Dear Family & Friends

Things have settled down in Bangkok and around the country, at least on the surface. Their still needs to be much reconciliation and healing, so please pray with us for that to happen with no further protests, outbreaks of violence, etc.

Culture Corner

Neill teaches English at two government (public) schools and last Thursday arrived at Huaikralok School to find that it was Wan Wai Khruu (Honoring Teachers Day). All the students in the school make individual flower arrangements which contain some or all of the following: various flowers, jos sticks, grass and candles which are wrapped in a leaf. Each grade also makes two large flower arrangements, sometimes designed to look like animals or other things, very similar to a mini Rose Bowl Parade float. They use hundreds of pins and they sew the flowers onto leaves, etc. It takes two days to make them. This year was the best I have seen and have attached pictures of some. The students, beginning with the youngest, have a boy and a girl from each grade level bring up their arrangements and present them to the school director. The school director and the teachers are seated on the stage in order of their age. After the larger arrangements have been presented, the teachers receive the arrangements from the children as the boys from the lowest grade come first, then the girls from that grade, then boys from the next level, etc. After presenting their individual arrangements, they "wai" the teachers. Former students also attend this ceremony and are the last to present their arrangements. Then the school director gives an encouraging speech which includes speaking about three main things important in Thai life. The first is having a good brain, which is represented by the red needle flower (sharp brain). Second is the purple and yellow eggplant flower which represents respect as it bows down. Thirdly, grass represents knowledge: it grows very fast and does not die easily. Enjoy the pictures.

Diana's Delights

The Oasis serves the Mae Sot community in many ways, even hosting a wedding! Patrick and May, from the UK, found the Oasis and became 'regulars' during their stay in Mae Sot. Patrick is a professional photographer and has done some photography for HM the King of Thailand and May is a medical student. They decided to have a Burmese Buddhist Monk, Rasheen, perform the ceremony, with Phyllis, a friend, giving a Jewish blessing on the couple and Diana reading Scripture from I Corinthians 13. It ended with the Home of Hope children praying for the couple. Rasheen is one of the monks from the 2007 "Saffron Revolution" in Burma. The documentary was up for an Oscar at the Academy Awards this year but a documentary on capturing dolphins to perform in captivity won out over the appalling genocide and related conditions that has been going on in Burma for over 60 years. If Rasheen were to return to Burma, he would be killed or imprisoned.

Neill's Notes

Pastor John asked us to travel to Li (pronounced Lee) to talk to a couple about starting a Foursquare church there. We had a great time talking with Nuanjan and her husband Sawang, eating her homemade jams and even baptizing her! She said she had only been sprinkled before and believed that according to the Bible she should be immersed, so we went up to the dam just a few hours after we got there. We also prayed for her mother, who had not walked since becoming a Christian several months ago. Diana sensed that this lady was thinking she could not walk so she told her, "You can!". The devil says, "You can"t!" but God is saying, "You can!". "Who are you going to believe?" Sawang and Diana helped her to her feet and she walked around her house. She hadn"t walked for a while, so she was a little dizzy but she walked and we were only there to steady her. When Diana told her she had hope now in Jesus, she had tears in her eyes. Please pray for her as she is a new believer. Nuanjan and Sawang have a home group that two other couples attend on Friday nights and another couple comes on Saturday night from Lumphun (2 hours away) and they have a home group meeting Sunday morning. As we left, they told us they were so happy that Foursquare and Pastor John cared about them enough to send someone to them. A few years ago there were about 25 Foursquare churches in Thailand. Today there are near 50 so Pastor John has asked us to visit some of the churches for him to encourage the pastors and their congregations. I also preach once a month at the Hua Fai Immanuel Church, just outside of Mae Sot. One of my former graduates from the Bible School, Somneuk, is the pastor there. Please pray for the Foursquare Thailand churches and their pastors.

Prayer Requests

• Pastor John (Foursquare Thailand President) and his family.
• The funds for completion of the new Home of Hope building
• Traveling safety as we go to different churches
• Continued improvement in understanding and speaking Thai
• Peace and a democratic government in Burmad
• For our marriage to be strong and for our families in the States

Once again we thank you for partnering with us in Thailand. We would love to have you visit individually or with a team. We could not be here without your prayers and financial support.

Love, Prayers and Blessings to you,

Neill & Diana

Your missionary partners in Mae Sot