As usual we would like to start with a weather report! We have experienced the wettest wet season in all our time in Thailand – it comes with living in a rain forest! Mouldy shoes and photographs, lights on in all the bookcases and cupboards to try to prevent mould and washing that takes a week to dry are all things we look forward to living without when the rains stop. The last few days it seems to be easing off, and the positive side of the rainy season is that the landscape is even more stunningly beautiful than ever.

Identity Cards

The beauty of the countryside stands in stark contrast to the tensions the people with whom we live and work are experiencing. The government has been working on a programme to re-register all the Karen, Mon and Burmese people who live in Thailand. Some have lived here for thirty or forty years, but still do not have Thai citizenship. This means they have no official right to work, no access to government support services (e.g. health care for the disabled), no access to tertiary education and they cannot travel out of the local town without getting permission from government officials (a difficult process). The results of the re-registration should be that some, particularly the young people, will get Thai citizenship – their future really depends on this happening. However in the process the bureaucracy is making sure that everyone is running around in circles, and that several have seized the opportunities for corruption and the exploitation of the poor and powerless. Two of Mike’s team members have been working very hard as advocates for people, helping them to understand the process and what is really required of them – and telling them when unreasonable demands are being made. They have also been the face of the church standing alongside other non government organizations (NGO’s) in exposing a major corruption scam. Please pray for them as this sort of standing up for justice inevitably has repercussions. On a day to day basis there is a huge military presence with check points every few kilometers which make people very uneasy. We are getting used to carrying ID with us wherever we go, which is frequently checked.

Continuing Seminars

Mike continues to work with his team, visiting churches and training lay leaders. Sadly one of the leaders he has been working with was brutally murdered recently. The team’s next training seminars are planned for three different areas between November 7th and 15th. Please pray for the people who attend these, that they will be ready to learn, and for the team as they finish putting the seminars together. Please also remember Jane and the kids at home whilst Mike is away. Mike is also kept busy teaching twice a week at the recently opened discipleship training school – there are twelve students. He really enjoys the teaching but the school is having some problems and for various reasons both Mike and Jane have felt it was right to resign from the committee. Please pray for wisdom for those deciding the way forward for the centre and for us, that we would know how involved to be.

Co-op

The long planned for co-operative shop and petrol station was officially launched last week with a meeting of members and the election of a committee. It is exciting. The shop will open in the next week or so – we have been selling fuel for a while. Jane is going to fulfill her childhood dream of being a shopkeeper – particularly as she was elected treasurer and will be responsible for doing the books weekly! Pray for Sompong and Jane as together they set up workable systems for running the shop on a daily basis and for keeping the various accounts.

Visitors from Afar

We were thrilled to have a group of nine visitors from Barclay Church, Edinburgh at the end of August. Much planning went into the trip on both sides and we packed a lot in! After a couple of days in Bangkok the group visited Udon and Sivilai. One of the highlights of the trip for many was Sunday morning worship, communion and baptisms in Sivilai. Then, along with Pytoon and Nipaporn (and their two year old, Eng) they traveled all the way to Sangklaburi where they stayed for three days visiting many of the people and projects with whom we presently work. A group of intrepid adventurers then set off on a three day journey down the border visiting churches, with Mike, Pytoon, Surasak (one of Mike’s team) and Noi, the pastor of Galilee church and hostel father. It was particularly good that Noi could go as he does not have Thai citizenship and it was quite difficult to get the necessary permission. He is the presbytery youth leader and it was the first opportunity he has had to visit some of these isolated youth groups. It was eye opening for Pytoon to see some of the situations these church members are in – very different to Issan. The visit ended with us all meeting up at the beach for three days of reflection and discussions. It was thrilling to listen in as the group grappled with the things they had seen and learnt, engaged in discussion with the local church leaders and looked at how they might apply what they had learnt here to the church at home. One of the delights for us was the chance to spend so much time with Pytoon and Nipaporn. Please continue to pray for them; they work so hard in Sivilai. They are expecting their second child in January. Aylie and Eng got on well and still talk about each other.

The following are some quotes that were memorable for members of the Barclay group:

“Who volunteered me to sleep in the field?” - group member “You’d better all buy wellies” - Jane ”Diahorrea is a great leveler” - group member ”The service will start when everyone has arrived” - Mike ”We’re going to have an extra communion service - so the pastor’s gone to find someone to milk the cows” - Mike ”We’ve moved into Karen time” - group member as meeting overruns by 40 minutes.

Jane’s Work

Jane’s work with the handicapped in the community continues as time allows. Please pray for the future of the Candlelight project as we still do not have a manager. Jane has also been looking at ways of offering support to churches who are caring for people with AIDS, including some over the border in Burma who have very limited resources. She is working on this with a nurse and pastor from the Burmese side at Three Pagodas Pass. She has been invited to do AIDS education in one local church specifically because they are showing love to a victim of AIDS, but admit they don’t understand it. Another area in which Jane has become involved is a small handicraft project which will hopefully provide work for about ten women. The project has been going for a while, but without a real system or market. Shirley (who runs it) and Jane have now organised a committee and ‘proper’ administration system. Everyone involved has agreed to a trial period in order to assess marketability and therefore sustainability. The group are doing cross stitch and producing pictures, cards and wall hangings. If anyone is interested in these products contact Helen Miller on 0131 449 4470 for information.

Home schooling continues to be a challenge for both teacher and pupil. Increased school hours required by P.3 mean that Rachel can no longer go to Thai school. She plays with friends regularly and is having Thai lessons three afternoons a week, which she enjoys. However she often wishes she had an English speaking friend with whom she could ‘talk girl talk’. Aylie is a constant bundle of energy despite the fact that she still eats and sleeps very little. Her Thai, Karen and English are coming on well as she talks all the time. Thank you to all who have prayed for Tulewa and Mimi. After three months in hospital Tulewa came home in mid August. He went back for a check in September and the doctors are so happy they don’t want to see him for another two months. Mimi died on September 14th. It was very sad. However she died peacefully at home surrounded by her friends and family. Her funeral was a real witness and brought the Christians in the area together. Once again thank you for all your love and support. There is much we can’t talk about it in a public letter, but if you want to ask us about specific situations please feel free to write and we will try to answer. We really appreciate your prayers. At this time of great uncertainty in the world may you know Jesus the rock beneath your feet and Jesus, the light of the world, guiding your steps. With our love, Barclay church will, be holding the following services and meetings to specifically report back on their trip. They extend a warm welcome to anyone who would like to attend: Sunday October 21st 11am and 6.30pm Saturday November 10th, 7.30pm Contact Jane and Pete Edwards for more information: 0131 672 3598

God bless. With love,

Mike, Jane, Rachel & Aylie