Changes and Progress

This past week has been one that has marked significant milestones and changes in our lives.

Sunday was Father's Day. I have been a father for over 31 years! That fact is almost unbelievable to me. How could that much time have gone by without me beginning to feel old?

We were in Dryden for the Sunday morning church service. At the carry-in lunch after the service, there was a farewell for us as we prepare to end our time of service with Northern Youth Programs. We joined the staff team there 28 years ago. When we first came to the North in 1978 we were 25 years old and had very little experience in ministry. God gave us many opportunities over the years to build relationships with people and learn new skills. We have made many friends that we will value and maintain our friendship with for many years to come.

Now that we are leaving NYP, God is opening doors for us to continue ministry in the North with First Nations people through Believer's Fellowship in Sioux Lookout. We begin serving with Believer's Fellowship Jly 1, 2006. I am excited about this new stage of our lives. Change can be invigorating and exciting. I see this change as another opporunity for growth and development. A step forward for us.

We travelled to Pennsylvania this week. I spoke at the training week for the WATER program at SMBI. They have a group of 52 people who will be going into short term mission programs this summer.

While we were at SMBI I had my 53rd birthday. I am reminded that as the clock marking the years of my life keeps ticking away, God is directing my life step by step. I am so grateful for the many people he has allowed me to partner with in life, Edith, our children, Morley Beardy, David Thompson, Pastor Paul Vital, and many many others. I am humbled by the opportunities for ministry in Canada with the First Nations people, Haiti with our friends there, and in Asia.

One of the neat things is that life has been so much fun! The variety of opportunities we have had is far greater than I would have ever thought possible. The enjoyment of it all is a wonderful added blessings.

I look back over the past 30 years and marvel at what God has done. I look to the future with a sense of anticipation. Life is not boring!

Following are a picture of the farewell gift NYP gave us and Edith, Elaine, Dallas and I with the customary farewell cake.

Teenager

Yesterday a huge event happened at our house. Elaine turned 13. The long awaited event finally arrived. She was waiting so long to be a teenager.

Today we picked up some of her friends and they are having a party this evening and then a slumber party overnight. Dallas has the Stoll boys from Hudson here tonight too, so there is lots of activity. We are keeping Jonathan Stoll's two foster children while they attend a wedding in Kenora today. So tonight for the birthday supper there were 10 children at the table.

Here are some pictures of the birthday supper and Elaine with her friends.

Awards

Last evening we had the awards program for Cornerstone Christian School. The children are finished with another school year. Elaine is finished with grade 7 and Dallas with grade 5.

Now the Summer looms ahead of them. I'm sure they have plans for lots of swimming and playing with their friends. We did go swimming at the bridge between our place and town on Sunday afternoon. I didn't go in because I thought it was still too cold.

Here are a few pictures of Elaine and Dallas getting their awards last evening.

Home Again

Dallas and I got home just after midnight on Friday night. I am dealing with jet lag in a major way, but otherwise we are doing great. It is wonderful to be back home!

On the way home we were looking at the newspaper in Chicago. The main articles were about the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. There were pictures of him dead. Pictures of the rubble of his house, and drawings of the jet fighter planes and bombs that were used. Dallas was asking me what it was about. I explained to him that the United States had hunted down al-Zarqawi and bombed the house he was staying in that night. I told him how everyone in the house was killed. We looked at the picture of the rubble and talked about what it must have been like to be inside the house.

Dallas said, "Well, if I would be one of his family...". I said, "If I would have been one of his family I would have wanted to stay away from him because I would have known that the United States was trying to kill him". He said, "No, what I meant was if I would be one of his cousins, or somebody like that, I would want to kill somebody to get revenge".

We talked about how that is exactly what is happening. The article said the United States had spent over $500 million dollars tracking al-Zarqawi and trying to kill him. All that money was spent and when they were finally successful it will raise up more people bent on getting revenge.

So, even an 11 year old boy understands something the governments of this world seem to have forgotten. Violence breeds violence. Ghandi defeated the greatest military power of his time not by using violence but by rejecting violence. The power of peace is still greater and longer lasting than violence.

Thursday Day 13

Today we went to another Lisu Bible Institute. This one is really a Bible College.They require a high school diploma for entrance and have a full four year program. They have about 60 students.

In the afternoon we went to the office for the building we are renting and actually signed the contract. So IGo offically has a buidling now. We payed the deposit and everything is in place now.We can start making renovations November 1st.

We went to the airport at 4:00 PM and flew to Bangkok. At 10:15 we left for Tokyo.We are now waiting forour flight to Chicago. Dallas has slept since we got here. We have a six hour wait here in Tokyo and I think he will sleep through it.

Following are pictures of the Lisu Bible Institute and Dallas eating fried eggs in the Bangkok airport at 8:30 PM. Don't ask me why he eats fried eggs for supper when we travel bu won't eat them at home.

Wednesday Day 12

Today we went to the office of the building we are renting for IGo and ask more questions of the manager. The contract was not ready for us to sign. She said we should come back tomorrow afternoon to sign the contract. We are planning to have a Thai pastor meet us there to read the contract so that we know what we are signing.

We had lunch with Luke Kuepfer and then went to a Bible school for the Karen tribal people. After that we went to a Bible Institute for the Lisu tribal people. The Lisu tribe is in China, Burma and Thailand. There are about 40,000 Lisu in Thailand. We meet with Tom Morse the man who is directing the Bible Institute. His grandfather went to China as a missionary to the Lisu in 1920 and their family has been in ministry among the Lisu since that time. He was raised in a Lisu village in a remote area in Burma. He said that internally he feels more Lisu than American.

This evening we have a worship time here at the GTO Centre with their staff.

Tomorrow we are planning to visit another Lisu Bible Institute and then go to sign the contract. Right after signing the contract, they will take Dallas and I to the airport to get our flight back to North America. I'm not sure when I will get internet connection again to update this, but I will try to at least do something in Japan while we are waiting for our flight from Tokyo to Chicago.

The first picture is the chapel at the Karen Bible school and the second picture is Tom Morse and his wife Debra at the Lisu Bible Institute.

Tuesday Day 11

Today we met with man who has a lot of experience in Thailand with Immigration and government things. He gave us some good advice on getting established in Thailand.

For lunch we met with a Thai Doctor who is also a Pastor of a Thai church. It was interesting to hear his perpesctive on ministry and needs in Thailand.

This evening we went to Chiang Dao to the Compassion Home which is sponsored by GTO. They house about 40 children from villages while they attend school. Most of them are from ages 8 to about 13. Dallas loved it. After we left he said he wants to live there. His comment was "AWESOME!".

Following are two pictures from the Compassion Home. One is the children in the evening chapel service and the other is two girls doing their homework.

Monday Day 10

Today we had meetings with ministry organizations and pastors here in Chiang Mai. We also went to the manager of the building we had put a lease offer on. They told us that they will accept our offer to lease the building.Wednesday we will sign the contract and pay a deposit of three months rent. It is exciting to walk into the building and realize that we actually have a location for IGo to begin classes in April 2007.

We went through the building with a contractor to discuss the modifications we need to make. He is going to give us a quote to do the remodeling work. We can begin with the remodeling in November.

The building is 64 x 40 feet with four floors. The monthly rent is just under $1200.00 in U. S. Funds.

We had lunch with the YWAM director for Northern Thailand. He shared some helpful information with us regarding ministry in Thailand. We then went to SOJOS and met Dwayne Graybill. While we were there Luke brought Pastor Kiat to meet with us. Pastor Kiat is a Thai pastor. We had a good discussion with him. He was very helpful in understanding the setting in Chiang Mai. He took us to see his church.

After that we came back to the GTO Centre for supper.

Following is a picture of the street from one of the top floors of the new IGo building and the table at SOJOS while we were waiting for Pastor Kiat to arrive. SOJOS is part of the same business where Dwayne Graybill works, but he doesn't work in the resturaunt.

Today we attended the Sunday morning service at the GTO Centre. We had a special service that focused on the global day of prayer for unreached people groups. It was a good service. We had lunch at the Centre and then three of our group,Marvin Miller, and Marvin and Rosanna Kauffman left for China. Below is a picture to them getting ready to go to the airport.

Later this afternoon Jim Weaver and Collier Berkshire left to spend four days travelling with Wrightdee. Wrightdee is a seventy year old Thai evangelist that has a number of churches that he has started among the Karen tribal people here in Northwest Thailand. They will be visiting some of the jungle communities and doing some preaching and teaching.

Dallas and I alsong with Val Yoder and his son Brandon are staying in Chiang Mai to continue to try to conclude the lease agreement on the Institute facility. We will be meeting with the property manager again tomorrow to attempt to find out if the contract offer we made is acceptable. We are meeting with lawyers, Pastors and other people who can give us advice in regards to operating an Institute in Thailand. It looks like a busy few days until we leave on Thursday afternoon.

Saturday Day 8

Today we went to the Elephant show in the morning. They do some amazing things with the elephants,like have them paint pictures, play soccer and throw darts at a dartboard. Dallas loved feeding them bananas and sugar cane.

This afternoon we completed our board meeting. Then this evening we went for dinner on a river boat. We ate by candlelight as the boat took us about 45 minutes down the river and then back to our starting point.

Here is a picture of the elephant show and a scene from the river boat

My 53rd Birthday!

Today is my birthday. I found my gift from Merle at the bottom of the clothes hamper a few days after he left-a book I've been wanting. Thanks!

I was born in 1953. Now I'm 53. Isn't that somehow supposed to make this my lucky year? Actually, I feel lucky already. I used to be afraid I wouldn't live to see my children grow to adulthood. Now the older set are responsible, caring adults. Task completed! The second set are on their way. I do pray we'll both live to raise them to adulthood. They've had so many losses in their lives already.

I feel grateful our 33 year old marriage is so enjoyable after all the twists and turns of life. We've walked through them together and are both the better for it. I feel treasured and valued by Merle.

I have friends from different cultures and have learned a second language [Haitian Creole-at least the basics!] as an adult. Cross cultural experiences have been so enriching and have taught me a lot about myself. That wasn't always easy, but it's been good.

I have accepted God's value placed on me shown by His sacrificial gift of Christ. I am learning to rest and grow in and under His acceptance. How wealthy I am! I feel delighted in as I sit in my home among the trees, birds and flowers that refresh me so.

I remember my years growing up along the Susquehanna River in Pa. My parents and many siblings shaped me and invested lots into me. Now my parents are both gone, but I count my siblings as some of my best friends. What an enriching resource they've been!

Those are some of the blessings I think of on this special day. I want to thank my friends who have sent cards and warm thoughts. Ilva, Verna, Carol, and Betty Ann, You all blessed me. And now I must leave for another gift. Elaine and I are having Supper with Cathy Yoder and Rose Buck at Cathy's place. Actually I don't even think they know it's my birthday. But don't worry! I sang Happy Birthday to myself in the shower this morning! Edith

Friday Day 7

Today we had a board meeting here in Chiang Mai. We went to a historic Buddhist temple on the way to the meeting. Here is a picture of the Tuk Tuk that James Stutzman, Dallas and I rode back to the GTO Centre. James is sitting in the driver's seat but the real driver is standing off to the right side of the picture.

Thursday Day 6

Today we spent the day looking at buildings. We are quite pleased with the building that was located as a possibility for the Institute. We have put in an offer to lease the building with the lease payments beginning in January 2007. We are praying that the manager of the building will accept the offer.

Dallas went with us until he got his school work done. Then he thought he had beter things to do than ride around all day with a group of men and look at buildings. Somebody from the GTO Centre came over with a motorbike and picked him up and
took him back to the GTO Centre.

Following are a picture of the inside of what we hope will be the Institute building, the outside of the building and Dallas doing school work this morning before we left the GTO Centre.