April 2011 Newsletter
Dear Family & Friends,
CULTURE CORNER
The largest water fight in the world happens every April 13-15 in Thailand. It is called the Songkran festival; the Thai new year. Everyone wears brightly colored shirts and gets soaked with water. There are some who avoid this but most enjoy it or at least join in. It usually lasts one or two weeks, depending on the city. It originated as a day of honoring your parents and elders by sprinkling water and saying a blessing over their lives. Most churches celebrate the traditional way by having the younger members bless the elder members of the church.
Neill drove the older Home of Hope kids around in the back of the pickup to throw water at people in other trucks, on motorcycles and people in the street. People get wax put on their vehicles in different designs during Songkran to make them look nice and to protect the finish. The kids threw about 800 liters of water or about 213 gallons. They received as much or more and sometimes it was cold water! Some people put blocks of ice in the water so that when you get hit it is a bit of a shock on a day that is between 95 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
DIANA’S DELIGHTS
April 10 was the day for the dedication of the Ban Gao Church into Foursquare. Pastors John and Dear came with several members of the Mae Sot Foursquare Church to join us in this celebration. Going up into the mountains to visit my friends is my favorite thing to do in Thailand.
We are moved into our new one-level home now. It is a lot smaller than our other place but that is what we wanted. We are waiting to have the kitchen walls done in ceramic tile and then some outside tiling and we will be settled in completely. Anyone who wants to come visit is welcome!
NEILL’S NOTES
There won’t be a newsletter next month as I will be in Wisconsin, helping my sisters sort out my Mom’s estate. I will not be visiting any churches and will only be there for about a month. I will be active on the internet if you wish to email me. Diana will stay in Mae Sot and hold down the fort while I am gone.
Since I had no one to drive me around in the back of the truck, I walked the street of Mae Sot with my 7-11 Big Gulp cup borrowing water from various places and at times I was asked to join with them. It is a lot of fun but I still don’t care for the rice flour paste or the powder they put on your face but it’s all in fun. As I walked around people would offer beer, whiskey, food and of course they would have to pour water on me and wish me a Happy New Year, as I did the same.
Please pray for:
Pastors John & Dear and their families
Ban Gao Church to grow spiritually and have leaders emerge
Diana’s good health
Neill’s preaching/teaching at Ban Gao in Thai
Your partners in ministry,
Neill & Diana
Amy -- the first 3 pics are from Songkran: waxed truck; kids in the truck
the last 3 are of Ban Gao Church dedication: Church with members and some members from Pastor John's church; inside church; Diana with some Home of Hope kids
CULTURE CORNER
The largest water fight in the world happens every April 13-15 in Thailand. It is called the Songkran festival; the Thai new year. Everyone wears brightly colored shirts and gets soaked with water. There are some who avoid this but most enjoy it or at least join in. It usually lasts one or two weeks, depending on the city. It originated as a day of honoring your parents and elders by sprinkling water and saying a blessing over their lives. Most churches celebrate the traditional way by having the younger members bless the elder members of the church.
Neill drove the older Home of Hope kids around in the back of the pickup to throw water at people in other trucks, on motorcycles and people in the street. People get wax put on their vehicles in different designs during Songkran to make them look nice and to protect the finish. The kids threw about 800 liters of water or about 213 gallons. They received as much or more and sometimes it was cold water! Some people put blocks of ice in the water so that when you get hit it is a bit of a shock on a day that is between 95 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
DIANA’S DELIGHTS
April 10 was the day for the dedication of the Ban Gao Church into Foursquare. Pastors John and Dear came with several members of the Mae Sot Foursquare Church to join us in this celebration. Going up into the mountains to visit my friends is my favorite thing to do in Thailand.
We are moved into our new one-level home now. It is a lot smaller than our other place but that is what we wanted. We are waiting to have the kitchen walls done in ceramic tile and then some outside tiling and we will be settled in completely. Anyone who wants to come visit is welcome!
NEILL’S NOTES
There won’t be a newsletter next month as I will be in Wisconsin, helping my sisters sort out my Mom’s estate. I will not be visiting any churches and will only be there for about a month. I will be active on the internet if you wish to email me. Diana will stay in Mae Sot and hold down the fort while I am gone.
Since I had no one to drive me around in the back of the truck, I walked the street of Mae Sot with my 7-11 Big Gulp cup borrowing water from various places and at times I was asked to join with them. It is a lot of fun but I still don’t care for the rice flour paste or the powder they put on your face but it’s all in fun. As I walked around people would offer beer, whiskey, food and of course they would have to pour water on me and wish me a Happy New Year, as I did the same.
Please pray for:
Pastors John & Dear and their families
Ban Gao Church to grow spiritually and have leaders emerge
Diana’s good health
Neill’s preaching/teaching at Ban Gao in Thai
Your partners in ministry,
Neill & Diana
Amy -- the first 3 pics are from Songkran: waxed truck; kids in the truck
the last 3 are of Ban Gao Church dedication: Church with members and some members from Pastor John's church; inside church; Diana with some Home of Hope kids
