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

Nuus / News - July 2010

Oor jou bediening - July 2010

Ja, ja ,ja dis reg, nog 'n maand is verby en die helfte van die jaar ook. Die blink kant van dit alles is dat julle nou weer so brokkie nuus van Thailand kan ontvang. Ek weet dit is nie veel nie maar minstens neem dit julle gedagtes af van waarmee julle besig is, al is dit net vir 'n oomblik. So wat 'n maand!!! Ek was by Jonathan-hulle (STAMP), daar was 'n vark braai vir my, dan het ek skole besoek en kinderbybels uit gedeel, en dan 'n groot verassing nie net vir julle nie maar vir my ook.

Soos meeste van julle weet was ek vir so 'n week in Maleisië op besoek aan Jonathan en sy gesin. Dit was soos gewoonlik 'n groot fees gewees. Daar was egter 'n rede vir my besoek en dit was om met STAMP (Strategic Missions Partnerships) te praat, wat 'n ander sending organisasie is. Meeste van julle weet dat ek volgende jaar beplan om van OMF na STAMP oor te stap. STAMP gee my die geleentheid om onder toesig die roeping wat die Here in my hart geplaas het, waarlik uit te leef. Hulle sendingkonsep is nader aan die sendingmodel wat ek geleer het en hulle terugvoer na die kerk tuis is baie beter. Ek sê nie daarin dat OMF slegter is nie, maar net dat STAMP 'n beter pas vir my op die stadium as persoon is. Ek wil ook net vir OMF dankie sê vir alles wat ek oor sending by hulle geleer het, want dit was 'n tyd in my lewe wat ek onbeskryflik baie geleer het.

Dan was daar ook die lekker varkbraai die maand. Kyk mense, het my mond darem vir jou gewater toe ek hoor hoe lekker die varkie was. Ek het net die volgende dag vir my 'n lekker varkribbetjie gaan koop en dit gaar gemaak, maar moet sê dit sou baie lekkerder saam met julle gesmaak het. Duisend dankies vir my stuur-sel wat dit gereël het en vir almal van julle wat dit bygewoon het. Kyk ons moet verseker weer so maak maar ek hoop die keer gaan ek daar wees!!

Die maand het ek dan ook die geleentheid gehad om saam met ons Thai kollega skole te gaan besoek. Die doel van die besoek was om kinderbybels aan hulle te gee. Ons distrik bestaan uit ±140 klein dorpies of soos hulle dit in Thai noem 'muubaan'. Ek moet noem dat elke dorpie gelukkig nie 'n skool het nie maar daar was baie. Dit was vet pret gewees. Kyk die hele skool kom omtrent elke keer tot stilstand as ek daar uitklim. 'n Wit gesiggie in die gebied is maar 'n skaars verskynsel en as ek eers met hulle Thai begin praat, gaan die meeste kinders in skok. Hulle kan dit net nie glo dat dit vir my moontlik is om Thai te praat nie en dan as ek so 'n bietjie Isaan praat, dan weergalm dit van plesier deur die skool. Baie van die skole het hulle eie projekte wat sorg dat die kinders elke dag kos kry om te eet. Die kinders is dan verantwoordelik vir die projekte. Kyk hulle maak hoenders, vis, paddas, varke en wat nog alles geld as vleis. Dan groei hulle ook baie groentes en sulke dinge. Dit was baie interessant. By party van die skole moes ek ook eers na hulle tradisionele Isaan orkes luister voor ons verder kon gaan. Ek moet sê die kinders het sommer vinnig in my hart gekruip en dit was verseker die hoogtepunt van die maand.



Nou ja. Nou die verrassing. Ek moet sê toe dit aan my mee gedeel was, was al die wind in my seile vir 'n oomblik uit en was dit vir my boot onmoontlik om in enige rigting te beweeg. Ja, kyk ek het dit glad nie verwag nie. Net soos ek aan julle mee gedeel het, het ek ook aan OMF mee gedeel dat ek van volgende jaar saam met STAMP wil gaan werk. Ek het hulle ook verseker dat ek eers al my verpligting met hulle sal na kom voor ek vertrek. My leier skryf toe vir my terug dat die Tyro program, waarop ek is, se hoof doel is om jou te help om jou plekkie te kry in sending waar die Here jou wil hê. Hulle sê dat volgens hulle ek nou daardie plekkie gekry het en dat ek enige tyd kan oorstap, mits die span saam met wie ek werk, nie verwagting van my het nie. Daar is geen verdere verwagting van my nie en ek is vry om te doen wat ek wil. Hulle het wel gedeel dat dit goed sal wees as ek Januarie saam met my nuwe span in die Suide begin en daarom dink hulle dat ek eers terug gaan Suid-Afrika toe om dinge daar te reël.

Dit is wonderlike nuus maar ek het dit nie verwag nie. Daar is geen probleem om van een sending organisasie na 'n ander oor te stap nie omdat ons almal soos een groot familie is. Die belangrikste vir hulle is dat jy net die plekkie kry waar die Here jou die beste kan gebruik. Dit was vir my wonderlik. So, die goeie nuus is dat ek binne twee maande terug in Suid-Afrika gaan wees. Die voorlopige beplanning is dat ek dan Januarie weer terug kom en saam met my nuwe span in die Suide van Thailand in die dorpie Ranong gaan begin. Daar gaan ek vir ongeveer nog 1 jaar Thai leer, waarna ons na die nabye eiland Ko Phajam gaan om onder die Morken mense te gaan werk. Hulle praat ook almal Thai maar ons is van plan om hulle moedertaal ook aan te leer. Ek hoop om in my tyd in Suid-Afrika, julle bekent te stel aan die mense sodat ook julle 'n hart van liefde vir hulle sal ontwikkel. My stuur-sel sal julle op hoogte hou soos die dinge ontwikkel aan my kant.

Dan wil ek net weer vir julle almal baie dankie sê vir die vark braai. Ek het met baie van julle gepraat en sien uit daarna om julle weer in persoon te ontmoet. Dankie vir julle liefde en al julle gebede, sonder julle sal dit vir ons onmoontlik wees om hier so volkome in die liefde van ons Here te lewe.

In Hom

Philip อำนาจ 

Skaam kinders (Hulle kyk nie eers na my)

My Thai kollega (ON) en ek saam met kinders

About your service - July 2010

Yes yes, you’re right, another month has passed and so has half of the year as well. The upside is that you can now receive another snippet from Thailand and even though it’s not exactly a huge amount, I trust it can at least take your mind off your everyday business. And what a month it’s been!!! I went to see Jonathan and STAMP, there was a spitbraai for me, I visited local schools and distributed children’s bibles, and behold, I have a huge surprise for you and it was surely one for me too!

I went to visit Jonathan and his family for about a week or so in Malaysia and as always, it was just wonderful. However, there was a real reason for my visit and it was to go and speak to STAMP (Strategic Missions Partnerships). It is another missions’ organization which I have been investigating for a while and as most of you know by now, I would like to move from OMF to STAMP as of next year. STAMP offers me the opportunity to expand under their supervision, on the calling the Lord put in my heart. Their missionary model is most probably closest to the one I have embraced because the feedback into the sending church in SA, is so much better. I am not implying that OMF is not good, only that strategically STAMP can facilitate my vision into the future /ahead from this point on. I just want to thank OMF for everything I experienced while working with them because it was truly a remarkable learning curve in my life.

On Saturday 24 July my sending cell organized a spitbraai on my behalf in Bronkhorstspruit. Listen, did my mouth water when I heard how juicy that varkie was. The very next day I went to buy myself a rack of pork ribs and – unnecessary to say - it would have tasted much better if I could have had it with all of you. A thousand thank yous to my sending cell that planned it and to everybody who attended it. We are going to have to do it again and this time I will simply just have to be there with you!

This last month I also had the opportunity to go and visit schools with my Thai colleague. The goal was to distribute children bibles to all schools within our district, or ‘muubaan’ in Thai, which consists of about 140 small villages. Even though there were a whole lot of schools, not every town has one. It was a lot of fun. Every time we stopped and got out, just about the whole school is in uproar because a white face is seldom seen in these parts. And the moment I speak Thai the children are shocked because they can’t believe that I am able to speak Thai. When I speak a little Isaan, the laughter creates quite a stir throughout the whole school. Many schools have daily feeding schemes and it is the children themselves who are in charge of cooking and preparing the meals. I must tell you they cook anything: chicken, frogs, fish, pork and anything that can be counted as meat. They also grow their own vegetables etc. – it was so interesting. At some of the schools I first had to listen to their traditional Isaan bands before we could go on. I must say that the children quickly crept into my heart and that this was truly the highlight of my month.



And now for the surprise. I must say that when I received the news, it took the wind right out of my sails, leaving my boat momentarily directionless. Well, I didn’t expect this at all. Just as I have been telling you that I would like to work with STAMP next year, I have been informing OMF, assuring them that I would complete all my responsibilities before I leave. My team leader responded by saying that the Tyro program in which I participated, has a main goal to help budding missionaries find their own special place on the mission field where God wants them to be. They are of the opinion that it has happened for me and that I am free to leave at any time, permitting that my team releases me in the same manner, which they have done. They agree that I should start with my new missions’ organization in January and that I should go home now, to South Africa, to organize myself as soon as possible and finalise everything so that I am set for the new year.

So the good news is that I am back in South Africa within the next 2 months! This is wonderful news but completely unexpected. To move from one missions’ organization to another is like moving from one family to another, the main focus being that God can use you where ever you are. That is amazing to me. In the meantime the plan is that I would return in January to start working with my new team in Ranong, in the south of Thailand, learning Thai for one year, while we start to reach out to the island of Ko Phajam, working with the Morken people. They also speak Thai but we have to learn their mother tongue so that they can also experience the love of our Father, as he made them. I trust that I would be able to introduce you to these people while in SA, so that you could also get to know them and cultivate a love for these forlorn sea gypsies. My sending cell will keep you posted as things develop on my side.

I just want to say thank you again for the spitbraai. I spoke to a lot of you on skype and I very much look forward to meeting you in person. Thank you for your love and prayers, without you it is not possible to live here in the love of our Lord.

In Him,

Philip อำนาจ

Shy children (They do not look at me)

My Thai colleague (On) and me with the children

A Spit Braai of note...

Some images from Philip's Sending Cell Spit Braai.

Die mane van die pane met die pienk koppies in die hande

Preparing the varkie

Almost ready...

Missions talk..

Skyping Philip

Son onder op die plaas.

2010 World Cup Grand Finale

What an amazing world cup that was. It really blessed me to see what a warm welcome all South Africans gave to our visitors. I trust that they left - not only with a sense of awe at our people and blessed country - but with an impression of South Africa as a God fearing, honoring and serving nation.

The Calabash

Our beloved Madiba

"Elephants - the epitome of Africa"

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD ." Joshua 24:15

SA - the winner in the end.

Viva Espana