My thoughts and a prayer request

I’ve spent a lot of time today thinking about our mission trip and what I learned.  Like Brian, this was way outside of my comfort zone, but Pastor Whitfield had made a statement at our first meeting when this trip was being formed that stuck with me:  Make this the year that you step out of your comfort zone for Jesus.  I guess I thought it was time, time for me to turn things over to God.  There were many reasons for me “not” to go: too busy, my Dad’s strokes during the summer, etc.  Only one good reason to go:  to tell these people in Thailand about Jesus.

We had an amazing, fun-filled, Jesus-packed two weeks.  Assembling a group of 15 adults can be difficult, but all of us together formed a team, a team that supported each other, prayed with each other and stepped in when things got difficult.  In addition, we had the privilege of getting to know some Thai people very well.  People who were kind, generous, trusting, gentle and humble, most of all humble.  My hope is that with the help of the internet, our relationships with them will continue to grow. (I've already heard from several of my new friendes.)

While we felt very close to the Christian staff of Journey Into Light, we also met students who were  Buddhist, new Christians, or people who had never heard about Jesus. I even met a young girl from Finland who is Lutheran and living in a Thai Buddhist home as a foreign exchange student.  Can you imagine going to Thailand to meet a young girl from Finland?  God sometimes works in mysterious ways!

I’ve learned that people are the same no matter where they live.  They share the same struggles, the same fears, they love the same and form relationships the same.  I want to make sure at this point of my life that they love Jesus the same too.  I think having been on this trip, it will be easier to share my beliefs and love of Jesus in a gentle, positive manner.  In fact, I met a young mom from BLC at Aldi’s today who I used to see every Sunday.  I told her I missed seeing her and she told me that she had spent the summer at the Lake and a few other excuses.  We talked for a while in the middle of the aisle about the situation and I will be praying that I see her again soon.  Who knows, maybe even an e-mail or phone call will be made.

I just know that it’s important for us to set an example and not be afraid to speak out.

Now, I ask for your prayers for the people in Thailand.  The very people we got to know, our new family in Christ, are being threatened with one of the worst floods in 50 years. We’ve been told that at least 60 of the 77 provinces have been significantly impacted by flooding during the past two months.  Nearly 300 people have been killed and 8.2 million more have been affected.  The flooding is already causing a big problem for the Thai economy.  The flood waters are dangerously close to the city of Bangkok which is built at sea level. Please pray for the large number of Thai people who are suffering because of these floods.  Many have lost their jobs and their homes.  Also, please pray for God’s grace, protection and provision for all of them during the next two weeks.   Thank you for all your prayers. - Judi

"Building bridges:Brookfield to Bangkok"

In  late 2010, Pastor Whitfield had asked me what I thought about going on a mission trip to Thailand. Immediately I thought of a traditional mission trip, where your group goes out into the jungle to build a school, church, or a home for the less fortunate. Being in the construction trade as an electrician, I thought what a great way I could help others with the talents God has given to me. But before I could say anything, Pastor Whitfield said that this was a teaching and relationship building mission trip. I remembered telling him that I would have to think about it, and that I was an electrician and not a teacher, to which he responded,"Don't underestimate the gifts that God gives you". I took this to heart as I thought and prayed. I prayed that The Lord cast aside any apprehension that I might have, and I knew that The Holy Spirit led Pastor to see some quality in me, that I really didn't know I had, which would be beneficial to the mission. After prayer and discussion with my wife Amy & our children, it was clear that The Lord wanted me to go on this trip, and then everything else; logistically, financially and spiritually fell into place by the grace of God. While teaching at our workshop, I didn't have to try to be somebody that I wasn't , I was just being me, and let The Lord use me at His will, and I knew Jesus's love shone! I was so far out of my comfort zone, being half way around the world, dealing with barriers of language, culture and beliefs, but the Lord gave me the wisdom, and the courage to share his love. If I was able to witness in Thailand, I know it will be so much easier to witness to people in my every day life at home.
This trip was just as much (if not more than) a learning experience as it was a teaching experience.      We are all Gods children, and I have learned that we are much more alike, than we are different
The Thai people, besides being accepting and gracious, are a very content and loyal people; They would make good solid Christians, as these are qualities that we as American Christians struggle to attain.
It was such a humbling experience to have individual Thai people come up to me and express their gratitude , by telling me, they see what the love of Jesus Christ is all about, through my example of voluntarily coming to Thailand to teach them (about English, and about Him) at a  personal sacrifice to myself and my family who I had left behind in America.
One of Lutheran Hour Ministries programs in Thailand is to bring Christ to the Thai people through technology. They have a website that many people follow (journey into light-Thailand), and a text messaging campaign that many people subscribe to. The Internet, computers, and smart phones have become increasingly popular in Thailand, especially amongst the younger population. Being technology oriented and my interest in these gadgets and the avenues they open, was a way I could really connect with both the Thai Christians who were on the staff at LHM, and with the non- Christian Thai people who came to learn at our workshop.
 Just before I left for Thailand I had got a new iPod touch, and had downloaded a Thai translator app, just for my own benefit, so I would know some basic Thai words and phrases. This app was worth it's weight in gold! I had used it on the first day at the LHM center (Friday when we met the staff), and it was an instant hit. It eased any of the anxiety that the Thai staff members and the BLC team may have had, by everyone having fun, playing "How do you say _____ in Thai" and "How do you say_____in English". We all had some laughs as we slaughtered pronunciations from each others language, and  words with no direct translation like, "chāng-fai-fáa"(one who carries big spark) for"electrician" and  "fák-tɔɔng-gɛ̀-sà~làk-sâi-tiian" (hollowed out agricultural product with candle inside) for "jack-o-lantern". But most importantly we were showing them that by making yourself vulnerable and laughing at your own imperfections is a great way to break the ice and start to build a trusting relationship. This impromptu game continued throughout the week, and was also enjoyed by the Thai participants who attended our classes. I was again humbled throughout the week as several of the staff and participants had approached me to express their appreciation that I was even interested in learning words and phrases in their Thai language.
Besides the rewarding experience of encouraging the Thai Christians who work at LHM, and giving them the confidence  in English to share God's Word, I had two other amazing witnessing encounters.
On Monday morning, as the participants started to filter in, a Thai woman in her late 30's sat at my table, and I introduced myself. She told me her name was "Pu", that she lived in Bangkok, and that her mother saw an advertisement flyer for our workshop, and told her about it. Since Pu is working on speaking English better, she decided to attend our workshop. Later in the morning Pu told me she didn't understand why we would want to come all the way to Thailand to voluntarily help them practice their English. I told her it was all about our mission as Christians to spread Jesus's love and Word by building relationships here in Thailand. I asked Pu if she was Christian, and she said she was raised Buddhist, although she has heard the name Jesus before,she knew nothing about Him. I told her that I'd be glad to tell her about Jesus. As our BLC team members gave their presentations on various topics, we would tie in Christian teachings along with Christian songs, which spawned questions at all the group tables. On Tuesday, Pu was asking me about the different apps I had on my i-touch, as she too had an I-phone. She was looking at my apps and saw one of my Bible apps and asked what it was. I told her that the Bible was the book of our Christian beliefs.  I told her the Bible was divided in two parts; the old testament ( stories about creation to just before Jesus's birth) and the new testament ( stories of the birth, life and teachings of Jesus along with the foundation of the Christian church). She expressed interest, and I told her it was a free app, that has numerous translations, including Thai, so she could practice her English( and refer back to the Thai version) while learning more about Jesus and Christianity. Pu then handed her i-phone to me and had me try to download it, but I was unable due to a poor cellular connection, so I told her we would try on Wednesday. Pu then asked me to just write down the name of the Bible app, which I did, and when she came in on Wednesday morning, the first thing she told me was that she was able to download it at home and would start reading it.
On Thursday Pu couldn't attend due to her work schedule, and I ended up sitting at another table with a young Thai couple  in their early 20's, Chom & -Tao, who were also raised Buddhist. While we were playing our group games, Chom won her choice from the prize table and she chose a bracelet with Bible verse, Proverbs 3:5-6 on it and she asked me what this was. I told her the same thing I told Pu about the Bible, and Chom was very interested so I directed her to the app store on her smart phone and  she immediately downloaded the free bible app. She then had me show her where Proverbs 3:5-6 was in both the English and Thai versions.
During Friday afternoons session we all had to say our heartfelt good-byes, and though I told myself I wouldn't get teary eyed, I cried like a blubbering baby (only outdone by Judi). Pu came up to me, also crying and she assured me she would read the Bible, after  I re-iterated how important it was, and that she should come to LHM center if she had any questions or needed support from the staff, since most of the Thai Christians there had been previously Buddhist.
Not only did the BLC team become emotionally attached to staff and participants at the LHM workshop, but we have gotten much closer to each other as we worked together to let The Holy Spirit work through us. To God Alone be the glory!
                                                                                 -Brian Betchner

"One week in Bangkok makes a hard man humble"

One thing we saw when we were in Thailand were the Buddhist temples. Here the people bow down and give homage to idols, false gods, and Buddha. It is quite saddening, that so Many people here do not know  of Jesus Christ and His salvation (only about 1% of the Thai people are Christian).
I'm humbled that I was asked to be a part of the BLC mission team to Thailand. As a thanksgiving offering to our Lord, for the ability he has given to me, to know Him, I gladly came here to make a difference, by building relationships with the Thai people, by introducing them to Jesus's name, His Word, and His love. I pray that the Holy Spirit work on the hearts and minds of the people we touched here, so they too can share in God's saving grace!          -Brian Betchner

Concordia Day Care

This is indeed the day the Lord hath made.  The day care that we were about to visit is on the edge of a slum community composed of 200 homes and 2000 undocumented people. The day care was established to keep the children safe while there parents worked at very, very low paying jobs.  Before the day care was established, children were locked in a room so that their parents could work. 

We left our hotel at 8:30 to drive together in a large van to Concordia Day Care about an hour away.  We went in through tall locked gates into a court yard and then were escorted into a classroom with 66 shining smiling faces staring at us.  They greeted us with shouts of excitement  and counted us off in English as we entered the room and our day began.  There was no air conditioning, but that didn't matter since we spent our entire day outside!  Sandy had been waiting for her chance to present and present she did.  She had a wonderful day planned for the children and the five from our group that remained were her assistants - and assist we did!  We started out with some songs being sung.  Of course, Tak, from Journey Into Light,  was there with his Ukulele to accompany as we sang "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" faster and faster.  Then, we sang our new favorite Thai song in English, "This Is My Hand, Not Your Hand!"  Any one of us would be willing to teach you when we get home because we look for chances to sing it. And good times continued.  Sandy's assistants had the best job because we got to play with the children.  As always, there are several children that tug on your heart.  The funny thing was that we all had different children tugging.  God was definitely at work in our hearts.  I keep saying that, just like the Grinch, our hearts continue to grow.  After singing and the story of the first Christmas, told in English and translated into Thai, we were on our way with games.

We had stations of bubble blowing, parachute toss, play doh station, hot potato station, ball toss, chalk and a variety of crafts.  The crafts included painting, sticke\rs, markers, and putting crosses together. The children had so much fun and so did we.  We can't explain how we felt: that we were involved with these children and that they seemed to love us as much as we loved them.

As our time together ran down, the children were prepared for a meal and a nap and we were given the opportunity to tour the area of foot with our leader from Concordia.  She quietly took us into homes in the slums where people lived with almost nothing.  The first man, who lie on the floor of his one room home, was paralyzed and was on their regular visitation list because he lived alone.  He allowed us to pray with him and we went to the next home.  We also visited the home of a woman with diabetes who has had her leg amputated and is being helped with medical care.  She has an old wheelchair outside in case she has to be transported, but basically lives on the floor of her "house".  As we walked through this village we wondered how they managed to live here.  We walked past an outdoor area where several people were together eating lunch, it looked like the 4 women from one family.  They had a baby inside a primitive cradle of cloth which was tied to two posts.  It was very clever actually and allowed the baby to sleep.  I stopped every time we passed them, did a "Y" and a sa-wad-dee kah (a humble pose with a Thai greeting) and told them their baby was beautiful.  By the second time past them, they asked me if I could join them for lunch.  This is the part that is so hard for us to explain.  The Thai people are the most generous, humble and kind people we have ever met. We are also humbled by what we saw and felt.

Our evening was one of fun and laughter as we invited the staff of Journey Into Light and Concordia to join us for bowling at a local establishment.  A good time was had by all - lots of laughter and absolutely no bowling skills!  We have begun to view our new Thai friends as extended family.

Phuket and farewell but not goodbye!

It has been a couple days since we posted due to an exceptionally busy schedule, flying and no wifi therefore, let me catch you up.

Friday was our last day of "Fun with English" workshop.   Bob and PW did a great job wrapping up the week.  We were able to share about Jesus again as well as pray with all the student.

After a "goodbye" lunch we were off to the airport to fly to the island of Phuket.  We experienced Bangkok Airlines "the boutique" airline.  Thai people are all about service!   When we arrived in Phuket we learned about and saw the "Vegetarian Festival" which many had come to town to participate.  It is a Buddhist festival where everyone wears white for 10 days and refrains from meat as well as many other things.  We arrived late to our hotel but was pleasantly surprised to find the GM had upgraded our rooms to encourage us to bring our "American" friends back.  We found not many Americans actually visit Phuket.

Saturday we had opportunities to explore the island, learn about the tsunami devastation and take in some cultural sites and activities.  The Chinese and Muslim influence is notable in the people.  Those in our group who have been to Hawaii say Phuket rivals it in the splendor and beauty.  Defintely a must see!  Amazing how they have rebuilt everything from the Tsunami.  We were also trained immediately about the warning system and evacuation routes.  They are prepared better for the future.  One fascinating story was we talked to our tour guide and asked if she was a survivor.  She said she was!   She was in the middle of a tour on a bus when it hit.  One of the passengers kicked out a window for some to swim out of the bus to safety.  She was one of seven out of 35 who survived.  She said it runs through her head everyday.  For the following six months she was a translator for all the relief workers who came to help.   She said the Buddhist believe they were blessed that more did not die because Buddha held back more waves.   There is a lot of work to be done in Phuket for the Lord!
 
That brings us to today Sunday!  We headed back to Bangkok for a farewell dinner with our Lutheran Hour Ministry Hosts and students.  It was a phenomenal food yet again.  We have all learned to love Thai food!   Sidenote - did you know they are excellent at desserts?   Both groups shared remarks on the week.  Gifts and prayers were exchanged.  The culminating momment was when we all gathered to sing one of their favorites "All in All".  We were blessed to worship together the King of Kings and Savior of all Jesus!  It was one of the most special nights of the trip.   We shared this is not goodbye but simply farewell as we will see each other again in heaven if not sooner!

Nine of our group is boarding a plane to head home as I write.  Pray for safe travel for their long journey and layover in Korea.   Pray that as they reflect on their time in Thailand they will be able to hear how God's message of hope and plans for their future.   Pray they will assimulate back into the US well.  And pray they will have many opportunities to share the story of Journey Into Light mission outpost and the amazing ministry happening here.  Pray for the Thai people that the seeds planted will grow.  And pray for the 6 of us remaining will be well rested and energized to work with the children at Concordia Day Care Center tomorrow.

God's Blessings families and friends!!