Hello Friends,
Please see the attached file for a printable copy with photos.
Thank you!
---
1/31/2012 OLC+
THANK YOU for your continued support of prayer and finances for our ministries here. Some of you have been giving since 2005, or even from the end of 2004 when we first announced our intention to come to Thailand! For others, we want to increase our ministry budget, so please consider making a donation or email us for more info.
FLOOD RELIEF FUNDS have helped a lot of people in NewSong Bangkok Church and OLC. Thank you! We received a total of $2,800 from many of you, and gave most of it through NewSong Bangkok to help clean people’s homes, and also $1,350 of it to help rebuild a collapsed house in Lopburi Province (NewSong added $300 more), which is expected to cost about $3,500. We helped two families with $300 in OLC whose houses needed repairs. NewSong staff used $620 from our fund and offerings from other members to help other families and relatives in NewSong. Rangsit Church, pastored by the father of our member, Christina, was hit severely by the flood and $150 was sent to help a little bit. We have about $300 left that we gave to a member of OLC who helps children with disabilities in Don Muang, another heavily flooded zone in Bangkok; we will visit that center where she volunteers in two weeks. (Money was distributed in THB, so the numbers might be a little off with the different exchange rates over the past few months; and official donations given through GP had the usual 10.5% administrative deductions.)
NEWSONG BANGKOK CHURCH is planting another site (“verge”) in March. Our plan to decentralize to 5 areas last fall was shelved when the floods came; after more time to think, it seemed better to plant different sites one by one, more naturally. Kilang is planning to start another verge in the Silom area later this year and I will help him.
OLC+ is the name we’re using for this new plan my friends and I are dreaming up. We’ve been meeting at restaurants for Bible studies in English; but it can get noisy and discourages some of the older members from attending regularly. Kilang is looking for a verge site. Nok, one of the lay leaders in NewSong, has been wanting to start an English school for a while now. Together, we think we can come up with something that will help achieve each of our needs. We’ve only met twice to talk about OLC+ specifically, and we’re not even set on a name yet; it’ll probably be different than Outreach Language Center. But it’s an exciting prospect, and something I will spend much more time on this year.
MYANMAR WITH JOS (Joy of Sharing), a Korean non-governmental organization, is a new role I’ve picked up for 2012, with the flexibility and approval of my Field Director and Area Director. I’ve already made my first trip there with Dr. Myung Lee to weeks ago, and will go there at least several more times to help him with his microfinance project. JOS is being sponsored by KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) and partnering with MBE (Myanmar Business Executives Association) for this project.
OLC is trying to find a suitable location for Bible studies in the Silom area.
Please pray that:
God will help my parents stay healthy, and to get more help in directing Chonburi Mission Center.
The new opportunities to serve will prove to be beneficial to all of us.
Newsong Bangkok Church will continue to grow under its new coordinator from Irvine, Daniel Ross.
In Christ,
Paul, with Sarah, Lydia and Timothy
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Letter from Missionary Paul Kim (Flooding in Thailand)
Hello,
This is a not-so-brief update about the flood that's still consuming central Thailand. Thanks all for your emails and prayers. And one of you even made a special donation for the flood victims-- thank you. We are also aware of the difficulty those of you in the east coast faced with the sudden snowstorm, and pray that electricity has been restored for all of you by now.
Sarah wrote in Korean (below), and included the "flood 2011" attached photo of a smiling mother and son who had evacuated underneath an expressway; it made us think of what we usually complain about. I posted some photos on Facebook already, but I'm attaching another one of my family and Newsong people helping make sandbags at the airport. It's been a true joy for me to see my young children eagerly help out in ways they can.
We were scared. We had made plans to evacuate to Chonburi Province 2 weeks ago; I was supposed to teach there last week anyway. Many of our friends did evacuate and are still not ready to return. But when we saw some of our friends in Newsong Bangkok Church busying themselves by helping out at the airport, food centers, and other evacuation centers, even making and delivering food supplies by row boat, we had a family meeting and decided to join in the fun! And it has been much more enjoyable to focus on helping others than in being mired by our own fears. I swapped my teaching schedule with another professor and will be teaching at Chonburi next week instead.
Our tap water smells a little funny as I type, as the inland-freshwater-slow-motion-tsunami is creeping our way. Our friends and pastors who live only a few miles away are now 1 meter under water. Overall, water is receding; but that simply means the immense water from the north is flowing into the center of Bangkok; so while those in rural north are now faring better (eg, down to 1 meter from 2 meters!), those inside Bangkok just a few minutes north of us are now themselves flooded. We are still a little concerned about our safety, and the grocery stores (even expensive ones) are still empty of basic supplies. We no longer want to use the filter for drinking water because of the questionable safety of our tap water, and it's difficult to find bottled water. Time to let our kids drink some soda!
It's been encouraging to see many people volunteer for making and packing food, even lining up to donate blood. At the main airport alone, about 10,000 volunteers come everyday to make 100,000 sandbags. But the weakest link is in the access to the flood victims that have not evacuated. Some of the packaged food gets spoiled before reaching the flood victims. Boats are required to reach them, but they're few in number and expensive.
Newsong Bangkok Church has decided to postpone the execution of our vision for decentralizing a few months while we deal with the great flood. Global Hope, a non-governmental organization, has donated $10,000 for GP Thai missionaries to use for relief work in Thailand. Please pray that God will give us wisdom and strength to help our neighbors, and let me know if you want to make a special donation for the flood victims.
Thank you,
Paul
This is a not-so-brief update about the flood that's still consuming central Thailand. Thanks all for your emails and prayers. And one of you even made a special donation for the flood victims-- thank you. We are also aware of the difficulty those of you in the east coast faced with the sudden snowstorm, and pray that electricity has been restored for all of you by now.
Sarah wrote in Korean (below), and included the "flood 2011" attached photo of a smiling mother and son who had evacuated underneath an expressway; it made us think of what we usually complain about. I posted some photos on Facebook already, but I'm attaching another one of my family and Newsong people helping make sandbags at the airport. It's been a true joy for me to see my young children eagerly help out in ways they can.
We were scared. We had made plans to evacuate to Chonburi Province 2 weeks ago; I was supposed to teach there last week anyway. Many of our friends did evacuate and are still not ready to return. But when we saw some of our friends in Newsong Bangkok Church busying themselves by helping out at the airport, food centers, and other evacuation centers, even making and delivering food supplies by row boat, we had a family meeting and decided to join in the fun! And it has been much more enjoyable to focus on helping others than in being mired by our own fears. I swapped my teaching schedule with another professor and will be teaching at Chonburi next week instead.
Our tap water smells a little funny as I type, as the inland-freshwater-slow-motion-tsunami is creeping our way. Our friends and pastors who live only a few miles away are now 1 meter under water. Overall, water is receding; but that simply means the immense water from the north is flowing into the center of Bangkok; so while those in rural north are now faring better (eg, down to 1 meter from 2 meters!), those inside Bangkok just a few minutes north of us are now themselves flooded. We are still a little concerned about our safety, and the grocery stores (even expensive ones) are still empty of basic supplies. We no longer want to use the filter for drinking water because of the questionable safety of our tap water, and it's difficult to find bottled water. Time to let our kids drink some soda!
It's been encouraging to see many people volunteer for making and packing food, even lining up to donate blood. At the main airport alone, about 10,000 volunteers come everyday to make 100,000 sandbags. But the weakest link is in the access to the flood victims that have not evacuated. Some of the packaged food gets spoiled before reaching the flood victims. Boats are required to reach them, but they're few in number and expensive.
Newsong Bangkok Church has decided to postpone the execution of our vision for decentralizing a few months while we deal with the great flood. Global Hope, a non-governmental organization, has donated $10,000 for GP Thai missionaries to use for relief work in Thailand. Please pray that God will give us wisdom and strength to help our neighbors, and let me know if you want to make a special donation for the flood victims.
Thank you,
Paul
Friday, November 4, 2011
Birth Announcement: Tyler Noah Kim
Congratulations to Jay & Sunny for the birth of their first child!!!
Tyler Noah Kim was born on November 11, 9:39pm, at Hackensack University Medical Center. 7.6 pounds. 20 inches.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Letter from Missionary Paul Kim
10/22/2011 Helping People!
HELPING PEOPLE is what missionaries are called to do, and that includes practical as well as spiritual help. Kilang is one of the two full-time staff at Newsong Bangkok, and he has started a ministry called Help Live, where he networks with the local musicians to help orphans of the Karen Hilltribe group. Dwight is another close friend who uses his free time to help refugees and asylum seekers, as well as children in one of the many slum communities of Thailand. They’ve helped me in my own ministries, and I’ve learned a lot from them about what it takes to help people. Along with missionaries, many of my Thai friends are eager to help the needy; pray with me as I try to help these leaders help people more effectively.
THAILAND IS IN A SPECIAL NEED right now, if you’ve seen the flood news recently. Chonburi Mission Center is fine, and we are fine too. But everybody in Bangkok is stocking up with food and water (and candles and propane gas). Stores and businesses (and some houses) in our own street are building temporary 1-meter cement walls just to tear down after the floods because sand bags are no longer available. So there’s some panicking going on, but we are hopeful that things will become more peaceful and dry over the next few weeks. One of my favorite news photos is of a boy who is trying to keep his two bills (120 baht or $4) dry, and another one of a highway intersection that we had crossed just a week before the photo was taken!
***BESTPIX***Flooding Ravages Provinces Threatening Bangkok
NEWSONG BANGKOK has come to a point after over five years where we’ve decided to restructure. We started out in a decentralized format that I found very attractive and effective, with a loose network of house church groups, but then centralized and regrouped for about three years. We’re now working on January as a target date to separate into five groups or house churches. We’ve already begun sharing with everybody and are still working out the logistics and details as well as financial issues. Our two full time staff, Yo and Kilang, are willing to risk not getting salaries in the long run, and this vision was in fact their initiative. I’m very honored to be helping church leaders who are prioritizing the larger church vision ahead of their livelihoods.
GP USA has a new website. They’d love your feedback, admin@gpusa.org
Please pray that:
God will help Thailand and the Thai people to deal with the heavy flooding.
I can provide greater strategic support for the leaders in Thailand who have a passion for helping people.
Newsong Bangkok Church will walk through their transition with wisdom and faith.
In Christ,
Paul, with Sarah, Lydia and Timothy
HELPING PEOPLE is what missionaries are called to do, and that includes practical as well as spiritual help. Kilang is one of the two full-time staff at Newsong Bangkok, and he has started a ministry called Help Live, where he networks with the local musicians to help orphans of the Karen Hilltribe group. Dwight is another close friend who uses his free time to help refugees and asylum seekers, as well as children in one of the many slum communities of Thailand. They’ve helped me in my own ministries, and I’ve learned a lot from them about what it takes to help people. Along with missionaries, many of my Thai friends are eager to help the needy; pray with me as I try to help these leaders help people more effectively.
THAILAND IS IN A SPECIAL NEED right now, if you’ve seen the flood news recently. Chonburi Mission Center is fine, and we are fine too. But everybody in Bangkok is stocking up with food and water (and candles and propane gas). Stores and businesses (and some houses) in our own street are building temporary 1-meter cement walls just to tear down after the floods because sand bags are no longer available. So there’s some panicking going on, but we are hopeful that things will become more peaceful and dry over the next few weeks. One of my favorite news photos is of a boy who is trying to keep his two bills (120 baht or $4) dry, and another one of a highway intersection that we had crossed just a week before the photo was taken!
***BESTPIX***Flooding Ravages Provinces Threatening Bangkok
NEWSONG BANGKOK has come to a point after over five years where we’ve decided to restructure. We started out in a decentralized format that I found very attractive and effective, with a loose network of house church groups, but then centralized and regrouped for about three years. We’re now working on January as a target date to separate into five groups or house churches. We’ve already begun sharing with everybody and are still working out the logistics and details as well as financial issues. Our two full time staff, Yo and Kilang, are willing to risk not getting salaries in the long run, and this vision was in fact their initiative. I’m very honored to be helping church leaders who are prioritizing the larger church vision ahead of their livelihoods.
GP USA has a new website. They’d love your feedback, admin@gpusa.org
Please pray that:
God will help Thailand and the Thai people to deal with the heavy flooding.
I can provide greater strategic support for the leaders in Thailand who have a passion for helping people.
Newsong Bangkok Church will walk through their transition with wisdom and faith.
In Christ,
Paul, with Sarah, Lydia and Timothy
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)