LHMT Director Attends Convention in Canada

LHMT director with Dr. Bruce, his wife Mj and other country directors

The Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) director attended the biannual convention in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada from July 25-29, 2012.  During the convention the director set up an information booth, where she was able to meet many LHMT friends and supporters from the United States and Canada. 

Since LHMT has received special support from the Indiana District for a number of years, the director had a chance to share an overview with the Indiana representatives about the LHMT ministries during a morning breakfast. 

Rose entertaining the convention participants

The LHMT director arranged for one of Thailand’s famous pop singers, Rose Sirintip Hanpradit, to travel to the convention and present a mini-concert during a luncheon for more than 400 convention attendees.  After the luncheon the director received many very positive comments about Rose’s performance and the wonderful impression that she made on all who heard her.

From the feedback that the director received during and after the convention, everyone was very pleased about the ministries of LHMT and the image of Thailand and the Thai people that they saw through the information booth, Rose’s performance and their personal interactions with convention attendees.

The LHMT director also was able to attend two workshops.  She attended “Exciting and Experiencing Outreach Teams” and “Who me?” and will adapt the information to the LHMT ministry in Thailand. 

The convention was a good opportunity to inform many people about the culture of Thailand and the work that LHMT is doing here.  It was very helpful to be able to personally reconnect with so many friends and supporters from the Indiana District and to know that they will continue to partner with LHMT and pray for our ministry in Thailand.

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Showing Love in Action Impresses Radio Listener

Mrs. Boonprom enjoying visiting with Mr. Choompol

For the past three years Mrs. Boonprom Narkchote from Suphanburi Province has been listening to the three Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) radio programs on a community radio station near her home.  She said that whenever she listens to Home for Love, Cheerful Life or Because You Are Loved, Ms. Boonprom feels encouraged and has a warm feeling in her heart.  She also finds the programs to be very practical and useful in her life.

Ms. Boonprom is very impressed that LHMT staff have contacted her several times to encourage her and that the radio speaker, Mr. Choompol Khumpanyam who lives near her, has visited her in her home.  To Ms. Boonprom, having radio speaker and LHMT staff show love in action through these personal contacts proves that what she hears on the LHMT radio programs is real.

Although Ms. Boonprom doesn’t have time to study the Bible Correspondence Course because of her work in her farm, she has indicated that she’s interested in learning more about God.  Please pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to work through the radio programs and the contacts from LHMT staff to draw Ms. Boonprom to Jesus.

Plans Begin for Online Mission Trip to Thailand

 

Kay (L) and Polly discussing online mission trip with LHMT director

Just before midnight on May 24, 2012 two visitors arrived from the St. Louis headquarters of Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) in the United States.  Polly Gregali and Kay Shoemaker came to Thailand to begin planning an online mission trip to Thailand.  Each year Lutheran Hour Ministries arranges an online mission trip to one of its ministry centers.  In March 2012 the online trip was to Paraguay.  The online mission trip to Thailand is scheduled for January 28-31, 2013.

During their six days in Thailand, Polly and Kay visited the Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) office in Bangkok, visited some ministry locations in Bangkok and southern Thailand and tried to learn as much as possible about the overall work of LHMT and Thai culture and society.  The things they experienced and learned during their time here will help them begin planning the activities that will be included in the online mission trip.

Polly and Kay learning about local markets

Enjoying a boat ride

The online mission trips are specifically designed for students in Lutheran schools and scheduled to fit into their normal school day.  The students can enjoy learning about the country, the culture and the ministry of the LHM ministry center and have opportunities to ask questions during the live program.  All Lutheran schools in the United States and Canada are invited to join this interactive experience.  For more information about online mission trips, visit the LHM website at www.lhm.org.

Two other visitors from the LHM headquarters will visit Thailand in August to do videotaping that will be used during the online mission trip, including filming a typical day in the life of a Thai student.  Please pray that the Holy Spirit will guide everyone involved in this project and inspire the students to be excited to learn about mission ministry, to pray for missionaries and church workers in other countries and to consider becoming missionaries in the future.

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Directors from 12 Countries Attend Regional Workshop in Bangkok

Dr. Rutt leading a workshop session

Lutheran Hour Ministries directors from Australia, Russia, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka came together in Bangkok from March 26-29, 2012 for their annual regional workshop.  This was the first time that the three regions met together for the training in Bangkok.  The workshop was led by Dr. Douglas Rutt, Director of International Ministries for Lutheran Hour Ministries and Mrs. Gunya Na Thalang, Asia Area Counselor. 

Mrs. Gunya speaking to the country directors

Although the sessions regarding strategic planning, communication, fund raising and holistic ministry were conducted by Dr. Rutt, the country directors spent a lot of time learning from each other.  All of the directors shared how they used media, special events, youth programs and other activities to share the Gospel in their countries.  They also exchanged ideas on the different types of training and follow-up activities they were using. 

This workshop was a good opportunity for the country directors to get to know each other better, especially for the three who recently started serving Lutheran Hour Ministries.  Both Vietnam and Cambodia have new directors and the ministry center in Indonesia was just reopened after being closed for 10 the past years.

LHMT director showing ministry locations in Thailand

In addition to touring the Thailand ministry center, the group was able to visit a large local market and a modern shopping center, enjoy eating at some excellent Thai restaurants, attend an impressive cultural show and attend the celebration of the 20^th anniversary of the Thailand ministry center.

Learning about making Thai pottery

Dr. Douglas Rutt and Mrs. Gunya Na Thalang were able to stay in Bangkok a few extra days.  This provided an opportunity for Dr. Rutt to learn more about Thailand by visiting one of the royal palaces in Ayuthaya Province and an area where many local handicrafts are produced.  By the time that the directors began to leave Bangkok to return to their home countries, they felt like they had come to know each other quite well.  Everyone is confident that this workshop will make it easier for them to encourage each other and to work together in the future.

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Starting to Get Back to Normal

LHMT staff worked hard to clean the floor in the bookstore

Although the flood water is still in the homes of some of the Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) staff, the director and her staff were able to work in the office every day this past week.

A few days ago the water level dropped low enough that the water is no longer coming into the building.  In addition to doing some normal ministry activities the LHMT staff were able to clean the floor in the bookstore.  The floor is now dry and doesn’t seem to have any major damage after being under water for nearly one month.  A desk, a cabinet and some of the wooden bookshelves will need to be repaired or replaced, but we thank God that there doesn’t seem to be any serious damage.

The water level in the road in front of the LHMT office is now at about 50 centimeters (20 inches) and Changwattana Road (the main street near our office) has four lanes that are dry.  Only the lanes next to the curb are still flooded.  Some of the boats are beginning to disappear as the number of vehicles on the roads increases.

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LHMT Office Reopens, But It’s not Yet Business as Usual

Mr. Siam and Director Boom opening the office for the first time in nearly a month.

The flood level in the street in front of the Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) building continues to subside, but very slowly.  Monday morning the level was still at 71 centimeters (28 inches).  In spite of that the director and staff waded through the water to get to their office.  Although about six inches of water stood against the front of the building, for the first time in nearly a month they opened the door and went inside.

As expected, water covered the floor.  Marks on the walls indicate that the level had been as high as 35 centimeters (14 inches), but now was down to 15 centimeters (6 inches).  We thank God that the building sits higher than the road or the flooding inside the building would have been much worse.  All of the bookstore materials had been moved to higher floors before the floods reached the building, so there was no loss of inventory.  The amount of damage to the floor, walls, cabinets, desks and bookshelves can’t be assessed until after the water is gone and the cleaning can be started.

It will be at least a few weeks before the first floor can be used again, but the director and staff were able to turn on the electricity in the upper floors and begin the process of getting back to work.  They spent part of the day discussing and planning details for the Flood Relief Packs project.  The supplies and bags have been ordered for the first 500 packs.  Because the supplier has limited inventory, LHMT won’t receive the materials until about November 22 or 23.  Hopefully, during the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States the LHMT director and staff, LCMS missionaries, Concordia Welfare and Education Foundation director and staff and some Concordia Into Light Lutheran Church members will be packing and delivering the first set of Flood Relief Packs to flood victims in the community near the LHMT office.

The goal of this project is to distribute 2,000 Flood Relief Packs, but some of the supplies are not yet available in such large numbers.  As soon as more items arrive at our supplier, we’ll deliver more packs.  We really appreciate the donations that many of you have made for this project.  If you haven’t sent a gift for this project, but you’d like to help, here’s what you can do.  Visit the Lutheran Hour Ministries website at www.lhm.org and go to their special giving page.  Or you can send a check made out to Lutheran Hour Ministries through the mail to 660 Mason Ridge Center Drive, St. Louis MO 63141.  Be sure to write “Thailand Floods” in the memo field.  You also can call the Lutheran Hour Ministries headquarters in St. Louis at 1-800-876-9880.

Three of the LHMT staff (Siam, Tak, Jin) still have flood waters in their homes.  Please pray for them and that we’ll be able to continue our ministry activities as soon as possible.

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There are Still Smiles in “The Land of Smiles”

In spite of difficulties caused by serious flooding, people can still be seen smiling

Thailand’s nickname, The Land of Smiles, still holds true, even in the midst of the worst flooding the country has seen in more than 50 years.  Although millions of people have been displaced from their homes and large numbers of flood victims can be seen wading through waist-deep water, they still manage to greet one another with friendly smiles.

Flood waters from northern Thailand continue to reach Bangkok, but mostly are being diverted to the east and west in an effort to protect the central business district.  Residents in at least 18 of Bangkok’s 50 districts have been told they should evacuate the area, but many are trying to stay in their homes as long as possible.

As more of the districts in southern Bangkok begin to flood, the water level in the northern districts is finally beginning to slowly go down.  In the past 3-4 days the water covering the road in front of the Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) office has dropped from 80 centimeters (32 inches) to 71 centimeters (28 inches).   The LHMT director is hoping that the office can be reopened Monday morning, if the water continues to subside.

The most immediate LHMT ministry activity that the director and staff will be working on is a project to provide flood relief packs to 2,000 families harmed by the floods.  As soon as possible packs  containing rice, sardines, instant noodles, cooking oil, fish sauce, salt, sugar, medicines, a flashlight and batteries will be delivered by the LHMT director, LHMT staff, LCMS missionaries working in Bangkok and Concordia Into Light Lutheran Church members.

LCMS World Relief and Human Care is providing the initial funding for this project, but more money needs to be raised.  If you would like to help, there are three ways that you can donate to this project.  1)  Visit the Lutheran Hour Ministries website at www.lhm.org and go to their special giving page.  2)  You can send a check made out to Lutheran Hour Ministries through the mail to 660 Mason Ridge Center Drive, St. Louis MO 63141.  Be sure to write “Thailand Floods” in the memo field.  3)  Call Lutheran Hour Ministries at 1-800-876-9880.

Please pray for the people of Thailand who have been affected by the flooding.

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Flood Water Rises Again Unexpectedly

Although we had expected the flood waters to begin going down, the water level in northern Bangkok went up again on Saturday, October 29.  One reason is because of the high ocean tides, which make it difficult for the flood waters to empty into the ocean.  Reports say that the high tides will go down during the first few days of November.

Another reason that the water level went up is that a group of people in Don Muang District damaged one of the barriers that was preventing the water from coming into the Changwattana Road area.  This is where our LHMT office is located, plus the church/English center (where the volunteer English teachers live) and the LCMS office.  The people were angry, because they thought the dike was causing their area to be flooded.  By breaking the barrier they hoped the water would leave their area.

As the water level rises, the level of the dikes must also rise.

One of the main purposes of the dike is to prevent flooding at the headquarters of the Bangkok Waterworks Authority (BWA), which is located near the LHMT office.  The BWA provides clean water to all homes and businesses in the Bangkok metropolitan area.  If the BWA headquarters gets flooded, then everyone in a very large area might not have running water in their homes.

On Saturday the LHMT director and her husband went to the Changwattana area to see the situation.  A 4-kilometer (2.6 miles) section of Changwattana Road was flooded.  The road in front of our LHMT office had 50-70 centimeters (about 25-28 inches) of water.

The water reached the sand bags in front of our LHMT office.

We thank God that the sand bags in front of our office were still preventing the water from entering the building.  From the time the floods began until now, the water hasn’t gone inside our building or the church/English center.

We feel sorry for so many people who live not far from our office, who have deep flood water in their homes.  In some places the water is 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) deep.  Some of the residents in those neighborhoods had to be evacuated by small boats and army trucks.  Thousands of people are living in temporary shelters set up by the government in some schools and government buildings and in shelters provided by private companies.

Long line of people boarding army truck to return to their homes.

The army soldiers and trucks also are helping people go in and out of some flooded areas, so that they can buy supplies and go to work.  Supermarkets like Tesco-Lotus, Big C and Makro are still open, although some of their shelves are beginning to be empty.  It’s difficult for their trucks to get through flooded areas to resupply their stores.

Our LHMT director and all of our staff are safe, but the flood water entered some of their homes a few days ago.

As the flood water passes through our area in northern Bangkok, it is moving closer to the central business section of Bangkok.  The Bangkok governor has been trying to block the water from entering that area, because it will cause a very big problem for the economy of Thailand.

We appreciate all the prayers that you have said on our behalf and ask that you continue to pray for our safety and protection.  Also, please pray for God’s blessing on the thousands of people who have been evacuated from their homes.

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Bangkok Flood Update

The road in front of our building usually floods for a few hours after each heavy rain

The flood waters continue to move closer to our area, but we thank God that they haven’t yet reached us.  We do get temporary flooding in our neighborhood, because of the heavy rains that we get almost every day.  But that is a normal situation during the rainy season and the water stays for only a few hours.

Just this afternoon the big flood waters came to some areas about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from our location.  For now we’re safe and able to continue doing our normal ministry activities.  However, we will probably need to reschedule some programs that we planned to do in late October and November.

Sand bags protect our building from temporary floods

We’ve been busy preparing ourselves in case the floods come to our building.  Outside, we placed many sandbags across our front entrance.  Inside, because our Christian bookstore is on the ground floor, we removed our products from the lower shelves and cabinets and are storing them on higher shelves and on the second floor.

Some reports indicate that the floods will continue to reach new areas in the next few days.  The government and a few other groups are saying that the worst is over and Bangkok will be protected.  Rain still comes almost every day, so most people in Bangkok remain concerned.

Thank you for continuing to pray for us and for the people of Thailand, especially those who are caught in the flooded areas.  We appreciate your prayers very much.

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Prayers Needed for Flooding in Thailand

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze (Isaiah 43:1-3).

Maybe you’ve heard about the flooding that’s been happening in Thailand during the past weeks.  It’s the worst flooding that Thailand has experienced in more than 50 years.  At least 60 of the 77 provinces have been significantly impacted by flooding during the past two months.  Nearly 300 people have been killed and 8.2 million more have been affected.  The flooding is already causing a big problem for the Thai economy.

The flood waters have been moving steadily from the northern provinces toward Bangkok.  Just 40 miles north of here some areas have had water nearly 10 feet deep.  A few hours ago we received reports that flood waters are less than 25 miles from us.  Within the next few days flooding is expected to reach our part of Bangkok.  Our Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) building, the homes of the LHMT director and staff, the Concordia Welfare and Education Foundation office, Concordia Into Light Lutheran Church and the Into Light Center where the English outreach program is held (and where the two long term volunteers, Robin McCoy and David Pfeifer) live are all located in this area. 

As a precaution, we’re trying to move furniture, equipment and supplies from the first floor to the second floor of each building.  Unfortunately, we aren’t able to move some items, like refrigerators, washers and dryers and large furniture pieces…not to mention cars.  

Please pray for the large number of Thai people who are suffering because of these floods.  Many have lost their jobs and their homes.  Also, please pray for God’s grace, protection and provision for all of us here during the next two weeks.  As soon as possible, we’ll post updates on the flooding.

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