Digging In

Digging In

House set up and holiday over, on June 28^th we finally moved into our house to begin the work that God has called us to here in Ban Wang Daeng. Uttaradit province is described on the entry sign as ‘Heaven on Earth’ and although it is not a tourist area it has a beauty all its own. Since the rains have come, the local farmers have been busy ploughing and planting and now the corn is
waist high already and the rice shoots have sprung up, transforming the landscape from dull muddy brown to brilliant green splendour. As for us, we’re still at the ploughing stage, waiting for the ‘farm manager’ to tell us when it’s time for planting – in a spiritual sense of course.

Our main aim at this time is to build friendships with the local people here in Wang Daeng, as well as trying to find out their felt needs. Through giving gifts of food, offering help and just general chit-chat, mostly through Wit, we are beginning to get to know our immediate neighbours now. One lady, Mrs Somwang, has been particularly friendly, offering help when we were planting trees and shrubs out the front of the house and giving us all kinds of food, including once a plate of deep-fried toads – delicious! Our friend Mr Haeng is recovering from his operation nicely, thanks for your prayers, and he takes great delight in showing everybody his 9 inch scar.

Helen, has begun teaching as a volunteer in the local school three afternoons a week and getting to know the teachers and students there. It’s been a way to build a good reputation in the community. We have also started English classes at home – on a Saturday morning and three evenings a week. So far the numbers are small, but all are local children and we have been able to widen our circle of friendships in this way. Parents and teenagers seem to enjoy sitting out the front chatting before and after classes. We recently bought a ping-pong table and the children and teenagers have had fun playing on that too. Wit has done some training in teaching maths using the Chinese abacus method and is planning to do a Saturday afternoon class for primary aged kids soon.

Education is certainly an area of concern here, with the standard being generally very low, and there also seems to be very little for children and teenagers to do. We’re planning to do a survey soon to try to assess the felt needs of the community in the hope that we can work together with the villagers in meeting some of these.

Obviously the greatest need that we have identified is spiritual – the villagers are mostly folk Buddhists and very superstitious, living in fear of spirits, and in uncertainty regarding the after-life. At present we are praying for our friends and neighbours, asking God to open up opportunities to share our faith with them. We believe that God is preparing hearts to receive the good news but we’re leaving the timing in His hands.

‘Pray for us too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ…’ Colossians 4:3