TBMF Newsletter

May/June 2003

Greetings for the desk of the Interim General Secretary of the TBMF. My time is soon up in this auspicious position. Duane and Marcia will be returning on June 10 th . They will spend a few days in Bangkok before coming to Chiang Mai. I want to say ‘thank you' to all of the TBMFers for their cooperation during my time. I apologize for any mistakes, but pray that there has not been too much damage. I will leave Chiang Mai on the early flight to Bangkok and then leave the country on June 13 th . I managed to with stand the various viruses until the end of April. I guess all my travels at that time did me in. I am recuperating now and have only a slight cough (not SARS).

Following along the McCarty tradition, I am having some of the volunteers introduce themselves.

The first person, and the longest in country, is Tim Schwartz . He has been at Sammuk Christian Academy since last May.

I was born in Hannibal , Missouri , and grew up on a farm, across the Mississippi River , in Illinois .

Since I was raised as a Roman Catholic, I went to a Catholic grade school in Hannibal for eight years, and then went to a small public high school in Illinois . I went to the University of Illinois and studied agriculture, even through I was not very interested in working in that area. It was at this time I met some Christians there, and I felt that I understood the gospel for the first time. I received Christ as my savior, and was baptized there. After failing out of the University, I worked a number of jobs, and went on to complete an associate's degree in education. I moved to Normal Illinois , where I attended Illinois State University , majoring in history education. I was still struggling with various issues in my life, and I became involved with an American Baptist campus ministry there. I felt at home as I participated in Bible studies, and inter-denominational

Christian choir, and Habitat for Humanity work. While working at McDonald's and going to school, I was asked to work as a Sunday school teacher and youth leader at a church near by. Normally, I would have run the other way, but I really considered this a great opportunity, even though I had no previous experience with youth work. After enjoying the work that summer, I felt that God was reawakening my call to ministry. I started thinking about seminary. That was the beginning of my saying “yes” to God! I also joined an American Baptist Church during the following year.

I finally graduated from Illinois State University in l996, and from there went to Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City , Kansas . It was there I met our current secretary of TBMF, Edythe McCarty, who was teaching at our school for a year. I graduated with my Master's of Divinity in 2000, and that summer, I went to China as an English teacher for 6 weeks. It was a tremendous growing experience, and it awakened me to life outside the fifty states. On my return, I worked as a hospital chaplain and a nursing-home chaplain, before I left to come here. I am single, and have never been married, which gave me the freedom to consider a ministry opportunity like this one. My parents are at home in Hannibal , two brothers are farmers and my sister and her husband are Lutheran ministers, working in the Atlanta , Georgia area. At last count, I have two nieces and three nephews, but there is another one coming in early June. I will be an uncle all over again.

Charlotte Edwards is volunteering in Chiang Rai.

My name is Charlotte Edwards. I come from Reno , Nevada . I have 3 children and 7 grandchildren. I have a daughter who lives in the Salt Lake City , Utah area with her husband and two daughters-ages 15 –19. I have a son, who lives in Reno , Nevada with his wife, and is with the Reno Police Dept. He has a son age 10 and a daughter age 6. My youngest son lives in Reno also. He is Sr. Pastor at Reno First Baptist Church . He and his wife have a girl 6, boy 4 and a girl 1 ? .

This is my first time to serve the Lord on an overseas mission. I am very happy to be here. As I look back on my life, I can see how the Lord has prepared me for this new journey with Him. I know I will receive more from this experience that I can possibly give. I will do my best to follow God's lead. I am very blessed to be here.

There are three other volunteers who have arrived. Alex Rodgers is working as the Volunteer and Tour Coordinator. Megan Laufer is working with Baan Handicrafts, a project of Lee and Lyn Morris with Global InterAction. Kyle Allen is the third volunteer. He is at Sammuk Christian
Academy in Bang Saen.

News and Notes from the office. Max will be leaving for some Bible studies. Khun Root will be taking over. We have installed a new telephone service so you should be able to be connected at all times, unless we are all talking at the same time on our three numbers. Some of you may need to be reminded about the separate lines.

Missionary Movements:

Eva and Ingvar Skeppstedt have returned to Sweden .

Peter and Rhoda Runegrund and family will be returning to Sweden .

Jonas and Maria Thorangen and family will be returning to Sweden .

Roland and Astrid Barthlolme and family will be returning to Germany .

Mike and Becky Mann and family will be returning to the USA .

Karen Smith will be returning to the USA .

John and Vickie Rees will be returning to Australia .

Lee and Lyn Morris and family will be returning to Australia .

EDYTHE MCCARTY WILL BE RETIRING AGAIN TO THE USA .

Jan and Larry Martin will be returning to Thailand from Australia and the USA .

Jacqui Wells will be returning to Thailand from the United Kingdom .

Duane and Marcia Binkley and family will be returning to Thailand from the USA .

Dates to remember:

June 12 Opening of the Bangkok Christian Guest House

June 21 KRCH Board meeting 10:00AM .

June 24 – 28 Mission Conference, Suan Bua, Chiang Mai

All new committees will meet a Conference

We have a celebrity in our midst. Kim Brown made it into “People Magazine” May 19 th issue.

Some missionaries are going on vacation to their countries for a month or two we have not listed these.