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Last Update :March 13th' 09 |
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 Visitor #5891 |
TBMF NewsletterJUNE 2004 The “funny” jokes in this issue of the newsletter were provided by Alex Rodgers . Regarding the Male/Female Gender issue: Everything in this world actually does have a gender and here are some of them:
It seems within the TBMF family there are always some of our colleagues who are in transition for one reason or another. Those Leaving: Here is the list of people who have left Thailand since our last Newsletter in March or who will be leaving in the near future: Gam and Alice Shae left Thailand on June 3 rd for retirement in the US . We wish them God's blessings as they begin this new chapter in their lives. Emi, Naomi and Anna Osato will leave Thailand on June 10, joining Eiji in Japan until August, before moving to the US for a year while Eiji studies at Fuller Seminary in California . Ascanio, Yanira, Michael, Kimberly and Sarai Peguero will be leaving Thailand on June 18 th to return to the US and will be living in Texas . Kim Brown will leave in early July for a one-year home-assignment in the US . Some volunteers who have left are Tim Schwartz in April and Ryan Hughes in May. Lisa Widell and Maria Cedersjo will leave in July. Returning Missionaries: Rick, Ellen, Jesse, Benjamin, and William Burnette returned to Thailand in early April from a 6-month home-assignment. Karen Smith returned in early May after a 10 month home-assignment in the US .
New Arrivals: There were four new volunteers at Sammuk Academy who arrived in April: Robert Lee , Sarah Reid, Stefanie Parsons and David Whitsell . A new missionary couple sent out by BMS, Pete and Lizz Maycock will arrive in August and will work with the KBC Youth Dept. after finishing Thai language study in Bangkok. Significant Events: April 27-30 th Chinese Baptists from all around the world met in Chiang Mai for the 4 th “Trans-World Chinese Baptist Missions Conference”. The theme was “Having a Global Vision-Going into the Harvest Field”. Their mission statement says: “The TWCBM was established to unite Chinese Baptist Conventions, Baptist Churches and mission organizations from various parts of the world in order to further enhance the task of missions, believing that only through unity in the body of Christ can we fulfill the responsibility of world evangelism”. April 30 th in Mae Khu Tha village a ceremony was held to dedicate the new Pwo Karen Association of the Karen Baptist Convention. This represents the culmination of years of evangelism, leadership training, and guidance on the part of BUS missionaries, the KBC leadership in the Mae Sariang district and the wider KBC, as well. We rejoice with our Pwo brothers and sisters in Christ who have worked so hard to reach this important goal. May 10 -12 in Chiang Mai there was a Regional Gathering of IM missionaries from ten countries throughout Asia . A total of 48 adults and 19 children & youth attended. The meeting was held to discuss issues relating to the serious financial crisis that IM is struggling with. This year's TBMF Annual Conference will be August 3-7, 2004 at the Christian Mission Cottages near Hua Hin . We request all missionaries to submit their reports about their work to the TBMF office by July 12. If you have not received the form we sent out last week, please let us know and we will send one to you. Also, that same week (Aug. 4-8) the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) Youth Conference will be held in Hong Kong . A number of folks from Thailand will be attending including, the Osato family, MK's Rachel Fox, Jordan Dieselberg, Anna Yawan and Sean Bi nkley, as well as youth leadership from the Karen, Lahu , Akha , and Chinese churches and the New Life Center.
Looking Ahead: Here are some dates to put on your calendars for next year: April 4-8, 2005 is when the TBMF Annual Conference will be held for next year. The time in April was selected in response to requests from people whose work schedule follows the Thai school calendar. The venue has yet to be chosen. October 17-20, 2005 the next CCT Ecumenical Missionary Retreat will be held. The exact location has not yet been decided, except to say that it will be somewhere in northern Thailand . If anyone has a good suggestion as to a nice resort location for the retreat, please let us know. A Fond Farewell: The TBMF has received the news that Gunnel Andreasson who has been the “International Secretary” for the Baptist Union of Sweden will be leaving this position effective June 30 th . She will begin a new position as hospital coordinator for the Freechurches Council of Sweden . We do not know as yet who will be replacing her at BUS. We will miss her and we appreciate the contribution she has made to the work of the BUS in Thailand as well as her leadership among us in the TBMF as a whole. We have valued her friendship and we wish God's richest blessings for her in her new work. Sad News: We were saddened to learn that Dave Pollock, who co-authored the book “Third Culture Kids: The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds” passed away this past Easter Sunday morning. A few days earlier, on March 30 th , Dave collapsed while speaking to a group of parents at the International School in Vienna , Austria . He underwent surgery for a gall stone and came through the surgery fine. However, the next day he went into cardiac arrest and then slipped into a coma. He never recovered and went to be with the Lord on Easter day. His contribution to MK's , TCK's and their families around the world over the past 30 years has been incredible and he will be greatly missed.
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