ESL...we begin new ventures in meeting needs

Last week Ruthie and I began teaching English in Roi Et's School of Performing Arts--a school which is a unique combination of high school and junior college.  Ruthie here is helping tutor a student in prep for an upcoming presentation in English. 

In another teaching assignment, I went to Roi Et's Department of Skills Development where we were given teaching assignments with vocational students who were being re-trained for new jobs.  We did the first of what we hope will be many short-term training events in English for students in food services, mechanics, and other trades.

Cathy, Richard, & Rolling Hills

We were blessed again this year by a talented team from Rolling Hills Covenant church in SoCal!  Our local teams, led by Ruth and Inchai Srisuwan worked with a talented team from Rolling Hills to put on programs in several schools in Beungkan, Udon, and Roi Et.  As usual these programs were well-received.  Thank you, Rolling Hills, for coming our way!

Back with Doug and Carolyn

It has been more than 10 years, but Doug & Carolyn Johnson returned for a visit, along, with three of their adult children.  We had the joy of visiting and traveling with them over three days, comparing notes and joys!  

One of Roi Et's famous temples.  This is a center for Buddhist teaching, located in the heart of Thailand's Northeast.  

Back in the saddle...

That's what being back in Roi Et feels like!  It's been a great joy to return home in the middle of the rainy season with its fields of lush green and sunrises of pink and gold.  Even the dark thunder clouds have a beauty of their own.

With our travels mostly over, we now have the opportunity to lock in--to invest in the lives of key families and help restart a house church in our village.  

That suits us fine.  We want this--a more intentional approach, a keener focus.  We'd appreciate your prayers--that through this we will grow, contributing to a thriving church and community. 

Are these our new spiritual directions?

While in Chiang Mai, Ruthie spent her time with new spiritual directees--both Thai and expat. Over the next years she is looking for opportunities to use her spiritual gifts and training to contribute to the growth of friends in the area. While she has often been called--in the past--to help in the area of finance, she has decided to concentrate in other areas of ministry.  Please pray for both of us as we strike out in new directions and seek to develop new areas of ministry!

E... is our second language too!

I learned Vietnamese first.  Ruthie began life with Punjabi in the foothills of the Himalayas.... A dozen years ago some friends came to visit and asked..."What is the best way to reach into communities, to have the chance to share Christ?"  At the time we were heavily involved in agriculture.  Our response?  "We'd set up an English language center!  And that...that's where we find ourselves today!  After many surveys, we began our program in the fall with the help of teachers from the Covenant's Oasis Training Center in China.  It was a great start.  But the hard work of running a quality program... is going to take a lot more time and work!  Fortunately, we have a group experienced and dedicated friends and volunteers. So, we are now building relationships with area schools and businesses--by teaching wherever we can.  To this end, in the last couple of weeks, I completed a certificate program in Chiang Mai--part of a cohort of 20 students from several nations and backgrounds.  I was amazed to meet several who had dropped everything to move to Thailand and begin a new career.   That's where the naughty kids are kept... For me, this is the fulfillment of something that has been long in coming. Monday I have my first gig--teaching a short term course in Roi Et's Skills Development Center.  Our colleague, Kristi Byford, is teaching many classes in local schools.  I will, hopefully, take over some of them in coming weeks. And we look forward to our next cohort of teachers coming from Oregon in October!

We went everywhere!

We spent a little over five months in the US--visited 10 states, 8 churches, and 7 siblings.  We welcomed a new grandson and spent quality time with Ruthie's parents--both 90 this year!  We moved constantly--and are so thankful for our many dear friends and hosts.  On the way to and from Thailand we visited our daughter Erin and family in Germany.  And just before returning, I connected with a large group of childhood friends from the school I attended in Vietnam and Malaysia.  It was a full, and rich time. Maybe even a little too full and rich for someone who is just over 60!   Class of '74 from Dalat School (Malaysia) along with Ed & Claire Miner Sister Mary Kennel and her classmate Evelyn (Sahlberg) Stratton Brother Ted with classmates:  Bonnie Gay, Sjoblom, Barbara Webber