May 2010
Bangkok Burns
By now many of you have heard of the unfolding crisis in Bangkok. We have not written much about this, however after the events of the last two days we felt we should say something.
The area controlled by the ‘Red Shirts’ is our part of town. It’s where we work, where we bank, where we relax, and shop. Until now it has not touched where we lived. Yesterday it did. Clashes between police and red shirts that left several dead happened about 800 metres from where we live. The fighting continues on, with snipers taking out armed protestors and burning barricades blocking the roads nearby. Our area is called a ‘live bullets zone.’ All day yesterday we could hear the sound of gunfire and explosions. Sporadic fighting and the military security net now block all but one of our access roads out of the neighbourhood. A Canadian colleague of Cavelle’s–a photographer–was shot while covering the battle in front of the Night Market, and Khun Da, our Burmese friend left our home at 14:30 yesterday and narrowly escaped serious injury when an assailant on a motorcycle shot into a crowd waiting for a bus.
For some time we have felt unaffected, but now we know this is not true.
While we are safe in our home, we have decided to leave for a while just to get a breather. We don’t know what to expect next, but have little reason to believe this conflict will settle quickly. Naively described by the media as a class struggle between rich and poor, in fact this is a classic power struggle between two powerful groups. Neither can afford to lose.
This is a very disturbing time. Outside of the conflict zone you would think nothing has changed in Thailand, but things have.
We struggle to know how to communicate what is happenig here. There is so much to be said, but this note is not meant to be a CNN correspondent’s report. We just want to let you know this conflict is real, it is deeply troubling, and we feel it. We hardly need to ask you to remember Bangkok and Thailand in prayer. So thank you for doing so.
February 2010
What can some clean water get you?
While Thailand is awash in water none of it comes free, and not all of it is clean.
Ranking high among nations having access to clean water, Burmese migrants living in Thailand don’t enjoy this abundance. Forced to choose between expensive bottled water and unsanitary water, most impoverished Burmese migrants choose the latter. Cavelle saw this need and felt compelled to do something. Since then, with the support of churches, individua ls, schools and businesses we have been able to install about 12 water purification systems that have provided clean, cheap water to about 10,000 students and community members. This year, we should almost double that number. That is no small accomplishment—in our world over one billion people lack adequate access to clean water, 80% of diseases in developing nations are water borne and up to 30,000 people die daily due to these diseases. So the goal of providing clean water to people who lack access to it is a matter of life and death. But what else can clean water do?
Clean water can unleash hope and blessing. It can change the way someone sees the world. Avin Houghland our HR Manager recently came back from Mae Sot. She has also played a key role in the clean water projects. She had just come back from visiting a school that has now enjoyed clean, affordable water for about five months. She didn’t recognize the school. What happened? She saw a pile of vegetables where before there were none. Why? Not buying expensive bottled waters means the school can buy healthy veggies. Now the kids never spend spare money on bottled water—the school water tastes better. While the school could earn income by selling the water to the community, for the time being they are trucking the water to a sister school. Once that school has a system they can earn some income to pay teachers and have education resources. With the water they could open two abandoned toilets (they now have 4). The kids now take pride in their school and respect it by keeping it clean. With clean, cheap water they now have a mushroom farm, and a soymilk machine to feed kids soymilk protein twice a week.
Each Sunday after the vice-principal (VP standing with Avin in front of water system in picture at right) leads worship the kids get soy protein. Before clean water the VP had to fish (for 387 kids) to get protein, but now his time has been freed up to network and recruit international teachers to teach English. The school, formally one of the worst in the migrant school network is a standard and volunteers are referred to him because of the improved quality. Avin asked the VP why so much change? He is a Christian and said, “I have only have two hands, but with God I can do more. It all began with water. This water project showed me there is hope; a reason to believe there is a better life and a better way (Read more about this story at http://imaginethailand.org/news/2009/9/30/students-in-bc-help-those-in-thailand.html).”
Clean, affordable water allows a school administrator to think less about how they will come up with the money for bottled water, and instead think about hiring a teacher or pastor (yes, you read right) to enhance student’s learning and spiritual development. Providing clean, affordable water creates trust between vulnerable schools and people like us (which is kind of nice when the school is Buddhist or Muslim). Providing clean water makes you look at basic human needs from a different perspective and realize what we take for granted is so valuable. What else? Well this idea of providing clean, affordable water has really caught the attention of many people: a public elementary school in Coquitlam, BC raised $3500 to help. A
musician from Newfoundland donated a Christmas song and raised $2800. Corporate employees in BC and Alberta raised funds and then had them matched by their companies to raise about $12,000. A family in Kelowna baked tarts and then sold them raising $2,000. A church in Omaha, Nebraska bought over 4,000 bottles of water then challenged their church, their schools and neighborhoods to pay $20 for a bottle to help provide water systems as a Christmas gift for Burmese school children who currently have only dirty water to drink.
Understand while, we’re listing dollar figures, we’re not really talking about the money—we’re talking about what happens when someone decides to be involved and the impact that makes for everyone.
Clean water gives so much more than just refreshment. It has built bridges, opened doors and hearts (including our own) and inspired hundreds of people to make a difference in their world. This offering of something as basic as clean water has become a bit of a cornerstone for us. We believe that when people live out the gospel, wonderful things happen. It’s been true. Students at Chulaongkorn have decided to explore this gospel more, pursuing God and testing Christian community (aka. church). A teacher in the school we have worked with for the last five years finally came to a point where she could put her trust in Christ over Christmas. A Muslim couple, suffering from AIDS, decides to follow Christ prior to the holiday season. We believe in the verbal proclamation of the gospel, but these people began their journeys to faith, not in a church service, but because someone showed them what the gospel looked like in real life. These are only some of the miracles happening these days. There are more. Some of you know how difficult this year has been for us financially. Our personal support and our many projects have been running in a deficit. In November, all our funding was frozen; for a time we were unable to pay our rent; put gasoline in our car or pay salaries to our Thai staff. Friends, family and churches gave some additional help.
And then the unexpected occurred – an anonymous donor gave a significant donation that has meant we finished 2009 in the black. And then, two weeks ago we were officially registered as a Thai foundation, just in time to receipt Thai people in and outside the church who chose to assist relief and development efforts in Haiti (this act of mercy on behalf of the Thai churches quite historic in itself). Recently, we unloaded almost $100,000 worth of donated goods for needy families in Thailand—all duty free! So much more has happened and is happening everyday, but we do have to stop somewhere. We can summarize by simply saying, everyday God amazes us with His blessing. We are often overwhelmed, but He gives grace and constantly confirms we are in the right place at the right time.
And our family
Well, we are very blessed to have three wonderful and healthy boys to chase after. They had a wonderful Christmas season together, holidaying with family in Phuket, and now, Poppy and Nanny are here from Newfoundland. Charlie is growing more active and engaged by the moment, producing teeth and lots of laughter. Both Peter and Cavelle wonder at times if we can keep up with it all, but we’re doing our best. The picture to the right probably gives you a sense of how fortunate we are. Thank you for your love and support. Thank you for being a part of what God is doing here. We appreciate your support so much!
Please Pray
We do need your prayers:
§ For students who are opening their hearts to know about God, to come to put their trust in
Christ
§ For a growing team of financial supporters to share in this ministry
§ For new and additional staff, both Thai and international to assist with administration;
team oversight; communications; ESL ministry;
§ For plans for two new ministry centre in Southern Thailand and one or two new Cafés.
§ For our family, to hold properly in tension the opportunity of ministry with the priority of
shaping our boys to love God.