed discovers the SAVIOR of the world who was born in a stable in Bethlehem, Jed’s home town.

Somethings our way...15th April

Some things our way…april 15th ‘07

A lot has happened of late. I’ve been struggling to put pen to paper and feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything. But first let me say that "Ian loves Cc". It's written in the sand of Oz, Sing, and Laos. It's written in my heart and on God's heart. He made the two ONE!!! Just needed to say that...

On the home front things are into a reasonable routine. Kids and parents know what to do now- we get up; go to our schools (Pattana; ARDA and Candlelight Language); come home, play, eat and sleep. Kids are enjoying school, making good friends and playing sport.

I sometimes hear from teachers that Sarah or Seth are not treating each other right. Sarah can bully Seth. Seth can irritate Sarah. The other day Seth was in trouble with the teacher because he was running in the library. Sarah dobbed him in and she seemed ‘happy’. We told Sarah that ‘dobbing’ on her brother is not right. We would like it if she can talk things out with Seth. She doesn't need to ‘tell on Seth’. If something is small, and a teacher has sorted it out, they can work things out together at school.

Sarah has been enjoying learning under her teacher Katherine (Aussie lady form Melbourne). Katharine’s approach is creative and project base. The routine and exam orientation of Singapore schools has been good for Sarah in some ways. Clear goals and examinations keep the pressure on students. But we noticed that under such a system, Sarah would very quickly put herself down if she’s wasn’t doing well. Sarah would often call herself names like ‘I’m dumb’, ‘I can’t do anything’; ‘I can’t even pass’

(left...Sarah with the Filipino Ambassador...Sarah won a trophy at an sports event. The Ambassador is a 'full on family member" loving HIM with a wonderful Spirit!)

The teaching here seems to fit Sarah’s learning preference. Sarah will initiate work by herself and likes to lead. Currently she’s writing a little book of stories and doing a project on ‘insulin’ with her friend Sompune. We really thank God for this because it will help us as we move into a home schooling curriculum at the end of next year. That’s the plan at the moment. Cecilia’s quite excited about home schooling.

Mr Diligence has been making impressions too. Seth worked through part of his lunch hour the other day to get something finished. I can’t ever remember doing that in primary school, high school, uni!!!! Seth’s class was ‘supposed’ to get something done before they went to lunch. But the class went to lunch anyway. Seth ate lunch but went back early, to the empty classroom and finished his work. The teacher saw his diligence and rewarded him with an extra long break I the afternoon. Seth was quite tickled about!! Sarah would have gone crazy!! A break by ‘herself’!!! What’s fun about that!!!!

Seth has a few good mates now and he loves sport. We play basketball twice a week, once with the school team and once with the HOPE center kids. We just brought badminton net and hang it in our front yard. After dinner the other night I said, lets play Seth and he said, ‘love ya dad’!!! That puffed me up!

Shane’s temper has finally cooled off a bit. For awhile there she didn’t want to have much to do with me and quickly became angry at almost anything I suggested or did. She’d wake up grumpy and she could stay that way for hours. Ok, ok, I can get that way too…a bit moody. But I’m growing out of it!! (still trying lah).

She had us all worried in the mornings, ‘Was it going to be the grumpy face brown bear or happy, placid penguin feet?’ The difference between both animals was a peaceful co-operative child or a screaming, kicking anger filled grump! On grumpy face mornings she wouldn’t make it to school and she came to language school with us, where she’d behave like penguin.

So it seems that this phase has ‘blown’ away or was ‘prayed away’, and we’re now seeing more of happy feet!! Shanae has some good little friends at school. She gets on with nicely with all her teachers- teacher ‘Unjue’, ‘Passi’, ‘Pong’ and teacher ‘Pizza’ (that’s Shanae’s best pronunciation…hee). Shanae’s main teacher, Unjue, just flew back to India because he father died suddenly. Shanae remembers her in prayer every night. It is so encouraging to hear and listen to a child’s faith. Praise the Lord for that.

Family members coming and going

I’m realising that one of the Lord’s greatest gifts to us here is the community around us. Of course the coffee plunger is refreshing and sometimes easier to be around. But this being true some of the times, family members gathered in one place, out of different nations worldwide, are a most precious gift.

Deep connection with some people is almost immediate. For others you need time and distance, but the connection is recognised. It’s a bit like being at a wedding celebration where the bride and groom have family and friends from ‘overseas’. These ‘overseas’ people have come a great distance and paid a large price to join the celebration of your mutual friends. You feel some sense of special connection with people who have paid a large price to join in the celebration. Normally these people are specially mentioned and we acknowledge them and say ‘good on ya’.

Now picture this, a room of 150 people who like you, have left homes, jobs, families and countries to join you in celebrating one person’s life overseas. You ask each one why they came and they will same the same thing: I came to love the Lord with all my heart, with my entire mind, with most of my resources and with all my soul.

The German pastor Bonheoffer reminds us that these gathered ones, where ever they gather, are a ‘divine reality’ not a ‘physical reality’. In other words, it is ‘divinely real’ all the time, but not happening at all times!!

Because these people are gathered out of different tribes worldwide, it’s perhaps the most complete expression of family life that we have this side of eternity. Okie, okie…think I’m loosing myself here.

I’m not romantising Christian community. No community is romantic. In Acts 4 there’s a thumbing, vibrant Christian community gathered. They ‘raise their voices together in prayer to God…and share their possessions’ because their heart and mind are all for one and one for all. But then in Acts 5 members of this same community lied to each other, pretended to be loving and good, but we’re ‘pretending’ and wanted personal praise and applause. So the Holy Spirit killed them on the spot. They dropped dead in a heap, on the ground. A nicer way to put this would be to say ‘God took them home’.

Where am I going with this????
Well when our family new members leave it is difficult for all concerned, especially when it’s the ones that you get immediately ‘tight’ with. We’ve only been here for a little over three months and some of our friends are leaving. We’re saying goodbye to friends, and so are our kids. Sarah got especially thick with Mary-Kate, a beautiful fun loving girl. Much like Sarah…always looking for fun and wanting to be the leader.

So we’ll have to have a sleep over before she goes, or should we? Arrrrrrrrr. So that’s a little struggle, God’s people, often on the move. Nobody lives for the other, we all live for Him. When we first arrived I noticed that some people would ask ‘how long are you staying?’ I think they were checking us out to see if the energy and friendship energy was going to be well spent. Someone said, ‘oh, so you’ll be staying for 6 years, then you can be my friend’. I kinda understand a little better where they are coming from now.

Girls heading to Bangkok

I’ve collaborated with two other fathers to send our wives off to Bangkok for a mother’s day present. We colluded on desires, times and dates…only to discover that our beloved wives were actually planning a trip themselves!!!

Their desires- Bangkok
Time: mother’s day weekend

This development sort of took the ‘we did it for you’ out of it!!! Okie, so they are going anyway, whether ‘father’s like it or not’. Ha..not really. But I did have to tell Cecilia because she couldn’t understand why I wasn’t very supportive of the idea of her heading off with the gals. I kept giving her reasons why she shouldn’t go. But she had some real good come-backs. In the end, I spilled my guts, ‘I love you so much I want you to go to Bangkok and spend all our spare cash on me and the kids!!!’ She understood my recalcitrant spirit.

They’re going on the 2nd weekend of June (now after Mother’s day!). I’m working out with the dads a few things…like sleep-overs, videos and pizza nights. We’re cashing in on the collective family thing.

ARDA: Hope Center Basketball
Seth and I are enjoying our time with the ‘Hope Center basketball’. Seth is starting to say a few words, just a few. He’s my demo man when I want to show a new skill off. He loves helping out this way. I asked him why doesn’t he talk more and he said, ‘if I speak Lao then they say lots to me and I can’t understand, so I just say a little bit’. ‘Yeah, me too mate…but let’s try a new word each week?’ ‘Ok dad…’

Each week there is a Lao Hope Center staff who helps us. They help me with the Lao instructions, but I’m trying to speak with what Lao I have learned.

The kids just come down for some fun. I’m trying to explain that the vision is to ‘make you into a team’. I can’t say that in Lao. I don’t want to just ‘have fun’ with the basketball. I want to build discipline, character, healthy bodies and have fun. At the moment the sport is rather new to Lao kids and competition isn’t really a part of Lao culture, as it is in Oz. I don’t want to push then into that whole sport culture thing, but the character, discipline, fun thing is a good thing.

I’ve told some of the older boys they can’t come unless they begin with us and stay till the end (9.30-11.00). The older boys play street soccer for a while and some then try to push their way into basketball training…disturbing the training mostly. They’re ok, but it’s not what I think we want. We can’t build a team without a sense of vision and purpose. I know this will take time to communicate; I’m willing to walk with them on this.

Because most of the kids come from the neighborhoods, they don’t have money for ‘shoes’. They play in bare feet. All of them come from poor families and ‘basketball shoes’ wouldn’t be high up there on the ‘needs’ list. I wonder whether I should buy them some shoes, is it ok? Or will people come because they want ‘shoes’!!! Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…don’t know.

For now, we’ll keep showing up and keep casting the vision, and do what we can with the help of HIS MIGHTY SPIRIT!!!!

Some impressions of my first PI Mai Lao

Some Impressions of my Pi Mai Lao
I must admit, I did end up a bit worried by all the comments people had made about past Pi Mai celebrations. A friend from Singapore reminded me to be careful ‘but have lots of fun too’.

He was right and I took his advice. Sometimes I tend to see only the ‘dangerous’ stuff and miss fun along the way. I’m adventurous, but cautious. Living in Singapore for 6 years has helped me to plan things. This has been good for me, but plans here are often need to be changed. The catchphrase is ‘Bobenyang’ (whatever or no worries’). I like fun, but I can easily be put off ‘fun’ as I’m caught up with the details. Maybe after living here for a few years I have the ‘fun/plans/caution/adventure’ thing going a bit better, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Pi Mai is like celebrating Chinese New Year, National Day, Christmas and Easter all at the same time. Pi Mai involves religious, national, cultural and family themes and rites. There are many aspects to the celebrations that build family bonds and friendships.

Family Aspects: In Laos many village people move into towns and cities to find work. The Country-city migration is not new in Asian cities, it is the norm. During New Years and cultural

celebrations the holidays are usually generous, allowing people go home to be with their families and friends. People have time to rest and enjoy village life. Favorite dishes are cooked and most people get to eat really well. There seems to be a 'Pi Mai' shirt and it is very cool. They look like my 'old surfie' shirts...so colourful and nice. We all brought them. I preached in mine!!!

Religious Aspects:
I want to quote an article on Pi Mai. ‘Pi Mai reminds us of the legend of Thevabout, a male angel in heaven, who loses his head to a wise scholar adept in interpreting animal language.

According to the legend, Thevabout takes a riddle to the wise scholar to solve. He makes a bet with the scholar that if he can solve the riddle, his head will belong to the scholar. If he fails to solve it, the scholar’s head will belong to Thevabout.

The scholar could not solve the riddle immediately. But his ability to interpret animal language enabled him to find the solution from birds in the forest nearby, so Thevabout’s head was lost to the scholar.

Legend has it that before he died, Thevabout called his seven daughters to come to collect his blood, because if his blood spilled on the land, it would become fire, and if it dropped into the sea the water would dry up.

His daughters put his blood into a special bottle, placing it in a grave alongside his head. On the anniversary of his death they brought perfumed water to sprinkle on his head.

Pi Mai marks the anniversary of Thevabout’s death. And since that time, the tradition of sprinkling water has become a tradition in Laos’. Vientiane Times, April 07, p10.

It is an interesting article. Certainly some room to build bridges and talk about a Savior’s blood and his power. That aside, the Legend of Thevabout moves people to pour water over everything and everyone for 3 or 4 days.

Temples take this tradition into their world view and ‘the faithful are encouraged to pour water over Buddha images so they can purify themselves of past sins…the remaining water is sprinkled around the home to protect the family against evil spirits and bring good luck’.

Another religious rite during Pi Mai (and other times of the year) is called the Baci or Soukhounan.
The BACI or SOUKHOUNAN ceremony is performed for a variety of reasons. It is commonly held when families come together after being away for sometime. Baci is a Pali (Indian) word which means ‘thread’ or ‘tie’. Soukhounan is an ancient Lao word which means ‘calling spirits’. The ceremony involves…

‘calling spirits back into a person’s body and welcoming those spirits by offering flowers and trying white threads around the writs of the person receiving the spirits to keep those spirits in that person’s body…

…The Lao people believe that the body has 32 spirits and sometimes up to 50 spirits, in various parts of the body. During a journey, spirits can get lost or stay with new or interesting things. So, calling those spirits back into the body is very important’. Vientiane Times, March 98, p14.

Excessive Drinking: unrestrained
Drinking hard liquor and participating in different religious rites are at the heart of the Pi Mai celebrations. Some older people do not encourage drinking, but their voice is drowned out by the majority of people and “BEER LAO” logos and advertising!

Young people all over the world combine drinking with celebrations. Lao youth are no different. Though what has surprised me in Laos is the way many students in secondary schools think nothing of drinking Beer Lao with their lunch! I see it all the time. Italians and French drink wine at a young age, perhaps Lao people are building a culture of beer drinkers. I don’t think beer drinking is a culture in Laos yet, but I do know in that alcohol in Aussie culture is destroying many lives- road accidents, alcoholics, family violence, and general personal abuse.

On the Friday night before Pi Mai I planned to drive across town to see a friend. I drove out but I came back after 10 mins on the road. The streets were full of ‘mad’ people. I was horned several times to get out of the way; people flashed their lights behind me, also to get me out of the way. I wasn’t driving slowly; I just wasn’t driving as fast as they wanted to go. Cars and people were swerving and swaying down dark roads. It was like the New Years Eve hours in Perth, but almost twice as mad!! And people celebrate like this for 3-4 days.

The thing with the drink is that during Pi Mai celebrations people ‘drink to get smashed’. Everybody sculls from one or two glass and then pass them on to the next…parties go late. Many parents here approve of their kids drinking large amounts of beer and liquor during this time. People eat, drink and throw water!

Some problems…not 'unique to Laos and not new to emerging societies'
smashed people…lose their driving skills! Then they jump in cars and on their motor bikes and ‘drive’ home…’so that’s why they were swaying all over the road on Friday night!’

smashed young people- lose their moral restraint- Lao culture is a ‘dancing’ culture. They love to dance. The dance is done in a circle without looking at each other…during Pi Mai people end up in a big ‘mosh’ pit and people start grabbing and touching each other. Girls and guys become seductive and lewd. Two of my friends were flashed on the streets…we saw guys wearing girl’s bra
smashed fathers- lose their physical restraint- alcohol and family violence is strongly linked in the West. I expect it to be much the same in Asia.

You couldn't call alcohol the ‘root of all evil’. Evil is the root of all evil. You could say that excessive alcohol loosens the evil within.

We did have fun and families connected during Pi Mai. But at times Pi Mai celebration was like something out of a very bad B grade movie. We've another year to try and understand the celebration and the how it is celebrated.

The ever "Elusive" coffee plunger!!!

Interesting title??? Yes! It's more like a desperate plea to all you kind souls out there! It's been more than 3 months since we've landed on this wonderful land of beautiful aromatic Lao coffee. And to have 3 big packets of grounded coffee sitting in our kitchen cupboard and not being able drink any of it all because we have not been able to get hold of a coffee plunger here. So each morning, we have to drink our ever faithful Nescafe instant coffee while waiting for some kind soul to bring one to us.

Thus far we have had at least 4 different lots of visitors from the land of plenty (S'pore), but each time we hear the same line..."Oh! I thought so and so had already brought one in for you guys!" What they did bring was lots of lovely chocolates and goodies , but no plunger! And our co-worker, Choy Leng, recently went to Bangkok for a short break. She said the coffee plunger was staring right at her but she did not buy it because she thought the S'pore team had brought 1 with them. Ahhhh!!

So listen everyone out there. We do not have a coffee plunger yet! Not available in Laos. Everyone we know who has a decent coffee plunger or machine has brought it from Thailand or somewhere else. But not here in Vientiene. What we have here is many types of freshly grounded Lao coffee. Ian & I love our coffee. Me especially need my morning caffine kick before my brain cells start functioning. Nescafe has been good. But we like the real thing. So please, please, please send us one. Desperate ???Yes we are!

Our dear friend, Ernie visited us recently. He managed to brewed us some of the nice coffee we had sitting in our cupboard. How did he do it?? The army style. Brewed it in a pot and then use a sifter. A little primitive and had bits of coffee floating on the top. But I guess its better than nothing. So I don't care if we end up with 10 plungers sent to us, just send it over. Maybe we could start a cafe on our streets! Great ministry opportunity! Hee!

Oh dear! Thanks for reading my blog. I am beginning to sound like an addict having withdrawal symptoms right now. But I'm sure all you coffee lovers out there will be able to understand how a person can write about nothing but the elusive coffee plunger for the last 10 minutes! Ahhhh!

April Prayer updates…

Praying for…

OUR HEALTH>>>March was a difficult month health wise and emotionally. We were up and down quite a bit. Since April we’ve all been enjoying good health and more stable temperaments. We don’t expect God to keep us ‘perfect’ health all the time…but we ask for stamina & patience during times of illness (as well as the miraculous healing as God graciously grants).

THE PRISONERS>> Pray for people in Lao prisons, locals and foreigners. Most 'deserve' to be incarcerated for their crime. But pray for mercy and humane treatment for all.


THE WORK OF ARDA is expanding into the South of Lao. The vision of ARDA is to have English centers in Vientiane, Lorang Prabang and Paksah. Pray for more English teachers to come and teach in these centers. Currently all three centers and all are lacking English teachers. The South has opened and a hand full of students. In the past English Centers closed down after a short time. Pray for ARDA’s long term presence.

ARDA Class rooms…six youth from SJSM have agreed to be pen pals with my 27 students. The SJSM youth have the letters and will be writing back soon. Pay that God will use this avenue to speak into their lives. Pray for the daily teaching and interaction that goes on in all 3 ARDA centers. Weekly we are meeting more than 250 students nation wide.

The Lao New Year is 13th -15th April. It’s called ‘Pi Mai’. It is a deeply religious festival and the biggest festival on the Lao calendar. It can also be the most fun! They don’t give ‘oranges’, they throw/pour water over you and pray a blessing. That’s fun, some of the time. They’ve also been known to put ‘dye’ into the water they throw… and put rocks into plastic bags and throw at passing cars! We’ve heard many ‘horror’ stories about the week long Pi Mai festival. Many foreigners ‘leave town’. There’s lots of drinking and partying…We’re staying to build relationships during this festival. Please pray for safety around town and wisdom to build friendships.

THE SICK Kahmeng, the young man who was struck by lightening, is not doing well. As I mentioned, he has 4th degree burns over two thirds of his body. He is now in a Vientiane hospital receiving minimal treatment. The hospital just began skin-grafting. In this hospital there’s no burns ward. It’s terribly painful and he has several infections. A Singapore doctor just arrived and will try and give Kahmeng ‘cornea’ transplants to save his one good eye. His finances are also running out. You could pray and give towards his needs. It costs 4 U.S. dollars a day for Kahmeng and his father’s meals. To keep his room cool to help lower the chance of infections, it costs 7 U.S. a day to keep the air-conditioning running.

On top of these costs is Kahmeng’s hospital expenses, which amounts to 300 U.S. per month. Kahmeng has been receiving treatment and support for a year. We are looking for more donors to help this dear brother's costs for another year. Please contact me if you feel led to give financially.

Death to Life: Nic and Jesus

Nic’s stubbornness Ruins a Promising Professional Career...

The story of Nic and Jesus could have read something like this, ‘Nicodemus, a promising young Pharisee, spent two years of his professional career defending the integrity of Jesus’ God-man claims. To Nic Jesus was God. To Nic’s peers, Jesus was nothing more than a fake and blasphemer (John 7:41- 43). Yesterday, Jesus was crucified. Nic’s ‘Savior of the Jews’, and some say the world, was swiftly hammered to a cross after a short trial. Late in the day a centurion pronounced Jesus ‘passed away’.
Some have suggested that Nic would have been better off believing and supporting the heretic and murder Barabbas. At least Barabbas is now out of jail and gathering new supporters. Nic’s God is dead and buried and his fellow disciples are hiding like field mice in long grass. Now Nic is without of a job and without a cause to defend. Nic’s national times ‘could have’ read something like this on Saturday, if the Jesus story did in fact end on that ‘fateful’ Friday afternoon.

John the disciple of Jesus, makes mention of Nicodemus three times in his gospel. We are told that Nic’s first encounter with Jesus was under the protection and secrecy of darkness. We’re not told whether or not Nic believed in Jesus’ Son of God claims. But we do know that not so long after Nic’s first one-on-one with Jesus, Nic stood up in front of his powerful, religious friends and defended Jesus’ God claims. From then on Nic’s career was always at risk and slipping away. Nic was branded a ‘secret’ disciple of the Nazarene, John 7:41-53.

The third time John records Nic is at Jesus’ death, John 19:39. In this encounter, Nic isn’t look on from a distance like many others did that day. Nic steps out from darkness’ cover. Nic’s actions make it clear that he believed Jesus was God’s Son. Nic is no longer a lurking lone figure. He stands up to his peer, fears and demons. Nic isn’t alone, his friend Joseph of Arimarthea is right alongside him. Nic has a brother in Christ who has also decided to make his private belief public.

Was Nic’s faith shattered like the body he held? Perhaps this was the case. We don’t’ know. But we know that Nic loved Jesus deeply and faithfully enough to care for him on his dying day. He wanted to be there for Jesus when it was too much for others to bear. Nic’s eyes and hands were the last to gaze and touch the Lord’s cold body. Nic would have left the tomb with the smell of death on his hands.

Nic would have made a decision much earlier in the day to ‘prepare the 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes for the Lord’s burial, ‘just in case Jesus did die’. Jesus did die. Nic didn’t run. Nic made sure that he’s beloved Lord was buried with dignity and honor.

And then there was the third day….’oh John, why didn’t you pen just one more Christ encounter in Nic’s life...’ I can only imagine in my heart and mind that Nic’s face was on of the ‘500 brothers’ who met the resurrected Lord in his glorified body, 1 Corin 15.9. I can see the joy and intensity on Nic’s face when he first beholds his Lord’s resurrected body! I imagine the scent of death on Nic’s hands is washed with new life as he embraces Jesus, the God-man.

Perhaps the national paper Headline would read on Monday morning, ‘Nic and Joe turn professional embalmers’. The first time Nicodemus and Joseph wrap a dead body people say ‘the body rose up from the grave’. Nic and Joe have been inundated with calls on the Monday asking them to wrap their dying relatives!