First Chiang Mai & Partners

So we have had our first week in Chiang Mai, we sent out an email with more information on it - if you want that and didn't receive it then just let us know. Below is a video clip to let you know about the situation in Burma and the work Partners and Free Burma Rangers are involved in (sorry dial-up people). There are more on Vimeo and Youtube just search under Partners: Relief & Development.

This is Our Home from Partners Relief & Development on Vimeo.

On Friday, we also went to a festival of the Shan people - they are a people group from Northern Burma that is fighting a civil war and being oppressed big time by the Burmse Army. Unlike the Karen people, they are not allowed to form refugee camps, so instead come illegally into Thailand where they end up with the worst lowest paying jobs. 70% of prostitutes in Chaing Mai - which has the highest percentaage per head of population in the world - are Shan; as are most of the construction workers, which are very poorly paid here. This festival is their coming of age festival if you like, where the young guys are all dressed up and carried round on he shoulders of their fathers. There was much colour, dancing and music.



That day we also got a bit of a lesson on Buddlism. A couple of things to think about....

• If Buddlism at an academic level doesn't believe in a god - which they don't - then are those images of Buddla really idols???? Sadly, they become so, for the common people more out of superstition than anything else.
  
• Buddlism believe in achieving a state of Nirvana. They have these different level structures that getter narrower and narrower as they reach the top - which is a point. The bottom widest level is Hell - level 4 is heaven ----- which then has lots of levels until you reach the narrow point at the top which is the aim - Nirvana. This is a state not a place. But, with this being the Buddist worldview, when Christians come along and say do you want to go to heaven? Buddlists hear something completely different.
• Buddlism is about getting rid of suffering - you do this basically by letting go of desire. To a degree there is truth in this - but 'cos there is no God, no nothing really except "letting go", Buddlism in the end leaves people empty. Which is why a lot of Buddlists are really into folk Buddlism.

So that is a little of what I learnt in our little lesson from Stu Corlett. I typed it here party for anyone who was interested and mostly so I wouldn't forget.
So tomorrow we are of to Mae Sot maybe - and going to visit one of the Karen refugee camps. Will let you know how it all goes.

Til Next Time

D

End of Bangkok to Chiang Rai

Hey so what’s been happening since our last update well...... I did a 5hr Thai massage course (may have been a waste of $) i have a photocopied book n a certificate to prove it though – just need to practice it! (makes Dale happy) We enjoyed an adventure into China town via a boat down the canal and had a good look around getting lost, had a ride on a tuk tuk – little 3 wheel vehicle! Found a big shopping centre n realised there was 3 of them but only managed to go into 2 of them as they so huge! Had a crazy 45min taxi ride back to our guesthouse at the end of the day!! Thursday we caught a flight to northern Thailand to Chiang Rai leaving from the “old airport” which is probably really only used by the dodgey airlines for domestic use (ok maybe not really) - again the taxi ride there was crazy but we made it! The flight kept being delayed but finally we flew the hr flight unfortunately we couldn’t see much out the window as the smog has come! Seems to be worse up here in Chiang Rai which is a shame. Here in Chiang Rai it is alot smaller n more relaxed than Bangkok (wonder why!) There are more Buddha’s, so we saw the Emerald n the Cave ones! Hired a scooter one day, went checked out a museum n had a little spill on it but no really damage was done! One reason to be in this city was to meet Dan Rutledge n hear about the work he has been doing here with a boys orphanage. So we met up with him n his beautiful family! They took us our to try some real Thai dishes n chat about their story. We ended up going to a night market with them as well but this market only happens on a Saturday night n nearly a whole street is closed off for it! So many people n I think some famous people where there as well (what would we know). We met up again with Dan n his family at the Chiang Rai Gospel Church on Sunday – 2hrs of Thai speaking actually wasn’t too bad! Dan keep Dale informed of what was being said though. Took Dan n his family out for lunch n their favourite is Pizza so we went to the Pizza Company (Pizza Hutt) of all places. Enjoyed very much getting to know n find out things from Dan n his family. We hope to meet up again when he has to come down to Chiang Mai, which is where we off too toaday via a bus! Another adventure that will be! Ok enough now – check the pics out

Till next time

N

Bangkok

So here are a few photos, there is a big protest going quite close to us. In fact we went and listen to some of the guy's speech to them the other night, but political speeches are boring at the best time - in another language they are really boring. It appears people think that things will get worst before they get better however which is a shame. Thankfully, each day more of the protesters are leaving to go back home as work and family calls. There is one photo here from when we went pass them in a Taxi (with a very anxious driver). 'Cos they are all in red and a lot are on motorbikes it reminds me of a Mongrel Mob conference or something.
As you can see we have been to see some temples and Buddhas. Last night we went and had a meal with a couple of Kiwi's who have been working in Thai community for 13 years. They have done a amazing job helping them build up a business that now exports right around the world. Great couple - was a good night.
So pray for the situation here that it doesn't get to crazy. And all the riot police and army we see round aren't needed. Today they taking their own blood and dropping it at different places. From some of the people we have spoken to it seems a bit odd since there was good reasons that the guy they support got booted out.

Anyway till next time.

D

Just Arrived

So after 12hrs flying, 6 movies later, 2 dinners and a snack, walks up n down the aisle, not much of a view out the window because of a plane wing n cloud – we have arrived in Bangkok! We travelled past the main arrival gate to about the end of airport, just to get out of the plane with a temperature of 30+ at 9.30pm to hope on a bus to travel back to the main arrival gate – woo hoo! All n all everything has gone smoothly, though they didn’t stamp my visa and were only going to let me stay here for a month instead of 2, but we got that sorted quickly! Found our driver easily who took us to our guesthouse, with a 30min drive at speeds of up to or over 120kph we made it! Here the adventure begins – our little room here is simple but nice with the comfort of air-con! What to do, eat, see, and why, when, where, how and the cost - are all the choices we have to make but is this good or bad? We have been for a walk around a few streets nearby this morning and I’m guess we are in a tourist area because the place has lots of Europeans, they seem to be the ones sharing at you and not speaking english either! We are 6hrs behind NZ so hopefully we’ll handle this time difference, other than that we are all good
Till next time
N

PS I here there is an anti government march tomorrow and everything might close down because it is expected to be huge – i guess we’ll find out - good timing aye!

It's Time And Our Itinerary

So the house is clean, gear is all packed and in storage - the farewells (some of them tearful) made - Taupo has been left for the next 10 weeks or so.

Most of the last minute things have been done - still a bit to do tomorrow before we catch the plane to Thailand, and the adventure and maybe a big step towards the next thing in our lives begins.

In Auckland we have been catching up with family, the Ashworths yesterday and caught up with Katie Short and Bryce Millar today. We fly out at 3:30pm tomorrow.

Some people (us included) will be pleased to know that we heard from 'Partners' today. They are still expecting us, which is great. They have a few things planned for us including: help runnning children programmes, helping out at the Mae Sot and Chiang Mai offices and maybe helping out teaching a bit of English (yeah funny aye, considering how well we speak it).

So the excitment is beginning to build ---- please remember to pray for us.

Below is our Itinerary....

12th March - Leave For Thailand - Stay In Bangkok, with hopefully a few visits with Kiwi's working there.

18th March - Travel To Chiang Rai (right up North Thailand) - for the purpose of meeting another Kiwi running an orphanage there

23rd March - Travel To Chiang Mai - where we start working with Partners

20th April - Finish up with Partners and travel back to Bangkok for a few days

23rd April - Travel To Bali for a few days R & R

27th April - Travel To Timor Leste - to meet up Carol Payne and other friends there

10th May - Travel To Darwin

13th May - Travel To Melbourne

18th May - Travel Back To Auckland

Til next time
Nale & Dell

Only About A Week An Half To Go

So the house is slowly getting packed up, the storage is booked. On the 8th March we leave Taupo and head up to Auckland - from where we fly out to Thailand on the 12th March. Amazing how much junk you store up in a house after a few years - thankfully a Church garage sale provided an outlet for things we no-longer need.
I will be pleased when this week and a bit is over and we finally head off. Been a long couple of months just waiting - but then again could be a lot more of that once we get back in May.
Nell is still working right up to the 8th, I have been able to do riding, completeing 'The Rev' bike race in Hamilton, a great race by the way if anyone is after a 120km bike race to do. My last event in Taupo (Rotorua actually) is an Off-Road Half Marathon on the 7th March. So at least I will head of to Thailand reasonably fit.
Apart from our month with Partners in Thailand. We are hoping to meet up with some Kiwi's working in different places and in different ways to get a feel of what it is like to work in Thailand. We are meeting up people who are

Work in a slum in Bangkok
Church Planters In Suphan Buri (about hour from Bangkok)
And some others running an orphanage in Chiang Rai (north Thailand)

So it should be an interesting time ---- we meet up with Partners in Chiang Mai on the 23rd March.

So please pray for us we finish up packing and finish putting together details of this trip

Til Next Time

The Story So Far

So this is the blog of Dale n Nell. So if you are not already aware, Dale resigned from his position as Youth Pastor at Taupo Baptist Church at Christmas. This was a result of lots of throught over the last year or two. For a while, both Nell and I have felt unsettled in what we were doing in Taupo, not in a bad way, we both loved what were doing, but more in a 'I wonder what's next', kind of way. Both Nell and I have always had a desire for missions and so in April 2009, we sent out a fairly vague and random email to a number of mission agencies to see what sort of response we would get back.
We were surprised by the response, and throughout the last year have been talking to various agencies about going to a number of different countries. All these agencies were great and very helpful. Nell and I however, were still struggling with exactly what we felt we were called to do - and we were quite happy to go anywhere. Our original desire was to be involved in 'aid and development', something we didn't really seek after too much simply 'cos we felt we didn't have the right skills for such work.
Through a series of circumstances, we ended up having a coffee with a guy who runs NZ Partners in Thailand. It was originally just to give us a bit of neutral advice on some other options we were considering. But at the end, we were given some information about Partners work. We were moved by what we saw and read, and applied to work with Partners. It was decided the best thing for us to do was to come over and volunteer with Partners in Thailand for a month so that we could get to know each better.
So on the 12th March we head of to Thailand - we will spend the first week catching up with some other mission based work over there, before starting our month with Partners on the 23rd March. We leave Thailand on the 23rd May for Bali, and then a couple of weeks to meet and see some old friends (especially for Nell) in East Timor. We will be back in NZ on the 18th May after a week or so in Aussie. Hopefully, then we will have some thoughts on the future and where we are headed from there - whether it be in NZ, back to Thailand long-term, or somewhere else in the world.
Until 12th March, Nell will continue to work for Rapids Sensations, and after having January pretty much off, I will have to look for some work during February.
But, the flights are now booked - and we are off. We would love your prayers - and plan to keep you updated with this here blog.
But this post is already way too long

So til next time
Dale

PS.... click here to go to Partners Web-Site - to see what they involved in