Venue: Phrao, Chiang Mai
Theme: Please remember the mission team in our prayers.

Thailand Mission Trip

13-15 January 2006

 

Rev. Lee Kim Shong

Eld. Andrew Chen

Dn. Lionel Tan

Julianna Tan

Hansel Tan

Hannah Tan

Mdm SK The

Joey Looi

Daniel Chan

 

·         To participate in the 1st Anniversary of the Enfu Chinese Church at Banmoh Village in Phrao district.

·         To visit and encourage brethren at existing outreaches in Phrao, Chiang Mai.

 

Phrao | 13 January 2007

 

The missions team comprising Rev. Lee, Eld. Andrew Chen, Dn. Lionel Tan, Julianna, Hansel, Hannah, Mdm SK Teh, Joey Looi and I departed from Calvary Jaya at 6.25am. Thank God there were no problems exiting KLIA. Our flight took off at 8.40am and we were soon in the skies. When we almost reached Chiang Mai International Airport, we could not land and had to circle in the skies for 15 minutes as there was an air show at the airport. We eventually touched down safely at 11.30am Thailand time and immigration was smooth. After collecting our bags, we met Pr. Xiong Fu Man. We were then ushered to board a waiting van.

 

We reached Enfu Christian Students Centre at Banmoh Village of Phrao district at about 5.05pm after travelling a journey of about 1 hour 20 mins. The air was cool and comfortable. After some time of fellowship, dinner was served. The previous harvest yielded 120 sacks of rice and we thanked God for His provision.

 

There was a prayer meeting in the night and Eld. Andrew Chen spoke from Luke 15 on the parable of the lost sheep. After the session, some of us stayed on for some fellowship while others took turn to shower. The cold weather and shower sent a shock down our spine. The elders and Pr. Xiong Fu Man had a short meeting while most of us sat warming by the fire and mingled around.

 

Pr. Xiong Fu Man then went to prepare a pig which has already been slaughtered. It was only 9.46pm but most of us were tired and some have gone to bed. The night was very cool. There is no need to install air conditioning here. The sky was pitch black and we were given a show of God’s creation. The sky was filled with stars; we are awed by God’s great heavens. “Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD's thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is,” Deuteronomy 10:14.

 

I sat in the cold alone by the fire and had a quiet moment of peace and said a prayer. An opportunity like this rarely comes by often.

 

Enfu Chinese Church 1st Anniversary Thanksgiving Service | La Hu Village | Lisu Village | 14 January 2007

 

I woke up when Rev. Lee’s alarm went off. Actually I was awake already. It was very cold. The thick blanket made it very cosy. I freshened up and headed to the road to watch the sunrise. After a moment of silent prayer, I stood in the middle of the road listening to the sounds of a quiet nature. No sound of cars or motorbikes, just insects and an occasional rooster.

 

By around 8am, everyone was up. There was a buzz around because it was the Lord’s Day. The womenfolk were preparing the food and the chairs were set up in the church hall. The service started at 10.30am.

 

After some singing by the En Fu children and Lisu brethren, the sermon was preached by Rev. Lee. Eld. Andrew gave a short exhortation based on Psalm 127. Pr. Xiong Fu Man interpreted to Thai. A group of village leaders were in attendance including the head of the village, sub-district officer and village committee members.

 

After the sermon, the village leaders gave a short speech. Rev. Lee, Eld. Andrew and Dn. Lionel then presented a hymn entitled “We Plough the Fields and Scatter” in Mandarin for the thanksgiving service. Benediction was pronounced thereafter and the congregation dismissed after the prayer at 11.45am.

 

Lunch was served and the food was really good. The En Fu centre brethren were very glad to refill our rice bowls. They kept adding more rice and more food into our bowls. We literally felt that “our cup runneth over”. Thank God for the abundance of food, love and fellowship.

 

The brethren here are very friendly and the food is also very tasty. Though I did not understand Mandarin, I understood some words and it was always, “How was your night?”, “How is the food?”, “Take a little more if you can’t take much.” We enjoyed much hospitality and warmth from our fellow Thai brethren.

 

At around 3pm, we decided to head out to visit some villages. The weather here is really nice. It gets hot by around 11am and cools by 6pm. Nevertheless, even when it is hot, the wind is cool. The drive through the hills took approximately 30 minutes and into some dirt roads. The road was narrow. It reminded me of Matthew 7:14, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

 

We entered a Red La Hu village. The village population consists of locals and families of ex-Kou Min Tang army. When the soldiers headed south, most married the locals and thus some no longer speak Mandarin but rather the La Hu dialect.

 

The La Hu are simple people. I saw a very young girl who was pregnant. Rev. Lee told us that many of the girls here marry very young. The children were as usual, curious; seeing us with our unusual colours and looks. We pray that God speaks to them and that at a tender young age.

 

We gathered in a small shelter and then the En Fu students sang a song. Then the La Hu village leader led in singing. They were in much harmony and singing came so naturally to them. Over here, gifts are not required, only a song. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord,” Colossians 3:16.

 

Rev. Lee and Pr. Xiong Fu Man later handed out Christian calendars to families in the La Hu village. After about an hour, we headed out to visit a Lisu village. It was on another hill in the opposite direction. There was a lookout point in front of the school. Many of the En Fu children come from this village. But because the village is so far in the hills from Phrao, most of these children stay with Pr. Xiong Fu Man’s students centre and attend the schools in Phrao. They would go home to their village during the weekend.

 

After taking some photographs as well as watching the spectacular sunset, we headed back to Phrao. The sunset sky was like a velvet blanket of colors. It was already getting dark as the sun had long set behind the mountains. How beautiful is God’s creation.

 

Back at Banmoh village, dinner was served and thereafter Rev. Lee, Eld. Andrew and Dn. Lionel Tan had a meeting with Pr. Xiong Fu Man and his wife. The discussions went on until 1am. I sat by the fire accompanied by Hansel, Hannah, Joey and two puppies. Soon, one by one decided to head to bed. I sat there alone until 1am when the meeting ended and all turned in to sleep.

 

Chiang Mai | 15 January 2007

 

We woke up at 7.30am and breakfast was served at 8.30am. After breakfast, we had photo taking session and a quick goodbye, everyone boarded the van and we zoomed down to Chiang Mai.

 

We arrived at Chiang Mai International Airport just on time at 10.30am. We were the last few to check in. By 11.15am, we were flying towards Malaysia at 500 km/h 30,000 feet in the sky. We landed at 2.05pm Malaysian time. The Malaysian customs and immigration went by smoothly. Mr. Bernard Hoe picked us up and we were soon back in church around 4.30pm.

 

God has blessed us in this trip with safety and journey mercies. Everything went smoothly and everyone enjoyed the blessed time there. Though it was a short trip, I guess our presence and the smiles we brought along was a great encouragement to the workers there.

 

I realised that though we spoke different languages and from different backgrounds, our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ unites us.

 

“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord:  In whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit,” Eph 2:19-22. 

 

Continue to pray for the work here. Continue to pray for Pr. Xiong Fu Man and his fellow workers. Continue to pray for the children in the students centre. Continue to pray for our church’s support for them. Continue to pray that many more souls will be brought into God’s kingdom. Continue to pray for more missions-minded brethren to support God’s work.