Another Day; Another Week; Another Month

Time is a funny thing. It seems to accelerate the longer you experience it, and living/working at GES is no exception. 2009 is already 1 month down—that's 8% of the year already, and I swear that I was just in Canada last weekend!

All that being said, there have been quite a few interesting things happening over this past month & especially in the past week. Here's the condensed version:

Library & IT stuff

With the addition of my new helper, Ann, who's volunteering with is from Taber, the book cataloguing project has begin to take off with a bit more oomph. Alone, I was averaging 40 title records per day; with her help the past two weeks have seen 450 & 300 title records created! Definitely an improvement, but I don't think it will be enough to complete the digital catalogue by April.

I discovered, in my tinkering with our library software, that Phase II of our project—which I thought would be a mindless snap—is actually more involved. Phase II will involve bar-coding every copy of every book in the library, and originally I thought that this meant scanning the ISBN & sticking on a bar code to identify the copy with the title. To my chagrin, it looks like the software also requires a call number to be applied to the book for record-keeping. Thankfully, Ann & I have been working on this already (originally as a method to streamline res-helving for non-/low-level-English speakers, but now a veritable requirement for the database) & the extra step in Phase II should proceed without much pain.

(Warning: nerd alert. Read the following only if you're interested in computers & IT system management)

I'm furthering my knowledge of Microsoft server technology by creating a network-based installation source/image for our workstations via MS's free Windows Deployment Server download. The current version of WDS has been designed for Vista deployment, so there have been a few snags along the way to get an XP image deployed through this solution due to differing bootstraps for the two versions of windows. Today, I finished configuring the PXE server to load WinPE successfully, only to be hampered by PE's 'image capture' utility refusing to recognise my system volumes. Booting PE outside of the image capture configuration, I was able to create an image through the command line with ImageX. My next step(s) in this project will be to create an answer file for the hardware independent image to automatically install itself on remote machines. In the end, my several month "hobby" should make the 90 minute/machine OS & software deployment process complete in 20 minutes per machine (even faster if I'm able multicast... Not sure if WDS supports it though... Maybe Ghost instead).


Church ministry

I actually got a chance to go to the new church plant dealie that I've been asked to work alongside last week. It was a fluke arrangement, since the things that were prohibiting my attendance got rescheduled out of nowhere. I visited the church on Wednesday night for their Bible study & Sunday for the morning service. Here are some details:

• The church is situated in a community close to a huge temple school & a light-industry factory that employs over 200 people. We meet in a small, one-storey house that has four rooms: one for an office, one for services/meeting, one for a guy who needs a place to live to stay in & one for eating/welcoming. The eating/welcoming room is pretty much the atrium for the house, as the front door opens right into it. The hope is to keep the building open & occupied throughout each day for the eventual purpose to have neighbourhood dwellers drop on by whenever they're bored.



• So far, the church seems to have 13 members: the Thai family who started it up (6 people), the pastor & his family (4 more), Aaron, Lorrie (my American compadres from GES in this venture) & myself. We had a planning meeting on how to proceed with the church's mission & vision last week Wednesday, but not much has happened since (almost as if we're all busy already).



• In all honesty, there are a couple of things that make me uneasy about this church plant. 1.) it's a Thai church & although they do an excellent job of translating for us, inevitably there are things that get lost in translation which makes communication & planning a bit more difficult. 2.) This may be related to #1, but I get an uneasy feeling that there is some information—whether to do with the church or concerning the relationship(s) I have among the members of this Thai family, I'm not yet sure—that is being kept from me. I find myself being a little suspicious about something going on that is being deliberately hidden. Now, whether it's because "I shouldn't have to worry about it" or some other non-issue, there nonetheless is something leaking through the body language of certain members that makes me wonder. 3.) I find myself acutely aware that it would be foolish to enter into a working relationship with this church for an extended amount of time if I would be the only native English-speaker. Thankfully, Aaron & Lorrie have been recruited alongside me, but they're even more unsure where 2009 is going to take them than where I find myself when looking forward. The Thai pastor, when preaching last week brought up this very point in his sermon. When Jesus sent out the Seventy to go & preach in His name, proclaiming the Kingdom of God, He sent them out in pairs—never alone. The pastor's comments on this decision resonated with Ecclesiastes 4:11-12, where we're told that there is strength in numbers. In all honesty, I don't think that I could survive in Thailand without some strong sort of English-speaking interaction until I became fluent in Thai...

Students & Relationships

This past few weeks, one of my students in Grade 10 has shown a huge surge of interest in Christianity. His name is Tony, and he's fluent in English, owing to a couple years of elementary schooling in the USA. It's one of those things where you never thought things would happen, really. He said that the reason he started to become interested in Christianity was because of something I had said after a life group (a youth group type thing after school on Thursdays) game about talking to God & having a dynamic relationship with the Creator of the Universe. He asked me this week to pray for him because he wants to find God & experience Him. Pray with me for him, would you? Pray that God would indeed reveal Himself to Tony. That would be awesome.

On the other side of the spectrum, it has become strikingly clear to me that we as a staff have fallen into some bad habits—myself included. I've started to become acutely aware of a certain level of un-edifying gossip passing around from teacher to teacher. It's unfortunate, because such activities do nothing to build community, and I must confess that I also have been party to such activities. Expressing exasperation with certain colleagues to other colleagues just for the sole purpose of venting. Pray that this unhealthy environment would become rectified.


Future considerations

As I've been instructed to proceed in my life as if I were to work with this church plant indefinitely, I submitted an intention to stay for another year at GES. The school was supposed to come back to us with an answer either within 2 weeks of our submitted form or by the 1st of February, whichever was later. I received an e-mail on Friday informing me that these decisions would be delayed for another week (for now—that's my pessimistic attitude shining through). One of the conditions for me to stay in 2009 & help with this church plant is being able to stay in Thailand. Legally, in order to do that I'd either need to be married to a Thai girl, or I'd have to have some sort of employment. And there ain't no Thai girl in the works (or at least that I know of yet. Ha!). GES really is my only shoe-in, as all schools now require an education degree at very least (I'd get excepted at GES because of being hired before the law "came into effect") for employment, and my degree isn't a very attractive one in the eyes of most other employers. So, one of the big factors on whether I stay another year or not will—hopefully—reveal itself before my next update.


Summary

Okay, I'm tapping out. Pray for these things:

• Thank the Lord that Tony's showing interest in Christianity. Pray that God reveals Himself to this Grade 10 student


• Pray for revealed information & solidified intentions with this church plant: where they want to go & what they have in mind.


• Pray for healthy relationships & constructive communication patterns among staff—and all relationships, really.


• Pray that God would make it 100% evident on whether or not He wants me here another year or not in the next week or so through this re-hiring decision.


• Pray for my back! The chair that I use in the library is broken, and my back has started to notice this in the past week. It has started to vocalise its protest by means of sharp pains that occur usually in my lower back, yet they're not isolated there: some days the pain's much higher up my spine. You would think that this would be an easy fix: get a new chair, but practically all the unused chairs on campus right now are broken, and the school I doubt would be willing to spring for a new one (we need approval from the school's owners now to spend 6 baht [that's 18 cents] whenever we need to print something for class in colour).

I think that's it. Thanks, again, for reading what I thought was going to be short. Another installation with life-changing news by Valentine's Day!

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!

A January Tidbit

This officially is the first adventure of 2009. Missed flight! First class! Rerouted to LA! Free hotel (please may that happen)! It is pretty exciting to think that all this happened because of a small flame failing to ignite in an engine on the tarmac of Edmonton's International Airport in the wee hours of this morning. Something about it being -40°C or other… And on top of this, the clock in the room where I was staying got re-set with a different time, throwing me off my schedule be an hour! That was odd... Thank you, Lord, that my mom woke me up because I'd be willing to bet that even if my own alarms had woken me, I'd be poking around, biding my time during that hour before my plane was supposed to take off completely unaware that I was 60 minutes behind schedule. The great irony is that it didn't really matter in the end, seeing as the airplane only left YEG a full two hours after it was scheduled to depart.

And here I am, in seat 2A on Northwest Airlines flight 315 to Los Angeles for a 17ish hour layover before I fly out—a day later—to Tokyo for my connecting flight into Bangkok. I'm not exactly sure what the purpose of this delay is in the grand scheme of things, but there usually tends to be a reason that floats to the surface sometime later in this progression of time called life. I have never been to LA before, so it will be an experience to say the least. Is my rerouting a need to fill a gap or to interact with someone while I layover in Los Angeles? Was there something that was going to happen on my other schedule that I wasn't supposed to experience? Is there something that I am supposed to be missing in Bangkok? Not sure. Yet. Maybe one day I'll find out, but at this juncture, all I know is that I know that God is doing His thing: and when He works, ain't nothing gonna stand in his way.

I am going to be crazy tired for my friends’—Dominic and Sherri—wedding on Tuesday. Sheesh! I mean, talk about a busy day: first I get in at 12:30—all things going to schedule—then I struggle through customs & return to GES probably by 2 at the earliest, 3 at the latest. That morning, we have staff meeting at 7:30 am. My two computers classes plus library stuff. Maybe Thai class? The wedding at 6 & the party until who knows when? It's going to be a full day, especially when there's a games day on Friday which may or may not interfere with my classes... And then Teachers' Day the following Friday! The Grade 7 & 9 classes will be sooooo far behind if the time allotted in class is for instruction. Methinks we're going to have to hash out something—some sort of monthly plan of attack—to see if these classes can stay in line with each other (parity or something... Or not. I mean, who says that each class must have the same level of instruction? I know that it's kinda gay for those students who get less [or for those who get more, depending on your perspective. Ha!] instruction, but the way that the schedules have worked out this year really doesn't lend itself very well to instructional parity. Oh well.).

It's going to be an interesting year back, Lord, and You've decided to start it off with a bang :). I'm not 100% sure why my brain is screaming & throbbing at this point in time, but I trust that You've got it looked after & that it may merely be a result of fatigue or dehydration or both.

Father, I pray that you help me to be faithful with the resources that you've given me & the relationships that you've afforded me. Let me not squander them, but give me the wisdom & the direction to take these things and develop them for your glory. I pray for reconciliation between Sparky & I; for an open & curious spirit to overwhelm Oom; for opportunities to lead & develop the staff & the students that wouldn't become nullified due to lack of interest or lack of priority. Father, I ask you emphatically for wisdom with how to proceed in this church plant ordeal. I'm going to wait on you, as you've instructed, but in this time of waiting, let your wisdom steep my brain & pickle my thoughts so that all of the information that comes at me (and has already done so) can be processed through the distinct flavour of your loving wisdom & discernment. Jesus, I ask that you bring reconciliation & cooperation & understanding & restitution in the relationships surrounding this church plant project & NBC. I pray that William turns out to be an excellent resource & willing servant in the advancement of Your Kingdom. May his excitement / passion and vision not be swallowed up, but Lord, may you be so gracious as to use him as a catalyst to enliven those Christians around him.

My brain is sore—as are my legs—and I'm tired (not to mention that the battery on this contraption has sunk below 70% & I don't have access to my charger until further notice). So, that being said, Lord, I pray that you take my life & take my will & take my all and make it Yours. Give me the grace & strength to live in subjugation to Your will.

I's loves ya's.