Mission Team from Santa Clara UMC comes to Thailand

Mr. Whi Ahn and Mrs. So Young Ahn (in the picture on the left) and Rev. Sungho Lee from the Santa Clara UMC came to help promote the Thailand Mission. They came to take videos and pictures of the United Methodist Church here in Thailand in order to produce a video presention that can be used in UM churches back in the States to inform them of what the Lord is doing here.

We went to see the location of what will soon be the second UM church in Thailand, which is in the city of Bo Win. The building is empty and we are just beginning to make plans on getting it ready for the big kickoff service next month. The SCUMC Mission Team met some of the members of the Bo Win UMC and met Rev. Jerron and his wife Oh, who will be serving as UMC ministers at the new church. They are pictured here on the left with Rev. Lee and us in front of the small rural building where their group of believers have met for the last two years.

The SCUMC Mission Team also worshipped with us at God Purpose Church (Pradumri) in Chon Buri and we all enjoyed the fellowship with them as we enjoyed some of the local cultural attractions. SCUMC will be sending a youth mission team in the summer, and we know they will have a lot of fun as they serve the Lord here.

The picture on the left is Rev. Lee and Mr. Ahn, sharing an elephant ride together. In another picture, Sherri is riding an elephant. While I (Mike) was purchasing her ticket for the ride, this elephant stole my coconut drink, but I did not notice. When I turned around it was gone and it was nowhere to be seen. I didn't see it until Sherri finished her ride. Then the elephant reached into its mouth with it's long trunk and pulled out my coconut, now empty of course, and then rolled the coconut at my feet. Anthony had a belly roll of a laugh when he saw that I was outsmarted by an elephant.

We look forward to having more mission teams come. There are many projects to do here that will help to spread the love of Jesus in Thailand. E-mail us at thailandumc@gmail.com if you are interested.