Monday February 16 was a day of transition for the ABCRM Thailand mission team. We took time learning about the Chiang Rai ABC-IM ministries of Karen Smith and Kit Ripley to help tribal in-need women at the New Life Center (NLC), as well as the multiple ministries of Mike and Becky Mann to help Karen people with coffee-crowing, medical supplies, and education. We then packed up to go by van to Chiang Rai with ABC-IM Global Consultant Lauran Bethell and NLC staff members. The unexpected blessing for our team was to spend time with Lauran allowing us to learn more about her global efforts to stop human trafficking for slave labor, prostitution, and other purposes.
After arriving in Chiang Rai, the Thailand mission team was met by our host ABC-IM missionaries Chuck and Ruth Fox at the Rimkok Hotel located less than a mile from their home. We enjoyed dinner at the hotel with them in preparation for the many mission team activities scheduled for the remainder of the week.
On Tuesday morning, we started the day by attending the Family Learning Center (FLC) international school’s morning worship where Ruth Fox is principal. Ruth introduced the students to our mission team members, and thanked us for bringing five extra suitcases filled with purchased and donated books, science kits, a microscope, and sports-related items that were requested by Ruth. Most of these items were paid for using part of the total $5000 of ABCRM funds designated for our team’s in-country projects.
Bill Golson participated in the morning worship by talking about appreciating gifts, especially the spiritual gifts we have received through our faith in God and by our following Jesus’ teachings.
After the FLC morning worship, Ruth let the mission team members on a tour of the school’s campus. We then went to the Fox’s home to see the Akha Crafts Store staff who make many kinds of home and apparel items that are sold in Thailand and through the Akha Crafts Internet Store (www.akhahilltribe.org). The income helps families in the Akha villages near Chiang Rai who do hand-stitching in their homes.
Barbara Fuller’s mission trip project for the upcoming week was to work on crafts projects with the Akha Crafts women as well as the Akha women in the Chiang Rai New Life Center located next to the Fox’s home.
After the entire team went to the beautiful Quenn’s Gardens about an hour north of Chiang Rai, our “Clean-Water Construction Crew” (Karen Van, Bill Golson, Mark Francis, and Kerry Hassler) went with Chuck for our first visit to the Akha village where we would stay for the next four days, located about 45 minutes south of Chiang Rai.
We arrived there as the sun was setting over the nearby mountains, and were greeted by the villagers who we would be working with. They arranged our accommodations in the village family homes, including setting up the mosquito netting to protect us from various insects.Karen Van immediately made friends with many of the village kids, and we started learning about the Akha culture around us. The next morning, we would be going with Chuck and the villagers to the source of the clean-water supply high up in the mountains to see how the system was being constructed. Our ABCRM clean-water project was ready to start.
1 comment:
that is great to know.
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