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A village in northern Thailand.
One of our congregations in Thailand.
Here is some updated information that Mark Choi, the Hong Kong Mission Director, sent regarding Thailand. Hong Kong provides primary oversight of United Brethren ministries in Thailand.
Background and Current Status of the North Thailand Ministry
The United Brethren churches of Hong Kong (HK CUBC) have developed our ministry in the Northern Thailand mountain areas, close to the border of Myanmar (Burma). Concentrating in the region called “Piao Pai,” there are 3 villages, namely Laozuo, Litao, and Roman (or Loh Mah) villages. Inhabitants of Litao and Roman villages are primarily ethnic minority Ahka who speak the Ahka language. In Laozuo, the inhabitants consists of Chinese (Mandarin speaking), Lahu (Lahu speaking), and Ahka. Many of them cannot speak Thai.
The area is very mountainous with little flat land, and is very remote to other parts of Thailand. The nearest major city is Chiang Rai, which is a two-hour drive through mountainous roads. The mountain people are poor and many do not have a proper national identity card in Thailand. Among the three towns, Laozuo village is more developed and has a government public school, a clinic, and a private Chinese school, Zhongxing Middle School, which provides Chinese education to the local students.
The Piao Pai and neighboring areas along the border with Myanmar and Laos have been under the influence of drug dealers in the past. Known as the “Golden Triangle,” the area’s drug dealers once had their own guerrilla army that controlled the region. The villagers earned a living by growing opium. It was only in the last 10–20 years that the Thai government gradually regained control of the area, but guerrilla drug dealers still operate on the Myanmar side of the border. They cross into Thailand from time to time, and villagers remain under constant threat.
Today villagers have replaced opium with tea, and the economy of the Piao Pai region relies heavily on large plantations. As the area is mountainous with lots of slopes, and the climate is relatively cool compared to most parts of Thailand, it is quite suitable to grow tea. The villagers pick the tea leaves by hand and deliver their crops to collector factories run by Taiwanese. Work is heavy and the income is low.
Rev. Lee is the founder and leader of our ministries in northern Thailand.
At present, the HKCUBC Northern Thailand ministry has two churches and one student center in Piao Pai. The two churches are located in Litao and Roman, and they have approximately 300 members. The student center is located in Laozuo village, next to the home of Rev Li. The student center provides accommodation and care to orphans and children who cannot receive proper parental care. In some cases the parents are migrant workers who travel to neighboring plantations to harvest tea. Most are of the Ahka tribe. They can stay in the student center up to the age of 16-18. Currently, there are around 25 students.
There are three workers in the Northern Thailand ministry:
Some three years ago, connections were established with the Chinese school in Laozuo village. Short-term teams from Hong Kong have been invited in the past to offer English, health, and recreational group activities. This year, the Hong Kong United Brethren will offer several scholarship awards to the school as well.
The Zhongxing Chinese School is located on a hilltop a short walk from the Student Center, and consists of several one-story classroom buildings that are quite old and out-dated. There are around 350 students in the school, ranging from kindergarten to grade nine. Some of the teachers are immigrants/refugees from the People’s Republic of China. They have found safe haven in the area but are often undocumented.
The school plans to re-develop and update the classrooms, but capital is needed. While it still has no proper accreditation or religious orientation, it has received donations in the past from Caritas (an international charity) and from some Chinese Buddhist temples. A short time ago, the school even approached our mission to see if the United Brethren would be interested in taking over the school and developing it further. However, we recently heard that the school accepted a sum of money from a Chinese temple, though not adequate for the re-development project.
Long-term Goals of the CUBC Northern Thailand Mission
Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries
Global Ministries has received a letter of resignation from Randy and Toni Fennig. The decision was not made suddenly, but as a result of numerous conversations, and dialogue between the Fennigs, Global Ministries and the Sierra Leone National Conference.
Global Ministries acknowledges the ministry and investment Randy and Toni have made during their time in Sierra Leone. Since their appointment four years ago, they have worked on a number of experimental farming approaches, taught students at the Evangelical College of Theology and mentored a number of young adults and emerging leaders.
The Fennigs will be returning to the United States during the month of August and will remain on support for a period of transition. During this time, they will be making contact with donors. As we have more information about this time of transition, we will keep you informed.
CH Global, one of the mission organizations with which we partner, recognized one of our churches on their website. Coleta UB church, with just 35 people, is sponsoring 6 Haitian children through CH Global. Three of those children are sponsored by the church, and 3 are sponsored by individual families.
CH Global wrote, “CH Global would like to extend a special ‘Thank You!’ to the Coleta UB Church for being such an example of generosity and having open and outward hearts! The children living in these extremely difficult circumstances will come to know lasting stability and have great opportunities for the future as a result of your support!”
Dan Kopp, for the Central Ohio Haiti Mission Team
A group of teens and adults from UB churches in Central Ohio is currently in Haiti. On Sunday, July 17, they worshipped at two United Brethren churches in Haiti. Here is a report from Dan Kopp (right), pastor of NorthPointe UB church in Lewis Center, Ohio.
How far did you walk to church yesterday?
In Pastor Richard’s church, it’s an average of 30 minutes. No parking lots necessary. The vast majority walk. Did we mention they start at 6 a.m.? A practical, yet admirable thing, due to the heat. But many walk back mid-day for afternoon or evening services that usually last a couple hours.
Sunday school gets underway at 6:00 and the regular service around 7:00. We were at the mercy of the transportation arranged for us, so we arrived a little after the service had begun. They were already well into worship. High energy. Dressed to the nines. The Sunday service, like the Sabbath in the Old Testament, is TRULY the high point of their week.
And it was most definitely a high point for us. A vocal team of 8-9 and a REALLY, really talented keyboarder and guitarist and drummer. The pastors spontaneously lead in worship at times as well. The offering is also high energy with a joyful praise song, and the folks spontaneously come forward–almost dancing as they place in their tithe. During the service we were greeted, as were a few others who stood during the service, with a beautiful flower pinned to our collar.
One of the high points for our team is the opportunity to share our testimony. Each non-preaching member of the team was to do it at least once. It’s one of those GREAT “stretch me out of my comfort zone” times. I am so proud of how open, transparent, and God-used these times were.
In this service we were blessed to share a puppetry that lived out the parable of the Lost Sheep. Rows of children spread out in front of the stage. We also shared a special, “Amazing Grace” in English. My wife’s husband had the extreme honor of sharing a message of comfort regarding the Suffering Servant, a Savior who truly understands life’s wounds.
Jeff Bleijerveld (center) giving certificates to the top-giving churches. On the left is Art Page, senior pastor of Salem UB (Chambersburg, Pa.), and on the right is Marty Pennington, senior pastor of Mainstreet Church (Walbridge, Ohio).
Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries
Global Ministries is very blessed to be the international arm of the United Brethren in Christ. On July 7, during the National Conference business meeting, we acknowledged those who were the largest donors to our ministry during the previous year (2010). The top ten churches, in terms of total giving to Global Ministries, are listed below.
This year we added one more category: the per-captial award. That recognition went to Log Cabin United Brethren in Boise, Idaho. Although, they have an average attendance of just 26, they gave more per member than any other church in the denomination. Their divided their giving fairly evenly between missionary support and relief needs.
Top Giving UB Churches in 2010
Highest Per Capita
Log Cabin UB (Boise, Idaho): $9,870
Mark Choi, mission director for Hong Kong Conference, reports that a group of 20 adults and children from the Hong Kong churches will leave for Thailand tomorrow, July 14. They will spend six days with our two churches in Thailand, teaching four classes of English to 90 students, and conducting a carnival with students in the Chinese high school.
Owen Gordon (right), a UB minister in Jamaica and president of Jamaica Bible College, sent this note on July 11.
“Over the last several weeks, there has been a series of violent incidents and killings in the York Town area. The result is that persons have been shot, members of the community and church have been traumatized, and the citizens are living in fear. Persons are afraid to venture outside after dark. Our Sunday and Wednesday night meetings are sparsely attended.
“Having just started to minister at York Town since April, I believe God sent me to York Town for a purpose, and I am appealing for special prayer not just for the United Brethren church, but for the other churches in the community. Pray for much wisdom as we seek to lead the people of God, provide encouragement and guidance for the community, and trust God for a restoration of peace and calmness in the community.
“This Sunday, July 17, at 5 pm, we are asking all of God’s people to join us in prayer for the community and where possible to join us in a Witness Prayer Walk through the community. Nothing is impossible with God. We wish to walk through the community praying and encouraging persons in the strong all-powerful name of Jesus. There is no distance in prayer.
“One of the persons shot will be buried on July 23, with the service being held at the church at 10 am.”
From Dave Spencer, UB endorsed staff in Brazil: “I just returned from a trip to the upper Amazon where at least three different language groups are crying for translations. Please remind UBers that there are hundreds of opportunities to serve the Lord. While we have over 500 translations of the Bible in the English language, of 7000 languages in the world, less than 500 have a translation of the Bible. Over 2000 languages don’t even have a translation program in progress! Pray that the Lord of the harvest will send forth workers!”
Jeff Dice, who is in Nicaragua with his family helping with work teams, sent a note on July 2 about the group of 25 teens and adult sponsors from College Park UB (Huntington, Ind.), who had been in Nicaragua since June 20.
“The group from College Park just left. They did a great job of connecting with the community around Sergio Canda’s church. The kids were great. They did a 4-day VBS style camp which was constantly fighting the weather. They kept a great attitude and we accomplished everything we had hoped we would.”
He added these notes about upcoming ministries in Nicaragua.
“We are starting a two-week English camp in Masaya on Monday with two sessions each day. Projects are going well. April [Dice] has been asked to present a women’s conference July 28. The subject she’s been asked to address is abuse in the home. Pastor Juan estimates that more than 50% of the women who attend church by themselves are being abused at home. This will be a challenge for April.
“I will begin traveling around to all the churches this week to start the process of assembling a Nicaragua church/pastor directory.”
