Nuus / News - August 2010

Oor jou bediening

Dagsê aan al my vriend en vriendinne daar in Suid-Afrika! Ja dis al weer 'n maand, 'n lekker besige maand wat verby is. Ek weet dat julle gedink het ek gaan nou na 'n ander sending organisasie en dat julle dalk nie 'n nuusbrief van my verwag het nie, maar wie sal julle dan daaraan herinner dat die maand al weer verby is? :-) So, die maand was dit die groot trek, dan het ek ook so 'n bietjie met STAMP kennis gemaak en min dae hier in Thailand.

Soos julle weet het ek verlede maand sak en pak na die Suide van Thailand toe getrek. Kyk, dit was nou nie die grootste trek in die wêreld nie, maar dit was sekerlik nie die kleinste nie! Al die goed was net te veel vir een bakkie, so het ek begin soek na 'n klein trokkie. Met die hulp van Deon het ons later een in Bangkok gekry en toe begin die trek. Deon en Andre (Deon se seun) het saam met die trokkie van Bangkok tot daar by my in Nong Song Hong gery. Die middag laai ons toe die goed op die trok en vertrek toe die volgende oggend 4uur daar.

Dit was 'n lang dag van sit en sit. En O! Ja, het ek genoem sit. Kyk, die vier van ons het net-net voor in die trokkie gepas. 16½ ure later kom ons toe in Ranoong aan. Kyk toe is ons boude darem lekker seer hoor! Vinnig het ons alles afgelaai en toe slaan die werklikheid van die omgewing ons vol in die gesig. Dit lyk nie meer soos Thailand nie. Dit is bibber koud (wel nou ja, vir ons skat lae twintigs) en die wêreld daar is nie meer plat nie. Ek moet sê, dit is erg mooi daar!

So klim ons toe die volgende aand weer op die bus. Ek het besluit om ons te bederf en bespreek toe die VIP bus vir ons. Kyk het Andre dit toe geniet. Dit was 'n plesier om hom dop te hou en sien hoe hy elke oomblik daarvan geniet tot hy later deur die slaap oorval is. Mens, al wat ek kan sê is duisend dankies vir julle gebede en duisend dankies vir Deon en Andre wat my so gehelp het, dit was 'n belewenis!

Dan het ek ook die geleentheid gehad om vir 'n paar dae saam met Peter in Ranoong deur te bring. Soos julle weet is STAMP baie sterk daarop om die kerk bloot te stel aan sending. Die gevolg is dat hulle gereeld kerk groepe na die sendingveld bring om hulle die nodige blootstelling te gee. Dit was juis so 'n groep wat ek besoek het en dit was baie lekker. Die groep was 'n klomp jongmense van Maleisië. Die mooiste van alles was vir my om te sien hoe die Here hulle harte aanraak en verander.

Dit was ook vir my 'n geleentheid om te sien hoe STAMP dit doen en dan kon ek ook so 'n bietjie beter kennis maak met Peter. Ons het te lekker gesels en is baie opgewonde om te sien hoe ons oor dinge saam stem. Ek glo ons gaan baie lekker saam werk en kan nie meer wag om daar te begin nie.

Maar wat vir my die heel lekkerste van alles was, was om tyd op die eiland te spandeer waar op ons gaan werk. Die mense het

diep tot in my hart gekruip. Ek het my gate uit geniet met die kinders en lank saam met hulle geswem. Dan is dit ook baie maklik om met hulle te kommunikeer want almal daar kan ook Thai praat. Ek is so opgewonde oor my ervaring daar en soos ek gesê het, ek kan nie meer wag nie. Cally (Jonathan se vrou) was ook daar en sy het ook 'n positiewe ervaring gehad. Dit is wonderlik, want nou het ons hele span die omgewing gesien en is gereed vir die werk waartoe die Here ons geroep het.

So van die os op die jas. My tyd hier in Thailand voor my vertrek terug Suid-Afrika toe, raak nou min. Ek moet ook sê dat daar baie gemengde gevoelens binne my is. Ek wil graag almal daar in Suid-Afrika sien maar my hart is hier in Thailand. Nie dat ek nie na almal daar verlang nie. Ek land die 29 September 7h00 die oggend daar in Johannesburg. Dan het my stuur-sel ('n bak groep mense) alles vir my gereël daar in Suid-Afrika. Kyk, hulle is vir jou 'n groep staatmakers! Hulle het alles vir my gedoen en ek dink nie daar is nog so 'n groep soos hulle nie. Miljoene dankies vir alles wat julle daar doen. Julle is waarlik my steunpilaar duisend.

As julle enigiets wil weet of uitvind, kontak gerus my stuur-sel. Ek is oortuig daarvan dat hulle julle in elk geval op hoogte hou van alles. Duisend dankies vir al julle gebede en liefde. Weet dit net, dat sonder julle ons nie hier sou gewees het nie.

Baie liefde, groete en sien julle gou.
In Hom
Philip อํานาจ

Groep van Maleisië

Group of youngsters from Malaysia

Trok gelaai en gereed vir trek

Truck loaded and ready to go

About my service

A very good day to all my friends in SA! Yes, it's been another month, a very busy one that has passed. I know you might have thought that because I am moving over to another mission’s organization, I would not send another news letter, but who will then remind you another month has gone by?:-) So this month was the groot trek (big move), I met with STAMP and got to know them better and it is min dae (few days) here in Thailand.

Last month, as most of you know, I moved lock, stock and barrel to the south of Thailand. It was not bigger that the groot trek itself, but it was an effort never the less! All the stuff was just too much for a bakkie and so the search for a small truck started. With Deon’s help we found one in Bangkok and so the move commenced. Deon and his son Andre, drove with the driver all the way from Bangkok to me in Nong Song Hong. The very same afternoon they arrived, we loaded my stuff and left the next morning at 4am.

It was a long day of sitting and some more sitting. And yes, did I mention sitting? Imagine the four of us just fitting in the front cabin and arriving 16 ½ hours later in Ranoong. Kyk, toe is ons boude darm lekker seer hoor! (our bums were very sore indeed). After we offloaded quickly, the surrounding reality hit us square on – it didn’t look like Thailand anymore. It was bitter cold (ok, for us at least being in the lower twenties) and the landscape was not flat anymore. However, it is stunningly beautiful!

Going back to Bangkok, I decided to spoil us by booking seats on a VIP bus and so we departed the following night. And did Andre enjoy that! It was a treasure to watch him enjoy every moment until he fell asleep. People, all I can say is a thousand thank you’s for all your prayers and another thousand thank you’s to Deon and Andre that came to help me, it was an adventure of note.

After that I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days with Peter from STAMP in Ranoong. This missions organization is different because it puts a much stronger emphasis on exposing the church back home to missions, with the result that they bring church groups to the mission field. And so I came to meet with a group of young people from Malaysia who were visiting. It was wonderful to see how the Father was touching and changing their hearts.

It was also a good opportunity to see how STAMP go about their affairs and got to now Peter. We had great conversations and I am very excited to see how much we agree about things. It looks like we will have a good working relationship and I can’t wait to start working there.

But the best was the time I could spend on the island where I am going to work next year. The people have crept deep into my heart. It is easy to communicate with everybody because they all speak Thai, which made it possible for me to have a great time with the children and landed up swimming with them for a long time. I am so excited about my experience, I can hardly wait to get going (as I said). Jonathan’s wife Cally, was also there and she also had a very positive experience. It is wonderful because now the whole team has seen the environment and is ready for the work to which the Lord has called us.

So, from the ox to the jacket – uh? (direct translation - van die os op die jas). It is min dae (few days) for me here in Thailand before I come to South Africa. I must say there are a lot of mixed feelings stirring inside of me because even though I am looking forward to seeing everybody in SA and longing for them, my heart is here in Thailand. I am arriving on Wednesday 29 September at 7 am in Johannesburg. My sending cell in SA (a group of spiff people) have arranged everything for me – a bunch of stalwarts! They are doing everything for me and I don’t think there is another group of people like them! A million thank you’s for everything you are doing there, you are truly my pillar of support. If you want to know anything or find something out, you are most welcome to contact my sending cell. I am sure they are keeping you abreast of everything.

A thousand thank you’s for all your prayers and love. Be assured, that without you we would not be here in the front-lines, representing the Kingdom of our Father.

Much love and greetings, see you soon
In Him,
Philip อํานาจ