Balloon Popping in JaRurat

Back for more in the slums today. I have been meaning to get this photo for along time. This little guy has been coming or hanging around for well over a year now. Notice that he has a string around his waist with a phallic symbol on it. He has had that as long as I have known him. I am guessing his dad placed this on him, in hopes of raising a virile, manly son. Not something you would likely see a young boy wearing to school in the US!

Y'all have not seen Fern for a while. She is doing great. She reported today that she did very well on her English test last week. Ironically, she is struggling in Thai.

Jumbo and Ting lead the music.

The kids blew up balloons and attached them to their ankles with rubber bands.

Then went around trying to stomp each others' balloons. They had a great time.

A Rainy Day in the Slums

We are truly in the rainy season here in Thailand. Almost every day sees a good shower, often two or more. Today, it hit just as we headed to the slums. That kept attendance down, so we just sang a few songs and played some games with the kids who did show... and went home early, a welcome break for the slums team!

Ting is doing a great job leading the games and songs, and the kids have grown to love him much!

The roof in the building where we meet has some leaks, to say the least.

Tinger Takes a New Path

It has been a rough couple of weeks in terms of seeing friends go. This character is Nakarin Chanprasert. Over the past two years he has become one of my very best friends. His nickname is Tingtong, a Thai name meaning "crazy." I call him Tinger. Tinger is incredibly smart, wickedly funny to those who really know him, and just a great guy. We came to the Bangkok office about the same time, and grew to be great friends.

Some time back, Tinger let me know he was applying for another job. I was not very happy about it until I found out WHERE he was applying. For security reasons I can not say where, but it is a fantastic opportunity for him, and will give him the opportunity to travel and maybe open other doors in the future. Well, what choice did I have then, but to support him fully and celebrate when he finally got the job. I'll miss him a lot at work, but there is no doubt we will stay in regular contact.

These photos are from his last day at DST. Tinger once worked at a Japanese restaurant and he has converted me to enjoying Japanese food greatly.

He still has not helped me master chopsticks.

This photo cracks me up. If you had heard how often he complained about having an old cathode ray tube monitor instead of an LCD screen like most of our associates have.

THIS is how I will remember his time at DST.

I have been so blessed to work with a lot of incredible people. Tinger is special, though. Good luck with the new job, buddy. And thanks for the friendship we have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy in the years ahead.

John's Last Night With Young Leaders

John Tessalee is now a Cornhusker, safely arrived in Lincoln, Nebraska, and ready to start his new adventure as a U.S. university student.

But before he left, we had one last evening with him at Young Leaders. John is the definition of a Young Leader, and we are going to miss him terribly. But our loss is NU's gain, and there is no doubt that there are young people in Lincoln who can only be reached by the message of hope that John carries within him.

I gave John the option of a pizza send-off, but he preferred one last gathering at the unofficial headquarters of the Young Leaders, the Athen restaurant (kind of like a truck stop diner, Thai-style.)

I never get tired of these photos.

We had to move up to second floor, and it took us a while to get into the swing of things, but like always, worship was sweet.

It was a holiday here, so Ting didn't have class and was able to join us for the first time in a long time... a double blessing.

Last night with Young Leaders and likely last night for that shirt, too. I suggested he not wear that through the Devaney center at Lincoln.

When young men pray... wow.

John's "band of brothers."

Hard to explain how much John has come to mean to me. He is a rock, and he is going to be a leader for the Kingdom all the days of his life. I am broken hearted to lose him from our group, but so eager to see where God leads him and how He uses him in the days ahead. And there IS hope for him yet... he may become a real football fan up in Big Red country!

Reaching Nut

I don't know how to explain it, but we are just in a season where so much good is happening with Young Leader's Group. Last night, Knot taught for the first time, and did well, with James 4.

The big news, though, was a visitor we had for the first time. There is a lady in my Sunday School class who has a sixteen year old son who has been involved in a drug gang in Bangkok. He finally decided he wanted out and broke off his relationship with the gang, but - as would happen in the U.S. too, the gang was far less than happy with this. They have called and threatened him and have circled slowly around his home. Nut had not left his home for nearly six weeks and was scared to death. When I heard that, the first thing I thought was that this kid needs some friends and a safe place to hang out. What better than with the Young Leaders. I told his mom we'd have someone pick him up and bring him to meet with us and she was ecstatic.

As you might expect, he was a little unsure of what he was getting himself into, and the guys were a little awkward in reaching out to him, but eventually, as the guys started teasing each other, you could see Nut relax a little and even bust up laughing a couple of times. He is gifted musically, and you could see the worship music was touching him. We have a ways to go, but the first tentative steps toward building a relationship were taken last night. Please, pray for Nut, that he will find hope and freedom in Christ Jesus, and real friends in the Young Leaders.

Knot, leading us through James 4.

Nut and Boyd.

Rainny at prayer.

The worship with Young Leaders is always so powerful.

Nut was a little uncomfortable, but also assured me he'd be back next week!