Hello everyone!
Just want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
It has been pretty busy here with lots of Christmas parties and visitors and such, so I haven't taken the time to write out a real update.
I hope you all have a fantastic time celebrating Christmas! It is a wonderful time to remember how much God loves us---He was willing to leave everything to become human, knowing that his human life would be one far away from the comforts of Heaven and the glory of His Father, knowing that he would suffer and hurt and die, knowing that everyone would reject Him---He was willing to do all of that so that we would have a chance to live with Him forever. That certainly took an unfathomable amount of love!
Anyway, enjoy celebrating Jesus! :) Miss you all. I will work on a real update soon!!
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Greetings!
Happy Thai Independence Day everyone!
I realized that it's probably about time for an update, and I might as well start with some current events. Some of you have probably heard that there's been a lot of rioting going on here lately. The government is pretty corrupt, and lots of people have decided to do something about it. So there have been protests and demonstrations in Bangkok for a few weeks now. (Maybe longer than that, I'm not sure.) The people protesting aren't just poor people from small villages, or farmers, or workers like that. They are teachers and doctors and lawyers and university students and businessmen. They are people who have power and can make a difference. And they have made a difference. Yesterday, the day before Thai's celebrate their Independence day, approximately five million people poured out into the streets of Bangkok, effectively shutting down the city. I wasn't there, but from what I heard no one could do anything about it because there were so many people. The police couldn't get through, no one could walk or drive through the streets. So right now there is basically no government. "The people" are in control, and the prime minister is in hiding. Not really sure what sort of government will come out of it, but the protesters have said that they will not stop protesting until the current government has been stopped.
So that is the big picture of what is going on in Thailand. Here at the Timothy House, nothing that crazy has been happening. (Thankfully!) I have been doing a lot of English teaching---I'm teaching at two different schools now. There are a few of us who will be trading off what days we teach, but right now I'm teaching Monday through Friday. I'm starting to enjoy it a little--I didn't really at first, but I'm not as intimidated I think. I'm starting to get used to things, and getting to know the kids. They're fun! :)
When I'm not teaching, there's a lot to do! I've done a lot of hanging out with the kids who live here at the Timothy House, gone to a few Thai body ceremonies (funerals) and one wedding. I've done a lot of driving around with Phimpha to visit people and help out with her ministry work. Seen a bunch of elephants walking along the road and through our backyard, monkeys eating fruit on the side of the road, and one python and one komodo dragon crossing the road in the forest. I'm starting to get Thai worship songs stuck in my head, so I'll have to learn the words so I can sing along...
We're also starting to make Christmas plans! I guess we'll have a few Christmas events in the area that we'll be going to! Since Thailand is a Buddhist country, most people don't celebrate Christmas, but many of the churches in the area will be putting on parties or other events that we will attend. So that will be fun! We'll do a few parties and some Christmas caroling, and some ice cream eating...Much different than back home, but good anyway! :)
I hope all is going well back in the states! I'm sure you're all just as busy with work/school/Christmas preparations! Enjoy!
I realized that it's probably about time for an update, and I might as well start with some current events. Some of you have probably heard that there's been a lot of rioting going on here lately. The government is pretty corrupt, and lots of people have decided to do something about it. So there have been protests and demonstrations in Bangkok for a few weeks now. (Maybe longer than that, I'm not sure.) The people protesting aren't just poor people from small villages, or farmers, or workers like that. They are teachers and doctors and lawyers and university students and businessmen. They are people who have power and can make a difference. And they have made a difference. Yesterday, the day before Thai's celebrate their Independence day, approximately five million people poured out into the streets of Bangkok, effectively shutting down the city. I wasn't there, but from what I heard no one could do anything about it because there were so many people. The police couldn't get through, no one could walk or drive through the streets. So right now there is basically no government. "The people" are in control, and the prime minister is in hiding. Not really sure what sort of government will come out of it, but the protesters have said that they will not stop protesting until the current government has been stopped.
So that is the big picture of what is going on in Thailand. Here at the Timothy House, nothing that crazy has been happening. (Thankfully!) I have been doing a lot of English teaching---I'm teaching at two different schools now. There are a few of us who will be trading off what days we teach, but right now I'm teaching Monday through Friday. I'm starting to enjoy it a little--I didn't really at first, but I'm not as intimidated I think. I'm starting to get used to things, and getting to know the kids. They're fun! :)
When I'm not teaching, there's a lot to do! I've done a lot of hanging out with the kids who live here at the Timothy House, gone to a few Thai body ceremonies (funerals) and one wedding. I've done a lot of driving around with Phimpha to visit people and help out with her ministry work. Seen a bunch of elephants walking along the road and through our backyard, monkeys eating fruit on the side of the road, and one python and one komodo dragon crossing the road in the forest. I'm starting to get Thai worship songs stuck in my head, so I'll have to learn the words so I can sing along...
We're also starting to make Christmas plans! I guess we'll have a few Christmas events in the area that we'll be going to! Since Thailand is a Buddhist country, most people don't celebrate Christmas, but many of the churches in the area will be putting on parties or other events that we will attend. So that will be fun! We'll do a few parties and some Christmas caroling, and some ice cream eating...Much different than back home, but good anyway! :)
I hope all is going well back in the states! I'm sure you're all just as busy with work/school/Christmas preparations! Enjoy!
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Turkey Day
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Hope you had a lovely day filled with family, friends, laughter, turkey, pie, potato, and maybe a bit of parade watching! :)
Thanksgiving in Thailand is definitely different than back home---since no one celebrates it here---but it is still a good time to remember how much I have to be thankful for! And you are all at the top of the list. :)
Monday, November 25, 2013
A Little Background
Hello all,
I thought I'd take some time to fill you in on some of the basic information about what the Love and Care Project Foundation is all about and introduce you to some of the key characters, so to speak. Many of you already know most of this, but for those of you who don't it will help what I write make a whole lot more sense.
The Love and Care Foundation is run by a husband and wife: Rodney and Phimpha. Rodney is from Minnesota, and Phimpha is from Thailand. The main purpose of the foundation is basically to show God's love to the Thai people. This is done in countless ways. Probably the most obvious is the children's home that the foundation runs. This home is called the Timothy House, and it is a place for orphaned or unwanted children. Currently there are 19 children, ranging in age from a few weeks old to 16. (We acquired a newborn baby and his mother this past Sunday.) I guess it's not entirely accurate to say that the Timothy House is merely a place for children who have nowhere else to go: we currently have several adults here who also have nowhere else to go. So it is a house for anyone who needs it, primarily children.
In addition to caring for children and the others who find shelter at the Timothy House, Rodney and Phimpha have several other projects going that keep us all rather busy. Phimpha is head of a women's group for church leaders. (She was the head of the group for this area of Thailand--covering seven provinces I think---and then this summer she was elected the head of the organization for all of Thailand!) The Timothy House holds a church service every Sunday morning. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, someone from the Timothy House goes to a nearby school to teach English. (And the director and some teachers from another school came today to ask if we would teach over there every week as well!) Much of Phimpha's time is also spent dealing with the "problemers," as she sometimes calls them. Many people know that if they have a problem, they should just call Phimpha and she will help them. It's hard to write down everything that she does, let alone everything that the foundation does! We've been helping someone build a roof, helped some people from Finland get their internet provider to fix their modem, helped a boy get a birth certificate, picked up ribbon from the store for someone who needed it, and everything in between.
The Timothy House is a pretty small community, so I can tell you a tiny bit about who is here without boring you to death! (I hope!) I won't try to describe all the kids right now, because that would take a looong time. So adults: we have three "ferlongs," or white people here right now: three Americans (Rodney, David, and me,) and a Canadian (Robert). David and Robert have both been in Thailand for a while now, and are volunteers like me. We have two Thai men who live here--Sanook and Loong Cheung. (I am butchering the spelling of everything Thai...) Sanook is here because he is disabled & in a wheelchair and his family could not take care of him. I have not heard all of Loong Cheung's story yet, but he helps a lot with Sanook in addition to general work around the property. Ba Leck is a Thai lady who lives and works here. I guess she is part of the womens' group that Phimpha leads and decided to come help. She does a lot of the cooking and helps a lot with the kids and cleaning. We now have a Cambodian lady living with us--the mother of the newborn baby. They just arrived on Sunday, and I haven't even figured out her name yet! Finally, we have a husband and wife couple who are paid workers and come Monday-Friday to help out.
So all in all we have 29 people as part of the Love and Care Project Foundation. Things around here are always interesting, and I never know what the day will bring!
I thought I'd take some time to fill you in on some of the basic information about what the Love and Care Project Foundation is all about and introduce you to some of the key characters, so to speak. Many of you already know most of this, but for those of you who don't it will help what I write make a whole lot more sense.
The Love and Care Foundation is run by a husband and wife: Rodney and Phimpha. Rodney is from Minnesota, and Phimpha is from Thailand. The main purpose of the foundation is basically to show God's love to the Thai people. This is done in countless ways. Probably the most obvious is the children's home that the foundation runs. This home is called the Timothy House, and it is a place for orphaned or unwanted children. Currently there are 19 children, ranging in age from a few weeks old to 16. (We acquired a newborn baby and his mother this past Sunday.) I guess it's not entirely accurate to say that the Timothy House is merely a place for children who have nowhere else to go: we currently have several adults here who also have nowhere else to go. So it is a house for anyone who needs it, primarily children.
In addition to caring for children and the others who find shelter at the Timothy House, Rodney and Phimpha have several other projects going that keep us all rather busy. Phimpha is head of a women's group for church leaders. (She was the head of the group for this area of Thailand--covering seven provinces I think---and then this summer she was elected the head of the organization for all of Thailand!) The Timothy House holds a church service every Sunday morning. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, someone from the Timothy House goes to a nearby school to teach English. (And the director and some teachers from another school came today to ask if we would teach over there every week as well!) Much of Phimpha's time is also spent dealing with the "problemers," as she sometimes calls them. Many people know that if they have a problem, they should just call Phimpha and she will help them. It's hard to write down everything that she does, let alone everything that the foundation does! We've been helping someone build a roof, helped some people from Finland get their internet provider to fix their modem, helped a boy get a birth certificate, picked up ribbon from the store for someone who needed it, and everything in between.
The Timothy House is a pretty small community, so I can tell you a tiny bit about who is here without boring you to death! (I hope!) I won't try to describe all the kids right now, because that would take a looong time. So adults: we have three "ferlongs," or white people here right now: three Americans (Rodney, David, and me,) and a Canadian (Robert). David and Robert have both been in Thailand for a while now, and are volunteers like me. We have two Thai men who live here--Sanook and Loong Cheung. (I am butchering the spelling of everything Thai...) Sanook is here because he is disabled & in a wheelchair and his family could not take care of him. I have not heard all of Loong Cheung's story yet, but he helps a lot with Sanook in addition to general work around the property. Ba Leck is a Thai lady who lives and works here. I guess she is part of the womens' group that Phimpha leads and decided to come help. She does a lot of the cooking and helps a lot with the kids and cleaning. We now have a Cambodian lady living with us--the mother of the newborn baby. They just arrived on Sunday, and I haven't even figured out her name yet! Finally, we have a husband and wife couple who are paid workers and come Monday-Friday to help out.
So all in all we have 29 people as part of the Love and Care Project Foundation. Things around here are always interesting, and I never know what the day will bring!
Sunday, November 17, 2013
My First Week
Ok, time for a real update!
My trip started on Friday the 8th at the lovely hour of 4:00 in the morning
as I left Barrington with my roomies & mother to head down to Boston for my
7:30 am flight. After saying my final goodbyes and making the mandatory Dunkin
Donuts stop, I boarded the first, and shortest, of my three flights. 27 hours
later, I arrived in Bangkok after stops in Newark, NJ and Tokyo, Japan.
Thankfully, everything went smoothly and Rodney and Phimpha collected me at the
airport at about midnight Saturday night.
Since then, my life has been a whirlwind of meeting new people, re-meeting
people I knew from my last trip visit here, eating spicy food, driving around
with Phimpha, and understanding only about 5% of what people are saying. I do
not have any elephant sightings to report yet, though I have seen a few monkeys
crossing the road through the forest! I am writing this Thursday morning, so I
have only been here about four days but I have already been to Pattaya twice and
Bangkok once, each about a three hour trip one way. I was thankful to sleep in
my own bed here at the Timothy House last night, as it was the first time since
Saturday night I had done so! It truly has been a busy week so far, and I am
pretty sure another Bangkok trip is scheduled for Friday. (Phimipha is working
to get a birth certificate and other citizenship documents for a boy who needs them so that he can go to school.)
Some highlights from the week so far: church Sunday morning here at the
Timothy House, getting to go out to eat for my birthday (and the chocolate cake!!),
making friends with the kids I didn't know yet--getting chased around by some
of the younger kids as they pretended to shoot at me and then playing soccer
with some of the older kids, and watching the youngest boys (four-year-old
twins Green and Lot) laughing hysterically as they try to throw my frisbee.
(Lot has a pretty nasty flick!)
I think that's about all for now! Hope life back in the USA is going well!
I'll update again as I get the chance. :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So I wrote this Thursday morning and it's now Sunday afternoon...don't have many chances to get online these days! Since Thursday, I've been to Bangkok + Pattaya again, and a city about four to five hours north-east of where we live to go to a body ceremony for someone who died. We have another body ceremony either tonight or tomorrow morning, and then who knows what after that! Life here is never boring!
Oh, and we had an elephant visit our house Friday night! He was just chilling in the driveway when Phimpha and I got home from Pattaya. :)
In Thailand once again. (Address + donation info)
Greetings from Thailand!
I thought I'd start with just a quick post with my address here and donation information so that those of you who asked about it can find it quickly!
My mailing address is:
Love and Care Project Foundation
PO Box 2
Klong Hat, Thailand 27260
If you are interested in donating to the Love and Care Project Foundation, you can either donate through paypal or by sending a check to Rodney's church here in the US.
On paypal, you will be donating to Rodney Wojciechowski. His email address is rodski@gmail.com. Mark it as a "Gift" so they do not take fees out of it.
Or send a check to Rodney's church. You must put " Rodney Thailand" in the memo area of the check so they will forward it to him. Make the check out to Maranatha. The Church address is:
Maranatha Assembly of God
24799 Forest Boulevard
North Forest Lake, MN 55025-7215,
If you need the donation to be a tax deductible gift, it should go through the Church Maranatha.
I thought I'd start with just a quick post with my address here and donation information so that those of you who asked about it can find it quickly!
My mailing address is:
Love and Care Project Foundation
PO Box 2
Klong Hat, Thailand 27260
If you are interested in donating to the Love and Care Project Foundation, you can either donate through paypal or by sending a check to Rodney's church here in the US.
On paypal, you will be donating to Rodney Wojciechowski. His email address is rodski@gmail.com. Mark it as a "Gift" so they do not take fees out of it.
Or send a check to Rodney's church. You must put " Rodney Thailand" in the memo area of the check so they will forward it to him. Make the check out to Maranatha. The Church address is:
Maranatha Assembly of God
24799 Forest Boulevard
North Forest Lake, MN 55025-7215,
If you need the donation to be a tax deductible gift, it should go through the Church Maranatha.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)