Incredible India

India was almost like returning home for me after all my years growing up in neighboring Pakistan. Ironically, my birthplace in the Punjab became an issue as we applied for a visa, but permission came through and we were able to visit three very different ministries-each reaching out to many Indians.

The passion of Truth-Seekers in New Delhi is to see the caste system truly eradicated from India. Like many westerners I was not aware of how deeply-rooted it still is. It was an eye-opening experience to see individuals from many different faiths gathering together in the unity of the One who claimed to be the way, the truth, the life.

Before that we visited the slums of Mumbai and Pune with social workers from the Hindustani Covenant Church. We saw thousands of children, gathered in cramped little rooms, given the opportunity to learn to read. The hope, we were told, was to persuade parents that education will pay out more in the long run than having their children pick through the dumps to recycle plastic and metal.

Then we visited the brothels. Many of the women had been sold by their own family members. The streets were dingy and squalid. I was humbled as I saw the love of the workers--one, herself a redeemed prostitute--seeking to rescue women from their miserable circumstances.

I was reminded how much I take the love of my family for granted. I was reminded that Jesus didn't shy away from the outcasts and prostitutes. Yes, the circumstances were depressing, but the compassion of the Hindustani Covenant church shone brightly.

As we ended our trip in southern India, I was delighted to learn that what I took for legend about St. Thomas and his days there is considered part of local history--including the hill where he was killed.

It was inspiring to see the dedication of the staff of India for Christ Ministries as they handle hundreds of children in multiple settings. We watched enthusiastic children play, sing and practice their English. Where in America would I ever see such respectful, enthusiastic kids singing their hearts out? Maybe we need to have our privileges taken away so we can learn a little gratitude?

A Small Language School with a Big Impact

I stood there and gave thanks. On our first visit to this Covenant-affiliated training center in a small Asian city, I was on the 4th floor of a vocational school looking at a map of the nation on a billboard. On it were pictures of scores of students. Each picture had an English name the student had taken when he or she entered this 2-year program. And each picture was linked to a different city or province. Equipped with English-language skills I had been told, these students were finding jobs in almost every province.

As the students have gone out, many of them have also taken with them new outlooks and values as a result of the unique educational environment they had experience. English immersion and small class sizes--two of this school's distinctives--have made it possible for many close friendships to develop between students and teachers. I thanked God for a core of visionary people who had opened this school and developed the programs to this point.

The impact of this school has been significant in every way. While some of the teachers expressed regret that they could not follow up on these students in a more intentional way, it became clear that many long-lasting friendships have been made between teachers and students, and many teachers have made efforts to stay in touch with students after they have left the school.

Much work has been done to develop a quality curriculum, systems, and structures to ensure that students gain a good grasp of English. Furthermore, much work has been done to enable North Americans to come for short periods of time, to teach, to live without undue stress in what could be an intimidating environment. Comfortable apartments, a well-organized program, and good orientation materials ease the transition of North Americans from many age brackets into life and work in this rural Asian city.


The testimony and return of many of these teachers for multiple periods is evidence that they have found the experience fulfilling and life-changing. One retired ethics professor from a school in the U.S. said to us: "I am almost embarrassed to admit to my peers back home how much fun my times at this school have been." He talks about what a joy it is to teach students who are motivated to learn and who treat him with respect and gratitude. While most of the team is considerably younger than this professor, they have a strong desire to continue to improve the program even while occasionally struggling with the challenges of living in a difficult environment. We praise God for the faithful service and commitment of this team.

Urban to Rural: Diversity in Context and Ministry

The month of October was one where we were stretched and challenged by visits to Covenant personnel working in radically different contexts and ministries: first Japan, then a rural setting in one of Thailand's neighbors. Covenant missionaries in Japan gave us a warm welcome as we spent a minimum of a few hours with every couple there--seeing the churches in which they are serving, the school their children are attending, and the cutting edges of their ministries.


Several new mission ventures caught our imagination: one of the key pastors had recently left to serve, with his wife, as missionaries in Detroit, Michigan! They are hoping to reach the large Japanese population in that area who are connected with auto-making industries. One church had recently welcomed a young Korean missionary woman to work in their congregation--and she was having a significant, positive impact on the congregation. Then, almost the same day we arrived, Grant and Miho Buchholst arrived to take up their ministry of working with youth ministries in the churches.

From that experience, our trip to visit the country we lived in for so many years was like, once again, taking a step back in time. We were visiting short term personnel working in the southern part of the country, running a farm with pigs and fish and personnel issues to deal with--all very familiar to us. It was wonderful to see two good friends who, despite some initial personnel problems, seemed to have found a niche and passion in ministry. We were able to brainstorm with them, help with with accounting issues, talk to some of the staff about their issues--and, generally encourage them in the good things that are happening.

Lao Officials Threaten to Burn Shelters of Expelled Christians

Dear Friends,

For the past few weeks we have been closely following the developments in the story below. Please pray for these believers--although they are in a part of Laos where we have not worked, their story is similar to many we have seen. Persecution and oppression varies much from place to place--depending much of the whims and inclinations of local officials who often are trying to make a name for themselves...

Peter

Officials in southern Laos in the next 48 hours plan to burn temporary shelters built by expelled Christians unless they recant their faith, according to advocacy group Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom.

Wed, Mar. 17, 2010 Posted: 12:21 PM EDT

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DUBLIN (Compass Direct News) – Officials in southern Laos in the next 48 hours plan to burn temporary shelters built by expelled Christians unless they recant their faith, according to advocacy group Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF).

Authorities including a religious affairs official, the district head, district police and the chief of Katin village in Ta-Oyl district, Saravan province, expelled the 48 Christians at gunpoint on Jan. 18.

Prior to the expulsion, officials raided a worship service, destroyed homes and belongings and demanded that the Christians renounce their faith.

Left to survive in the open, the Christians began to build temporary shelters, and then more permanent homes, on the edge of the jungle, according to HRWLRF. They continued to do so even after deputy district head Khammun, identified only by his surname, arrived at the site on Feb. 9 and ordered them to cease construction.

More officials arrived on Feb. 18 and ordered the Christians to cease building and either renounce their faith or relocate to another area. When the group insisted on retaining their Christian identity, the officials left in frustration.

On Monday (March 15), district head Bounma, identified only by his surname, summoned seven of the believers to his office, HRWLRF reported.

Bounma declared that although the republic’s law and constitution allowed for freedom of religious belief, he would not allow Christian beliefs and practices in areas under his control. If the Katin believers would not give up their faith, he said, they must relocate to a district where Christianity was tolerated.

When the seven Christians asked Bounma to supply them with a written eviction order, he refused.

The Christians later heard through local sources that the chiefs of Katin and neighboring Ta Loong village planned to burn down their temporary shelters and 11 partially-constructed homes erected on land owned by Ta Loong, according to HRWLRF.

These threats have left the Christians in a dilemma, as permission is required to move into another district.

Both adults and children in the group are also suffering from a lack of adequate food and shelter, according to HRWLRF.

“They are without light, food and clean water, except for a small stream nearby,” a spokesman said. Officials also forced them to leave the village with minimal clothing and other items necessary for basic survival.

Village officials have said they will only allow spirit worship in the area. A communist country, Laos is 1.5 percent Christian and 67 percent Buddhist, with the remainder unspecified. Article 6 and Article 30 of the Lao Constitution guarantee the right of Christians and other religious minorities to practice the religion of their choice without discrimination or penalty.

Decree 92, promulgated in July 2002 by the prime minister to “manage and protect” religious activities in Laos, also declares the central government’s intent to “ensure the exercise of the right of Lao people to believe or not to believe.”

Compass Direct News
Sarah Page

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An Opening, A Ceremony

March 5 was the big day for our Opening Ceremony! Even though our mill was essentially finished back in December, we held off the ceremony until now. The head of our County (in Thailand it’s called an Amphur) came early and responded to our speeches with kind words and good wishes—he even praised our pastor for his words of admonition and blessing, saying that he wished all ceremonies by religious figures in Thailand could be as clearly communicated.

The day before, we called a halt to all construction activities (yes, we are still building!) so we could get the premises all spiffed up and the sign installed. After all that hard work, Yu and Uthai, the Thai-Hmong couple who have been such a God-send to us, asked if Yu could stay home since she was 9 months pregnant. Sure enough, the baby came that night.

We also had our annual meeting with the Thai Board of Shareholders, who had many good suggestions for the ceremony and other aspects of the work. Thank God for this dedicated group of people—and for enabling us to reach this milestone!

Family In, Family Out

Our son, Kevin, and his wife, Ramona, resigned their jobs in States back in July to fly out here. They helped us with our work a couple of months then moved to Bangkok where they studied Thai and worked with Carl and Karen Groot in the Abundant Life Center. Then in November they re-joined us for the holiday season while they prayed, applied for jobs, and waited. If God didn't open up work for them (paying jobs!) they were prepared to return to the States and enter graduate school.






But he did! Both of them have now taken positions in a Christian-owned business in Vientiane, moved into a new house, and bought a scooter for transportation. Now, with a few weeks of work under their belts, they seem totally jazzed about the new direction God has led them in! We're thankful, too, that we will be able to see them much more often.

During their last days with us, we had a return visit from Doug Carter, a Canadian mechanic who worked with us for 10 days last year. This time he brought his wife, Dorothy. For another 10 days they helped us with various jobs we had going over at the mill and elsewhere.

Next, Ruthie's mother arrived for a three-month visit. Mary Jo McCurry and Ruthie McCurry (Dutton), as they say, are 'peas-in-a-pod'. So my blessing is doubled these days. At 83, Mom McCurry is amazingly strong. Though she deals with constant pain in her back from degenerative disks, she remains cheerful and witty as always.





Thank you, Lord, for new graces for this new year!

New Wrinkles in the Mill

Just before Christmas and the arrival of the CHIC group, we worked very hard to finish last details in the construction of the mill and make samples of the various products we hope to produce. All this was to meet a deadline for submitting bids to the Thai Burmese Border Consortium. I flew to Bangkok and turned in our bid and samples a few hours before the deadline. I also visited the World Food Program hoping they were in a buying mood.

With Wessel out of the loop ( for obvious reasons) I was more than a little stressed. After a couple of weeks we got word: our samples passed the lab tests for nutrition and sanitation quality, our price was right, but we did not have the licenses the Consortium requires of a food mill--GMP, Halal, HACCP. We had hoped they might overlook that fact since we are working hard on getting those licenses. Nothing doing. We were told we need to get those licenses before they will consider us. We were told, also, that the WFP has no plans, at present, to place any orders in this region.

Hmmph. Discouragement, deflation. But then, somewhere, one day in January, after Wessel's wedding, God lifted the blanket of gloom. I don't remember the exact date, but I remember the day: Suddenly, I knew it was going to be okay. God hasn't brought us this far to leave us hanging out here with a mill all ready to produce food but no orders to merit turning on those 100 horsepower motors.

So, that's where we are at: doggedly knocking things off the list of things we have to do to bring our mill up to international food standards--signs, SOP's (standard operating procedures), bathrooms, changing rooms, uniforms,etc. etc. Our official opening ceremony is scheduled for March 5. Hopefully, much of this will be done before then.

Wessel's Wedding

So, you know we have this great friend and colleague--who decided to get married at 42. For almost a year he and Ut have been patiently waiting for permission from the Lao government (well, not entirely patiently). We imagined permission might come through in August or September and the wedding might happen in November.



Not so--also, not surprising given our experience in Laos. Nevertheless, the day finally came and we had two beautiful weddings--a church wedding here in Thailand and a Lao-style wedding across the river. Almost a week apart, with hundreds invited here in Thailand, more than a thousand in Laos, this was a big event in our lives. Ruthie and I, Kevin and Ramona, all had big parts to play--preaching, translating, facilitating, fetching lost singers. What a lot of fun!

On CHIC, BAM, and the Emerald Buddha

When the organizers of CHIC offered to make our project one of the recipients of their large offering, they made it clear there were a few strings attached. Their goal was to not only help out a worthy ministry, but also challenge some of the students to get involved after CHIC had concluded.

We liked that idea and agreed to host a group of students who would be arriving a day after Christmas--the first of several work groups planned. We planned a trip through Thailand and Laos that would expose them to some of the history and culture, as well as a number of business-as-mission enterprises seeking to share Christ and make a positive economic and social impact in the lives of people.

So, in one week we visited Bangkok, Vientiane, and Chiang Rai, retracing the steps of the Emerald Buddha which over hundreds of years, had been discovered in Thailand, was taken to Laos, and then re-captured and brought to Bangkok.

We also visited 6 different ministries in Laos and Thailand ending up at our place in Chiang Khong where we showed them the food mill CHIC funds helped to build. It was a wonderful, whirl-wind week of travel, education, bonding, prayer, and fun. We hope to see some of these back out here some day--or at least involved in ministry wherever God opens the door for them.

The Challenge: Can you eat a "rat-dropping" red pepper, also known as a "Thai carrot"?

Not a problem, says Jon.

The pain hasn't begun to show.

Jamie Sladkey and our "most beautiful" (her words) guide to the Temple of Emerald Buddha.

Okay, yes, we spent too many hours in a van...

Jamie Sladkey, Stephanie Braman, Jon Foley, Allison Honn, Sara Wilson, Kaitlin Choquette were accompanied by Kimberly Crawford from DWM. In Vientiane we ran into this guy-- the friendliest monk you could ever want to meet. Great English too.

A cave in the heartland of Laos.

Telling the story of our 16 years in Laos--in 3 minutes or less.

Arriving up-country Laos from Vientiane. It is beautiful.

Near the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Vientiane. The Emerald Buddha went to Bangkok around the time of the American Revolution.

We finally reached Mekong Valley Foods in Chiang Rai....

And celebrated New Years by lighting northern Thai floating lanterns. A lot of fun.