January in Review

Hello Friends,


Hannah and I enjoying a sunny day at the beach.

We hope you are doing well.

Things are rolling along here at their usual pace...It is hard to believe that the college year is over half over, that in less than 3 months the students will be packing up to head home for the year break.  Time just keeps rolling along.

Before I get into our update, I just want to thank all our readers, old and new who read our last blog post.  Hannah wrote it, and apparently, everyone loved it.  It is our most viewed blog post to date.  We appreciate everyone who read the post and shared it and spread the word about what we are doing in Thailand.

Here is what we have been up to since our last update:




Christmas:


Pastor's Fred and Val Bennett came to teach at VABC in December
We had them over for supper at our house.
Hannah with one of the boys from Daycare at their Christmas party.
(Photo Credit: June Mituna)


We helped out with several Christmas outreaches leading up to Christmas.  No school programs this year, but we still did several community programs and had a few Christmas parties with the various English tutoring programs we help out with.

VABC students at a Christmas outreach in a local school
(Photo Credit Continuum Media)
VABC Students signing Carols at Thailand immigration
(photo Credit Continuum Media)
Singing Christmas Carols is a tradition all over the world...in Thailand, it's an all-night affair.
(Photo Credit: June Mituna)
The Caroling group stopped by our house to spread some Christmas cheer.
(Photo Credit: June Mituna)

Hannah also helped with an English Day camp during the week of Christmas that the church ran. Christmas is a funny holiday in Thailand...it's not an official holiday, so most people still work, but many of the schools, especially the Catholic schools, give the students the time off from class, so parents need something for their kids to do.

Kids at the Cambridge Kids' Christmas Camp


This was our first Christmas as newlyweds...so of course, I spoiled Hannah.  Our families had given us some Christmas money, so we got some furniture for our house and now it is starting to feel like a home.  On Christmas day we had our friends and fellow missionaries Kris and Tabitha Pagan, and their son Ephraim, over for Christmas dinner.  Hannah had work that day so I was responsible for cooking the meal...we had roast chicken, rotisseried in the new oven I bought for Christmas.  Later that day we had a video chat with my family back in Canada; it's hard to be away from your family, especially during the holidays, but modern technology helps make you feel not so far away.

Our connect group had a Christmas party...
and the most people in attendance ever...
something about free food and gifts.

This year we gave all the VABC students two weeks off for Semester break and many of them travelled. A large group went into Myanmar, where they were involved in ministry with local churches.  Another group went up to northern Thailand to visit one of the student's home village.

This is one tall Christmas tree
...this mall takes Christmas very seriously


New Year:


After having a short Christmas/New Year's break, it was back into our ministry.  Hannah is working with the Day-care again.  The church recently started renting a new building, out of which they are running the Day Care program.  It's a great facility with lots of room to expand...they are just in need of more teachers and helpers so they can handle more kids.

Hannah teaching the kids at daycare

They are learning about love and affection
VABC had a great two-week class with Kelly Baker from Fort McMurray.

Kelly Baker imparts some practical knowledge to the Students
(photo credit Continuum media)


After the class, many of the students travelled to Malaysia to enjoy the PlanetShakers conference.  And, immediately after returning from Malaysia, Pastor Al and Becky took the student body up to Northern Thailand to do ministry on our Annual Jungle trip.



Campfires and Milo are a must on jungle trips
(photo Credit Continuum Media)


Teamwork makes the dream work...or at least gets the house built.
VABC students put in some real muscle to help build a house while on the Jungle trip
(Photo Credit Continuum Media)


Hannah and I also went to the PlanetShakers conference in Malaysia, we spent a couple extra days in KL to visit with an old friend of Hannah's and being tourists...we went to the Batu Caves and the twin towers.


PlanetShakers Conference Malaysia
PlanetShakers Malaysia 2018
We spent a few days with a young man from Hannah's hometown
Checking out the Batu Caves
....300 steps up into the caves
At the Batu Caves
The Petronas Twin Towers
Beautiful at night.

February:


The students returned from the jungle trip in early February and started a new class with Pastor Julie Kissick from Lethbridge.

Dana Thomas (left) and Pastor Julie Kissick (right)
Teach the VABC students New Testament Survey
(Photo Credit Continuum Media)


The second weekend of February was the annual women's retreat, it was held in Pattaya this year.  The speakers this year were: Pastor Julie, Pastor Lanell Miller from Texarkana, Pastor Cindy Vogel from Pittsburgh, and Pastor Terry.  The ladies had a great time, Hannah says she really enjoyed the conference this year.  (All the VABC guys said that we should have a men's retreat sometime.)

Pastor Cindy Vogel (left), Pastor Lanell Miller (Centre), and Pastor Julie Kissick (Right)
Teach on how to have a transformed life through the power of Jesus Christ at our annual Women's Conference


Also in February Victory Worship released their first every Music Video for the song "Break Open Skies"  you can listen to it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoiEUi4SgbU and Pastor Al Released his first podcast, listen to it here: SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/covenant-leadership/covenant-leadership-adoption iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/th/podcast/covenant-leadership/id1345326041?mt=2

Filming our first every music video
(photo Credit Continuum Media)
Victory Worship Band, VABC students and Staff after shooting the Musci Video
(photo Credit Continuum Media)



Connect Group:


Our Connect Group continues to go well...still mostly women, but we are hoping to see some men start joining.

Our Connect Group
Dana Thomas sharing at our connect group

Kelly  Baker giving some encouragement to the connect group

That get's you caught up.  Hope you enjoyed what was going on and the pictures. Lots of pictures this month.

If you are interested in partnering with our ministry, you can send me a message tylerjohnthompson@gmail.com or go to www.victoryasia.com and click on the donate now button.

Hope to hear from you soon;

Tyler and Hannah

(Oh and if you are wondering...yes I still drive the van for the kids...they are just as fun as ever.)