January Oh-nine

Hello avid readers!

It's hard for me to believe that January's practically 2/3 over, and that only 2 weekends ago, I was braving -40°C weather. There was a bit of a story with my return flight, but in order to read that, you're going to have to check out the post before this one.

Since I've been back to Thailand, there have been a few developments:

• The church that I've been asked to partner with began its first service on 1 January. I have yet been able to go due to my other service obligations at the ex-pat church where I attend (I mix sound once every three weeks). I've heard reports, though, from my friends (a couple from the states—the guy who's teaching high school math in my lieu) that seem optimistic and at the same time, concerned about the sheer volume of activities that the Thai leadership has expressed a desire to undertake. Owing to my absence at the beginning of January, I won't be able to check out this church next week either (sound mixing duty), but I hope that the opportunity arises sooner than later.


• I had a chance to go to a Thai wedding on the day that I landed in Thailand. The wedding saw a couple of my friends—Dominic and Sherri—tie the knot on the 6th of January. It was a pretty cool experience, notwithstanding my severe jetlag, and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to celebrate with them. Sherri's parents are in North Carolina, and they couldn't make the trip out to Thailand for the wedding. Perhaps they'll have another celebration when the new couple moves across the pond later this year?


• Last week saw my teaching career at GES all but cease & my library duties redouble their temporal allotments. After the typical Tuesday staff meeting that I sat through a few short hours after I had landed back in the BKK, I was called into the administrator's office along with the grades 1 & 2 teachers for a second, smaller meeting. In that meeting, we were told that the school thought it best if my classes were delegated to others & my efforts in cataloguing & organising the library become the primary focus of my weekly activity. It was sad to leave the students last week although I still do teach one class (grade 7). On the upside, however, there has been a huge increase in my library productivity since this shift. Because the computers classes are always scheduled 30 minutes (or less) after my last library check-out session, it becomes very difficult to get into a rhythm for the short "free time" that used to exist between my services. Cutting out my teaching hours has effectively doubled my productivity in cataloguing & data entry. It's great. Great, though, might still not be enough to cut it: there are thousands of library books that need to be catalogued & which need new shelf tags (the old ones have since faded, and the typical letter classification for book type: 'E' 'JE' 'F' 'JF' etc. Confuses the kids who try to do their best to keep the library in alphabetical order, so I’ve devised a new classification system for the fiction collection). With the few weeks that are left, I'm not sure if the records will be completed—not to mention creating "accounts" for all staff & students who will be using the system too...


• This past Monday, I received a new helper! Her name's Ann & she hails from Taber. It's a huge blessing & relief to have someone with a strong command of the English language work alongside me in the library. She's been instrumental in helping with the cataloguing process, and we're coming up to the point where our combined productivity will double my throughput alone. She's a quick learner & is good, not only in finding the fine details, but also in understanding systems & the importance thereof. It's like she's been a God-send (which, perhaps she is, seeing that she came to volunteer with the school in December). Combined, we're getting close to reaching 80 completed title records a day for the non-fiction section. That's pretty good, considering that half of the library's operating time is filled with students running around & checking out books, with the mundane upkeep of re-shelving books and, lest we forget, checking in books also.


• Along with Ann, my other helper, Mrs. Lorena, a Filipino mother/missionary has continued to help me, but now the school has given her more working hours toward the library project which is also a huge blessing. She's been a trooper in labelling & covering the books that Ann & I have been cataloguing. We're working a veritable assembly line in the library these days. It's awesome.


• We were asked two weeks ago by the school to fill out forms of intent for the upcoming year. These forms are supposed to help the school plan & decide how to staff the next couple of terms after this one expires. The word on the street (and from our administrator) is that we should be hearing from the owners regarding job offers by the 1st of February. It's a huge time of transition right now as all the staff members are weighing the options & trying to decide what 2009 will have in store for them.


• My bent on 2009 goes somewhat like this: While in Canada over Christmas, during one of my prayer sessions with God, we were talking about what my future portends. I expressed my anxiety and uncertainty with pretty much everything, telling Him that I didn't know how long He wanted me to stay in Thailand (How long is "indefinitely" anyways?), and if I were to stay for longer than June / July this year, how I would find lodging & finances required for living, what exactly He wanted me to do with the church plant, how far to take it, and on & on & on... Instead of answering my questions the way that I was hoping He would (which seems typical for God), He said this, an excerpt from my prayer journal:

[Holy Spirit:] Trust in the Lord and He will give you the desires of Your heart
Do not let your heart be troubled Trust in God; trust also in me. In My Father's house there are many rooms, if it were not so, I would have told you.


[Me:] You go ahead of me to prepare a place for me.

[HS:] "It doesn't matter if you know what I want you to do. All I require of you is that you walk in faith the path that I have laid before you. Trust in Me; trust that I know where I am taking you. Do not fear, for I am with you and I will make you great & prosperous. Only, be sure to walk in the way that I have set before you: walk in it and do not tread to the left or the right. Let me worry about where you are going. You, be mindful of where you put your next step. I have called you to help with this church plant, now be faithful in my call. Do not worry about how long you will be there: just be there as long as I have ordained you to be there."

[Me:] What, then, do I do about May, Father? What is the step after this one?

[HS:] "That will be revealed to you in due time. Only be mindful of what I have set before you at this current time. Let me worry about where I am taking You."

Make no plans until February. Proceed as normal. Plan as if you are returning in May, but make no solid commitment to any plan until after January ends. Who knows? Maybe something will surface that you are not currently aware of.

And that, my friends & family, is what I'm working with. It strikes me as a bit providential that this prayer was written on 28 December, and when I arrive back in Thailand, I'm told that job offerings will be on Feb 1. Who knows? Maybe God will have me here another year? All I know is that He wants me to be serving Him in this time—and that "this time" is in His hands.

Things that you could pray for:

• Pray for the staff @ GES as all of us are considering the future. Pray that we be mindful of what God wants us to do & that we need only be responsible for following the step that He immediately lays before us—that the rest is in His hands until He goads us otherwise.


• Pray for my G. 11 student, Kitty, who's leaving on Monday (ish) to live Brooklyn until August (or thereabouts). She's a professing Christian, but one of the difficulties of being a Thai Christian is that spiritual growth / discipleship is scant at best. Pray that she would get connected to a good, solid Christian community while she lives in NY.


• Pray for this new church plant that God wants me working in/with. Pray that wisdom would be granted to the leadership & that above all things, the Lord would be followed. Pray for unity & harmony above believers.


• Pray that we, as a Christian staff, wouldn't slip into the "game over" mentality with our 8 remaining weeks of school. Pray for our unity, for our fervour & for our lives to blaze bright as living examples of Christ, not merely resounding gongs or clanging cymbals.


• Pray that the Lord's direction for my 2009 would be blatantly evident in February: if He desires for me to stay in Thailand for 2009 or beyond, that all those intimidating hurdles would be jumped / all those imposing doors would be opened. Conversely, if He wants me to return to Canada (or elsewhere), pray that that step would also be illuminated clear as day in a desert.

Thanks, all, for your interest & prayers. They're greatly appreciated!