And the name is........

Well, the Christmas party was awesome. Thank you for all your prayers.

We had about eighty or ninety kids show up, maybe more. I didn't actually get the final tally. And being that we were only thirty minutes behind schedule for our part of things, that's doing it pretty well I'd say.

We had opening speeches and then sang songs with everyone. Up on the house top and Rudolph. Then we got in to groups and played bingo, and pictionary, sang carols, and made ornaments. After a short break with snacks, we did a small skit of the birth story, watched a great video that Rob made asking people what they thought Christmas was, or what it meant to them. Then P.Sinn and I got up and he translated for me as I explained why Christmas is so important and told them about the new group we are starting.

After that the English department gave away like 20 gifts and we took a final group picture. BK gave away bags that had Hope videos, pencils and other things in them. And that was it. We had like 30 kids give us their email addresses for more information about the group. And speaking of that, I will be referring to the new group by name from now on.

Ton Kla (sounds like tohn glah)

It's the name for seedlings that are grown up for the purpose of being transplanted to grow somewhere else, usually trees. It comes from the various parable about seed, especially the one about having the faith of a mustard seed. It also has meaning in that we are an off shoot of BK (which kanoon is also a type of tree), and that our primary goal is to train up Thai leaders to go out grow where they land. It also means brave or something, I'm unclear on that meaning.

Here is where we stand on with the group right now. We have put a request into NCU to use some of their facilities, and we would probably rent them so that the school isn't endorsing religious organizations, so that we could potentially meet on campus for the first couple of weeks.

We also went out and started looking at houses and townhouses to rent (or if need be, buy) so that we can have a permanent location in Hang Dong.

People have been asking me what kind of support we need. Right now prayer is at the top of the list.

Financially we're going to need some support as well. But I don't know what that looks like just yet. I'm trying to find out what the best approach there will be.

I want to keep this legally legit. I should know more about that side of things by the end of this week.

But praying, that's the main thing we need now. Pray that the doors will open where they need to and slam shut where they need to. Pray for us as our first meeting will be this coming friday.

I'll also be starting up a couple of facebook groups, one for people in the states to stay abreast of developments and changes. One for people here who want to go to the group, which will be updated with events and such.

I'm crazy excited right now. The places this could go are astounding. Pray for le that I don't try to run ahead but keep the pace set out for me.

Love yall. More updates more often these days. It's very much needed.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Long wait, but its gonna be good!!!

Recent Happenings

Ch 1

Yeah, chapter 1. This is going to be a bit of a book. For those of you wondering what’s been happening in my life and all the fun I adventures I have been having recently, sorry, I’ve been struggling a bit with what the heck I am doing here. So Chapter 1 will deal with what all has happened since the English camp at Lampang, and then for those of you who don’t really want to read through all that, I would ask you to skip on to Chapter 2, though you won’t really have all the cool tie ins, but I would like to read about what I am going to be doing now, because I am going to need your help.

So, the second week of October I went to Lampang, and spent a week hanging out with Kathy, Kenny and Rachel. For four days of that we were at a reservoir for a power plant called Igat. We had 25 middle and high school students come and stay with us for an English camp. We are 99% sure that has never happened in Lampang, or in Thailand in general. It was awesome. I will load up some pics to facebook when I get some time on a computer. This is a hastily written letter at BK. But it was awesome. We got to play, and show them what a Farang (white foreigner: in this case American) camp would look like. Lots of activities from morning ‘til night and things they have never really done before (i.e. play in a giant mud pit).

When I got back from the camp I was on an incredible high and had some ideas spinning in my head. And then I got hit. I came down from the high yes, but I also went through a period of about three weeks trying to figure out why I was here. Whether I should still be trying to work here, or if my time for God was fulfilled and I was just clinging on because I wasn’t ready to come back to the states yet.

While I was going through with this, I was trying to get prepared for the next semester, get my visa continued, got a little sick (nothing major, just my usual allergies trying to conquer my chest), did some traveling with BK, and celebrated Loy Krathong with my friends. Well, we went and hung out, celebrated it is a little strong. We enjoyed the activities and parades and time together. Pics of that will be on facebook too. Then it clicked, thank you God, and thank you Mike Chandler for continuing to send those emails.

For the past four months I have been worried and obsessing over how I would be supporting myself, what I am supposed to be doing, how I would legally stay in country, and that I really wanted to move to new place and that was what I needed was a little more money so that I could move and I could start a group to meet at my house.

If you read that and don’t see a problem, here’s a hint, count the number of personal and personal possessive pronouns. I forgot that I didn’t bring myself here, I didn’t provide the money or visa or purpose in the first place… sometimes it is easy to forget that. So I had to sit down again and say ok, I’m done doing my own thing so take me where You want me, Even if that is back to the states. I was a little scared that He would. But He didn’t. Instead I got a call from Rob.

Also school has started back, I am teaching three classes this semester, so that gives me a bit more free time, as well as I have quit my extra teaching. I had to remember, well, believe would be a better word, that my primary purpose and support isn’t teaching English. It is simply a door opener. And other than the crisis of purpose, things have been going good, made new friends who you will meet in Chapter 2. I also got to go camping at the highest point in Thailand, and camping Thai style, danced the Thriller at a friend’s house warming (the video will be on facebook as well), have been to two teachers workshops and got some good resources to help me with my teaching. It’s been busy. But onward, Chapter 2 is ahead.

Ch 2

For those of you skipped the rest, I have backed off and God is opening some doors (abbreviated ver). So over the past few months three new journeygirls have arrived, though I didn’t meet them ‘til last month, and coincidentally enough (I just realized this as I type), met them all on the same day. They are really cool, and are looking for a way to plug in, and we have been searching for one. Also Kathy, Kenny and Rachel are moving to Chiang Mai area, which I found out last Sunday. And next month BK is helping North Chiang Mai throw a Christmas party on campus for an English Culture event. So Rob called me on Tuesday, and we have been talking about the best way to do this for a few months, and said that he and peeps at BK had been praying and wanted to use this Christmas party to kick off a group out in Hang Dong, to reach the college students who go to NCU.

Now, before I go any farther I want to say this. Nothing is firm except that we will be have this Christmas party on December 9th, from 2 pm until 4 pm… which translates to December 9th, from 1am until 3 am Central Standard Time.

And we want to do this right. Right now I am asking you to start praying. Before I even go into what my plans are going to be, because I want this to start at the right place, and that is with God. If He says go, and go this way, then that is where we want to be. If this whole idea starts to be that we are trying to make something happen, it will just be the Christmas event, and we will wait until God does say go. So this is what I would like you to pray for:

1. God blessing and free movement
   a. That we will be lead, and not lead.
   b. That Satan will be bound.
   i. We will be attacked before, during and after this. It’s going to happen, we all need to be relying on His strength.
   c. And that the people that need to be there will be.
2. Pray that we will be sensitive to God’s wisdom
   a. In the best way to do this event
   b. The best way to follow up this event
3. After the movement, what the next step will be
   a. This is a process that is God directed. So it will be a step at a time, based on him. (patience for me would be appreciated too =) )
   b. Where we should have future activities
4. That God would bring us a few Thai students to work with us and be committed to be there.
5. Pray for the people that will or won’t be working out in Hang Dong after this event.
   That’s where we need to start. This is the first step. Putting ourselves before Christ, and concentrating on doing it how He wants, and being prepared to take the next step, whatever that may be.

As of right now, the next step looks like this. The Christmas party will be our kick-off event, and there is no way we can talk about Christmas as followers of Christ and not say why we celebrate it, so there will be short gospel presentation in the story of how Christmas became what it is. We will also let them know that we will be starting a group where they can come hang out with farangs, have fun, and practice their English. We will be up front in saying that part of that English practice will be games, part will be storytelling and we will be using stories from our lives and the Bible.

The plan as of now is that I will be out there because I work there, and the three journey girls, Mandy, Melanie and Casey, will be out working with me that way there is a good mix, and a chance for us to start building relationships with the students. Also, if they want to, I would like for Kathy, Kenny and Rachel to come help because of the mix of people, I would have another guy to work with, and there would be two people that can speak pretty good Thai, but I don’t want them to feel they have to or for them to decide to do this just because it is there. I want all six of them helping only if it is where God wants them to be (prayer request 5).
The eventual goal would be to start having a group that meets once a week to do activities, play, and hear about the gospel. And then build from there to where we are going on campus at least once a week, and having a center where different activities to reach the surrounding areas can be based out of.

There are many ways this could look, but I’m trying to keep my visions reigned in a little so that I can keep my patience in check and remember to take it a step at a time, and keep my eyes that are looking into the future focused on where Christ is at that point in time. He is going to work this out the way He wants, we just need to be flexible, or following Him and not our ideas of how we want to help Him.

Right now all of this past the prayer request is being planned as firm. So I am also going to start raising some money so we are ready to move when that happens, because when we have this group going, and we have regular attendees, we will be looking to rent a place. Right now, money sent to me will be set apart for this, and to support me. I would like to continue to teach a few classes at North, but the majority of my support needs to come from home so that I can be free to work as little or much as needed. This is being planned as a long term thing. If God wills it, I would like this to be my home for a few years (min), maybe several and I will be raising support so that I can stay.

Right now I am looking for supporters who will commit to $50, $75, and $100 a month. Right now this money will be used for this project, getting a place and furnishing it. I am also starting to raise some support to come home. As of now, my plan will be to come home sometime in the spring (during summer break here), and spend a few weeks, one seeing my family and friends that I have not seen in, well it will be over a year if not more at that point. I will also, again God willing, have more of a business plan to go and show to people and raise support.

If you can start now, please send me an email to zacwhertvine at gmail dot com (it is spelled like this so that I don’t get put on a spam list, if you ever put yours on a publicly readable site, you should do the same). Right now I will have you send money to my parents, who will put it into my account in Oklahoma, which I can access from here and then I will start a new bank account that will be designated for this purpose. Also if you have any questions, send them to me. If you want to talk to me about it, email me and we can set up a phone date.

I am very excited about this, which part of the reason this is so wordy (also because I am typing on a compy and it isn’t and wearisome). If all you can commit to is praying, please put us on it. We need that most right now. I will be updating on this much more often, don’t be surprised to see a new blog and/or facebook group dedicated to this.

It’s too long as it is now, though I could keep going. I love you guys, I will be in touch.

lata

Make up work. I will never take it again. just sayin.

Wow. A month without a blog. Sorry about that. I don't really have a good excuse other than I just haven't been up to it.

Classes are finishing. Which is a little more stressful than I had anticipated. Especially in keeping the students motivated. And myself at times.

Things are pretty much exactly where they were the last time I wrote. I'm waiting. And trying to learn to be good at it. Patience has never been my most bountiful fruit. Just saying.

I have four classes for sure next term. And I finally got to go to Pai. It is impossible to say how beautiful it is. You have to come see for yourself. And the road is insane and a bit fun. Of course I wasn't the driver.

I also got paid for two months of work from north. That was fun.

Ekk will be back in Chiang Mai in about 6 hours.

Gonna have a last class party at north this Friday with people from BK and a few of my students.

Finals are next week.

I'm going to help with a 5 day English camp in Lamphang the week after that.

Somewhere in there my transcript should arrive and I can work out stuff with north then.

After that I will be able to go get my visa worked on. I'm really hoping for a couple days on the beach. But we'll see how it all works out.

Then preparing for the semester. Making many many changes in how I handle the classroom.

Then classes start on the second of November.

I may not really be online much after today. Thinking about taking a bit of a hiatus. Course that'll prolly last all of two days. Mostly just going to abstain from facebook and my online comics and other time wasters.

Oh. And I have a Thai bank account. Which has many weird features. Such as I can link whatever account or card from the bank together as I wish.

But yeah. That's life for me at this point. Thank you for continuing to pray for me. I am in a hurry up and wait mode, though a little nervous about what's gonna happen when the ebrake is released. But, I love it.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

big NEWS.

Well hi there. Sorry it has been a little while, been sorting myself out the last few weeks. Leaves me with little desire to blog til I get some semblance of order going. But I will summarize the majority of what's been going on.

By the way the rainy season has finally kicked itself into gear. It's rained pretty much every day, even if only for a little bit. It's all well and good til I'm out on the bike in it. But any ways.

My students did average on their midterms, and talking to Aacaan Aom (pronounced ahjahn ahom) finalized that I do in fact have a few classes next term. And they are going to help me with my visa, how much has yet to be determined. It will be determined by how fast my diploma arrives from the states. Then I can sign a contract with the school to finish out the term.

So that sets in motion what I think might happen over the next few years. First step is to keep my foot in the door at north which gives me an ok income, and helps me with my visa. For now.

I'm also looking for a new place to live. A place that actually has more than one room so that I can actually start having people over. That is half of the next step. I'm currently starting to look for a Thai partner and a place and I would like to open a center out here in Hang Dong. Most of my students are interested in a place like BK, but don't want to drive all the way into chiang mai for it. And the school is wide open. The majority if the students would love to have the chance to study with native speakers.

The future is to have a place where people who want to be plugged in can come work at. But mostly to have a place where the students at north can come and hang out in a constructive environment.

This is going to be a work that will take a few years, and I'm already struggling to be patient. So please pray for me as I relearn how to take baby steps and as I work on learning the language.

I know that fir now working at North will be the bast way to head down this road. But I hope to eventually cut that down to a couple classes a semester so that I can meet new students and keep up relations, and start getting support from back home. But that's a lil ways down the road after I get more of a cohesive plan put together.

The sad thing is it doesn't look like I will be coming home in October. It would more than break my piggy bank and I just would get the rest I will be needing to be ready for the new semester starting in November. So that is also in my plan to start saving some monies so that I can come home, but that for sure means I need to go full time at north.

I have also been told about a small house nearby that I might be able to move into for about 3500 baht a month. Which is right on the upper edge of my budget so it could be good. I will go look at it this week. Pray for me as I head down this path. That I stay in Gods will and don't just go off on my own. But that I wait for Him. Again. Taking the small steps that will yield His bountiful returns.

In event type stuff, I got to be a part of a big spelling bee that North hosted. It was fun. Um, Wednesday I will go with the school to watch movie. I'm also going to give blood, so that should be interesting. I broke the chain on my bike. It's all fixed but that was frustrating. Ekk will be back next month (just a couple of weeks a way, yay!)

Other than that I'm good. I go through my periods of having motivation or desire to be here. But they don't do any lasting damage other than put me behind on my grading. But I am excited for the future and pretty nervous at times. Sometimes it's hard to remember that I don't have to acomplish anything. I have to let God work in His timing and things will work out the way they are supposed to be.

But. I'm done rambling for now. I'll let you know how the movie and the blood giving goes. Oh I also have a sweet x-ray of my chest. They let you keep em over here. I want to hang it up above my desk but my fellow teachers have vetoed that.

I'm also picking up a new class out side of school. Mostly because it's a challenging side task. And keeps out of trouble. One day a week. Yup. Well. I'm out. Love yall.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

living and loving it.

Well. To pick up where the last one left off, last week I made up a couple of classes on Friday and satuday so that I could go to lampang this past Wednesday. So it wore me out a bit plus being put in stage when I didn't know that was coming.

Do then I taught on Monday like usual, and taught my two outside of class. Than on Tuesday after class, I only had one student, because the second cancelled on me. I wasn't too heartbroken over it. So I got to head out to Lampang early and eat dinner and hang out with Kathy, Rachel and Kenny and get to know the last two.

Then Kathy Kenny and I stayed up til 12:30 watching a movie (neither of them had seen Identity before, and I like that one) and then Kathy and I were up at 6:00 to go teach with Rachel and two of their Thai friends, P.Tai and P.Bee.

We went to a poorer elementary, which is ages like 4-12, and played games and taught new English stuff and a had a good time all day. Then ate dinner together at P.Tai's house. After which I went over to the house and hung out with Kenny Rachel and Kathy for a little bit more and headed back to Chiang Mai, and I got a ride with P.Bee and P.Tai. It was nice to get to talk with them some more.

So needless to say on Thursday I was beat. So I took it pretty east most of the day, and the Friday did my usual of teaching from 9-5. Ran some errands and then went to Baan Kanoon. Got to chill and chat with peeps there and and then some of us went out to eat after. All in all made it home and to bed around midnightish. And then woke up at 6:30 to drive back to CM and make my Burma border run. Which meant, leave at 8 and arrive at the Mae Sai bus station at 12:15. Catch a fifteen minute Songteaw ride to the border. Cross, look around and come back in about thirty minutes time. Eat lunch and catch a ride back to the station and depart at 2:30 and arrive back in CM at 6:45.

I was worn out so I went to the dukes for some grub, and Rob and Jordan showed up randomly so I got to just sit and spend some time with them.

So today. I slept in. Called home and am resting.


My students are taking midterms this week so it's coming down to time to decide what I will be doing. And I really at this point don't see me deciding to stay America. But I'll go wherever God wants so, please be prayin for me for that.


I'll let you know what's goin to happen as soon as I decide.

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so

I didn't realize I was going to be ShangHai-ed by a drama department today and put in a skit during church.

But I'm getting ahead of myself again.

Over the past two weeks or so since that last one, it's been a constant go without looking up. Today in fact was my first day to just sleep in and rest a bit. I like rest. I missed it.

But I have created my portion of finals for two of my classes and created the entirety of another for my English majors. Just waiting on that last one to get final approval. All midterms are reviewed by the teachers in a department. It's a great idea.

The teaching has been hard, and rewarding at times when I manage to actually teach something, but my techinical English class and my English one class, the first section, are a challenge constantly. I don't know how to get some of this stuff across the language barrier. It can be discouraging. And I hate the idea that I'm wasting their time. But with my other classes I enjoy the challenge.

So still waiting to see what happens at midterms.

I'm still teaching two student for cash outside of class, and teaching one in exchange for Thai lessons, but I'm going to be cutting that down to one for cash and rescheduling the other two in a couple of weeks.

But I'm still enjoying it.

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respite

I can see the stars tonight. I noticed them as "Such Great Heights" came on my iPod. They are a little faint because the moon us so bright, it's reflecting off the flooded rice field outside my apartment.

It's been a while since I could see lore than one or two stars. It's no view from velveetaview, or underwater bridge, or Stockton, or pomme de terre, or even Oklahoma on a clear night. But I like it.
It's a nice rest.

I've been pretty busy here lately. Between making up classroom material on the fly, picking up three students outside of class to make some extra dough, trying to find a balance between working and staying afloat while trying to keep focused on the reason I'm even here. All this with trying to stay on top of the things I'm supposed to be back in the states and deciding if I'm coming back to live or visit this fall.

Nights like tonight, with the postal service jammin in my earbuds and a sky half clouded, half starry, completely moonlit remind me how little it all matters. If the guy who designed all thus is taking care of me, I think I'll be alright. It just a hunch.

Not much new news to tell. I did get to go to a VFW fourth of July party in Chiang Mai. There were imported dogs, good drinks (sweet tea, a&w cream soda, they were sold out of DP by the time we got there), traditional American music, including Billy Ray Cyrus, a raffle, darts, and fireworks. Followed up with about 4 or five hours of playing rockband back at Baan Kanoon. It was good.

People at BK have been getting randomly sick. People are leaving to go back to the states (more) and i've met a fee new people that will be coming around that are pretty cool. Three of them are from Arkansas actually. It's been ever changing.

Anybody ever heard of Bahrain? Me neither untli I started with one of my students who is going to live and work there.

I'm putting together my portions of midterms this weekend, that's weird. I'll have been teaching for a month next week, that's weirder. They still like me as a teacher for some reason, I think that's the weirdest.

but I'm still alive. I'm feeling good, healthy at least. And things are rockin along like they usually do. Well, i don't actually have anything else to say, so enjoy, and I'll post again at some point. Thanks so much for those of you keeping up with me and praying for me. I think the next few years of my life are going to be very interesting.

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