This post from Suzanne:

I can’t believe we’ve just passed the half-way mark of yet another year!  It has gone so very quickly.  It  has been a hard year in many ways for us.  Wayne’s health has not been good most of the year, though at this time of writing, he seems to have picked up quite well and doing much better.   The weather has been extremely hot [it made the news here that Nakhon Sawan reached the hottest temperatures in all of Thailand ].  It has been very difficult and unpleasant with no air conditioning, but we have prioritized that for our next project.  The houses have required quite a lot of maintenance to get them in working order, and we are slowly making progress.  There are so many things we took for granted in Australia – like the phone and internet.  Here, some days they work … others they don’t!  We can go up to 3 weeks with no phone line and internet.  Then when we do have them, they can (and do) often drop out.  It can certainly be frustrating!

This post from Suzanne:

After a busy start to the year, we can now say Nakhon Sawan is starting to feel more like “home”.  Curtis has mostly settled into school – it has not been an easy transition for him.  His first subject each day is in English, then the rest are all in Thai.  Whilst he sometimes gets bored (when he doesn’t understand), the teachers are very pleased with his performance.  His English subjects are going very well, and his teacher is impressed with his Thai reading and writing, said they are both really improving.  And because all the students speak only Thai on the playground has forced him to communicate in Thai.  He also has made friends with some of the boys in our neighbourhood.  In fact they are usually lingering outside our home any time after five, waiting for Curtis to get home from school.  They are lovely boys, and we are glad for Curtis to have some friends, especially as he was missing his old school and church friends from Bangkok.

I am writing this update from our new home in Nakhon Sawan – 248 kms north of Bangkok.  We moved mid November last year.  It was a blessing to find two houses – almost opposite each other.  Amnuay and Di live in one, and we live in the other.  Neither houses were furnished, nor had a kitchen.  It has been an extremely challenging time.  Some sweet folk from Lad Prao Baptist Church helped us load the truck, but the challenge began when we arrived late in the afternoon … they were still painting the inside, and the house was so filthy that all we could do was unpack the truck and stack everything in the lounge room.  The only furniture we had was a sofa.  We had no hot water either, so we stayed at a “resort” for the night (where, I might add, their hot water wasn’t working either) – but at least we had a bed to sleep in!! 

This Post from Suzanne: 

Oh my, how quickly this year is passing by!  And we certainly haven’t been short of ‘happenings’ here in the last couple of months.  On the 12th of August it was Mother’s Day here (the Queen’s birthday).  The Church had a special day on the Sunday (10th), and we had many visitors, including a number of unsaved mums.  Amnuay invited his mother, and she came.  I think she was a little nervous, as it was her very first time in Church.  At the end of the service all the children presented their mothers with a gift and a rose and a short speech.  I received three gifts and three roses – my sons included Curtis, Amnuay and Noah.  It was very sweet.  Then Amnuay presented his mother with a rose and a gift and told her that the best present he could give her was the Lord Jesus Christ.  It was quite stirring and emotional.  Please continue to pray for Amnuay’s parents, that their hearts would be open and they would listen and understand as Amnuay has opportunity to witness to them.

Dear Pastor and Brethren,  I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;  For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;1 Timothy 2:1-3

 At this time of writing a state of emergency has been declared here in Thailand because of rioting and civil disorder. Protestors have stormed and occupied government buildings and the complex of the Prime minister. The present government was legitimately elected to office by the majority of Thai only seven months ago. Several have been killed already and the army and the police are out in large numbers on the streets. The protestors are unwilling to accept the will of the majority of Thais and are determined to bring down the government no matter what the cost to Thailand and the Thai people...

This Post from Suzanne: 

I have just recently arrived back from Australia.  We had our annual Leadership Conference at Good Shepherd Baptist Church, and Wayne preached a number of sessions there.  The Conference is attended by many Pastor’s around Australia, so it was nice to catch up with some of those Pastors that support us, and have opportunity to share with them about our work here in Thailand.  Also, Pastor Jesda and his wife, plus three of our Thai friends were also able to attend.  Pastor Jesda gave his testimony last year, and this year he taught the adult Bible Class on the Sunday morning leading up to Conference.  He was again very well received, and a blessing to many people.  His attendance at the Conference was also big help and encouragement to him.  He gained many valuable insights.

 Dear Pastor & Brethren,  

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." (John 6:46) 

Esau discovered that after the soup was gone he had lost that which he could not regain.  He fatally followed the lead of his flesh and traded his birthright for a meal of pottage.  Hebrews 12 tells us that though he sought this blessing again with tears, it was for him too late …  Those who consume the soup of the world are destined to ever hunger yet never be filled.  But when one has Christ he has all, he is full always; those who know Jesus never hunger and never thirst, He is our all in all, always.

9th April, 2008

Time has gone very quickly since the last update – but things have been quite busy, none-the-less!  About 6 weeks ago Curtis went to his first birthday party here.  It was one of his best friends, Obe, from school.  While there, I had opportunity to talk with Obe’s father.  He said that for some time now Curtis had been asking  Obe to come to church, so he asked if they could come visit our church the next day.  The following morning quite a number came – Obe’s whole family, plus four more of his school friends – 9 people in total!   Two of those children had never been to church before – not a bad soul-winning effort for an eight year old!

19th February, 2008

Well, as promised, I have been working on photos – just haven’t quite figured out how to get it on the website, but am still working on it.  Thought I would go ahead and give a brief update and attempt to add some photos with this update.