School Sports Assistance

Part of our Foundation focus is school support. Over the past couple months Bob painted the basketball court at Nongkhai Wittayakarn school. We are also giving some basketballs. The cost of the paint was about $200. US and balls about $80. US.

More Construction/Destruction Progress

The floors in the front area were full of rubble and cement and had to be hammered and dug out. That is 95% done. Next began digging out the walkway area in front of that. And now we are into digging out the whole yard so that it can be cemented for parking. We have had a small garden there this year so we also will need to move some plants.

Rung is supplementing our income by growing and selling ornamental plants. She has been pretty successful so far.

Christmas 2020 Outreach

Due to the recent Covid Outbreak, the normal village Christmas programs have been cancelled. Instead we will do a drop-off of literature and toys on the 26th. The literature includes 2 Christmas books in comic form. We will try and give out 95 sets and gifts. We will also direct them to our website at: nongkhaichurch.com which will offer the best Thai language bible videos that we know of. The new website format is just getting started. Let me know if you want to contribute anything to the site.

Two of Rung's students

Construction Update

Because of our current situation and the continued Covid restrictions we are shifting our building plans to preparation for construction. We are now working on the center of our building. This involves joining the two bottom sections to make a large meeting/dining room area. This is sorely needed for our school. At the back will be a large kitchen area. In the middle will be the dining area and meeting room. At the front will be a library and office (I think).

Here is a rough layout diagram. The yellow area is the kitchen at the back. The size is about 10 meters by 3 meters. The meeting area is about 10 meters by 8 meters. The front office area is about 10 meters by 4 meters.

We have completed taking down the two inner walls and the old floor tiles using a sledge hammer and jackhammer. A final decision hasn't been made yet for the rest of the main structures. Here are some pics of the kids helping with destruction!

Joey works the wheel barrow. 

Breaking the tiles

Mary and Giffy shoveling the rock

Bob taking a break from the walls

We are using the rubble to make a parking area where it usually floods during rainy season.

A New Reality

 Train Project

We found out last week that our base and house is not inside the government building project. This means that we will not have to move and we can begin again looking at building construction. The priority will be removing the 2nd floor ceilings and replacing them with steel and concrete. We have some money to start, given by our ministry partners. It is nearing rice harvesting time and so Toui, our builder, is busy until that time is over... in a month or so.

The train project is near to our place. This will make our property more valuable. This will help us if we ever need to move, or if we need loan financing for a project. As you see in the map above... in the near future, Nong Khai (near Vientiane on the map) will be central to the connection of these Asian countries. It will increase the value of our place as a strategic place for reaching the nations with the Gospel.

20 Years of Teaching Ends

I went to Laos in 1998 with 2 friends from India. We went with little money and without a way to stay long-term in Laos. By Gods' grace, I was offered a job doing graphic design for a printing company. I was not paid but was offered housing and a visa (and for my two teammates).

A year later I was told of a need for a computer teacher at Kiettisack International School. Without a degree and no teaching experience, God blessed me with the job. This job provided pay and a visa for so many years! I went from computer teacher, to full-time missionary, to sports teacher and then back to computer teacher. I taught for about 20 years. My children also received their education through my school in Laos. The virus caused a border shut-down last year and it has continued. Because of that, I lost my teaching job. That loss may be permanent. We just don't know.

Without the financial help of our sending church, we could not make it at this time. THANK YOU!

Kids Education

Joey graduated from year 12. Giffy should be in year 9 and Mary should be in Year 8. They are self-studying at home for UK tests. We hope that they can take them next year. If the virus continues to cause a shutdown some hard choices will need to be made. Their Thai language is not good enough for them to return to Thai school. The International school 45 min. away is too expensive. We may need to homeschool or send them to the US.

The Ministry - Now what?

For about the last 8 years, my main ministry has been as a teacher at KIS. Taking my kids with me to Laos has been very challenging. Now that it has ended, I am left, asking, "God, what do you want me to do?" I would appreciate your prayers for direction! I will be sharing more about this in my next update. If the virus settles down and travel opens back up, we will be re-focusing on the Missionary Training School which was supposed to start at our place next month. We will be hoping that 1 year from now it will happen!

The Great Unknown

The Virus

In Asia, as in the rest of the world. The Covid-19 pandemic has taken the normal out of daily life and ministry. Our building project was delayed because of the financial unknowns. I lost my teaching job in Laos because of the border restrictions. I missed the entirety of summer school and now am days away from losing my job for the new school year. 

Because of the worldwide travel restrictions, it is impossible anyway, to bring in students to train them as we had been planning.

Personally, we have been fortunate enough as a family to make it financially to this day. My wife still has her local teaching job and it helps with paying the bills. Joey, Rung and Mary all do tutoring at our base on the Saturdays. My Christian friends from America have sacrificially given us assistance, without which we could not have survived.

The next months are an unknown for us and for most people around the world. It is a time to trust God and be thankful for what we have. It is a time to help others if we can.

The Hub

For several years, the great train project to link China with it's neighbors has been going on. One of those major rail systems will cross the border where we live in Nong Khai, Thailand. This month we heard that the proposed area for the project will be announced. It consists of a new road and railroad which happen to pass through our village. Rung told me where it would go and I just did a guess and drew it up on google maps. When I zoomed in I found it going right between our house and school building! We have no idea if this is accurate. However, we must wait and see. There is no use doing any more work on our properties until we know. Typically, when the Thai government takes your property they pay you well. So, one of two things will happen... either the system will be built over our area, or next to it. In the first case we will need to move and purchase or build a new place. In the second, the value of our property will skyrocket. It is a win-win situation. We will find out in a few months and then may have a year to receive payment.

Our car is still not sold.

We very much appreciate you prayers related to this information. Thank you!

Coronavirus and Construction Funds

The Coronavirus has gripped the world. Fortunately it has not multiplied here. I believe it is because of the warm weather.  We are going ahead with the start of construction this month.
My car has come back from being painted. I ordered new tires for it yesterday. I need to sell it to pay for the construction. It is not the best time for selling anything. Please pray that I am successful.
I bought  an older car to replace it. There are no cheap reliable cars in Thailand!
Thank you!