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.

The Covenant Crew in Chiang Khong for Thanksgiving

A long, Thanksgiving spread.

Wessel and Ut Huisjes.

Kathy & Averill Allen

Bob & Grace Shim

Randy & Cheryl Bevis

Kevin & Ramona Dutton

Bob Shim getting a presentation ready

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Kathy Allen & Cheryl Bevis

Amanda Shim, Elsie Bevis, Kara Shim

Ruthie in the kitchen

Bob doesn't look too convinced.

Sunset over the Mekong. Laos on the other side.

Hello, Kevin and Ramona. Good Bye Alan & Janet

Just two days before the CHIC delegation, our son, Kevin, and his wife, Ramona arrived in Bangkok. Before their marriage, almost three years ago, they had promised each other they would set aside a period of time in short-term mission. And so they saved for this day and have paid their way out here to help in ministry in any way they can—as well as to seek out God’s will for their lives. For our first several days together, they were a great addition to the CHIC team as they, too got to see our work in a nutshell.

Already they have begun teaching English to some of our staff and are studying Thai with a tutor. In the afternoons Kevin is working at our factory/mill with our Thai-Hmong staff as we pour concrete, build buildings, and install equipment. Later they’ll be joining Karen Groot at ALC in Bangkok and may seek to work with other ministries here in Thailand .

Prior to our Bangkok trip to meet Kevin and Ramona, we said goodbye to Alan and Janet Bemo, who have been living with us for several months. Between trips to Laos and China, Alan finished almost half of the factory installation, while training our new Thai staff in metal fabrication and welding. Janet began our English-training program, laying a good foundation on which Kevin and Ramona can build. God has blessed us with a wonderful large home and He’s making sure it’s not empty or idle very often.

CHIC Visit (Covenant High Congress)