Goodbye Chiang Mai!

Well, my final weeks in Chiang Mai are over and I am feeling the loss of a special time in my life. It is truly a gift to have grown to appreciate life in Thailand and I long to return someday. My joy in leaving is magnified by the many times I felt like quitting and going home only to be reassured of my purpose of being here.
I spent my last week hiking, visiting people and places I love and trying to get ris of lots of things before beginning the next leg of my journey.

Here are some of the lovely women who supported me and helped me grow every Wednesday morning.


Friends Melissa, Leah, Anna and Kendyll singing Karaoke in a local mall. Hilarious!


Hiking with Melissa and Jit on Doi Suthep.


Some of the kids at the new Children's Home!

My last Sunday with the children. We had a party and I couldn't help shedding tears as they said goodbyes and thank yous.

I appologize that it's been a while since I've updated this blog last. I have to say I greatly appreciate all of you that read this blog. It is quite an encouragement to me to know that there are people interested in what I'm, or the Lord rather, is doing here. It has been quite an eventful trip so far and the last couple of weeks have not been much different. I think I'll start in reverse order because that's what's most pressing on my mind.
MARK IS GONE! Here is a picture of the four of us (soon to be three) giving Mark a "push" as they say in Swahili, down the alley behind AMCC. NOTE: A "push" is like a farewell escort. This guy was just sleepin, or passed out maybe. He looked so peacful we didn't want to disturb him.


Right before he left he gave all the kids hugs. This one is Paulo, the youngest, and dare I say Mark's favorite kid. They were all sad to see him go.


This next picture was a good-bye pic that I believe is one of the best pictures I've taken. Here's why:

1. I'm not sure what John is doing with his hands but it kinda looks like Will Ferral in the SNL cheerleader skit. (Not to mention Faith, on the far right doing what looks like some sort of Martial Art or Thai Chi)
2. Now turn your eyes to Paulo's face in the front row. I can't tell if he's filled with utter joy or bitter mourning. Either way he's givin us a good view of those pearly whites.
3. Stephen in the middle looks like he's on the front lines of an epic battle, letting out his furious war cry.
4. No doubt, Nancy the teacher is giving us the "Black Power" symbol and pose (eyes closed and head tilted slightly down).
5. I seem to have caught Mark, who said I should detroy the picture, in a very rare Pee-Wee Herman laughing pose.
6. And lastly, Bart Simpson mysteriously showed up seemingly out of nowhere. (Can you find him?)

A few days before Mark left, Alice (seen in this picture) was sent home with her grandmother and father (background). This is a sad story. Alice is the child that was tied to a tree and set on fire by her parents about 3 years ago. The Asst. Chief of our village, along with a few others rescued her and she was admitted to AMCC. Ever since Alice has been at AMCC, she has been a bit of a trouble-maker. She lies and steels often, and the other day she ran away. Surely she is disurbed by her childhood and is a victim of her parents' brutal actions. Due to the decision of the Assit. Chief and because of the liability she is to AMCC, we have officially handed her over to her grandmother and her father. Please pray that the Lord would do a work in her life and bring her out of the misery she's in.


On another note, we went back to look at the chickens that we saw 6 weeks ago when they were a day old. After looking into it, (the chicken business that is) I really like the idea. We're still working on the avacodoes (more about that later) but it can be a tricky business. Raising and selling chickens on the other hand seem to be more solid. There's a sure market, a lady with experince who has promised to train our workers, and chicken's don't steal money from you. The only problem that we seems to have is finances, about $12,000...yet. ;)


The whole week, John has been traveling from farm to farm harvesting avacodoes. We've harvested three huge truckloads and made a profit of about 3000Ksh ($36.00) on each. This has allowed AMCC to buy their first half bag of beans on their own!! It may not seem like much but this is monumental! John has gone to work for AMCC, maid some money, and bought food! It's 100% progress!



However, as I said before, it can be a bit tricky. In this picture you'll see a man in hadcuffs. (Look closley) John took the picture after this man was found at a bar. He was one of workers who had stolen 6000Ksh from us and dissapeared. John made a bunch of phone calls and alerted the authorities. John's dad, who is also a pastor, found him in a bar not far off with 1000Ksh in his pocket. The man was arrested and has been instructed to pay us the remaining 5000Ksh today. So finding good people is a bit difficult and John is learning a thing or two about the avacodo business. We'll know by the end of this week whether it is really something we want to invest more in.

That about sums up the time I've had since I wrote last. I'm sad to see Mark leave but both of us have a few things to look forward to. God is still doing a work in each of our lives, Mark is going to Zambia to work alongside his girlfriend after being in different places for 3 years, and Maggie will be here two weeks from today!

The last picture is of a couple of girls making good use of what has been sent in the care-packages from some of you in the U.S.. Rachel and Agnes are sporting the very healthy dust masks, safety goggles, and oven mits to protect themselves from the wrath of cooking ugali. The smoke in the kitchen gets out of control due to the poor ventalation of the kitchen. I've got lots of respect for these girls.

Please remember AMCC in your prayers!

With love and in Christ,

Nick

Global Day of Prayer

Today May 31, is the Global Day of Prayer and this is the first year that every country in the world will have a group meeting to pray in some capacity. There is no denying that God is moving when you hear of 30,000 Indians being baptized on this day or God moving in the church in China or His miraculous provision to orphans in Kenya. Let's ask Him together to do more! God hears our prayers every day, but today is a time to be united and in agreement and beg before God for his Mercy and forgiveness and love to pour out on the world.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "

And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18

I ask today that you would join us in Thailand in praying for the nation of Burma and against the injustice and oppression that has reigned there for too many decades. For some more info on the situation please see http://www.freeburmarangers.org/Features/burma_overview.html

Also you can read here one of the recent FBR reports of Human rights violations, etc. by the regime. http://www.freeburmarangers.org/Reports/2009/20090523.html
or watch some videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/FreeBurmaRanger

You can read about the recent attempts to further detain democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30933088/

Chiang Dao

Partners has several orphanages, hostels and children's homes that they help and check up on throughout the west of Thailand. I recently visited one that is soon to be under their umbrella that had many needs and many stories.

One of these is a set of sisters seen here performing a song about Jesus. Their mom was on her way to the market and as is common, hitched a ride on a passing motorbike. The man driving was stopped and found to have opium in his bike, but as she didn't speak Thai well (They are Palong), she was accused of possessing it and landed 40 years in prison. Their father meanwhile, was on opium and one night was hallucinating and tried to burn the girls because he thought they were monkies he could eat. Thankfully by the grace of their Heavenly Father, these girls and others are now being taken care of by pastors and they were precious and full of smiles and songs when we came to visit.

Actual Post Coming Soon... But until then....The Mini-Post:

John's got the camera with him while doing avacodo stuff! We'll see what kind of pics he takes.

Meanwhile Mark went to Rwanda for about a week to visit the orphan his parents have been supporting for something like 15 years and I've been home with the kids doing what has now become regular activities; laundry, pulling water, cooking getheri, and now even leading the morning parade. (It's not really a parade. Basically the kids stand there while you give them a few words of wisdom before they go to school.)

Love you all! May you truly know the Lord and His unending love for you.

P.S. Most recent awesome Swahili word: Piripirihoho (means hollow pepper and is pronounced "peedy-peedy-ho-ho".

New Children's Home now Open!

The home away from home that I grew to love has now closed due to bad termites and limited space, and has now moved to a new neighborhood in the San Sai area of Chiang Mai. There was an opening ceremony for the new Roong Aroon Children's Home on May 8th with lots of prayer and food and blessings.

It is just a wonderful new home now with good facilities and more space and I have loved stopping by to say hi, help with a little homework and give hugs during my last few weeks before I leave. I miss the kids so much and it is an awesome feeling when I pull up and receive huge hugs and screams of "I miss you Pee Maggie!"

SALT Ministries has also been able to take in about ten new children in this new facility which makes for a tighter budget lately. Here are some of the new and old kids at the house playing and before Bible study.

More on health clinics, leadership training, and children's camps

I am happy to report that I will be starting a Masters in Pubic Health in August, mostly with the motivation of learning to do this! See you in Oklahoma City really soon!
Here is one of our clinics with the Primary Health care training...
The students were so eager to go back to their villages, camps, orphanages etc. and share what they had learned.


You know, pulling teeth is not as easy as you'd think: Chris in Mae Sot







Some lovely girls I got a chance to spend time with during a leadership training, seen here making picture frames after talking about inner beauty.






















I reached back into my Laity Lodge Youth Camp Ropes Course facilitator skills for this one...







Playing games during a children' s camp. Many of the children had never done anything like this before and I never had so many boys be willing to play some of the silly games and songs that we had.

We had an opportunity to make bracelets that represent God's love and how he saves and grows us using different color beads. Here we are talking about how suffering produces perseverance and helps us to be strong and grow.