Who is Here Now

Tom and I have several helpers with us here on the field. Over the years since 1998 we have had over 30 people work with us, first in the Philippines, then in E. Timor, Australia, South Korea and now in Thailand. Here in Bangkok with us at present are: Alex Coats from Victory Baptist Church in Maryland, Anne Hammond from Lehigh Valley Baptist Church in Pennsylvania, Kimjira Pekaow, also known as "Pookie," and Nakorn Kulachan, aka "Berm." We have just hired another Thai lady whose English name is "Lena." Her Thai name is Bunga Moungthai. Now you know why most Thai people have nicknames. If they didn't, we could never sort them out or say "Hi." Pookie and Berm are members of Lat Phrao Baptist Church here in Bangkok and Lena is a member of Romphrakhun Baptist Church, which means "Grace of God." We have another lady joining us in a couple of weeks from Grace Independent Baptist Church in Linden, Tennessee. Hopefully, she will be with us indefinitely. Her name is Carolyn Chambers.

This week we have a small team of men from Lehigh Valley Baptist Church in Emmaus, Pennsylvania with us. Right now they are up country near the Thai/Burmese border. We have folks coming and going all the time. Some staying for a few days or some for a few weeks. Two men just left last night who were in Thailand for a survey trip. A young couple just left here who were helping us for 6 weeks. David and Deborah Madill from Tennessee. We are so thankful for the many who are lending us their time and expertise and are allowing God to use them. One of the guys stopping over on his survey trip stayed up all one night to get our computer server up and running and backing up our files. Thanks Adam, I didn't get to tell you goodbye. Hope to see you again soon.

Pookie is teaching Lena computer graphics. Pookie is the one who teaches everybody how to do the computer graphics program that we use for one of our major projects. She also is our personal assistant and does everything under the sun that can only be done by a person who can actually speak the Thai language. Without her we would be in a lot of trouble over here.

Nakorn is translating the Bible Institute Curriculum from Oak Harbor Baptist Church that was written by Bro. Robert Seargent, into the Thai language. All the Thai pastors who have read it are screaming for it and the pressure is really on him to get it finished. We estimate that it will take almost another year to complete it and have it proof-read and ready for press. The pastors who are doing the proof reading are already making copies on their copy machines and using it in its unedited and un proofed form in their churches, and asking for the next book to please hurry up and get done. Oh well, Nakon, no pressure there.

Anne is doing the printing and in her spare time, (are you kidding??!!! If I were to say spare time out loud the whole office would erupt into hysterical laughter), she is also working on the illustrated Bible Story Book, "Good and Evil" with Pookie, who is head honcho of this particular project.