March and April:
Oh gosh, is it April already? It seems just the other day we were moving the students into the lighthouse and getting ready for our first class and now...we only have two weeks left before graduation.
Sorry for not updating sooner...these last few weeks have been so full and busy. Let me see if I can give you a short version of all that has been going on:
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| Ewan and Phot (VABC students) perform a Thai song for the kids |
Kids outreach: this ministry continues to grow as the students continue to find additional neighborhoods in which to advertise. The last few weeks we had broken 100 children in attendance. Of course, with grad getting ever closer, the students have realized that the outreach is going to have to take a bit of a break, until the next school year starts (when the VABC students all go home there is no one able to run the outreach). So this past Sunday we had a big party with all the kids to say "Good bye, until October." It was a great time, but also a bit sad as some of the students will not be returning next year. We had about 150 kids with their parents come out.
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| The Kids (and VABC students) love ice cream. |
Everyday English Centre: As this time of year is the "summer break" for Thai schools, the after-school English program has been running its day camps again. My other responsibilities have been keeping me to busy to help out regularly, but I have been stopping in to say "Hi" a few times a week. I also took the younger kids swimming one day a few weeks back, and will be teaching one of the older groups next week.
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| Teaching in Mae Sai; My friend Zami translated |
Teaching: As I mentioned last time, I traveled up to northern Thailand to teach at one of our affiliated colleges in Mae Sai. The school is run by a man from America and is made up of students from Myanmar, mostly from the Karen tribes that live along the Myanmar-Thai border. Classes are taught in Burmese, so once again I had to work with a translator. I taught my Understanding and Applying the bible course again. Mae Sai is a quiet, small little town on the boarder; It was a nice change from my usual pace her in Sri Racha, almost like a little vacation. But it was wonderful to have the opportunity to speak into the lives of the young people there.
I also ended up having to teach a course to the VABC students as we had a teacher back out at the last minute do to health concerns. I decided to teach them "Spiritual Authority" as that was the course that was scheduled and it fit quite well with everything else they had been learning this year. It was a great class, we talked about submitting to the authorities that God places in our lives, and how to honor those in authority, even when you don't agree with them. We also talked about how to operate in authority and how we have to not only show honor to those above us, but also those below us and beside us.
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| The VABC students enjoying some fellowship together; it was Anna's birthday |
VABC: Speaking of VABC, we have now entered our final two weeks of class. We once again have our friend Dr. Ron teaching, this time on "The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ". After this course is done we will have graduation and the students will be released. Many will return to the home countries, some will go into ministries with their home churches, and some will get ready to come back for next year. It is amazing to think how quickly these last eight months have gone, and how much the students have grown in that length of time.
For myself, I too will be returning to Canada for a bit this summer. I have plans to be in Alberta the months of May, June, and July. If you are interested in meeting up send me a message.
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| My Long Lost Brother Came for a Visit...well he's not really lost, he lives in South Korea |
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and for continuing to pray for and support the work being done in Thailand and south east Asia.
God bless
Tyler
