Shayne in Thailand
From Life in a Northern Town
My name is Shayne Rochfort and I am a servant of God, volunteering in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I am the “something” with Ignite Dreams Foundation. I am helping coordinate the office as well as opportunities to connect with other foundations and their projects in communities all over Thailand. My main role involves everything and anything, STILL. Please consider partnering with me, building God’s kingdom in Thailand.
2016 is a new year full of lots and lots of big opportunities already, most of those opportunities will be in other places than my home and I am looking for your assistance to help me along the way.
Challenges and Opportunities - Just like Ying and Yang As I sit here blessed and refreshed I think back in the last couple of months and the year that was gone. My last newsletter included all of the highlights and hard work that I put in and this one will give you an update since then plus an opportunity for you to play your part in helping me get to do some training in America in July. Recently, I had been feeling a little bit under valued and disconnected with my work, this generally means time for a new challenge. I still love the volunteers of my former foundation and hope to continue friendships that I have made over the past three years. No matter what happens, I continue to expand my friendship network throughout Asia and further abroad and loves to hear stories about how people are changing lives here in Thailand. Please continue to pray for those volunteers and amazing people. Compared to last year, my Christmas was very, very quiet, I was mostly staying around home and I went to the Christmas party at The River Christmas night. I continued the low-key holiday until I joined Russell and his team from Australia in Phitsanulok. What was proposed to be just an overnight meet up and lead into Chiang Mai, became a couple of day adventure leading up to New Year's Eve. It was a change, a blessing and an encouragement.
I was able to share with 16 passionate, young people about my work in Thailand and also connect and take in some of the scenery north of Chiang Mai, which I had never seen before. As the new year rolled around I had promised to help out with the TEDx conference in Chiang Mai. This short-term challenge was amazing. I was mostly helping with whatever needed to be done and helping to sort out and train and coordinate the volunteers. It was great to work with such an awesome team of people. The actual day of the event and the set up before hand went very well. We hosted about 1200 participants with 100 volunteers and an unknown quantity of the exhibitors and hotel staff. It was an amazing coordinated effort between everyone, especially when we had to feed all the attendees within one and a half hours. It was busy and crazy times, but we did it! Whilst preparing for TEDx, I had had dinner with a friend who mentioned she had, that morning, met with the leaders of a small foundation, who needed someone with skills lining up perfectly with my skill sets. It's crazy sometimes how God works. Just a simple conversation and a simple meal, brings a new challenge.
I then met with the current local leaders of the foundation as the Chairman is currently recovering in America. I have previously mentioned this person in my prayer points. The foundation is small and needs some basics setup or re-engineered. There is real potential and opportunities coming soon for this foundation. I will serve them and use my skills to see this happen smoothly in to the future. So we got my paperwork together and I then hastily went to Vientiane to get my new visa. My adventures of visa running are written up on my website http://www.shayneinthailand.com/vientiane-visa-run/ . Actually compared to last time, It was a pretty uneventful and hassle-free adventure. Back in Thailand, I began to work with the new foundation, starting with getting a website and preparing some of the systems to facilitate administration of the foundation easier. I will share more in the next month or two.
Now!!! Fundraising for Training and Preparations in America - June and July 2016 at OMS Headquarters in Indiana - see over
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7-9 (NIV)
God Leads and Equips I am thinking today, back to high school even back to primary school I was someone who was never a very deep friend to many, but I had lots of friends. I was also a resourceful person who was able to help many people with many different things. Then I look to the many different friends I had, positions I held, the jobs that I did and also the volunteer skills that I gained from church, friends and sport. I could always connect with so many people very easily and also to find out what they needed and connected them to people that they could talk to about solutions or mutual benefits. Sometimes I wondered why I had these abilities and tendencies. I realize that they would just be little bits of God giving me the skills that I needed to work and to minister for Him. I really love my life and what I do for Him. While it is not full on like others it is still something that gives Him pleasure, and serves others. Some people talk, other people do. My motto is, "Know God, make Him known." I try to let them see God through what I do, my words are not many, but they are my bond, my actions give Him glory. Now, after recently discussing with the Regional Director OMS (my sending organisation) plans, dreams and proposals for Asia. It is going to be strategic and beneficial for me to go to America in June for meetings, conference and CROSS training prior to returning to Australia and my time there from August until October. While I have completed many similar training courses OMS believe that my future ministry effectiveness will be enhanced. I am not one who travels much and I am hesitant even with this, but it seems the perfect opportunity to kill a few birds with one stone. That saying, travel requires money, I have booked my flights to Australia last July and September to get the best deals available, now I need to find probably US$3000-4000 to cover my month in Indiana, my flights and my training expenses. I need your help. Like my previous trip to America, I will be connecting with people so that my accommodation expenses are kept to a minimum, but there will be times during training, I will have to stay in dorms/paid accommodation onsite. I have a small number of wonderful supporters, and I hope that many other people will be able to help with this cause. Please see the “Supporting Shayne” section below for alternatives for making donations.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO PRAY: Praise God for new beginnings and new challenges. I thank God for every skill and ability he has given me and for the opportunities he brings to me. I pray that with everything I do, I can bring Jesus to the communities I am part of. Please pray for Thailand. It’s beautiful, but with the current political climate, we are experiencing continual changes to laws and processes. Please pray for this year, I have so many things happening at the moment. I have many opportunities to serve Thai people and other also. I am committed to being in Thailand. I would like to let you know that if you are able to partner with me in my work, then you can do so through One Mission Society. There are many ways you can support me, through prayer as well as financially. This partnership is helping serve the great need for Thai people to come to know Jesus. My prayer card with all the details is available at http://issuu.com/shayneinthailand/docs/prayercard . Please include my missionary number #803833 with any donations. You can support me financially by :-
Supporting Shayne
45/32 Moo 5 T. Chang Puak A. Muang Chiang Mai 50300 THAILAND
Phone/Line/WhatsApp +66801202074 Email - shayneinthailan@gmail.com Skype - shayneinthailand
Cheque - Please make cheques payable to: OMS International, PO Box 897, RINGWOOD, Vic 3134. Include a note with my name. Direct Debit - If you wish to make a payment directly through your bank, pay to: Westpac. Acc Name: OMS International Australia- Inc. BSB: 733172 Account Number: 628724. NOTE: In the transaction details please be sure to include your name and ROC. Credit card donations - can be made through the website. http://www.omsaus.org OMS phone – 03 9870 8559