Wednesday 28 February 2018

Marina attending Duke Language School in Bangkok - 28 February 2018

So, Marina will be attending the Duke language school in Bangkok for the month of March.  She will be doing module 1 as part of our determination to give 110% of our time to learn Thai language officially.  I (Andre) will be at home carrying on with our daily ministry in Kanthararom.  I have a "one to one" personal tutor in Kanthararom which we stumbled on last month.  On the downside I can only have class once a week due to the fact that she also has a day job.

Marina on the other hand will be having class every day for 3 hours a day.  We are going to do the same curriculum, each with a different teacher.  Friends of ours blessed us with a extra module 1 lesson book which we are thankful for.  There is 10 students attending the Duke language school module 1 course.  All from different nations off course.  Duke is better known as one of the best Thai language schools in Thailand so we are truly great full for this opportunity.






Marina has to travel by bus and train everyday to the language school here in Bangkok.  an everyday routine for the next month :(  There is a tough time awaiting for her as there is no one we know who stays in the area where she will be staying the next month on her own.  Wonderful opportunity to connect with the locals in a way where she can practice on what she learned for the day but then again this is Bangkok and not our local town in the Isaan district where people are more friendly and helpful.  We are also entering the "hot season" of Thailand now so yes, travelling back and forth every day won't be easy for Marina.


And why not laugh or smile to the funny food or business names you experience here in Thailand.



Gospel Christian Church Sisiaket - 25 February 2018

The Gospel Christian Church in the city of Sisaket is our second home church.  First obviously our home church in Kanthararom.  I (Andre) preach every month at the church with Jeddy, our 16 year old "translater" at her best as always.  We are learning the Thai language bit for bit so one day we will both be able to preach in 'Thai" :)  Teaching of this morning was from John 3:22-33 - What is true success?





Jeddy, our translater.  She will be visiting our home on a regular basis to sharpen up her English for she says due to the fact that no one at home (father and mother) who can speak English she needs to practice more.  We are looking so forward to spend more quality time with her.

Makrud School - 22 February 2018

We always have a good day at Ban Makrud school.  Children are eager to learn and also enjoy participating in the way we help with English conversation lessons.  The principal of the school Arjan Lola (picture below) always accommodates us in the manner we help at the school.  The school only has 24 children, but the administration for this school is the same as for any other school.  both the other teachers have been teaching at Makrud School for over 20 years already. 





The kindergarten kids are always up to something funny.






Today we learned about the environment we live in.  We talked about natural things everyone has at their homes such as plants, water, water tanks, pipes etc.  Afterwards the kids had 30 minutes to study before they wrote a test on what they learned today.







Monday 19 February 2018

18 February 2018 - Utomphon Phisai Church

We had the privilege to serve at Utomphon Phisai Church last Sunday.  It is a fairly new church as they are only less than two years old.  Apart from Kim and Joy (from Korea) who planted the church, most of the members came to salvation less than a year or so.  It was encouraging to hear some testimonies and also to hear how God is working in their lives.  One of the teenagers who had dreams to go study at University after school next year, decided that he would rather want to become a Pastor and want to start a new church someday.  The worship team are all students who only started to learn music and playing music instruments a year ago.  God truly means when He says He makes all things new again.





Uncle Tah asking that we will all help praying as he lost his motorbike key and he does not have a spare one.


Word for today was Philippians 2:5 - "you must have the same attitude than that of Jesus Christ"


Many churches, especially small churches have a "memory verse" they need to study for the week.  Come Sunday, everyone gets a chance to share the memory verse for the week.  Firstly the teenagers, then the ladies and then the men.


Always a group photo or two to be taken :)


Lunch is always served after church service for further fellowship before people go home.  Many churches use the afternoon to have Bible study sessions as it is always difficult for people to attend classes during the week due to long hours of work.



A small church but with members who has a heart to serve Jesus and follow Him every moment of their lives.




Monday 12 February 2018

Mooi stories leer ons diepe lessings - 11 February 2018

Ons diens by Kanthararom kerk was baie emosioneel en terselfdetyd ongelooflik mooi.  Nie net die Woord wat bedien was deur Tabisak nie maar ook die teenwoordigheid van Bom en Nong.  Hierdie egpaar is albei verlam van hulle middellyf af ondertoe en Nong het 'n verdere gestremdheid wat haar brein ook aantas.  Daar is derduisende mense wereldwyd wat kerk toe gaan met dieselfde gestremdheid maar verstaan hierdie storie in sy eie konteks.

Bom en Nong bly 25 km van Kanthararom af.  Bom het op sy eie die motorfiets se sy-karretjie ontwerp en gebou vir Nong se rolstoel om op te gaan.  Bom het ook self sy motorfiets verander sodat dit geskik is vir hom om te bestuur.  Selfs in die warm hitte en humiditeit hier, hou dit hierdie egpaar nie weg van die kerk af nie.  Wanneer hulle by die kerk aankom, help almal vir Nong af van die waentjie en stoot haar die kerk in.  Bom word dan afgelig van die motorfiets en ingedra kerk toe.

Baie kerkies hier het nie lugversorging nie en soms is dit baie warm in die kerkie.  Ons self is skuldig aan die feit dat ons soms kerk mis juis omdat dit te warm is om daar te sit.  Maar soos ons God leer ken, het Hy ons 'n duur les kom gee oor die aangeleentheid.  Ten spyte van die warm weer en als, en in hulle ongemaklike omstandighede, mis hulle nie kerk nie.

Meer as soms wil ons ons lewe so gemaklik as moontlik maak - veral die fisies, dat dit ons geestelik vernietig en ons blind maak van wat dit verg om vir Jesus te volg.







Khun Han - 10 February 2018

On 10 February we went with some of our local church members to collect about 140kg of clothes which was donated to churches in Sisaket from churches in the USA.  In the coming weeks we will distribute the clothes to families here in Kanthararom who is in dying need of some clothes.  God is truly the provider and He knows what everyone needs and when.

The clothes was sent to Khun Han Christian Church which is about 60km from Kanthararom.  Khun Han Church has a long history, standing for 38 years already.











The car was fully packed with bags inside and on the roof.  Roofrack's really come in handy when needed.






There was many helpers to load the bags in Khun Han . . . but only me and Tabisak to offload the bags back at Kanthararom Church but it was a good gym workout.