The La Hu Conference

The main purpose for last week's trip to Chiang Mai was to speak at a pastor's conference. All of the pastors were from the hill tribe called La Hu. They have a spoken and written language completely different from Thai. Fortunately, our translator was totally fluent in La Hu, Thai, and English.

This was our second year of speaking at the conference. Ah Jan Winit was, of course, the featured speaker, and the subject was doing spiritual warfare. Ah Jan Winit decided that, since there are many ways to wage spiritual war, he would not focus just on Ephesians 6 and putting on the armour of God, but that we would teach all of Ephesians over five or six sessions in two days. Ah Jan Vee and I were asked to speak five to ten minutes apiece in each session. The other team members were asked to choose a favorite verse from Ephesians and to share that and some thoughts to go along.

About seventy or so pastors in all. Since few of them get any formal training, they actually treat this conference as if they are going to class.

Vee and me, waiting our turn. In the minutes leading up to each session, Ah Jan Winit would tell us what he wanted us to preach about. Talk about being instant in season and out!

Talking about comprehending God's love... not for us collectively, but for ME, individually.

Vee, talking about Christ's authority.

Ah Jan Winit keeps it interesting. It was fascinating to watch him this week. Like last year, he kept things very lively, a departure from his much drier and analytical style at our home church. Here, he had a wealth of funny stories that kept the pastors roaring with laughter.

Bee got to share, which was great.

I kept them on the edge of their seats with my compelling preaching style.

rice

It's almost impossible to overstate the importance of rice here. Most Thais eat rice in some form for breakfast, lunch, and supper. I eat it twice a day, at least. You would think people would get tired of it, but it just doesn't happen.

Lunch and dinner are usually a mound of rice with some main dish served beside or over it. My very favorite breakfast is something called 'joke,' a sort of soupy rice porridge with ground pork and onion. Delicious. It is served very hot and at the last moment an egg is broken into it. The egg cooks as the joke cools. I laughingly told Ah Jan Winit this week that if God had provided joke during the Exodus instead of manna, there would have been no complaining.

Anyway, most of my American friends have never seen rice fields, so here you are...

Flooded paddies.

Strong, healthy rice. You can see it looks like it is growing in clumps. It is started as seed, and then transplanted like this.

Ready for harvest.

Immjai House

While in Chiang Mai, we spent our evenings at Immjai House orphanage, which was established there by a member form Immanuel church. They currently have 39 orphans, ranging from six or seven years old to eighteen. They have very nice facilities, thanks to supporters in the US, who have since stopped donating. The orphanage now has great buildings and a lot of financial pressure in maintaining them.


Each evening, we met with the kids. They really enjoyed our times of songs and games because most days are pretty routine unless they have visitors.

Game time.

The director told us about a young man whose nickname is Joshua. Josh is maybe seventeen years old. He has been a challenge over the past couple of years. All of the kids attend public schools and make friends there who are not always the best influences. Josh gravitated toward the wrong crowd. Over time, he began to sneak away in the evening and to be deceitful toward the directors. One night in August, he left on one of the ministry's motorcycles and went to town to meet friends at a club. He got drunk and later that evening ran the motorcycle into a car badly inuring himself. He had an injured lung and a badly damaged liver. Doctors removed a portion of his liver and he faces another operation soon. Right now, he has a catheter to drain fluid from the area and is painfully thin. Because he is a 'charity case' none of the hospitals in the area want to be responsible for the cost of this next surgery, so he has been shuttled from one to another.

I was very pleased when the director offered to take us to the hospital to visit Josh. I am sure he has no visitors, other than the directors, who are not sure what to do about him once he does recover enough to be released permanently.

Ah Jan Winit and I both spoke to Josh. Winit translated for me as I had him look me in the eyes. I talked to him about his namesake, Joshua, in the Bible and how he was a leader, not a follower, and how he chose that, regardless of what others might do, he and his house would serve the Lord. I told him his life had been spared for a reason and that God had a real plan for his life, IF he would choose to allow God to lead him day by day.

Joshua.

Vee and I spoke and we agreed, I will have the guys in the Young Leaders' Bible Study each send Josh a short note to encourage him, assure him he is not alone, and to show him that you CAN be a pretty cool person and serve Christ. Please pray for Joshua!

Oh, rats!

I finally did it! Accomplished another major goal today.

On one of my road trips last year, we stopped at a vendor's stand alongside the highway. He was selling a sort of water chestnut called "Grajap." I thought they looked like little Batman symbols, but I was told that grajap also means athletic supporter, and, sure enough, they do look like little black jocks. Anyway, we bought a bag of grajap and drive off, but as we left I noticed he was selling one more item... grilled rat.

Since that day, it has been my quest to dine on grilled rat. Today was the day! As we drove home from Phayou Bible College (details of that trip to follow over the next few days), I saw the familiar Batman shapes on signs advertsing grajap. I told Vee we HAD to stop. He pulled over and, there it was, fresh, juicy, succulent field rat, grilled to perfection. At fifty baht (a buck and a half) I thought it was pretty price, but at this point, money was no object.

I really expected to take a quick, "I really have done this," nibble and be done, but that rodent was really very delicious. I almost ate the entire thing.

And one more memory in the books!

Grajup. Little black athletic supporter.

Ben!

Fresh off the grill.

OK, here we go.

Mmm... say, this isn't bad!

Images from a street fair

After our work in the slums was done Sunday, we were asked to help out another Baptist church and man a stall they had set up for a street fair in far northeastern Bangkok. I don't know if I have ever been in such a crowded area. The streets were absolutely packed with people. The Promise Baptist church had set up a stall and we trooped in and began to sing and some of the team members shared testimonies. It was a pretty amazing evening.

Great weekend

The guys warming up for Sunday worship.

Eddie. We only have him for three more weeks before the hair comes off and he enters the military. I can not explain how tough it will be to see him go.


Ting

Sontaya leading worship.

Bank

Sanit

And the message was brought by my friend Vee.

10-04-2009 Slums and stuff

This weekend, Immanuel hosted a weekend camp for the children of the slum communities where we serve. They had a great time, since so few of them ever get to do anything away from their community. Here, they are getting ready to practice a song to present to the whole church at the main Sunday service.

Afterward, back in the Bearing Community, where we had a 'play day.'

Someone got Ting's shades!

Quick snack for Son.

At the end of the day, Bee shared a devotional with the group. Bee is one of the four team members who are currently attending Bible College some eight hours drive north of Bangkok. They are back on semester break. The week after next, I will be going with Ah Jan Winit, Ah Jan Vee and these four as we go share at a conference in Chiang Mai and then drop them off at school on the way back. It is great to have them back for a few weeks, though.

Another Thursday

Tonight's subject... friendships. Why they are so important. These guys already pretty much get this concept.

Boyd, snarfing down a slice before translating all evening.

Bee is back from Bible College for the next three weeks. So great to see him again!