June 2001
November 2000
March 2000
June 1999
October 1998
May 1998
December 1997
August 1997
Dear Friends,
It seems a bit unusual for me to be writing a mission newsletter while sitting at home in Grand Rapids, but especially for those of you whom I haven’t seen since I got back, an update on my activities and plans seems to be in order. For those who already know everything, you can just ignore this letter.
The expectations announced in my last newsletter have become reality: in December, what had been mostly an electronic relationship became considerably more "real" when I married Ruth Moxon. She came to Thailand to visit (her first time in Asia), and we were married in Udon in a Thai/Issaan ceremony. Rev. Tongpan, president of the Thailand Covenant Church and the person who claims primary "matchmaker" status for getting us together, presided, and the wedding was attended by my friends and co-workers in Udon, the other Thailand Covenant missionaries, plus Jim Gustafson and a group from Covenant headquarters who were touring Asia. Ruth and I then returned to the States for the holidays and a second wedding ceremony in Grand Rapids - allowing our families to share with us and also allowing Ruth the opportunity to actually understand the service and the vows she was saying.
I returned to Thailand in January for another two months, then back to Grand Rapids in mid-March. This time, the trip back was made by way of Denmark, where I accompanied Jim Gustafson and Dave Husby (Asia Coordinator for Covenant Missions) to meet with members of the Danish Covenant Church. The Danes are the primary support for Voice of Peace in Chiang Mai (one of our sister organizations) and have partnered with us in Udon for years with development projects; and they are now planning to assist IDF as we look to starting development work in Laos.
Since March, I have been living in Grand Rapids, getting used to a new married life, doing some part-time work both at my brother’s marine store in Benton Harbor and for my former employer in Grand Rapids, and trying to integrate much of my old houseful of possessions into what was Ruth’s already fully furnished condo (she has been VERY gracious about the turmoil and disruption.)
At this point I expect to return to Thailand sometime early in July, probably staying for a couple months. If we can ever get the Thai embassy in Bangladesh to issue visas (this time it has been a long, difficult, and so far unsuccessful, process for some reason), in late-July I will be helping IDF host a team of five more Bangladeshis who will be studying our fish production system for about three weeks. Other than this, I expect this next stay in Udon to involve much the same as what I have been doing, primarily English-language and computer assistance to the staff. And my time in Thailand will be in shorter stretches, as I try to juggle my responsibilities there with the need to also be home with my wife (for a number of reasons, our moving to Thailand as a couple is not an option at this time.) Please pray for both me and the Udon staff as we try to define just what my role will look like now; also pray for Ruth as she endures the long periods when I am gone (or maybe "endure" is the applicable word for the periods when I am home?)
I won’t get to see them often and it won’t directly affect my work since they will be on the other side of the country, but I will have the pleasure of having close friends join me in Thailand: about the same time I return, Tim and Tammy Friesen and their two children, also from Thornapple Covenant, will also be traveling to Chiang Mai to begin two years of service as dorm parents to the Covenant missionary children who are studying at the international school there.
You will begin seeing a new abbreviation related to my work in Udon: IACM (Institute for Applied Church Ministry) is the new name for ISD (Institute for Sustainable Development). This more accurately reflects the work at the Center, especially now as they are doing more intensive, in-house training of church leaders. In addition to their support of the local churches, in May they conducted an intensive four-day seminar for missionaries and others on contextualized ministry and what it actually means in practice.
Thank you again for your prayers, support, and friendship.
In Christ,
Walt
Dear friends,
It hardly seems like time to write again – even though it has been eight months since my last newsletter, three of those were spent in the U.S., where I was able to see most of you in person. It was very good this summer to be able to spend enough time at home that I could get into something of a normal routine, rather than trying to squeeze way too much into a short two-week visit. I was even able to rejoin the Thornapple softball team for another season.
And, for those few of you who are not already aware, the major accomplishment of my time in Michigan was the deepening of my relationship with Ruth Moxon, a wonderful woman to whom I was introduced by two of my Thai colleagues. Although we are both members of Thornapple Covenant Church, she began attending after I came to Thailand. So when Tu and Tongpan, along with the Gustafsons, returned to Udon a couple years ago after visiting the U.S. and said they had stayed with a woman in Grand Rapids whom I should meet (actual words were more like "We found a woman for you!"), the only thing I knew was that her name sounded somewhat familiar as having been a missionary supported by Thornapple in the past. Then, when I went home the following Christmas, they made sure I had to meet her by sending along some cards and gifts. We had a couple brief conversations at church, and then my e-mail to her acknowledging that I had delivered the cards she sent back with me led to some occasional e-mails, which eventually became a daily routine. And the end result, after two years of a mostly electronic relationship (free Internet phone calls are wonderful!), is that we will be married here in Udon when she comes to visit next month, followed by an American ceremony in Grand Rapids at the end of the month after we return.
So my life will soon be taking another major turn. After having come to Thailand for one year, which has now extended to nearly four, my commitment here will begin to be reduced. My plans for the future are to travel back and forth between Grand Rapids and Thailand, scheduling my trips according to the needs here. After being used to my just "being here" all the time to assist whenever needed, the Udon staff will have to begin scheduling my time to maximize its effectiveness. Some of what I do can be continued while I am in Grand Rapids, such as maintaining the website and handling communications regarding project funding and other overseas items. Some recent changes in my schedule seem to have cleared the way to this change of role here – since I have returned, my teaching duties have been greatly reduced, mostly as a result of some cutbacks and restructuring at both IDF and ISD which have reduced the available time of some students and eliminated others altogether. Much more of my time has been spent assisting with the computers and with our communications with both overseas organizations and visitors.
Beginning during the time I was in the U.S., financial shortfalls have required both IDF and ISD to cut staff: altogether, three people at ISD and nearly half the farm staff at IDF. Both organizations rely on the income at IDF for their operating expenses, and some major flooding problems this year have greatly reduced the market for fish fry in Thailand. Production at the farm has been cut back until the market recovers. And several projects at ISD have been delayed or put on hold, the biggest of which is the plan to develop more of a full-time Bible school to improve our ability to train church leaders. (Personal note: Other parts of the country suffered more than Udon, but when I returned my room was completely empty – everything was upstairs, where it had been moved to escape the three feet of water on the ground floor of the Center. Thankfully, the building was dry before I arrived, and the damage was limited!)
One thing that has not been cut back is the value of our organizations to others. A lot of my time since returning has been spent helping with various visitors. David Husby, Covenant Asia Coordinator, came for a few days with two men from India, Paul Devakumar and Joseph Frederick. Paul is the leader of India for Christ Ministries, which is becoming affiliated with the Covenant following his participation in last year’s Asia Conference here in Udon; and Freddy has recently completed his graduate study in development and will be directing the economic development work of IFCM. They wanted to study the IDF’s development projects in order to assist their efforts in India. Their visit was immediately followed by three men from Bangladesh: Mannan is the leader of large outreach ministry to Muslims in that country which has some ties to the Covenant, Ferdous is the manager of one of the farms that help support their organization, and Iwao is a Japanese volunteer who works with them. Mannan stayed for four days, while the other two studied for about four weeks at the IDF farm, getting extensive training in our tilapia fry system to improve techniques at their Bangladesh farms. Following their return, discussions have begun to possibly send another group of key staff to study here as well. And finally, we had a one-week visit by a group from the Danish Covenant Church. The DCC has linked with IDF for years, helping to fund many development projects and currently working with us to extend development into Laos.
Please pray for a solution to the financial difficulties we are facing, so that the work of IDF and ISD would be able to continue unhindered. And pray for me as I face some uncertainty in the details of my future directions: restructuring my role in Udon and Thailand; employment in the U.S. which will allow me the flexibility to spend significant time in Thailand as well as the income to afford it; and the exact nature of my status with the Covenant as a "part-time" missionary. And, of course, pray for both Ruth and me as we begin our new life together.
In God’s love,
Walt Wolf
new address in US -
2276 Mourning Dove Ct SE
Grand Rapids MI 49546
Dear Friends,
This is one very badly overdue newsletter. By way of excuse, between having seen so many of you when I was home last fall and communicating by e-mail with so many, it hasn’t seemed like there has been much news to write about. So for those of you who already know most of the following, my apologies for duplication; and for those who don’t, my apologies for tardiness. (After re-reading my previous newsletter, I see that this apology business seems to have become a bad habit!)
The first of this month I passed my three year anniversary here in Thailand. In many ways it seems like I have been here forever – my relationships with friends and co-workers, feeling at home in my surroundings, and adjustment to living in another culture (I did NOT say that I fit into that culture, just that I have adjusted to living in it!) But in other ways, when I look back it seems like I just got here - the weeks and months seem to fly by.
Very little in my daily routine has changed here. I make the 25km drive out to the IDF farm every morning, Monday-Saturday, where I teach most of my English students. One change in the direction of efficiency/economy has been that since my early 6:30 class was eliminated (except Friday and Saturday) several months ago, I am now driving for a carpool. Two of the IDF staff who live near me now ride out with me, rather than driving their own vehicles. Following my last student of the day I return to the Center, where I have a couple more occasional students, study with my Thai teacher three evenings a week (probably a never-ending process, given my language-learning skills and slow progress), and where I assist and teach Saa in the many new computer operations she now faces since we began printing our own materials.
And a couple of things have changed on Sunday mornings. A couple months ago we established an official church here at the Center, with worship at 8:00. Both the IDF and ISD staff have our regular worship services on Monday mornings, so this now provides an opportunity for staff family members as well as neighbors to gather. Sunday School continues to meet here from 9:00 to 12:00, with attendance normally ranging from under 30 to over 50 kids, depending on school and village activities. And during Sunday School I am now assisting Banpote in a segment using Bible stories to teach English.
A minor change has been that the IDF administration committee has officially designated me as both Manager of Computer Operations and Assistant Manager for International Finance (assistant to Jim Gustafson, so I am the local person in charge of dealing with communications and project funding requests with foreign agencies.) Neither of these changes what I have already been doing since the Gustafsons left, but now I have titles to go with my jobs (that seems to be an important issue for the Thais; much more so than for me.)
At the "corporate" end, there have been a few things since my last letter. Last October, the IDF and ISD hosted the First Asia Church Planting Consultation here in Udon - attended by church leaders and missionaries from Covenant-affiliated groups in Japan, Taiwan, Laos, India, and the United States (plus Thailand, of course.) This conference was a great success. Coming up next month will be the first combined youth retreat for all our different church areas (Udon, Roi Et, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai). It will be the first time the youth from these areas will have gathered together, so we look forward prayerfully to this event. And this year the ISD has begun making some changes in how the staff teach local village church leaders. We had a large three-day class session here at the Center in January, with more to follow every few months. And there will be a change to larger, more formal classes in the various church districts. Some of this has been stimulated by, and its effectiveness greatly improved by, the increased mobility and activity of Banpote over the past months. For those not familiar, he has been the primary theologian and writer of songs and teaching materials for the ISD, as well as probably our most gifted teacher, but was crippled in a motorcycle accident about seven years ago - broken back, his legs remain mostly paralyzed - which left him bed-ridden for years. He continued to work prolifically at home, but it has only been recently that he has developed the strength and confidence to get out very much and become more active.
Back to the personal front. For those not already aware, I will be taking my first extended time away from Thailand when I return to Michigan in May for a three-month stay. I will look forward to seeing most of you at that time.
A few items for which I would appreciate your prayers:
As always, thank you so much for your prayers and support.
In Christ,
Walt
Given the infrequency of my newsletters lately, here are a couple clarifications for those who have trouble remembering some of the details and expressions I use:
Dear Friends,
I knew it was getting to be about time to write another newsletter; however, I didn't realize just how long it has been until I looked up my last one. For those who don't communicate regularly with me by e-mail or talk to those who do, my apologies. Must be part of that "Time flies when you're having fun" thing (that sounds MUCH better than the other similar saying about age!) I'm not sure I would exactly describe what I am doing here as "fun", but it has certainly been enjoyable and interesting.
There has not been very much that is different happening in my life personally. I still teach English as my primary responsibility, although to an ever-changing cast of students. There are some of them who are consistent and for whom learning English is a priority — key among them being Tu, who visited America last year and is the head of the organizations here in Udon; and Nuujon, who manages all the farm operations and who deals with most of the visitors that come to the farm. Other students start and stop depending on their work schedules and responsibilities, college course-work, current interest level, etc. In addition to the teaching, I have been spending a bit more time providing support on the computers and with communications. My Thai studies continue, and I am able to detect a little progress in that department (TOO little, but at least it's progress, and my co-workers seem pleased enough.) And as time allows, I keep working on our website; for any of you who are interested in learning more about what our work in Thailand is all about and in getting updated prayer requests and news reports, this is the best source of information. (www.iserv.net/~thaicov) The newsletters from all Thailand missionaries also appear online, so if any of you would prefer to read mine on the Internet rather than the old-fashioned way, let me know and I can switch you from the postal mailing list to the electronic one.
On the corporate level, however, a lot is changing. The biggest change, of course, was mentioned in my last letter: the departure of the Gustafsons. Jim has stayed in close touch with the staff here and has been back a few times to visit and consult, but in general the transition to being an all-Thai management team has been going very well.
The next biggest change has been in the farm operation. When I arrived two years ago, the IDF operated its main farm just north of the city of Udon, a fruit orchard farm between Udon and Kut Chap, and an experimental forestry products farm about 30-40km north of the city. Since then the main farm and offices have moved to Kut Chap, 20km west of the city; and the northern farm has been de-activated due to the logistics of trying to manage it from the increased distance. And now this year, after having the reputation for many years of being a "pig-farming" operation (actually integrated agriculture, but the pigs seemed to stick in people's minds), first the hogs were discontinued and the stock sold off due to the instability of the hog market and inability to consistently operate at a profit. And within the past few weeks the decision has been made to eliminate all livestock (chickens and ducks were expected to replace the pigs) and the raising of fish for market, and concentrate all the resources at the main farm on raising sex-reversed tilapia fry, which was just in the experimental stage when I came. There is a large demand for these fry, and the IDF has developed into one of the leading producers in the country. "Sex-reversed" fry are essentially all (99%+) male and are preferred because tilapia reproduce very prolifically — if ponds are stocked with normal fry the result is lots of small fish and too few that ever reach marketable size. The fry production offers the best potential for a stable income sufficient to fully support the work of the IDF (development projects and farms) and the ISD (church support.)
At the ISD, the arrival of our printer last fall has resulted in an emphasis on preparation of materials for teaching church leaders and for use in the churches — both development of new materials and revision and reprinting of existing. And in a more exciting vein, we have seen an increased emphasis on and response to youth ministry. Sunday School has been started at the Center (ISD headquarters and location of my living quarters), primarily for the children of IDF and ISD staff but also drawing others; attendance has reached as high as 40, and really livens this place up for three hours every Sunday morning. In April, the Center was the scene for the first (in many years) youth gathering for the entire Udon region. Despite the difficulty of getting signed permission slips from some parents (especially the non-Christian ones), attendance was over 80 for two days of singing, classes, talent shows, games, and lots of food; and several decisions for Christ were registered. Those of you who have followed the work here in Thailand know that Roi Et began emphasizing youth ministry over the last year or so, with wonderful results. So the Spirit seems to really be working in that area. Pray that it will continue.
For those of you who keep asking, "How long are you going to stay over there?", I'm afraid the answer remains the same: "I don't know." That thing about "one year" was apparently just a "teaser" to get me hooked! I don't envision myself making a career out of this (although the number of years that constitute "career" for me is rapidly diminishing!), but I also don't see any indications that I will be leaving any time soon. And the sale of my house (finally!!) eliminated one more cause for concern back home. God was pretty clear in His call to get me here; I am trusting that the instructions for future directions will be equally clear, whenever they come. In addition to the day-to-day issues of health, safety, and work, I would really appreciate your prayers in this area. On the one hand there is a great deal of comfort in trusting the Lord to direct things (takes a lot of decision-making out of life); and it helps that I am very happy to be here, but would also be happy to return. But on the other hand I often feel a sense of impatience and a desire to have some idea where my life is headed. As is probably natural for someone my age, my thoughts often turn to things like future employment directions, remarriage, or retirement planning; but that's a problem when I still have no idea how long I'll be living on which side of the globe.
As always, thank you all for your prayers on my behalf.
In Christ,
Walt Wolf
Dear Friends,
The major event of the past several months has been the departure of Jim and Joan Gustafson from Udon in August. For 27 years they have been synonymous with Covenant missions in Thailand, and life in the "post-Gustafson" era will require some adaptations on the part of all. For my part the changes have mostly involved the loss of close friends and someone I can go to with questions or just for "normal" English conversation, not to mention a weekly home-cooked meal - the nature of my work and daily life remains much the same, with just a few changes. However, for the staff at both the IDF and ISD, the adjustment is and will continue to be greater - they now have to shoulder new responsibilities, make decisions, and solve problems without the presence of the person who always had the best handle on everything that was going on with the work here. They are all very capable, dedicated people but will be facing many challenges in the days ahead as they continue to grow and adjust.
My life seems to have developed a more predictable routine - as I live here longer and get used to this country the new and surprising experiences naturally become less frequent, although even the old ones still hold an interest: I still can’t get used to the idea of occasionally passing an elephant on the street. Time has really flown by and the days all seem to stay quite busy (and never long enough.) I am still at the farm six days a week, although Mondays and Saturdays are mornings only, and I have been spending more time assisting with any of the English-language communications that are required, and with the computer. I continue to work at developing the Internet Web page, and there is always keeping up with e-mail, and my thrice-weekly struggle with the Thai language (actually I struggle greatly with it all seven days, but only have a class on three of them!) And along the way I seem to have picked up a grandson. Every Saturday I visit Banpote, who has been one of the leaders here since the very beginning of the ministry, to talk for an hour or so - it gives him a chance to practice his English and gives me an opportunity to learn a lot. For the past couple months we have been going out for lunch with his seven-year-old grandson, who calls me "Poo Walt" ("poo" is grandfather in Thai.) His favorite seems to be "Kai FC" ("kai" is Thai for chicken, so that is the Colonel's place.)
One new project that I am still working on is the setting up of a printing facility here at the ISD. The Covenant churches in my home town of Grand Rapids generously contributed the funding for this - we have already bought a new Riso copy printer and I am still tracking down sources for additional equipment (folder, stapler, cutter) which we should have very soon. This will give the ISD the capability of printing almost all of our own materials (songbooks, study guides and other teaching materials, etc.) which in the past has been done on a mimeograph where possible, contracted out to a printshop when the priority is high enough to justify the cost, or just not done at all when neither of those options apply. It is exciting to see the first few jobs come out of our own facility. And as everyone becomes more familiar with what we are capable of doing, I think that new types of materials will be developed which should increase the effectiveness of the church's outreach.
For those of you who have been asking, by the time I return to the States for Christmas (no pop-out-of-the-box surprises this year) I hope to have a little bit better picture of what my futureplans - or, more accurately, what I perceive to be God's plans for my future - might be. At least that will be the aim of some discussion that I have already begun with Tu and the Thai staff and hope to continue when Jim visits next month. At this point I see little likelihood of returning to a "normal life" in the U.S. in the near future, but whether the "longer term" means another year or two or longer than that, I will try to determine after listening to those I work with and for. Pray that God would give me a clear indication of where he wants me to be.
As always, thank you for your prayers on my behalf. Blessings have far outweighed any trials I have encountered so far - the Lord has been much better to me than I deserve (but then I guess that's the way grace always works, isn't it?)
In Christ,
Walt Wolf
Dear Friends,
When I left America at the end of February last year, I anticipated being in Thailand for one year. Well, I am now into my second year of what has now become a somewhat indefinite term of service. As many of you already know, Jim and Joan Gustafson, with whom I work here in Udon, will be returning to the States in August so that Jim can assume the position of Director of World Missions for the Covenant, assuming his election at the June annual meeting. I will remain here in Udon, continuing my teaching of English and assisting the Thai staff in those areas where extensive use of English is required (visitors, communication with foreign agencies, etc.) In addition, I will take over the computer system and programming responsibilities from Joan and will begin training some of the staff in that area (at present, for the most part they know only the operations that they use on a daily basis.) Other jobs and duties will be dealt with as they appear. I will continue in this capacity until God and/or the Thais let me know it is time to leave.
In connection with the above, my teaching schedule has been readjusted once again. A few students have dropped out as they found it impossible to fit the classes into their schedules or discovered just how big a job it is to learn this language that seems so natural to me. And class schedules for the remaining students (currently 14) have been changed a bit to allow me blocks of time both to work with the computers and to go back to school myself. I am now studying Thai with a tutor three afternoons a week – the management staff specifically requested that I improve my Thai language skills to a level where I could communicate. Of course, they may end up compromising on just how high a level that ends up being; my learning of the language is a very slow, frustrating, and extremely humbling experience.
In June will come the first real indicator of how much progress has been made in the English-teaching department. One of my students, Tu, will be accompanying the Gustafsons and Tongpan, President of the Thailand Covenant Church, to the United States for the Covenant Annual Meeting, some additional meetings, and a Sunday in my home of Grand Rapids. For two weeks she will be totally surrounded by English-speaking people for the first time in her life and will find out just how much (or little) she has learned so far.
My other project over the past six months or so has been the creation of an Internet Website for the work here in Thailand. At the time of my last newsletter, the site had just been opened up. It has now been improved considerably, and even though much remains to be done, it provides a good deal of information about Thailand, the Thailand Covenant Church, and the organizations and missionaries that support its work. For those who want to actively pray for us, this is the most up-to-date source for needs, requests, and news. The address is:
www.iserv.net/~thaicov
(since you are reading this on the website, you already know that!)
When I last wrote, the IDF had just moved into our new quarters in Kut Chap; we are now settled in quite well, and I am getting used to the 35-minute drive out every morning (the light traffic in the early morning is one of the few good things about dragging myself out of bed before 5:00 so I can get there for my 6:30 class.) A continuing concern for the IDF is money – the new farm is not yet up to full capacity, so a significant portion of the monthly budget is still dependent on the payments for the old farm property, which have been sporadic and much below the contract amount. This remains an item for prayer. The financial problems almost had an affect on my living situation: we lost our lease on the Center building where I live, and it was only at the very last minute (we were already in the process of moving out) that a new lease agreement that we could afford was worked out. That was a welcome answer to my prayers.
I continue my education in the Thai way of life as I accompany some of my students to various gatherings, festivities, funerals, etc. Funerals in particular are a big change from anything we have in America. The home of the deceased becomes a funeral home/banquet facility for the three days between the death and cremation, and then continues for a couple days afterwards. For Christians every evening includes a worship service, for Buddhists the monks come and chant; and always accompanied by lots of food. On a lighter note, mid-April in Thailand was Songkran (Thai New Year), which is best described as a three-day, nation-wide water fight on a scale that we Americans with our squirt guns and "super-soakers" can’t begin to imagine. If you don’t wish to be soaked from head to foot, stay indoors.
But the more I see of Thailand, the more I can see just how much this country needs the Gospel. There are a great many problems - financial, environmental, personal - that spring directly from a set of values that is so contradictory to God’s values (little different from our own or any other country, but they seem to be exaggerated here.) That makes it so important to find ways to present the Gospel as a way of life that applies to Thais, and not just as a Western "religion" which is easy for them to reject since to follow it is considered very un-Thai. Continue to pray for this country.
Thank you so much to all those that have let me know they are praying for me, as well as to the many others that are also doing so. God continues to make His very near presence felt. I am continually amazed at the many ways, both big and small, that He reminds me He is involved in all that is happening here.
In Him,
Walt WolfDear Friends,
This year is rapidly drawing to a close, and I find it hard to believe I have been a resident of Thailand for over nine months. The time has passed very swiftly, and the Lord has been very good.
I have been present here in Udon for a significant milestone in the life of the Issaan Development Foundation: the move to a new farm/office facility. The preparation and building had begun well before I arrived in Thailand, but the actual move was accomplished over a couple week span last month. The original IDF location was on the main highway going north from Udon toward Nong Khai – it made sense to relocate for reasons of both traffic (with the growth of Udon and the opening of the Friendship Bridge over the Mekong River into Laos, the highway has become increasingly busy in the last few years) and money (with the increased traffic and resulting development, the old farm property became much more valuable and could be sold for a good profit.) Now that the move has been made we are praying that the buyer of the old property will be able to make his payments; if you have followed the news from Thailand at all over the past six months you know that real estate developers are not doing very well at the moment , and he is no exception. This is a major concern as the land payments are a very significant part of the IDF budget. We are now near the town of Kut Chap, about 25km southwest of Udon, in a much more remote, rural setting. Everything is brand new, and it really is a very nice location (and so far no sign of any of the cobras that had begun invading our old location, including a couple small ones inside in the hallways.) The disadvantage for me is a much longer drive every day, as essentially all my teaching is done at the office.
And that teaching schedule has grown since my last newsletter. As I got more settled into the routine I found that I had some additional time available, so a new group of 13 more students was added, filling up my previously empty Mondays, most of Saturday, and the couple gaps that existed in my old Tuesday-Friday schedule. These are management staff and assistants for whom the need to speak English was not quite as much a priority as for my original eight students, and the extent of their instruction is also less, mostly just an hour or two a week for each of them.
All of my students remain interested and enthusiastic as they try to squeeze English classes into their busy schedules, and they do a great job of making me feel very appreciated. A very encouraging sign to me is to see some of them occasionally talking with each other and with me about English outside of class, joking and trying to have a good time with what is a most difficult learning experience. And I was told that some of my students have shown an increased confidence and willingness to interact with recent groups of foreign visitors even though the amount of actual conversation was very limited, due to both the level of their ability and the fact that the English spoken by the visitors from England and Denmark bore very little resemblance to my Midwestern American version. So my presence here seems to be bearing some fruit, even as I continue to struggle with learning how to teach English; I usually feel like my students are learning much faster than I am.
Also among my new tasks has been the development of an Internet Web page for the Thailand Covenant Church and its supporting organizations. It is still very much in the beginning stages (much like my learning process in how to do it) and should get better over time, but by the time you read this you should be able to find out more about the work here in Thailand at:
www.iserv.net/~thaicov
I am continuing to learn more about the task of spreading the Gospel among the Issaan people of Thailand, and have great admiration for those that have dedicated themselves to that task, both the Thais that carry on most of the outreach and the missionaries that assist and enable them. It takes a tremendous amount of hard work, patience and faith to try to change the hearts and lives of these people, and I have observed liberal amounts of these qualities in those around me. The job involves much more than just teaching the Gospel of salvation, primarily because so many of the Biblical values of a Christian life run completely counter to the priorities and values of the Issaan people (even more so than for us in the West.)
Many of you have asked about my plans for returning home. At this point I do not have a good, definitive answer, other than I do know that I will remain here longer than next March, when my one-year term is up. There are several issues that have to be worked through; I am praying that God will provide some clear indications of what He has in mind (He did a very good job in that regard to get me here in the first place!) Please pray that I will recognize His will in that area, as well as continuing to pray for my work in general.
Thank you, and have a Merry Christmas.
Walt WolfDear Friends,
First of all, let me offer my heartfelt thanks to all of you who are involved in supporting my time here in Thailand, both financially and, especially, with your prayers. I don’t know if it is in answer to your prayers, or if it was just His plan all along, but God has certainly made my stay so far a very rewarding one, and I have truly experienced His blessings.
As I write this I have passed the four-month mark in my term of service. My first ten weeks were spent in Bangkok, trying to learn as much of the Thai language as I could in two four-week modules at Union Language School. Given the complexity of the language and my natural ability for learning languages (very minimal,) that amounted to just about enough to ask and answer the simplest of questions (as long as the Thais speak very slowly and are very patient with me, which they have been.) Since the second week of May I have been in Udon Thani, teaching English to eight of the key administrative staff people of the church and development foundation here. This will be my primary responsibility for the time I am in Thailand.
My stay in Bangkok allowed me time to adjust to Thailand (leaving Michigan’s cold and snow and arriving to everyday temperatures in the mid to high 90’s was a big change.) I was able to form close friendships with the Groots and Bevises, the Covenant missionaries in Bangkok, as well as with my fellow students at school. We were a very diverse group and have stayed close even after two of us have left school and Bangkok – six young Japanese, a Filipino nun, a Chinese missionary from Singapore, and a Bible student from Australia. I was the "old man" of the group by a wide margin. In addition, living at the Christian Guest House, which was a short walk from school, gave me the chance to meet a wide variety of people. As we sat together at breakfast; I was also able to get a bit of an overview of the missionary efforts here in Thailand, since a large number of the guests passing through were connected with various church endeavors here.
Regarding those endeavors: the statistical facts will give you some idea of the difficulty of reaching the Thai people with the Gospel (not that spreading the Good News should be just a "numbers game".) When I came here I knew that Thailand was less than 1% Christian and less than 0.5% Protestant. I had assumed those numbers were just the result of a lack of outreach among the Thais due to either restrictions imposed by the country or to less missionary emphasis than in some other countries. It surprised me to find that Protestant missionaries have been here for over 150 years (the Catholics for over 400,) with about 1300 currently working here. So the lack of receptivity to the Gospel is definitely not due to lack of effort.
Here in Udon I am gradually learning about the work of Jim and Joan Gustafson and the Covenant Church among the Issaan people. The more I learn, the more impressed I become with both the accomplishments that have been made and the scale of the continuing efforts. The most striking feature is how people-centered the work is ("contextualized" is the technical term they use.) In planting churches, great care has been taken not just to borrow an existing religious structure, either foreign from the West, or Buddhist from Thailand, but rather to create something that the people can relate to.
Churches are small and meet in people’s homes (no "churches",) and services center around singing and discussing the Word, because sitting around singing and talking are things that the Issaan naturally like to do. Songs have been specially written that use familiar Issaan music and instruments. To me, just writing lyrics to fit music seems like a daunting task; try doing it with a language in which the meaning of a word can change by the tone (musical note) that is used! There is no preaching, just discussions led by trained local leaders; in addition to it being familiar to us in the West, preaching is also a practice of the Buddhists. For communion, loaves of sticky rice, the Issaan staple, are used. In everything, the emphasis is on the fact that the Gospel offers a new life in Christ, not merely a religion. One thing I learned from talking to people in Bangkok: depending on how rigidly traditional other Christians are, the work of the Covenant here is viewed either as very innovative or practically heretical.
The doorway to reaching people’s hearts is the work of the Issaan Development Foundation -- the officially "non-religious" arm of the mission in Udon. Issaan (Northeast Thailand) is basically an agricultural region but has the poorest soil and weather conditions in Thailand. The traditional rice farming has led to a situation where a large majority of the working age people leave the villages and go elsewhere - Bangkok or overseas - for work.
The IDF operates several farms which conduct research into various farm products and methods that are more economically promising, in addition to generating profits to support the work of the IDF and the church. Among the IDF’s projects are integrated, or cyclical, farming systems that combine products (for example, pigs, ducks, and fish,) recycling the waste from one product to feed or fertilize the next. Reforestation projects (most of this area was completely logged out a number of years ago,) various fruits and vegetables, plus a number of other things like mushrooms, frogs, and worms are all being tried.
There are also many development projects underway in some of the villages such as cooperative farm ventures, well-digging, and helping the women set up community sewing businesses. All designed with the goal of the Thais doing everything for themselves. The IDF staff (which, with the exception of the Gustafsons, is itself all Thai and which I have found to be extremely dedicated and talented) has been reduced over the years, both to improve efficiency and to maximize the amount that the villagers do for themselves and minimize the amount that is done for them.
As I said, my last couple months have been spent in Udon teaching English to eight of the key staff people here. An English teacher has been on the "wish-list" here for a number of years, and my students have been very enthusiastic learners. Learning English is not just a "luxury item" for them. It will be very helpful in their jobs, as they are often called on to deal with non-Thai speakers, primarily foreign visitors to the various projects here. A working knowledge of English will allow them to interact without the constant need for a translator.
I spend an hour a day, Tuesday thru Friday, with each of them as they fit classes into their busy work schedules. One student comes in at 6:30 AM; another studies until 7:00 PM and then often goes back to her work (after starting her day at 7:00.) I have really begun to learn how very difficult a language English is for someone who hasn’t grown up with it (many of us have trouble with it even then!) – it has certainly not become the dominant world language because of its ease of use. I find myself continually explaining to my students that this or that pronunciation, spelling, verb form, etc. has no good reason for being the way it is; it just is that way and all they can do is learn it.
Life in Thailand is certainly a big change from the U.S., but in many ways not nearly as dramatic as I had expected. Pretty much anything you would want is available here: large shopping malls, department stores, supermarkets, and most of the famous fast-food chains. Air conditioning is commonplace, thankfully including my room, which was fixed up for me in the small office building that houses the Thailand Covenant Church.
The road system is good, although the small roads to many of the villages are narrow and unpaved. The only problems are the British system (left-hand driving) and drivers that are more than just a little insane. The food is great -- at least I like it -- and on only very rare occasions have I resorted to Western-style food. However there are some exceptions: I have had a few dishes hot enough to cause pain and bring tears to my eyes. I was very unimpressed with chicken feet; and fried crickets, although much better than I would have expected, will not become a regular item on my menu. And I have absolutely no desire to sample what is one of Jim Gustafson’s favorites, made from intestines (including the contents and lots of bile) mixed with some other stuff and cooked till there's a "nice sludge on top" -- appropriately named in Thai what translates to "soft manure".
And on that delicious note I will close. Please continue to pray for me and my work here. Specifically, for safety as I drive back and forth every day (the traffic really is something you can’t believe without seeing,) and for my teaching, as I continue to try to become a "real teacher."
Truly happy in His service,
Walt Wolf