Late Sunday night, nine of us took off in the church van, driving through the night to Khao Lak, the small town in the south that I had already been to three times in the past year. This time, our objective was just to spend time with three local pastors, encouraging them and meeting with some of their people in their homes, to encourage them, as well. It is remarkable how much folks appreciated our visits.
Derrick Adame is a young man from Riverside, California. He came to Thailand for five weeks last January while Jason was here. We've stayed in contact since. When I found out about this Khao Lak trip, I pestered Derrick til he decided that maybe coming back for three weeks really WAS a God thing. He arrived late last Saturday and in less than twenty four hours, was on the road to Khao Lak. The photo above is me, Ah Jan Winit and Derrick while we were visiting with local fishermen.
One of the pastors we worked with is Ah Jan Anchala of Pak Ping Christian Church. I have worked with her several times now. Her church is one of the strongest in the area. Here, she is pointing out on the map, the areas of this province that still have no church.
Ah Jan Anchala has adopted this little girl. Her father was killed in the tsunami before she was born and her mother abandoned her to go start a new life in another area. Anchalali can already sing Jesus Loves Me and can pray in English. She is a sweetheart!
Most of the team from Immanuel. Back row, left to right: Nong (the church administrator), me, Lian (a Chinese girl who was roommate in college to one of the other team members, and who was visiting Thailand) , Derrick, Ah Jan Anchala. Front row: Ah Jan Winit, Isra (nicknamed Oat, he is leaving in two weeks to attend the University of Nebraska), Vee.
Pak Ping Christian Church. The church was designed by Noi, one of the members of our team, and was funded and built in part by Immanuel Church.
Ah Jan Winit carries his fiddle with him everywhere, and as soon as music starts, he joins right in.
At Mt. Zion Christian Fellowship, where we stayed each night. In Thailand, as in most of Asia, you do not wear shoes indoors.
Church service at Mt Zion our first night there. The church can comfortably hold about thirty. It is located in something like an American strip mall.
Our last evening of the trip. The background doesn't even look real, does it?
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