Thailand 2006

Cha-am Video 2

As promised, I've got a 2nd, and maybe final, video from camp.  I've got some more footage that I can cut together from day 3 of camp... and as I am writing this, I think that I will, but it will be up much later.  That being said, this video is from the 2nd day of camp.  It's special because it includes the Songkran festivities, which is like the Thai New Year.  The Thai's are a bunch of April fools...

The video has footage of the morning lecture and worship as well as people teaching everyone the official "camp song," classes, the aforementioned Songkran Festival, team games, throwing people into the sea, evening lecture, and a "make the best animal sound" game.  Also don't miss a blaring mistake as Neale misspells the word "tomorrow," but doesn't realize until after he has spent hours editing and compressing and uploading the video to the website.  Please excuse me.  I was trying to see how many "mmmmms" I could fit into the word.  2 looked good to me at the time.

Please note once more: This movie is twice as long as the first, so that means it's twice as big.  Please be patient as it downloads.  High-speed Internet recommended. Think of this as an opportunity to do something that you never had time to do before, but now you can because you do.  Click and start flossing.

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Download the movie (QuickTime) 17 MB <right click and "save as">

Cha-am Video 1

I will slowly but surely get as much interesting stuff about the Cha-am Bible Camp up on this site.  To start off, I've got a video.  I was given the honor of presenting a short video at the end of each night's lectures and activities about what had gone on the day before.  This first one is obviously about what happened on the first day of camp.  You'll see people arriving, setting up, greeting each other...  I'll explain one part to you; the man behind the gate had just finished welding and installing that gate in the boy's bathroom.  He is pretending that he is in jail and is asking for some food... some fried rice and some coffee.  And look for the amazing Frisbee catch that I make midway through the movie.

Please note: I compressed the video the best I could, so please be patient for it to download. High-speed Internet recommended!

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Download the movie (QuickTime) - 8 MB <right click and "save as">

Week 15.1 - After Cha-am

I now see what all the excitement was about.  I am writing this on Sunday, April 16th.  And not from Bangkok, either.  We are visiting the hometown of our friend, Dee, in Krabi (located in Southern Thailand, 12-or so hours away from Bangkok by bus.)

The Cha-am Beach Bible Camp was on of the best experiences that I have had in Thailand.  We were able to see and worship with over 400 Thai brothers and sisters from all over Thailand.  The camp was from the 12th-16th, but we left a day early so that we could worship with the brethren in Krabi.  I'm not finding the right words to describe the experience.  It wasn't only that we had fun, though we had tons of it, but the camp showed me the impact and the scale to which the Bible and Christ has changed these Thai Christians.  Some of the highlights of the week were the preaching and singing, the Songkran Festival, the food, and seeing all of the kids running around.  We were also able to meet with other missionaries from different parts of Thailand (mostly Chaing Mai) who gave us encourgement and support in doing our work.  We were also able to reunite with a few of our friends, P. Itz and Aka.

I have tons of pictures and even some great video to put up once I am able to connect my computer to the Internet (I'm at an Internet cafe right now.)  I can't wait to get them up so that you can experience a little of the fun and encourgement that we received.

Week 14.1

I've got some great news, at least for us anyway.  We have been trying, almost since we have been here, to be approved for a non-immigrant visa and work permit that allows us to stay for an extended period in Thailand, and to work.  When you enter into Thailand, you are issued a 30-day tourist visa, so we have had to go to the Thai Immigration Bureau every month and renew our status.  They now are starting to recognize our faces, and I am uniquely familiar with the ceiling tiles in room 303.  So now we are almost semi-official.  We can start working (like we haven't been working hard already) and we can stay in Thailand for another 3 months.  After that, we will most likely get a full 1-year visa.  I feel its an accomplishment.

Dalissa also had a chance to experience the wonderful efficiency of  Thai Medical Services.  She has had some irritation in her right eye for about a week.  It got better and then she put in her contacts and it got worse again.  After the immigration office visit today, we took her to the Emergency ward at Payathai Hospital.  25 minutes and $25 later we were walking out of the hospital with a diagnosis, treatment, and prescription.  Amazing.  As we suspected, it wasn't anything serious.  Just a pin-point abrasion on her cornea. But the doctor said that she is still going to die, eventually, from something entirely different (I added that as we are leaving).  Eye drops until it feels better and no contacts for a week.

13.1 - All is quiet

If you were to visit the Somprasong 4 Church this week, all you would find is 3 very confused farang. (Farang is Thai for foreigner.)  All of the workers here, save 1 (P. Sam) have left for the coastal city of Cha-am, Thailand to prepare for their yearly Somprasong 4 Cha-am Bible Camp.  This church is host to over 500 Christians from all over Thailand and Southeast Asia that will descend on the beach-front campground that the church owns in Cha-am.  On the ticket will be 16 preachers offering many different lessons that revolve around their theme, "The Man Who Changes My Life."  Weeks and weeks of preparation and have gone into this, and most of the people from this congregation are already there preparing the camp for the visitors.  This is the highlight of the year here at Somprasong 4.  We will be leaving on the 12th to stay there until the 16th.

So everything is quiet.  They even gave us the keys to lock up at night, so in a way, I almost feel like the Apostle Peter... with the keys to the kingdom.  I'm sorry, it was a bad joke.

One of our dear friends from Thailand 2002 made her way to Bangkok this last week. Dee, our cultural liaison and all around terrifically, wonderfully, good person (her name, Dee, in Thai means "good") was here for 1 day to go with the group to Cha-am to prepare the camp.  She is living in southern Thailand, Krabi, teaching English to college aged students.  We accepted her invitation to visit her home town during the week after camp.  I am excited to see southern Thailand and to visit the brothers and sisters down there.

Here I am next to Dee.

March Newsletter

Time for the March Newsletter. Download it here (.pdf) 1.2 MB

Week 12.1 - Protests

If you have been keeping up with international news, this may have sparked your attention. Over the last few weeks, tension seems to be high, and everyone seems to be talking about Thailands Prime Minister. Even in taxi rides, you hear the taxi drivers playing radio broadcasts of protests and rally speakers in opposition to MP Taksin.  There is a vote happening tomorrow to solidify Taksin's appointment, but most of the people here in Bangkok are going to boycot the election.

Here is an audio news report and some articles: Article 1, Article 2

The protestors held a sit-in outside Government House, and listened to speeches by their leaders, as police looked on.

The activists rallied near Democracy Monument, the focal point of violent protests that brought down the Thai military government in the 1990s.

Thousands eventually took part in an unscheduled march towards the prime minister's office.

The demonstrators accuse Mr Thaksin of corruption and abuse of power - but the prime minister insists he will stay on until a snap election in April.

The authorities had feared violence might erupt, but the demonstration was peaceful - and at times festive.

The protesters negotiated their way past riot police armed with batons, who briefly tried to stop them.

The protest went on into the night, before activists returned to Sanam Luang, a public square where many are camping.

About 50,000 people gathered in Bangkok on Sunday, to take part in a protest against Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.