CRAZY OLYMPICS

It's the 'ODD' year crazy olympics. After the torch run, the opening ceremonies included the 'lighting of the pot'. Quite impressive! That was followed by the competition of 3 teams in six events.
After making their own airplanes, the distance competition began. Accuracy with the airplanes was measured by throwing their planes through the olympic rings. That was followed by distance and accuracy with the 'snowballs' (shower puffs). The competition was fierce.

Other events included the javelin throw (drinking straws), the broad jump (smiling competitively) and the shooting sports (spinning wheel guns). Competitors were highly involved. The Gold medals went to the Red team although the results were very close.

After thinking about the Apostle Paul's challenge of preparing for the games, all were ready for the sports healthy snacks of fruit and cheese and peanut butter crackers to follow up the races. The fruit in Thailand is great by the way.

BREAD MAKING

Our Chinese readers asked to learn how to make our "delicious" rolls that they had tasted at a previous gathering. Bread is not a staple in Asian diets like it is in the States. Saturday afternoon we had a bread making class for our readers. 13 readers and about 20 church members came to make, bake and taste. We made regular rolls.


And we made cinnamon rolls.
And we played games while they rose and baked. As each of the 6 pans came out of the oven, the rolls were devoured. This four hour event was a hit.

As part of our project, we have a weekly party. There are several purposes for meeting in this way. One of the reasons is that we would like our readers to get to know the local congregation in order to feel that they belong after we are gone. It is also a good time for our readers to practice their English in a different setting. In addition, the relaxed atmosphere helps to build relationships.
This week's party was a celebration of Valen"thais" Day. Ten of our readers joined about 35 area Christians and 26 high schoolers from Ft. Worth, Texas in an evening of music and games.

It was interesting and encouraging to see the interaction between the American high school students and the Chinese College Students who are attending Payap University.

We felt fortunate that the Thai Christians invited us and our readers to join them in the Valentine Party that has become a tradition for them. They made provisions for a catered meal, prizes and games and we supplemented the party with a game, conversation hearts and materials to make Valentine's Cards. Our readers seemed to enjoy the festivities.

Future Looks Bright

Worship services at the Payap Christian Zone are uplifting and an indication of the future of this congregation. We usually hear the lesson through an interpreter. The song service is almost all in Thai written phonetically on the power point for the english speakers. We do our best to sing along. It is amazing how uplifting the singing can be even though we often don't know exactly what we are saying.

This morning was expecially encouraging. Communion services are conducted with the members encircling the communion table. Today the young man who presided at the table, Branson, was the son of our host. He is in his early teens and this was the first time he had performed this service. As a mother, I know how special these "firsts" are in your heart. He spoke in English first and then also in Thai, so he had double duty. He seemed very comforable being with the group and leading our thoughts. Great job!

Immediately following the communion, our speaker, James, went to the podium and announced this was his first time to give a sermon. The congregation is just beginning a study of the parables and he spoke on forgiveness from Mathew 18, The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. He spoke in English and there was a young Thai man (Berm) who translated for him. His lesson was very meaningful and well done.

As I observed these 3 men leading the service I was grateful for the leadership that is being developed at this place. It speaks well of what the future holds for the congregation.

Weekend Service Project

Last Sunday, Feb. 6, we went with the Payap church along with 26 high school students from Ft. Worth, Texas to a home for Handicapped children. When we arrived, we found about 100 children in wheelchairs and using walkers and crutches. Many of them had deformities in their bodies, but their spirits were joyous. They ran or rolled out to meet us as quickly as they could. They greeted us with hugs and smiles.
We sang songs with them, had a skit about Jesus calming the waters, played games and helped each one make a pinwheel to remind them of how Jesus has control over the storm. Even though they did not speak the same language, love was communicated in the name of Jesus Christ. At the end, the Thai speakers lead groups of children in prayer.

THE ENCOURAGERS BECOME THE ENCOURAGED

Words cannot express the feelings I have when I look at this picture. I would like to try to share with you what this meeting means to me:

As we were traveling to the mountain village to teach English, Robert (our host) told us we would stop at the home of one of the elders of the church. He explained that this man was very ill and had only a short time left on this earth.

We traveled in a truck to the village with 6 of us riding in the back of the truck and 5 in the front. When we arrived at the home, we were each met with a warm hug. This was a surprise because Thai people are not big on hugging. They "wai", which I find is a very warm greeting. (Wai is putting your hands in front of you as if in prayer and tipping the head. The higher the hands are held the more respect you have for the person. If the hands are near the nose they receive much respect.) The woman who met us treated us with great respect, but also there was a feeling of closeness and appreciation for our presence.

As we entered the house, Robert told us that this house is also the church building for this village. One room had a podium, song books, etc for that purpose. It was a large house by Tai standards, but probably not so big by our standards. Even so, there was a special place for the worship of the church. Robert also explained that this couple had three boys and 1 girl-all grown. The boys are all preachers and the girl is married to a preacher. Every one faithful to the Lord. We also learned that this man had once chosen to be a Buddhist monk, but instead dedicated his life to serving the Lord God.

When we saw this gentleman, he was covered to the neck with a blanket and was wearing gloves since the mornig was chilly for Nebraskans, cold for Thais, and the house has no heat. There was a tank of oxygen by his bed and he had difficulty talking because he was quite weak. Robert interpreted for us as the man talked. As we entered, he asked that God bless us and bless the work that we are doing.

We sang 5-6 songs-some that he requested, some his wife requested and some we chose. Many of them were about the promise we have for a special place in God's presence when this life is over. After the singing we were led in prayer by Bon (who prayed in Thai) and then Tom (one of our team members who prayed in English).

Before we left, Robert asked if he wanted to tell us anything. (This is the part that is difficult for me to report because I was so overwhelmed with the way that this 'uneducated' man spoke and my words do not do his justice.) His words were full of grace and wisdom. His speaking made me think of the fishermen that Jesus asked to "follow me". He talked about the foreigners and Thai who had come together in that place because of the love that God has for all of us. He told us that we must continue to teach the world about the good news that is so important for everyone to know. He encouraged us to remain faithful until death to the one who had suffered so much for us.

I have summed up what he said in my own words and they are very inadequate compared to his. His love and his wife's love for us-people they had never met before-were so very evident. Their faith in Christ Jesus was so strong. I will remember this couple as an example of Godly people the rest of my live. I would never have expected to find such eloquence and encouragement in a small village in the mountains of Thailand, but I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to meet this very special brother and sister.

Sheila

A Day in a Mountain Village

On the first day of February we went to the village of BawGaew to teach English lessons for the school there. One the teachers there is a member of the church. She asked Robert Reagan, the director of the Christian Zone and our host, to provide some activities for an English Day Camp. Our main goal was to help the students become excited about learning English. Robert told us that sometimes in the villages far from the city it is difficult for the students to see a good reason to learn English. This turned out to be a great week for us to take a day off from our normal schedual since many of our readers are Chinese students at Payap University and they were taking the week off to prepare for a celebration of the Chinese New Year.

Sheila prepared a lesson on shapes and colors. After they had learned (or for some of them reviewed) the vocabulary they played a game with the words . The students are drawing a set of letters out of Sheila's cup so they can race to spell their new vocabulary.

Michele had a lesson on the parts of the body. The lesson opened with the song, Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes. After increasing the vocabulary a bit the students played Simon Says but no one got "out".

Helen played a game with scrabble tiles. The students practiced making English words with random tiles.

Tom's lesson was on animals and foods. After vocabulary and spelling practice with flash cards, they sang Old McDonald, and Tom learned the sounds that animals make in Thailand. These can be quite different from what we are familiar with in America, for example here a dog says, "hong."

We had a very good day. It was good for us to see more of Thailand and by the end of the day we could see that the students were very excited about English. By helping that teacher provide this experience for her students we were witnessing to the loving kindness of our God to the administrators and students of that school as well as the students' families.

WINTER WONDERLAND, PARTY 3

Thailand is warm everyday. Most Thai's have never seen snow, except on TV. The 3rd LST Party began with a slide show of snow in Nebraska, and there was plenty of it to see as they also were hearing the song, "Frosty the Snowman". Students were amazed as they saw the piles of snow and the children playing in the snow.

After explaining that winter is a good time to spend time playing indoor games, the LST team introduced them to some new games. The Apples to Apples vocabulary brought many to laughter. Rummy Cube was quickly learned and winners soon emerged. All of those attending also made paper snowflakes while Michelle shared about the snow in Nebraska. There were very talented cutters.

We are now looking forward to another week of readers. This may be a slow week however as many of the Chinese readers are highly involved in the Chinese New year which is February 2. Many of the readers will be performing during the celebration. As these readers were asked about their favorite holiday as they read about the Passover in Luke, most all of them said, the "Chinese Festival", which is their name for the Chinese New Year. This is the most important holiday in China we are told. When they are at home, they receive gifts and have parties at this time.

WHO IS HERE?

It is Sunday. This is the place to be and the house is about full. Five congregations met together to worship. There were over 100 here and they all take off their shoes before entering the building. This is the custom in Thailand. When one enters a home or many public buildings they take off their shoes. Most go barefoot inside. As for us, we like to have a pair of slippers handy to wear inside. One asked us if we were 'pretty attached to our slippers'. I guess that "yes" is the answer. As we think about it, floors do stay much cleaner when outside shoes are not worn inside.

The LST team enjoyed the worship with so many Thai Christians. As usual the songs were shown on a screen in Thai and in phonetic Thai so that we could sing along with them in their language (or somewhat their language). We recognize most of the melodies as they sing most of the same songs that we do in the States, but it is amazing that we simply cannot remember the words to familiar songs when everyone else is singing a different language.

One of the Thai Christians here is kind enough to translate the lessons for the team so that we can gain from the good lessons that are taught. What a blessing that is!

NOURISHMENT IN THAILAND

The LST team is nourished each day by the enthusiasism of the readers who want to learn English and also are learning about Jesus. They come and brighten our lives.

But the body must also be nourished and that is a little different than we recieve in Kansas or Nebraska. Each morning as a team we prepare breakfast in the kitchen of the Christian Zone at about 7:30 a.m. The usual is oatmeal with milk, yogurt and raisins accompanied by toast with peanut butter and jelly. On special days we also have banana bread purchased from 7-Eleven (a favorite of ours as well as the Interns). 7-Eleven cannot seem to keep enough on the shelves for all of us.

After about 3 hours of reading we are ready for lunch. There are several street side restaurants very near the Christian Zone. We many times invite our readers to join us for meals. Most every meal is put on top of white or sticky rice or noodles of some kind. The above is chicken (Guy) over rice with a sweet sour sauce. Very tasty.

As reading sessions end at about 8 p.m. the team is ready for more physical nourishment. Vendors are nearby with a variety of foods that can be purchased. The fruit is great. This vendor is doing her best to teach us the names of our favorite fruits. There are a variety of fried meats, grilled meat on a stick, fruit beverages, pancakes, etc. We find that our $8/day/person is plenty to feed us. We have managed to stay well and well fed, as well as spoiled for not needing to do much work in the kitchen.

ACCOMODATIONS

The Norris/Tandy LST Team has overcome Jetlag and is settled into accomodations. The apartments are on the right hand side of the above photo. Tom and Helen and Michele live on the 3rd floor while Sheila is on the second floor. The window just to the left of the electric pole is Tom and Helen's. Sheila and Michele face the other side of the building. Our one room apartments are air conditioned when needed and have hot water for showers. We spend few hours there, however, as we are busy at the Christian Zone.

The entrance to the Zone is behind the team. The first floor has a large meeting room that extends just past the truck. This is an excellent place for our parties and greeting our readers. Cell group Bible study is also held there. There are also 3 rooms in the back that are perfect for our reading sessions. We use the kitchen on the second floor for our breakfast and other cooking. The Interns live on the second floor as well. The third floor is one large room where worship services are held on Sundays.

There are four resturants in the area. We have tried three of them, and they provide tasty and inexpensive meals. There are also street vendors who provide everything from fried chicken to fresh fruit. We have only forgotten to ask for our food "without spice" once or twice so we are getting along well. The most helpful place is a Seven Eleven. They are very popular here; there are two of them in a two block distance. At Seven Eleven you can get grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, banana bread, or pork and sticky rice.

OUR FIRST PARTY

Each week our LST team will host a party for our students and for the church that meets here. This provides time for us to interact with all of our students who can come and for the church to get to know our students. It is a joy to see this happening as it will provide a time for continued help for the students that have indicated an interest in this study after we have to go back to America.

"WORDS AND THINGS" was the theme of our first party. It began with a wordfind using some of the words from the first three lessons in our study of Luke. Many of the students had never seen a word find. As one finished, they helped one another complete the search to receive their tootsie roll, a candy not found in Thailand. They then were divided into groups with letters with which they had to form a word from our lessons. While in their groups they were given Scrabble tiles to make other words and receive points as in the Scrabble game. The team members worked together on this. Not only did the students practice English communication, but they also interacted with the Christian Zone members. This was followed by an activity using selected Proverbs in which they worked with a partner to read and explain what the Proverb meant. We saw a lot of interaction between the members here in Chiang Mai and our readers which was just what we had hoped for and an encouragment to us.

The evening was closed by singing "Thy Word Is a Lamp Unto My Feet". That was followed by enjoying Coke Floats together. Many had never experienced that either. They said it was delicious!!

Experiencing Thailand

One week of readers is over. It has been a good one with so many experiences with readers who do not know about Jesus. As we watch their faces as they read about the virgin birth and about the things that Jesus did on earth, it is exciting to tell them that we do believe what we are reading.

Today we visited a famous Buddhist Temple on a mountain very near Chiang Mai. Many people were there selling their wares, selling flowers for the Buddha, offering money at the shrines and bowing in reverence. Yes, it was quite a walk up all of these steps as well. It makes us even more excited about telling the story that we want to tell.

Reading Has begun!

The Norris/Tandy team are busy with 28 readers and more signing up. Above is a photo of the building where we are reading. A good percentage of the readers are Chinese students who are in Thailand attending Payap University. The Christian Zone where we are working is very near Payap University. Our students are so enthusiastic and are anxious to improve their English skills. We are reading the book of Luke with them. Tom has one student who is reading the last of the LST workbooks. They are reading Genesis which will be thought provoking for him.

There are 4 interns working at the Christian Zone. What a joy it is to work together. Most of the interns are also studying the Thai language at the University.

Not only are we happy to be studying here, but we are also enjoying the beautiful weather and country of Thailand. We are in short sleeves, while our friends at home are wearing layers of clothing to protect them from the cold weather. Nebraska has a 90% chance of 10" of snow, while we have a 99% chance of sunshine and high 80's degrees.

Please keep us in your prayers, that we can help our students improve their English, but most of all introduce them to Jesus and the Christian Life.

Norris and Tandy in Chiang Mai

Tom and Helen Norris and Sheila and Michele Tandy will enjoy working with Thai people to improve their English skills while reading the book of Luke. This project had begun with about 20 readers on the first day. Our readers are so excited to talk with us. We do hope that we can build some good relationships with people from Thailand as well as some students here from China. How exciting for us as well. Our schedule is to work with readers 8 hours per day on a one-to-one basis. We will also hold special social events for our readers and the Christians here.

We have enjoyed the Thai food and hospitality. Our accommodations are simple but very comfortable. We are looking forward to this project. Look for photos in the near future.