Now a Word (or two) from Harry

Hi, I would like to introduce myself.  My name is Harry.  You may have heard about me in a blog that has been lovingly and dutifully created and updated over the course of the past seven months.  Had it not be for Pattie, many of you might not remember who I am.  So forgive me for not keeping in touch.  If you ask my parents about my ability to communicate regularly they would say that ever since I left for college, my ability to dial the telephone has continually diminished. 

            This is my first time ever to write an entry for the Blog, and I am excited about the opportunity to communicate with so many at one time.  I want to take a moment to thank Pattie, for it has been her, who has worked ever so diligently to keep everyone informed about our whereabouts and activities as we settle into our life here in Thailand.  She has seen the importance of communications, and has truly been burdened on behalf of our family about the need to let people know how and what we are doing.

            So Pattie, Thank you.  I love you for your diligence and for your stubbornness, in making me get on with the Blog.

            Pattie’s approach to the Blog has been, and will continue to be updates on family happenings, and she will also be doing our updates on Prayer and Praise Requests.  She has a knack for that, and I am sure that you all love seeing and hearing about what has been going on.  I even enjoy reading them.  Even when I go to the same event, a woman always sees it different from me, so I always learn something.

            My approach will be somewhat different, as I do not see it necessary to duplicate what she has done so well at.  I will typically try and share with you what is on the heart of our family, and will begin to share with you details about our work.  We are approaching a turning point in our lives hear, and while we will still be in full time language training, our work at the ARLDF Farm is getting well underway as we prepare for our first training in January.

            So here goes!!!  And remember, I have not had much English correspondence in 7 months, so I have a lot to say!!!

 

Harry’s First Blog

 

What is it about Change?!!  During the interview process with the company, we were asked over and over about how we deal with change.  What has been your experience related to change?  Please explain the reasons for major change in your life in the past.  Why is it that you had to change?  Was it something you chose, or was it forced upon you?  HOW did you deal with that change?  Is Change a positive experience, or was it something better left alone?  How do you feel about change in the future, and what is your expectation for your reaction?

Well, I was in an interview, so I said “NO Problem!! I can handle Change!!”  But the past seven months have been a change like no other.  Praise the Lord for his mercy and grace during this time, or else our progress in this place would not be going nearly as well as it is. 

I remember sitting in Sunday school class in Fort Worth, and Bro. Miles asks, “Where do you call home?”  Knowing the correct answer, I quickly retorted “HEAVEN.”  We went on to talk more about citizenship, and what it means to be Foreigner in a Foreign land.  I can honestly say today, I understand this passage better than ever before.  A boy from South Texas living in Thailand certainly has every right to say, “There’s No Place Like Home!”

The past seven months have been some of the absolute best and some of the absolute worst in my entire life, and in the life of my family.  But I am here to say, that I would not trade any of them for the world. 

In some ways, we are on the adventure of a lifetime.  We have had opportunities to see and do things that many people only dream of doing with there family.  The education alone that we share from our experiences could never be replaced in any class room.  We have seen the mountains, seen the ocean, and all the plains in between.  We have walked among monkeys and ridden elephants, and chased snakes and 2ft lizards out of and away from our house.   We have seen and experienced nature, people, and culture, in a first hand way, and we are making friends and relationships that I pray will last a lifetime.  On the other hand, we have left the only home we have ever known, said good buy to friends and family, and made changes and decisions for our each other and our children, that left to our own we might not have ever made.

That said, Praise be to God for his abundant mercy and grace, as He is the reason for our coming, and the provider and sustainer of our family during the time of Change and adjustment. 

So how do I handle change?  Well for those who know me well, they could confirm that I like things set in stone.  I am a planner, with a need to establish a vision and work towards achievement of that vision with a clearly defined set of guiding principles.  These principles lead to measurable / quantifiable goals.  It is only through proper execution of the predetermined plan that anyone can attain success.  I don’t mind taking risks, but the cost of those risks should be excruciatingly analyzed prior to engagement, and sufficient consideration should be given to contingency plans for all possible variables.

And this has left me…… Where?  Generally in a state of utter and absolute chaos!  I said this has been a change like no other.  We have experienced a time change, food change, language change, car change, job change, house change (21 places since December 2005), school change, language teacher change, money change, bank change, geographic change, weather change, clothes change (Thank goodness), Will change, friends change, church change, how to drive change, how to do just about everything change, and these lead to a change in attitude, self worth, health, family structure, communication (or lack there of), esteem, patience,  and generally a change in your view of perception of reality.  My prayer is that on the other side of the confusion and chaos, the Lord will see me fit to be worthy of change, so that I will be found to be acceptable to serve him as His worker here in this part of the world. 

You know that you must really be feeling lousy, when you decide it would be healthy for you to have a good in depth reading of Lamentations.  Well that is exactly what I did, and as I lamented through the Word, as I wandered through the loss and devastation of the Israelites, and as I wallard in the sorrows of my self pity, I was lifted back upon my feet by the vibrancy and vitality of HIS Precious Word!!!”

In this book of tears and sorrow, I was given my most powerful piece of scripture that I have read during my 7 months in this foreign land.  I cling to the words of the Prophet Jeremiah:

 

This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.  "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him."  The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him.  It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the LORD.  It is good for a man that he should bear The yoke in his youth.  Let him sit alone and be silent Since He has laid it on him.  Let him put his mouth in the dust, Perhaps there is hope.  Let him give his cheek to the smiter, Let him be filled with reproach.  For the Lord will not reject forever,  For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion According to His abundant lovingkindness.  For He does not afflict willingly Or grieve the sons of men.  To crush under His feet All the prisoners of the land ,  To deprive a man of justice In the presence of the Most High,  To defraud a man in his lawsuit— Of these things the Lord does not approve .  Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it?  Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth?   Why should any living mortal , or any man,
Offer complaint in view of his sins?  Let us examine and probe our ways,
And let us return to the LORD.     Lam 3:21-40 (NASB)

 

 

If Jeremiah felt guilty complaining about the catastrophe of the human condition in Israel, how is that I find I can complain.  When I find myself in a situation where I have to bear the burden of the yoke of change, I must sit alone and be silent as I wait upon the Salvation of the Lord.  The Salvation I speak of comes in many forms.  Certainly we have been given the gift of Salvation for our sins through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf, but I have seen over and over again where I am not only a recipient of life eternal, but also of abundant life here in Thailand, and around the world.  It is His Great Faithfulness, Lovingkindnessess, Compassion, and Sovereignty that makes it possible for Missionaries to remain on the field.  Had we come as a family to this part of the World in search of worldly gain, our sustenance would not be possible.  It can not be possible in this human state, but through His very being, we are given the power and right to live and work in a land that is not our own, as we await the day when we can go to our rightful home in “HEAVEN”.

 

I do want to take a few moments to update everyone on the progress that we are making regarding Thai language and the work of ARLDF.  Generally speaking, Pattie and I spend approximately 10 hours per week in concentrated language study.  This is done one on one with a Thai tutor.  Currently, we are in the process of studying how to read and write.  Typically we work on outside written and reading assignments for practice, and also it is necessary to regularly interact with those in the community to practice our oral language.  During this first year and half of being over-seas, our primary responsibility is to acquire language skills to sufficiently perform our task.  This is a full time job, and we are blessed to have this opportunity to invest in our communications abilities.  Currently Pattie and I both are approaching a Level 3 Competency, which means we can carry on a fairly normal conversation of small talk, and we are generally able to conduct most aspects our personal business.  Doing the real work is another story though, and we anticipate it will be a while before we are able to be effective enough in the Thai Language to share about the Truth of what we are here to share.  Interestingly enough though, I did have the opportunity to share the Gospel just recently in about 90% Thai.  The other 10% was made up from an electronic dictionary, and the person I was speaking with understood some basic English.  So the time may not be so far off.

As many of you know, we have come here to work on the establishment of an agricultural training center for Asian Rural Life Development Foundation (ARLDF). ARLDF is an Asian-based foundation that is primarily dedicated to aiding the development and upliftment of the poorest of the poor of Asia. Started in 1988 and originally based in the southern Philippines, ARLDF has sought to offer training services, consultancies, partnerships and friendship to a number of countries and organizations throughout Asia. Working in the areas of sustainable agriculture, food security, primary health care, water, sanitation and literacy (among others), ARLDF now has registered and formal projects in the Philippines, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Indonesia. Moreover, ARLDF has consultancy roles and network projects in the countries of China, Cambodia and Sri Lanka with future plans of expansion to Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar.

I actually stole that last paragraph from the ARLDF web page, but if you notice the last two countries, that is us. With ARLDF we have the greatest partner.  Jethro and his wife Omega have two small children, and they moved here from the Philippines just after we arrived in Mae Sai.  His background is Agriculture and Biblical Training, and mine is Construction and Business Management.  Thus, I feel that the Lord has assembled a team of complimentary team players.  As we design and build a training center for the development of communities through agriculture, it is exciting to see how we have come together. 

Since June, we have begun the establishment of training models at our project site.  The first is the FAITH Garden.  This program of Food Always In The Home shows farmers in a hill tribe setting what is possible on a standard size family plot of ground.  Through proper rotation of the crops, the farmers involved should be able to produce food not only for their home on a continual basis, but also excess for sale in the local markets.  This program can be applied across a wide variety of village settings, and ultimately is a vehicle to share the truth about God’s Word through application based stories. 

We are also establishing a Model Chicken Project.  We have just completed construction on this aspect of training, and anticipate populating the chicken house with birds in the next several weeks. 

Through hands on training and application based story telling, we will have the chance to train believers and un-believers alike in basic agricultural principles, and link these concepts to the root of all truth for all aspects of Christian living. 

During this past week, we have broken ground on our training hall.  The guys back at the DCCS office would be proud.  My last project in the states utilized some of the most advanced construction technologies and materials available to the construction market.  Here, well, it is a totally different story.  Someday, maybe I can share some of the tried and true techniques of utilizing bamboo for concrete formwork.  It might even be an opportunity on your next value-engineering suggestion to a client.  It is a reproducible material that is multi-functional, and guaranteed to save millions.  Before coming here though I only saw bamboo used as a landscaping product and for furniture on Gilligan’s Island.  That aside, we are pushing hard to have the structure completed and functional by the second week in January.  We will be scheduling some Christmas Activities in the training hall as well, but the big test will be for the first training session during mid January.  We are constructing a training hall with associated restrooms, kitchen and dining space, as well as covered work areas for development of seed bed preparations and other work / training activities.  The Training Hall will be capable of conducting meetings of 30-40 people, and we should be able to conduct multi-media events utilizing the latest in over-head projection technology.

During the time that we have been in Thailand, one aspect of our work has been networking with other co-workers in the region, and getting to know other NGO’s (Non-Government Organizations) and social groups.  Working both with local churches, and NGO’s we are in the process of developing several strategic partnerships that will lead to many opportunities to not only prepare for our work, but also to develop strategies and alliances that will allow us to enter into relationships with villages and community leaders.  It will be these communities that will most be in need of the training we can provide.  The peoples of this region of the world are numerous, and they cross over many geographical and political lines.  Some of the people groups of this region include the Thai, Burmese, Lao, Akha, Lahu, Lisu, PaLaung, PaDang, Shan, and Wa,   We are hopeful that by developing key partnerships we can be an effective tool to reach into these communities.  The agricultural models that we will typically teach and train in are very well suited for the Hill tribes and mountainous regions of North Thailand and Myanmar.  The more that we begin to understand the needs of the people in this upland regions through partnerships; we will be better able to prepare to serve them.

“I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.”  John 10:10.  Jesus came and has generously provided an overwhelmingly abundant life for Pattie and I and the kids, and it is our hope, that through our being here, we can live and serve as Jesus did when he became flesh for us here on earth.  We teach agriculture with models.  Let us follow the ultimate model and go to serve those who most need the help physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

I praise the Lord for each and everyone who gets our emails and reads our blog.  I wish I could visit with each one of you personally and thank you for your prayers and support of the work that is underway here in North Thailand.  It is incredible to know that simply by us being here, we are the answer to many of your prayers.  The things of which I am writing are an answer to prayer, and the people that will come into the Kingdom of God will be an answer to prayer as well. 

Pattie regularly updates our Prayer Requests, and I encourage you to go to that area of our blog regularly so that you may pray specifically on our behalf.  In addition, also be in prayer for the following items

 

-                                              Pray for the construction of the training facility, for wisdom and guidance as we develop the land the Lord has given us.

-                                              Pray for the continued spiritual development of our team and staff

-                                              Pray for the development of our first training program in January, that the Lord would speak through us, and that the pastors who will be coming, will have good travel and an open mind to the Lord’s teaching

-                                              Pray for the Christmas activities at the training center, that we could be a glorifying light in our community, and that our neighbors would understand the reality of the Spirit of Christmas.

-                                              Pray that the Lord would introduce us to people and organizations that will be strategic in our work and presence in this part of the world.

-                                              Pray that we would be bold in our daily lives to share with those around us.

 

I leave you with this:  About four months ago, we were overwhelmed with the time it was taking to cut and maintain our grass at the house.  We have moved now, but there, the yard was nearly and acre.  We had help in taking care of it, but this man was beginning to be ill from heat and work.  We decided that one day per week, we would hire a person from Burma to come and help.  It is very common in Mae Sai to utilize day labor which comes across the border.  They come here, because there is no opportunity for employment in there home country.  We very quickly came to like one of the thousands of men who had come.  His name is Zo Min.  We asked him to start coming every Monday to help, and he gladly said he would, because at least on Mondays he would have a guarantee of work.  After some time, the work load at the project site was beginning to increase and thus he has been working for our project site nearly every day for the past several months.  Zo Min comes from Myanmar, near the Irrawaddy River.  Before working for our project he, his wife, and seven year old son who is constantly plagued with one illness or another, would strive to make a living on less than $50 dollars month.  Even with a lower cost of living, there is no way to make ends meet.  Those burdens aside, he was always eager to work, and wore on his face a smile that would melt your heart.  One of our other workers began to share with Zo Min about Jesus.  Over the course of time he had the opportunity to see The Passion and another movie in Burmese about the Lord.  After much time and consideration, in the midst of construction on the Chicken House he has not only entered into the blessing of abundance through regular work, but he has entered into the Kingdom of God.  For the past month, he has been diligent about joining with us as we attend church in Mae Sai.  He brings his wife and son with him, and we pray for the day, that they to will understand the joy that has lifted the spiritual burdens from the shoulders of this man. 

I know that you will praise God with us, as we celebrate all the joys that surround the work that is taking place here in this region of the world.  Once again, I praise God for you, and I pray that the Lord will quicken your hearts to be burdened for the lost ones that we all serve together.

            Blessings my Brothers and Sisters from Mae Sai

 

            In His Grip

            Harry