Mark in Chiang Mai
ict courtt the distr a h s li g n tE friends We taugh met many house and
Every Thursday the church ate together before spending time in worship
I led a group of summer interns from Abilene Christian University
Asian Mission Foru m was a great time to be together as miss ionaries and worsh ip
We had many Let’s Start Talking groups teach English using the Gospel
Christians ther with other We worked toge m nual ca p in Thailand at an
Blessed Through One Year of Service “One year?” some asked. “Yes, one year,” I would reply. April 15, 2010 I emailed Robert Reagan, the missionary I had worked with in 2007, and asked if I could come back to Thailand and work a year. The next day he emailed back with great excitement and said that he was 100% behind my coming back to Thailand. Many of my classmates were surprised that I would go for a year to do mission work. A year seemed so long for them, but for me now I know that it is not long enough.
After a year in Thailand I have met so many people who would have never known God if it were not for someone who came to teach them. It was interesting for me to meet these people and hear each of their stories while continuing the work by planting seeds. When I went in 2007 for 8 weeks I only experienced the “summer camp” feeling, but when I stayed a year I was able to really make friendships with the people I ministered to and worked along side. You
learn that everyone has their good and bad days; their ups and downs. Life happens all around the world and I was able to walk alongside many people as they learned more about what it means to be a Christian. God blessed my year with strong teammates from Texas A&M, Amanda (Shoemaker) Bowen, Hilary Crowder, and Kara (Keith) Garner and teammates from Thailand James and Bon. It was a wonderful experience to work with my teammates and to grow together.
God Opens Unex
Working Together
How can young people from Thailand, China, Malaysia, U.S., Singapore and Japan possibly work together in Cambodia to spread the love of Christ to children? That was the question that several missionaries asked six years ago while visiting Siem Reap, Cambodia. The next year groups from Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan joined together to start Angkor of Faith where groups enable the street children to be kids again. Each year close to 150 youth get together to play, feed, and teach children, some as young as four, who have been living on the streets selling souvenirs to tourists just to live. It has been a joy to both the served and the servers. This year we spent about thirty minutes everyday singing VBS motion songs with the kids. It was exciting to see the kids learning about Christ’s love in a fun and memorable way. Some of the kids still remember the songs even after six months. I pray that I can attend again this year! Check out Faith Ng’s video online. http://vimeo.com/27775505
I believe that most of you reading this newsletter have no idea what that first sentence says. Neither did I when I arrived in Thailand. Nor did I think learning Thai would help me to minister to fortythree Chinese students. Before leaving for Thailand I had several people ask me, “Will you study the language while you are there?” And in reply I would always say, “I want to, but it looks really hard with lots of curly letters and vowels on top and bottom of the letters.” Well, a few weeks after I arrived in Chiang Mai, Robert Reagan mentioned a course at Payap University that I could join to learn Thai with Chinese students studying abroad. Robert had learned of this program after working with several students that took the classes the year before and also came to the Christian Zone to study English. He told me this would be an opportunity to learn Thai language and culture, but I was scared. We went to speak to the professor and she told me, in perfect English, that she would love for me to join the program. After a few changes in the start date of the classes I got an email telling me that the students would arrive at the airport November 3, and we would begin class the next day. I was nervous as I walked into a room full of Chinese students all speaking Chinese. I thought, “How is this going to work?” Then the teacher got up and started talking,
in English, about class procedures and what we would be learning for the next eight months. After the teacher finished I had time to mingle with my new classmates. When I started talking to them, in their second language, I realized they were more nervous than I was. I knew that this would be fun and I was excited to see how much I would learn. After returning from class I realized that maybe I was not in this class just for studying, but God could use me to teach my classmates about His son’s com-
Groups Serve at the Zone
er y togeth a r p o t g ready arties f our p n gettin Childre ating at one o e before
During my year in Chiang Mai there were several different volunteers who came to help out with our ongoing ministries at the Payap Christian Zone. One organization that participated during the year was Let’s Start Talking, LST. I was encouraged to work alongside five different LST teams from Texas, Nebraska, California, and New Mexico. LST sends teams around the world to teach English using the Bible. It is an easy way to participate in short term missions. If you would like more information about Let’s Start Talking visit http://www.lst.org. Other groups from Ft. Worth Christian, Aggies for Christ, and Abilene Christian University volunteered in Chiang Mai to work and serve with us at the Zone. With so many different people coming through I made many new connections and was able to share my passion for missions with them. Also, through some of the friendships I pray that we can work together to continue teaching the Good News around the world.
xpected Doors
ing to earth to die for each of them. My classmates planned to be in Thailand for eight months and then go back to their university in China so I knew that there was no time to lose. During the Christmas holiday the interns and I planned a lock-in for all of classmates at the Zone. The Stay.ca.tion was meant to introduce my classmates to the zone and allow them to have a place to cook and have a fun day together. 500 homemade Chinese dumplings and a jam-packed day later, I felt that my classmates became more comfortable around the Zone and around us. As the year progressed we had a Let’s Start Talking group come to teach English using
the Gospel of Luke. This was an excellent chance for my classmates to come learn English as well as begin a study of the Bible. Before and after studying the students would hang out and play games or we would go out to eat with each other, times where bonds of friendship and trust grew. During this time my friend Seven and I became best friends. After the LST group left he still wanted to learn more about the Bible. He was a little older than most of the students in my class and more willing to ask questions. As we studied he began to ask why I beA grou lieve in God and why we sing songs p of yo uth some f to God. It was a growing time for un afte at the AMF h r an ev me as well having to answer all ening le aving cture these questions. As time went on he started coming to church every Sunday and I gave him his own easy-to-read Chinese Bible so that he could continue to study on his own. It was exciting to see him grow in his faith. The week before Faithful 4 Fifty was the theme of the Seven went back to China I asked him, “Do 50th annual Asian Mission Forum held you think Christianity can be for Chinese July 30 to August 3 this year in Chiang people or just for white people?” He quickly Mai, Thailand. responded, “For white people.” Later he told Before I left for Chiang Mai, Robert Reme, “I can see that it can become Chinese.” That gan asked me to help him with planning was the time that I knew he was changing. the Asian Mission Forum, AMF, that was Forty-three students heard about the Gosto be held in Chiang Mai that year. Soon pel of Jesus and a seed was planted. We do after arriving we started planning and getnot know where that seed fell, but I pray for ting everything sorted out. each of these students daily. After many months of emails, phone Before Seven got on the plane he wanted calls, and web developing it was time for to show me what he had in his backpack. He the annual forum. We had speakers, class opened it and he had three Bibles. He told teachers, and over 250 registered guests me, “I WILL keep studying!” representing at least 12 countries. I was re-
Lord, Where Shall I Go?
After spending a year in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and working with so many young people that are on fire to share the Gospel, I feel that I am called to continue working in South Asia to tell others about Christ’s love for each of them. As of now I would like to visit my classmates in Kunming, Yunan, China, and see how I could work with them and their families. Also, after working with many young people in Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and Thailand, I would love to join together to plant churches as a multi-national mission team. In today’s world there are many opportunities and I have been extremely blessed to go and serve in Thailand and I pray that I can continue to serve God’s people whereever I am. During the next couple of months I will be spending time in prayer and discernment for the coming years of my life. Please join me in prayer for places I can be used to spread the Good News.
Hope in the Future
ally apprehensive about our remembering all the details. As everyone started checking in, there was an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation to see how God was going to work through the speakers, classes, and conversations over a cups of coffee. After the first night speaker I knew that God was working in this place as a group of the youth assembled just to sing for an hour. It was inspiring to see so many people my age with a passion to spread the Gospel in Asia. AMF was a great blessing to all who attended. Check out Robert’s video online. http://vimeo.com/27726972
Cut me out and put me on your fridge!
Prayer Requests
Please pray for continued growth in faith for the following friends:
2509 Lincoln Drive Abilene, TX 79601-2022
My Chinese best friend, Seven
Ching, Kid, and sister Ling Ling
My Thailand sister, Aun Aun
Awn, my friend from the courthouse
Ivy, Prow, Faith, Iris, and Neem
Palm is a hardworking learner