Concordia Day Care Center Bangkok

On Wednesday morning we visited Concordia Day Care Center in the slums of Bangkok. Our BLC team has visited here on our past two Thailand trips in 2011 and 2013. There were 50+ students, ages 3 to 10, which included a few special needs children. Due to a lack of resources, accommodations for the special needs children are non-existant, so they are assimilated into the general class population. Concordia Day Care Center is a safe haven, where the children can be fed and taught in a Christian environment. The alternative is them being locked alone into the it own homes for up to 12 hrs a day, while their parents go to work, who cannot afford child care. There is also the fear they may be kidnapped by sex traffickers.
This little girl, "Phet" I first connected with 2 years ago when I was here. She remembered me, and we reconnected. She has come along way, from not speaking at all, to talking non-stop in both Thai & English,  thanks to the staff at this Mission.
Even though our BLC team has only spent a few hours here over the past three visits, it is a huge encouragement to the staff here. It shows our commitment to an established relationship that will continue to bless them, as well as us. It demonstrates to the children, the love of Jesus, as we compassionately interact with them.
The financial gifts that we have given here also is a true blessing, since it provides for much needed resources.
Please keep the children and staff of Concordia Day Care in your prayers, for health, safety, and that they know of Jesus' love and saving grace.

-Brian Betchner

Continuing Our Mission...

     

  As our team flies home from our Thailand mission trip there are many thoughts and feelings that have come to the forefront of my mind.  We went to serve our God who loves us, through serving the Thai people.  The passion  exhibited for their faith through the use of spirit houses was striking. The houses were seen next to the poorest of shacks, in front of businesses and even in the medians of the boulevards.  What impressed me the most was how shiny and well maintained they are. They place fresh flowers and other trinkets on them regularly.  It is common to place bottles of water or juice with straws in them as a means of pleasing unknown entities.  The filth, trash and disrepair that accumulates around houses and businesses is of little concern to them.  By contrast, the spirit houses are well maintained.  They glisten in the sun with gold leaf, jewels and intricate architectural lines.  They are a thing of beauty.
  Is there a point to all this?  I wonder why we as Christians are tentative in showing our faith in God with an outward sign in our front yards for everyone to see.  It would be a meaningful expression of our faith to place a cross or other sign of faith and plant some flowers to honor the God who has so richly blessed us.  It could open up conversations with the neighbors and act as a more constant reminder of how thankful we are that Christ made the ultimate sacrifice to save us.  Nativity scenes in the front yard at Christmas remind us every time we drive up our driveway that Jesus became like one of us in order to fulfill God's plan.  The Thai people offer these things in the hope that something better will be in their future, but we as God's children have that blessed assurance of a place with Jesus in heaven for eternity.  My plan is to make this outwardly obvious in more ways and encourage my Christian neighbors to do the same.  I want to continue the mindset to save the lost right in my own neighborhood mission field.  How about you?  I pray that through the seeds we planted showing God's love through song, dance, pantomime, gifts, hugs and a willingness to just be there, our friends at Lutheran Hour Ministries, with God's help, can change those spirit houses to crosses.

-Laura Ciletti

Questions Answered

We had our fourth day at the schools today! It was fun to see the kids, their continued interest in our workshops, and to know we will see them tomorrow for round 2! We enjoy going to the same school more than once because it gives us more time to find a deeper connection between the students and teachers from Lutheran Hour Ministries-Thailand.                                    

After eating lunch at the school, our Thai friends took us to see Saraburi's main temple. Not being the first temple we've seen, we knew what to expect, and therefore became more aware of practices of the Thai people on temple grounds. Watching these practices stirred many questions...

During the van ride back to our hotel, we were able to get some answers. Van rides have been a great opportunity to mix with the Thai missionaries and learn about the culture (which plays a huge part in the obstacles they face while trying to serve in Thailand). Knowing more about their culture helps us understand more about the dire need for Jesus.

While we were at temples, we saw people burning incense and buying gold leaf to put on a Buddha and pray, people ringing bells, and people dropping money into what they believe to be a footprint of Buddha. We assumed it was all for worship and prayer for Buddhists, when really, it's in order to increase positive karma. We learned that Buddhists believe- or really that Buddha taught- that in order to reach Nirvana, they have to let go of all desires. These offerings were not a part of original teachings, but rather an addition made by people as a way to raise money for the temple. Our confussion was realizing that their offerings are not going up to anyone and their prayers are not being heard because they have no god. 

This brought another question about the "spirit houses" we have seen outside of most homes and businesses. We thought they were for Buddhists as well, but learned that they have been adopted into Buddhist practices as a way to appease the spirit. So, knowing they adopt different parts of different religions makes the ministry here more difficult. It's not difficult to introduce them to Jesus, but it is difficult to get them to believe in one true God.

Please pray that the Spirit would work through the missionaries at the Lutheran Hour Ministries- Thailand. Pray that hearts would be open to the absolute truth of one path to eternal life. Our time in these schools opens the doors for the missionaries and local churches to continue ministry in the neighborhoods where we worked.

-Katie Cizel

-Nicole Whittow

Job Opening Help Wanted

Job Opening Help Wanted

On Sunday October 4th we gathered in the BLC parking lot  as a group with friends and family seeing us off on our Trip to Thailand.  We had communion and a short time to share what we were looking forward to.  I shared that I was looking forward to the unknown.  God has  gifted all of us in different ways and I thought this was an excellent opportunity to see how our team would respond to the many “unknowns” that we would be faced with.  This is a case of needing to be careful  for what you wish for.  The first 3 Days in Saraburi found  us with team members recovering from jet lag, being dehydrated, suffering ongoing intestinal distress, and loss of voice.  Despite this we adjusted our teams and were able to connect with the school children.  It’s amazing what the smiles and hugs from school children can help you power through.

Logistically this trip has also been a challenge. Following the 28 hour trip we thought we would  have a recovery day.  Not to be.  We spent the day in orientation then traveled by van from Bangkok to Saraburi, a 2 hour ride which ended in grocery shopping.  By the time the trip is over, we will have checked in and out of 5 hotels.

Why did I title this blog help wanted?  Simple,  The Lutheran Hour Ministries has more opportunity here than they have people for. Here is a partial description of job responsibilities and working conditions.

Candidates must:

Have ultimate flexibility as schedules and plans change on a moments notice.

Have a heart and passion for the lost.

Enjoy 90% humidity with 90-100 degree temperatures.

Not be prone to motion sickness and be able to endure long van rides on rough roads.

Be willing to invest emotionally and build relationships with people of a different culture.

Be able to embrace living in a city where standards for buildings and utilities are seemingly non-existent.

Be a true team player.

Master using a squat toilet.

Enjoy God sightings on a regular basis.

Compensation:  

Short term you must either give up vacation time or sacrifice earnings while you are working.  Additionally the cost is a minimum of $1000 and you will be responsible for fundraising too.

Benefits:  

You will know you are executing God’s plan for the lost. 

You will experience a culture that is totally different from ours.

You will see areas of the world through the eyes of indigenous people.

You will have a new reference on how blessed we are as Americans.

You will have a new perspective on friends and relatives that don’t know Jesus.

You will build lasting relationships with the Lutheran Hour Ministry folks and other missionaries.

If you have  a prayerful attitude but are short on experience, and want a life altering experience for you and the people you will serve, please apply through our Mission Committee.

Reed Felton

We Can Be His Voice In The Wildernes

We started Sunday morning with a Bible study, Led by Denis Dennow at the mission in Bangkok. He spoke about being in a "wilderness" or "desert". These are  uncomfortable places of emptiness , darkness and loneliness. God has brought people to these places through the Holy Spirit's leading, for various reasons. For instance, He led Moses and The Israelites out of Egypt and into the desert (literally) for refinement and preparation. God also not only led, but turned Babylon into a dark place as a punishment for opposing His people.
 When teaching the Thai people of Gods grace and forgiveness, Dennis said we must be careful and honest about what we say. We don't  want them to think that God will take away all their problems, just because of their belief in Him.
Most Thai people are Buddhist, and believe they must earn their own way to a better new life through reincarnation. Since they do not know  Jesus, they too are in a wilderness, and will never have eternal life through and with Him.
 God never promised us a storm free life, but He did promise to walk with us through these storms.
 Gale did a devotion the day before, that brings al of this full circle:
Here is the testimony of a Chinese Christian:  "I walked through the road of life and had fallen into a great ditch.  The ditch was filled with depression, discouragement, and sin.  As I lay in that ditch Mohammed came along and said, "Its your fault you're in there the ditch. You offended Allah, and this is your just punishment".  Then Marx came by and said, "You're in the ditch because of class warfare.  You must revolt. "  But after the government changed, I was still in my ditch.  Then Buddha came along and said, "You're not really in that ditch.  You just think you're there.  Its all an illusion of the mind.  Be at peace, and learn to live in your ditch".  Then Confucius came by and said, "Here are 10 steps of self-attainment by which you can get out of your ditch.  If you will struggle, you will climb out eventually,".  But as much as I struggled and strained, I couldn't get out of the ditch, because it was too deep.


"Then one day, Jesus Christ came by and saw me in my ditch.  Without a word, He took off his white robe and got down in the muddy ditch with me.  He lifted me up and pulled me out of the ditch.  Thank God that Jesus did for me what I could not do for myself.  Romans 7:24-25
                      -Brian Betchner

What Power!

  

10-11-2015

Bangkok Thailand

What Power!

We woke to the sound of thunder and lightning. In Thailand, that is cause for uneasiness as the rain routinely comes down in sheets.  Add to that, a power outage, which means loss of air conditioning and our uneasiness grew.  That's how today started out: full of water, out of power.  Fortunately, the power returned just in time to take showers, pack up and head to the school for the morning.

On our drive to the school, the rain subsided.  We arrived to find the school out of power and fully in session.  The children we were supposed to teach were already in class.  The Director (principal) had been called multiple times but had not alerted the teachers or students of our visit.  Time was ticking away, and we were getting anxious as we thought of the lessons we had planned and the time we needed to teach them.

The Director came back to us and agreed to let us start the lessons.  Soon after, the power was restored!  For the second time in just a few hours the power was restored in a timely fashion.  As believers, we don’t see this as coincidence.  It is His Power we rely on and count on.

 The children were brought in for a time of song and introduction.  Tak, from Lutheran Hour Ministries, has a way of working with the children that is hard to describe unless you've seen it.  He gets the crowd engaged and excited.  This morning, that did not seem to be the case.  The children, especially the 9th graders, were slow to engage and this made our task a little harder and all of us a little more anxious. It seemed we'd lost the power to get the kids revved up to learn.

God however never loses His power, and things started to change.  The storm passed and the one we thought was brewing inside, was only a  sprinkle of unease.  God was working.  The Lutheran Hour team, with the Brookfield Lutheran team and the supporting church team, shared the love of Jesus through our English Speaking lessons.  The Living Water was now flowing through the classrooms. The only power necessary to change hearts was working in the children, thanks to God's Holy Spirit.  

God continued to show his power through our lessons.  One of the demonstrations we do has the children draw a heart in the center of a piece of paper.  The paper is folded several times and ripped in a specific way.  When unfolded, it reveals a cross with a heart in the middle. When the children saw how the torn piece of paper turned into a cross, their faces lit up. The paper cross activity was followed by group pictures. When the pictures were done we were mobbed by a spontaneous group hug.  God had melted the hearts of these seemingly cool kids in 9th grade.  Only He has the power to do that, across an ocean and through a language barrier.

Let’s reflect on power.  Where do we get it? What form does it take? Is there an infinite amount of power? Is it renewable? How do we access power when we need it? Is it easily transferrable? We have experienced today that His power is all of the above. Readily accessible, renewable, transferrable, infinite!  We have an awesome God! Please pray that God will continue to bless our work here in Thailand, keep us safe and healthy, and let our words and actions do His will.

                                 -Dave & Gale Goeman 

Are you Curious

Are you curious?

Friends, relatives and supporters ask us what we will do on this mission trip and how we might make a difference as a result of our work in Bangkok.  Insights to follow.

First, a little context.  Our mission team is known to have “white skin, round eyes, big nose, and long face,” and are assumed to be Christian. Most Thai people have never talked to a westerner or had a relationship with one. We are key partners for The Lutheran Hour Ministries in Thailand because as a group we are culturally and strategically positioned for attaining access to the public school children.

Our program, Fun (Sanook) with English, will be given in 3 different schools, during a time the children are on break.  Could you visualize American school children coming back to school on break?  Didn’t think so.

In the United States, we are living in a time where we see open hostility toward Christians. Discrimination against Christians seems to be the last acceptable form of politically correct discrimination.  In contrast to that, missionaries have been working in Thailand for over 250 years. Less than 2% of the Thai population is Christian. With the genuine curiosity and openness of the Thai population to people with “white skin, round eyes, big nose, and long face,” there has never been a better time to be doing the relationship building our team will be doing.  Our work in the schools has sometimes results  in standing invitations from school officials for LHM personnel to teach about Christianity as part of the school curriculum.

It is refreshing to see such spiritual openness and we are all excited to be sowing seeds in this very fertile soil and opening doors for our friends here at Lutheran Hour ministries. Please pray that hearts and minds remain open to the message of salvation, and the Holy Spirit can work through us as opportunities are presented.

Reed Felton

10-7-2015

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Technologically Spirited

I write this 5 hours into the first leg of our journey. As we flew north of the Arctic circle, 32,000 feet over the frozen expanses of ocean sheet ice below, the enormity of God's creation was evident.  Climbing into this metal tube with 300 other people only to emerge 14 hours later on the other side of the planet made me think how mans’ technological inventions are amazing. What many people fail to see is that this technology ultimately comes from God Himself. Technology like other gifts from God can be used for good and for evil.  Advances in technology in recent history have made it much easier to carry out the work God has called us to do. Fulfilling the Great Commission, as laid out in Scripture (Matthew 28:18), can be accomplished in a matter of just days to weeks, as opposed to years or lifetimes as in past history.

Advances in communication and the internet have made it easier to spread God's Word to all corners of the earth. It also is used to spread deceit, lies, and pornography at the devil's prompting. Medical research has cured many diseases, but it has also been perverted with drug abuse, abortions, and human genetic engineering.

We are to be good stewards of the gifts given to us by God, including our intelligence.  Many have turned to worshipping "the created", and not "The Creator", trusting in man, and not in God. We are not self-sufficient, and we couldn't accomplish anything without God!

My prayer is that we realize this, and use these gifts, for God's glory only, as we arrive in Thailand to boldly proclaim the name of Jesus!

                            -Brian Betchner

2015 Thailand Mission Trip

The 2015 Thailand Mission team was commissioned this morning! The team is excited and eager to serve the people of Thailand whom God places in their path.  The congregation send them on their way with many prayers for a safe and blessed trip, for their departure early next Sunday morning, October 4th, 2015. (Not pictured are Karen Metzger and Katie Cizel)

Please follow them on this blog as they share their experiences and God sightings along the way. They welcome your encouragement and prayers along the way! 

  -Maria Wartgow (2013 BLC Thailand Trip Alumni)

THIRD THAILAND TRIP AND COUNTING

Yes we have an established relationship with Lutheran Hour Ministries in Bangkok, led by Boom (Ekwanit Denow), and her wonderful staff. BLC has sent a team there twice, once in the fall of 2011 and again in the fall of 2013. Boom and three of her staff, Tak, Waan, and Siam, were gracious enough to come to America, and help us out here at BLC in July 2015 with our VBS.
 This is why we are excited to return to Bangkok in one week, to spend 10 days helping the LHM staff do 5 English improvement workshops, at 3 different schools near Bangkok. In doing so, we will continue building on our established relationship, while sharing The Word of God and the Love of Jesus with the Thai people.
 The 2015 BLC Team consists of 9 people; Joann Cizel, who is leading the trip this time, Brian Betchner, Reed Felton, Dave & Gale Goeman, who all have been on one or both of the previous trips. Joining them are newbies, Laura Celetti, Karen Metzger, Nicole Wittow, and Katie Cizel. We would like to thank all of our friends, family, and fellow BLC members for the ongoing support of this mission. We have all been so blessed by your generous outpouring of both prayers and financial help. We will be passing these blessings on to the Thai people, helping to bring more of them to know Jesus Christ as their Savior.
 Stay tuned to this blog, as all 9 of us will be sharing our experiences while over there, telling of how The Holy Spirit is working through us. It is such an honor and privilege to be a servant to The Almighty God, from whom all good things come!
  -Brian Betchner