Isaiah 61 Project International

THE ISAIAH 61 PROJECT CHRONICLES

 

BY AB AND CAROLYN HUDSON – MAY-2010

In January, 2010, Ab and Carolyn boarded the plane for a return trip to Thailand for the 9^th time.  During our stay from January – March, many fun and exciting things happened:

• We gained our Foundation status in Thailand for  “The Mighty Oak Tree Foundation”.  This is a very important step in Thailand as it gives national recognition to the Isaiah 61 Project in Thailand .  It also gives the Foundation governmental rights including the issuing of work  visas for part-time or full time workers and opportunities for grants issued in that nation.  The governance of the project will remain the same and this foundation will remain  directly responsible to IFA and The Isaiah 61 Project in Canada.  There are some new and excited objectives, though, in addition to the Educational Sponsorship and other things which we are presently doing.  It is our hope to expand the educational goal to include education on health care issues and citizenship applications and rights.  This is such an important area for those who are living in Thailand without citizenship.  Children are denied schooling at the upper grades without citizenship, adults cannot own land, secure good jobs with proper wages, or own a home.  They also fall prey to radical action on the part of soldiers who inspect these areas.    We are very pleased to be able to offer some help to these very poor children and families in the northern district.

              

• All of our current  children and those hoping to be sponsored  were interviewed either at a school in the area, our “Mighty Oak Tree Foundation”  office, or at their homes. We have an additional 10  children and families needing  sponsorship.  Please pray that they will receive sponsorship quickly.   It continues to be such a delightful experience  to deepen our relationship with the parents/grandparents/uncles and aunts caring for our students.  It touches our hearts when they give testimony of God’s goodness to them and when they receive the Lord into their hearts.  Three trucks are being used to transport the kids to the church Sunday mornings now, and they remain there for Sunday School, Church, Lunch, then Youth Service. 

                

• This year we had a great Celebration Day with the church overflowing with families from the Isaiah 61 Project.  We believe the next Celebration Day will need to be held outside as the church will not hold more people.  It was so incredible to see what God has accomplished in the hearts of these children and adults over a 7 year period.



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• Among the 84 students presently sponsored, we have 4 entering University this fall, 15 in grade 10-12, 44 in grade 7-9, and 12 in grades 1-6.  Costs have risen considerably for the children within the grades 7-9 and  grades 10-12.  The ones entering University will be given a scholarship  at the beginning of each semester to help cover their costs.  We are not raising the monthly donations this year but it will mean a much more challenging budget to cover.  We are so thankful to have such wonderful sponsors and staff in Thailand praying for the needs of this project on a regular basis. 

                

• We had a delightful experience visiting 3 new Hill-tribe villages where Pastor Enoch is called to serve.  Pastor Enoch is a member of the Good News Church and has such a wonderful gift of Pastoral Care, Evangelism, and Healing.  He, himself, is from the Ahka tribe and is now ministering to Ahka, Lahu, and Karen tribal people.  It was wonderful to witness the growth of Christianity in these villages and the breaking of religious barriers which have for generations kept them in complete bondage to Animist and Buddhist beliefs.  We were able to give them food, medications, and bless the pastors in each village with a gift of money.  You could visibly see “hope” enter their faces as we encouraged and prayed with them.



                  

•  After our return home this year, we were delighted to hear that many of our youth were taken to Chiang Mai for a Conference and Camp experience.  It was fantastic.  They were among 2000 young people in attendance. The theme was  “ X-treme 3 - Kingdom Invasion” . Excellent vocal and band groups were there as well as guest speaker Cindy Jacobs.  The kids returned to Fang on fire for Jesus.  We praise God that we were able to give them this opportunity.

                

• We enjoyed a wonderful week-end of ministry with Linda Bowden from Impact Asia Bible School joining us for services at Good News Church Friday evening, and Sunday morning.  The Lord used Linda as His anointed servant that week-end as many people experienced spiritual, emotional, and physical healings.  Praise God! 

                       

• Ab and Carolyn had wonder times of celebration with three new babies born this past year to staff.  What precious gifts!  Al and Joane Brown had a baby boy, Gan and David had a baby girl, Beulah, and Sumit and Pam had a baby boy, Chat.  All three are healthy and beautiful. 

 

This 2010 mission trip was filled with excitement and joy at all that the Lord is accomplishing in Northern Thailand and it is so good to be a small part of it.  May the indwelling and power of the Holy Spirit continue to spread throughout the Nation of Thailand and surrounding Nations.  May God declare peace in this nation giving them a hope for the future.

 Please keep updated with what is happening in Thailand by frequently going to our web-site as David is working hard at up-dating it often.  We have made him web-site manager in Thailand.  Check out "www.isaiah61project.org "  for further news.  Read the monthly up-dates created by Gan and David Griffith.     

 Remember to contact us by email or phone anytime – isaiah61project@hotmail.com 519-754-4203.

 We are looking for ideas for fund-raising and for opportunities to sell beautiful hand crafted Thai articles.  Please contact us if you have any ideas or would like to do a fund- raiser in your area.   Our budget is challenging but our God is always faithful.

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WHY POVERTY? -08

Written by Carolyn Hudson

Tuesday 16 September 2008

Out of our sample of 70 families from a community in Northern Thailand directly assisted by the educational sponsorship program came the following facts:

• A large majority are farmers earning an average income of less than $500.00 C. yearly
• Many are unable to seek medical assistance or pay for emergency surgery, when needed because of the cost involved.
• Care-givers in poor health (35%)
• Many families are unable to keep their children in school especially past Gr. 6 because of cost.
• Sponsored children raised by aging grandparents, and aunts and uncles (34%).
• One parent families among our children (18%)
• Families affected by HIV or AIDS – (18%)
• Children with a parent or sibling who are disabled  (14%)
• Children with parent or sibling involved with prostitution (10%)
• Children experiencing death or suicide of a parent or sibling (12%)
• Children experiencing Alcohol/ Drug abuse (12 %)
• One family member in prison (4%)
• One or both parents non-Thai (8%)

Religion - Buddhism and Animism

Written by Exerpt from Study Notes - YWAM

Friday, 19 September 2008

World Religions Thailand is a nation which is 92.34% Buddhist, 5.24% Muslim, and only 1.62% Christian.  The two most dominant religions in the Northern regions where our ministry is, are Buddhism and Animism.  Our Father God is being revealed more and more to the people of Northern Thailand and the unity and power of the Holy Spirit is being witnessed more and more.  Praise God!! The Islamic faith is found mostly in the southern areas of Thailand.  Again, the Holy Spirit of our Father God is being revealed to more and more people.  Christianity is increasing.  Praise God!! Buddhism       Buddhism's beginnings are known mainly from legendary accounts of its founder, Gautama, which were written centuries after his death. Born into a princely Hindu family in northern India in the sixth century B.C., he had be­come deeply distressed by the human suffering around him and resolved to look for an answer. After long travels and searching, in 530 B.C. he experienced what Buddhists call "the Enlightenment" in a time of medita­tion under a Bodhi tree. From this he became known as the Buddha-the "enlightened one." He believed that he came to understand the answer to human suffering, expressing it in what he called the "Four Noble Truths." These are: Suffering is universal The cause of suffering is desire or craving The cure for suffering is to eliminate desire Craving is eliminated by following the "Eight-fold Path." The eight-fold path consists of: right viewpoint right aspiration right speech right behavior right occupa­tion right effort right mindfulness right meditation           The supreme value reflected in each of these aspects is harmony. Their "rightness" is connected mostly to accepting our given place in life and not striving for some­thing beyond it.  This preserves social harmony and supposedly puts an end to desire, the source of suffering. Buddhism's other important beliefs are, like Hinduism, monism (all reality is ultimately one), karma and rein­carnation (see article on Hinduism).Through numerous reincarnations, good works and self-control, the final en­lightenment, nirvana, can be reached.  However, you can never be sure you have done well enough to get there.         Buddhism differs from Hinduism in two main ways. First, it rejected the caste system. Second, it has no for­mal opinion as to whether or not there is a God of any kind whatsoever. It is said that whenever Buddha's disci­ples questioned him about God, they were met with a cold silence.         This religion concerns itself with humanity and the human dilemma rather than with God. However, Nagar­juma, a disciple of Gautama, initiated the teaching that other "Buddhas" can be evolved as supernatural gods. Hence, Buddhism became polytheistic (having many gods), which wasn't Gautama's philosophy.         Over time two main streams of Buddhism developed. There is the Theravada Buddhism of Sri Lanka, Burma, Cambodia and Thailand, which teaches that the Buddha was an enlightened man who through self-effort taught others to reach nirvana through monastic withdrawal and the practice of its disciplines. Then there is Mahayana Buddhism, which views Buddha and Bodhisattvas (future Buddhas) as divine beings who can save if one has faith in them.         In practice, both forms of Buddhism are nowadays mixed with folk religion, involving many spirits who must be appeased.   Traditional Tribal Religions or Animism             Animism in slightly differing forms is common to most tribal peoples of the world and greatly influences popu­lar Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, as well as Christianity.             Most followers of traditional tribal religions believe that there is a creator God who formed the universe in the mythical past. He is remote and largely unconcerned with humans. However, there is often some kind of legend or promise that they will somehow be brought back to God again. But in practical terms, spirits are the most important reality to these people in their daily lives, which is why they're often called "animists," meanin spirit worshipers.             There are three kinds of spirits in animism: Ancestral: the spirits of dead ancestors who are believed to be still present and concerned about the welfare of tribe or family in some way. Nature spirits: associated with natural phenomena (thunder, storms, droughts and the like) and inani­mate objects (like rocks, rivers and trees). Animal: every animal has a spirit.             Fear penetrates, and can control, all of life, even the lives of educated people, because almost anything can bring the wrath of some spirit upon a person. These spirits must be constantly appeased so they won't get angry, but they are also called on to bring good or to curse enemies. Because spirits can reside in inanimate ob­jects, often what appears to be innocent, such as a knife found near someone's home, can cause fear. It may mean a curse is being placed on a person. People seek protection through special bracelets or other items, called fetishes, received from a witch doctor.             Sadly, many animists who become Christians continue to appeal to spirits for practical help because some­times Western missionaries have given the impression that the God of the Bible only offers spiritual salvation in another world. When they're sick, the missionaries refer them to the medical doctor; for problems with crops or herds they're sent to the agricultural specialist. Instead, they go back to the witch doctor and spirits for practi­cal help.             Sin and guilt are understood as largely social and ceremonial, connected with responsibilities people have to the tribe or to the spirits. Humanity is seen as part of the circle of life linking all of creation, not as a special steward over creation a Christianity teaches. This circle of life extends right up to the ancestral gods, who may be mythical men who took the form of animals. There is often an animal totem or special object of a tribe or family that is sacred to that god.             Warriors, lineage and family are highly valued in these societies. It's also considered very important to have children so that your spirit will also become an ancestor who is revered and provided for (that is, offered food so as not to go hungry).