'Dad, I'm not a mummy'....

Shanae… ‘Dad, I’m not a mummy’

I took the kids to school today and dropped off Shanae in class as usual. When I got to work I noticed her swim bag in the back of the car…I thought, ‘ oh, if she doesn’t have that she won’t be able to swim…I'd better take to her’. I got sidetracked and never thought about it again. Until….

Until she…'told me off' for not bringing her swim bag. She told me with a sad face how she couldn’t swim!!! My heart dropped…she explained to me how she left the bag in the car. She said ‘dad, why didn’t you bring my bag to me? Then she said, “dad,I’m not a mummy’. In other words, she can’t be held responsible to remember her swim bag, that’s the role of a mummy or a daddy! I apologised profusely.

She said it to me twice through the week. She stopped saying it when I asked her if she had really forgiven me. I said if you’re forgiven me then you won’t ask me why any more. I said again that I was sorry and asked for forgiveness. She smiled and said, ‘ok, dad’.

I promised that I’d take her swimming on Friday since she lost her chance to swim at school. I made good the promise and we went to Lang Xang on Friday. It was fun. She had fun. We all had fun. I felt good about it. We finished up at Fatima, our regular Indian kitchen, and finished off with a 30 cent icecream. I redeemed the moment. It was a good come back!

what's been happening on the Meekong recently....

Angel came and visited us...sit was real cool to have a heartbeater amongst us and our children again!!! Kids were really happy...Just like old times.

On Course!!!

ASIAN SCHOOL OF DEVELOPMENT AND CROSS-CULTURAL STUDIES (ASDECS) is a training consortium specializing in both formal and non-formal education in the field of development and a cross-cultural studies. It seeks to create a mutually enabling environment that builds the capacities of individuals and organizations in doing with wholistic development that is genuinely rooted in an Asian context.

ASDECS distinctives are wholism and the integration of spiritual perspectives into the theory and practice of development. There is concern for culture-fit and rootedness in the Asian context in its organization and training style.

ASDECS is committed to experience-based, participatory learning and concern for theory-building in the areas of development, cross-cultural studies and wholistic field work that is sourced from within the Asian context.

ASDECS teaching and learning environment is collegial. The faculty are top-class both as academics and practitioners, each with intensive cross-cultural experience. To ensure that courses are integrative, practical and multi-disciplinary, there is emphasis on team teaching and hands-on learning. ASDECS' teaching and learning processes are products of community learning and reflection by both teachers and students together. The teaching pattern accommodates Asian students' ways of thinking and learning with great emphasis on personal mentoring. The learning environment tries to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, flexible, culturally sensitive and quick to make adjustments, grasping every opportunity to learn formally and informally, seeing difficulties as teaching and learning moments.

ASDECS courses are multi-sited that is, held in the various facilities of the organizations participating in the consortium. The formal courses are aimed at busy professionals who wish to sharpen skills in development and cross-cultural work, allowing them to do modular concentrated courses for brief periods and then do on-the-job research and reflection. In keeping with the commitment to empower grassroots communities, teaching teams will be mobile, available for non-formal training in rural and urban poor sites.

ASDECS is an affiliate organization of the Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture.Development Studies Community organizing Perspectives and initial skills in doing grassroots work, understanding its context, examining some approaches, models and strategies to wholistic development and its issues and challenges.

A reflection from my first day...

Monday, 3^rd March. ‘What is the most significant insight or lessons you learned from this course today? Why is it significant to you?

The most significant insight for me today was uncovered during several discussions about 'poverty being an experience not just a concept’.

In my sharing with Emmanuel( a Swedish class mate), it was clear that both of us grew up in so called 'rich' societies- Sweden, Singapore and Australia. And yet, we agreed that in our communities and homes we've been largely protected from 'income' poverty but we've both had experiences with other aspects of poverty.

Immanuel is married to a Khamu lady. He shared how the Khamu people in Lao have experienced a lot of material poverty but their material poverty declined even further when they were ‘moved’ into a Lao village. The government did this thinking that it would be ‘better’ for them.

And yet, Immanuel said that a study done by ADB (Asian Development Bank) on malnutrition found that the government's policy to 'remove' ethnic groups and 'integrate' them into Lao villages was partly the cause of malnutrition among the Khamu.

On the mountain the Khamu people can access food because they knew how to gather food from the mountain region. They have lived there for hundreds of years. However, when they are moved to lowland regions, they don’t have the knowledge or skills to cultivate the land for food.

Another student, Mao, shared her experience of poverty and the related problems with a ‘material absence’ definition of poverty. Mao shared how many Lao people don't think it is important for their children to study. Parents often reason that ‘they didn't go to school, and they are doing ok…so why should their children go to school’? Parents who often reason this way need their children to work at home to plant rice or help with the family farm.

It stuck me that ‘undervaluing education in family life is a form of intellectual poverty’ that can have profound affects on a family’s future, for that matter a nation’s future.

The lecturer, Mr. Zaldy, briefly shared his experience about his rich Philippine cousins in the US. Mr. Zaldy related how his cousins have houses, cars and all sorts of health insurances in the States, but they have little time for their loved ones. Mr. Zaldy said, ‘some of them earn 50 US an hour, but they don't know their children well. They are working so hard to keep their lifestyle that they have become relationally poor’.

I would say the same of many of us Singapore society. Often in Singapore we are ‘starved’ of deep, meaningful relationships. It struck me that ‘Poverty of relationships’ is endemic in many 'developed' societies.

I have no ‘answers’ to my reflection on the scope and experiences of poverty right now, just more questions.

Don't read emails before you sleep...they might blow up your sleep!

26^th Feb, 2008

Here I am…sitting in a little French Lao café working on some Lao and wanting to journal in English. I haven’t written my thoughts all month.

I should go into the spare room each night and do half an hour several days each week. A little each day can build a great deal over the week. It helps me when I write down what I’m thinking, working through and praying for.

I should do that before I go and teach at ARDA. I’ll work out my teaching week and plan it in before I go to teach.

Reading Emails before Sleeping...not a good 'thingy'

I had an argument with Cc last night just before we went to bed. We looked at an email and climbed into bed thinking about the mail…I could hear some apprehension in her voice. I was tired and wanted to sleep. I had my 6am Tue prayer meeting the next morning...

I / we got a bit frustrated with each other. Cc was adamant it was the way ahead…I was tired and rolled over and said, 'ok…I’ll talk to somebody else about it' .

Cc went off…I realised that our mistake was ‘reading an email before we sleep and then trying to ‘talk’ about it…It wasn’t good. That’s a rule that I don’t’ want to break again! No emails before we sleep.

My 'little girl' is turning a corner...

I was put in my place by Sarah a couple of weeks ago. I was in the car park of the school and I asked her to come and kiss me before she goes into school. She said very firmly, ‘dad, I’m not your little girl anymore. I don’t want to kiss and hug you in front of people.’ Ouch!!! I thought to myself, 'Like i've been giving you a bear hug and forehead kiss for the last 5 years of school life and 2 years of kindy...wat's changed today!'.

I crawled back into the car and drove slowly down the road. I never wanted to overstep my ‘father privilege' to hug my kids. I supposed I just did that...Sarah felt ‘kiddish’. In some ways I feel sad that i've lost ‘little girl’. Now I need to find my ‘teenager’ and support her in her new image of herself. Discover 'when' we can hug and how do I treat her under the watch of her friends.

Sarah went to bed the other night and said ‘night’ dad…no hug. She knew I wanted to hug her. I resisted the temptation to run in and hug her. I’ll give her the space she’s asking for. Talk about tough love!

I really enjoy sending Shanae off to kindergarten. We hold hands and walk down to her classroom. We talk rubbish and chit chat along the way...I check that she’s got everything. We put her bag in the bag basket labeled 'Shanae'. She's got one for her shoes too. Then I kneel down and tell her I love her and to have a good day. She tells me that she loves me. We do a special ‘hand wave’ and stare longingly into each other’s eyes.

When I pick her up I ‘coowee’….her ears prick up and when she finds me she runs into my arms. She’s usually riding her pushie (bike) or playing in the cubbie house with Hydie.

Going home

I’m enjoying the thought of ‘going home to Sing and Oz in June. We would have been away for 18months away. I called mum the other day. It was good to hear her voice. I love her and miss her care and concern.

I miss my immediate family and their spouses. In Singapore I miss Cc’s family and all our church friends.

Jan 08 prayer updates

sticky…>>>>Jan 08" shapes="_x0000_i1025">prayer update ________________________________________________

Bits and pieces to keep in mind and prayer about for our coming year…thanks muchly! There are some directions and projects that Cecilia and I are sensing God leading us towards. They seem to be a mixture of our plans and God’s plans. Our year may look nothing or ‘something’ like this at the end. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that our character looks more like Jesus’ character and ‘our’ works more like His work. Please pray that we live the abundant life of Jesus- John10:10

If you sense God speaking to you about our plans or future, please feedback the feedback!

With GREAT HOPE
Ian, Cecilia and Tribe xxxxxxxxxx

Teaching at ARDA
Cecilia will be teaching Beginner B class in the first semester and I will be teaching Pre-intermediate A. For this year, ESL teaching is still the focus for our hands. Honestly, I personally struggle to keep ESL teaching the focus. But I will do that again this year. We are excited about the possibilities that always exist in these classes to build relationships. In the 2nd semester, Cecilia will not teach. We have decided that Cecilia will get ready to ‘homeschool’. In the 2nd Semester I will teach 1 Class of Pre-intermediate B.

Lao Language learning ​(ຫ​ເດສັນ​ກຍຳ​ຮກສັ)
Cecilia and I have stopped attending formal Lao language classes in Candlelight language School. We have some basic language and are pursing our learning through We currently have a tutor coming to our home 6 hours a week. We are working through language experiences and materials from Candlelight. We continue to enjoy learning the language and look for daily opportunities to use it. Language will be an important part of our learning in 2008.

Home Schooling/Co-op Education
Homeschooling in a *Co-op setting will be a focus for this year. There are currently 4 families who have decided to join together and start an ‘Educational Co-op. As a Homeschooling Co-op, we will share resources, skills, and vision to educate our kids with a Biblical world view. We are looking for a small premise to ‘house’ this endeavor. Seth and Sarah will start this year (commencing Sept), Shanae will remain in Pattana school for another year.

After much consideration and some indications from the Lord, Cecilia and I have decided to give some of our attention to lead this project. The larger vision of the Co-op is a potential ‘International Secondary’ school. Maybe the Singapore Diocese wants to get involved? We don’t know. We’ve raised this possibility but we’re not hearing much from them. There’s much to discuss and pray about this project. The vision for the Secondary school is at least 2 years away. The Co-op is an immediate plan.

Community Development Studies

‘Development’ in a ‘Developing country is the BUZZ word. To raise the living standards of people they need toilets, roads, schools, hospitals, clean water… There is a Community Development school that brings in teachers to teach on such topics. They are Christian development practitioners

A better understanding of Community Development seems very relevant for my future work. Whether I work with ARDA or in another Developmental Agency, the courses offered have directly relevance to my next steps.

The course runs for 3 years. Trainers from around the region come into Lao every 3 months for 5 days and teach a selection of modules. The training is 4 weeks yearly, over 3 years. Assignments are expected to written up and handed in the absence of the trainers.

I teach English classes this semester from 7-9pm. So I won’t have a conflict during the 1 week modules. Cecilia teaching is 5-7pm. The church has agreed to support the costs. I just need approval form Andrew Stevens, the Director of ARDA.

Housing
We have taken a second year lease on our current home. And we were able to remain at the same rent- praise the Lord! I did promise to do a few home renovations, and I said that we would pay for the reno. We have good relationships with our Land-lord and the community we live in. I’m building a small playground for the kids. It is fun and we see this home as the Lord’s provision.

Assembly
We are currently attending the Sunday Evening fellowship. This is a gathering for English Believers. Cc is involved in children’s teaching and I’m involved in preaching- once every 2 months. We enjoy the fellowship and the community. We have made many good friends. It has been a vital place for us.

This year, we have started to attend the Lao Church- there are 3 in town. here is some translation in this church. We know several Lao friends there already. Last week was our first week and it was good. The kids were a little ‘board’, but they will grow and learn. But they are doing much better now with some basic language. We understood some of the songs- not much of the preaching.

Hospital Work

I’m part of a small group that makes sure people in hospitals here get extra food. We do a food run weekly. There’s 4 of us and we rotate each week. Once a month I can visit a person in hospital. I’ve got to get two letters to do this. There’s been some fruitfulness that has come out of this work. But we are in need of more helpers to get involved so it’s not too taxing on the few. If you don’t know what I mean be hospitals, read Acts 16. Paul and Silas spent some time in a similar place. This man just came out of hospital.

Being Disciples

What I’ve just outlined is a vision mainly for our hands. Any lasting, eternal work can only come from a vital relationship with the ONE who gives vision and vitality. Our personal, couple and family time with the Lord is fundamental to our Year’s Vision. If we’re not growing and being transformed by this relationship, then there will be little fruit from our hands. John 15 says ‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me, and I in Him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that y bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples

Some highlights of Kunming, China 2007

we landed, climbed trees and...hung out with our friends

23^rd Dec

Today we left for Kunming China. Cecilia and I flew into Kunming in 1995 as a two year old married couple. We arrived today as a 14 year old married couple of three kids!

Cecilia had our winter jackets dusted off. We carried them onto the plane. It was 5 degrees outside when we walked into Kunming airport. Forward thinking Cc had brought some warmer clothes just in case our standard jackets were not good enough. Praise God for Cc!

The kids were a little excited. They didn’t really have much idea about what to expect. To them it was just another ‘Asian city’. For Cc and I, it was a journey back to the past- a time without kids, a time when we ‘didn’t really know each other’. It was a time of new zeal for God’s work. Cc and I rarely talked about ‘going’ back after we left. We scratched around the idea several times, but never with any seriousness. We never thought we’d see Kunming or our friends again. We didn’t think they’d still be living in Kunming after all these years.

Bob and Haedy met us at the air port gate…We’d been wondering what a decade of life does to a person in Kunming. For Bob, the out ward appearance was ‘less’….less hair and less weight. For Haedy, in my mind, she had remained much the same in appearance.

We hugged each other, stared and laughed…I could feel a tear in my eye, I wiped it away. We then introduced the kids. It was fun to do that…a moment of feeling proud parents. Haedy kept saying, ‘I can’t believe you’ve got three kids’. Neither could we really, but it was true, in 11 years with the Lord’s help we had had 22 years (combined years10+8+ 4) of family life!!!

We piled into Bob’s little van and drove slowly into the crowded, noisy, streets…it was like bumper cars at the Royal Show…except for the bumping. Nobody touched us. But every body was so close- amazing skills! The city had grown to 5.5 million people. It my estimation, it was less than half the size 11 years ago.

As we flew in I caught a glimpse of a kilometer long train loaded with huge D24 bulldozers…Were they for export or import? Seeing the construction taking place on the ground, I could see how ‘Zhiang the Builder’ had ordered them to spread the Kunming metropolis further.

Coming from a town of 600, 000 people (Vientiane) and a nation of 4 million (Singapore)… Kunming seemed big to us. On the first day I ran down the ‘Orchard Road’ of Kunming with Bob. It was cold and I got tired very quickly- Bob ran fast and we were 2000 meters above sea level. But the run took me past 3 Wall Marts; 1 KFC and 2 Mac Dondalds!

The streets were packed with goodies…the roads were jammed with new buses and cars…the bike lanes were cluttered with electric scooters and the odd bike. No more old blue ‘Mao’ suites. I saw more colour and fashion on the street in 30 minutes than I had seen in a whole year in Laos. There were ‘real’ Gucci, NIKE and Adidas shops alongside the fake. I saw a group of teen’s staring longingly into the sleek glassy Pierre Cardin watch cabinet.

I could still see the ‘old’ Kunming behind all the new and the bright. People still wear simple clothes; sun burnt faces still sell potatoes and corn from coal fired 44 gallon drums; bike riders still bundle their bikes and negotiate cars with great skill. Forming this view of things seems cliche- ‘Kunming appears to be clamoring for everything new and modern and has found a disdain for everything simple and old’.

Is this my personal opinion for what is good? Is it right? Is it wrong? Is it neither right nor wrong? Is it bad? Should China develop less like the ‘WEST’? Is China following the WEST? Should China ‘deprive’ themselves of development for the sake of using fewer resources and thereby polluting less? American didn’t, isn’t....won’t. Why should they?

We played monopoly...













we visited our 'old homestead'












the kids kept saying, 'once upon a time...'

we 'bao zhaozi'...make Chinese dumpling!!

we walked the streets...






















we love China...




























we got our nail clipped...



























but there's no doubt about it, we had a fantastic trip with wonderful friends, good tucker and in the sprawling metropolis...
but we'd much rather be in our little Lao home and sleeping our our own little pillows! Thanks for praying us back home!!!

What we were doing on 2006 Chrisie...and what we're doing in 2007

Sigh, this time last year the girls had a big cook up at mums and the secret recipes and traditions were being handed down through the generations.

Although, as you can see, Seth is icing his 'Ginger Bread Man' at the JOMA bakery in down town Vientiane. We took the kids there on an excursion just last week. They had a ball....

This year we won't be so near family...we're off to China tomorrow. We'll keep you posted. The last time we had Christmas in China was 1995...We can remember it well...it was freezing cold and the food was nothing like MUMS!!!!!

With love to all of you over Christmas, where ever you are...God's riches love! Don't forget to 'delight yourself in the Lord'!!! Ps 34:7 He came so you can do just that....

I don't know why....

I don't know why...but i'm just feeling a bit sad. Not bad, just sad. Two days now...the sun is warm; the afternoon pleasant...a cool breeze but sad, i'm just a little sad. I've much to be greatful about...It's a our wedding anniversary today...14 years together. The best years of my life. Wonderful years. Not 'peaches and cream' but 'kaya and toast'....all up we've known each other for 18 years. I made the right choice, she's the best for me. Sometimes when I'm not sad nor am I bad, she knows i'm the best for her.

We're going for a lor-mantic meal on Friday...today we gotta teach. So pinch me, kick me, flick me, or pray for me...I'm not bad; just a little sad.

my enemy,
melancholy

in the shadow.s..

The other evening there was a Chinese opera on the Mekong...in the shadow a young man was getting ready to perform.

she loves to dance....he likes to write

Our dancing daughter...went off to a show the other day...we ra, ra! in the audience...she did a great job. She remember all her steps and was very delicate. It was a Lao dance. Sarah was nervous but deep down she loves to dance...















There was an exhibition at the at the dance event....Seth got his 'book on lao' in the exhibition representing his school...he learnt how to type doing this project