Life in a Northern Town

(of Thailand)

December & Before Christmas

My name is Shayne Rochfort and I am a servant of God, volunteering in

Hangdong, Thailand! I am helping support an amazing team in their work in the

local schools and community. My main role involves everything and anything.

Highlights -

Being HOME is

awesome

New Friends

Received my first

support payments

Christmas Pro-

grams

Received my Work

Permit for my

Christmas Present

Completing CHE

TOT 1 Course

Making my stu-

dents “Happy”

And so this is Christmas…

Since my last newsletter, it just seems that I have

not stopped, or more truth to that The River

Team has not stopped. Everyday making a differ-

ence in people’s lives, working with them, doing

life with them and helping them find hope in their

lives.

Throughout December, the team preparations for

Christmas programs and parties just never

seemed to end. We were singing most mornings,

acting after that and then trying to fit our normal

workload of visitation/schools/maintenance in

after that, to say each day was full would be an

understatement.

Christmas started early with our first program

being held in Huei Hia on the 6th. We enjoyed an

overnight in the village, until about 4am, when

lunch started to be prepared. It is unusual to hear

your lunch being prepared quite like this, but com-

mon place in the villages. We were having one of

the village pigs for lunch that day and he squealed

and squealed for ages, then he squealed no more.

Many of our team were sleeping about 20 metres

from the prep area, so even with ear plugs, you

could hear it for miles. Over 200 people joined us

for the morning and lunch, which had fully paid for

by the families in the village, who are very poor.

Whilst I was assisting the distribution of lunch, all

the rest of the foreigners went away to take lunch

elsewhere. I, however, didn’t get the memo and

really enjoyed the meal everyone was eating.

Then I couldn’t see any foreign faces, so I decided

to get a bit more and go and find our guys. Well

they then told me not to eat the lunch

as it was not suitable for us. I felt fine

and though that in a few hours, I

would know if it wasn’t… more to

come shortly. After lunch we packed

up and headed home, a really great day

all round.

Saturday 11th was our next program

and it was our Kid’s Club Christmas Party. We

have over 100 join us for “kanom” (junk food),

games, gifts and “gin cow” (lunch, actually any

meal). After this we had a few weeks off Kid’s

Club until the new year.

Our school English lessons continued and during

this week and the next we were able to share

with all our students the real message of Christ-

mas.

In the week before Christmas we would be head-

ing out to four of the local communities we work

with, in the Hangdong area. I thought that it would

be a couple of hours each night but I was wrong,

most mornings we left after the normal meeting

to setup and then spent most of the day there.

Each of these nights was put together by the local

community, with our team supporting and assist-

ing. We had a few items during each program and

were also able to share the story of Jesus birth

and life, which was received by all who joined with

us. Our team emceed the night and sang a few

songs, but the show stopper was a drama, in

which the main character wins the lottery and

how it then affected his life and marriage. Unfortu-

nately, in the midst of this great drama, there was

some bad acting by yours truly, but the communi-

ties loved it.

We wrapped the nights up with sharing gifts and

presents for the community leaders.

Each day that week followed this pattern and by

the end we were all ready for a break.

Volume 1 Issue 5

Top Left - One of my Thai mothers, Ratthapii. Above - Lunch Anyone??? Right - Bird and myself (I am the bad actor)

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in an ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. - Mother Theresa

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO PRAY:

Praise God for The River Team - our team is doing amazing things in the Hangdong community

and they are helping people make real changes in their lives.

Please pray for the whole River Team - We are heading into a bunch of new things. We have a

new coffee shop opening very soon, new people, a new work, a new attitude, a new plan and we

are all on a path to becoming new in Christ.

Please pray for our church here at The River and the many new people who are coming along.

Please pray that I am able to raise the necessary support that I need to continue my work in

Thailand.

Life in a Northern Town (of Thailand)

PO Box 11

HANGDONG

CHIANGMAI 50230

THAILAND

Phone +66801202074

Email -

schoolies2@yahoo.com

Skype - slr_legend

The River Training and Convention Centre

Any questions please do not hesitate to send me an email, schoolies2@yahoo.com or give me a call.

Christmas and New Years

Pictures of me!

(clockwise from top left)

With my “Lunch”, At English Camp, with my Baan Buak mate ►,

making my class “HAPPY”, teaching English at Kids Club &

helping with Christmas lunch.

I am committed to being in Thailand

and with The River Team in a full time

capacity. I would like to let you know

that if you are able to support me in

my work, then you can do so through

One Mission Society. While I was in

Australia, I joined One Mission Society

so that everyone can have a way of

partnering in my ministry here in

northern Thailand. There are many

ways you can support me, through

prayer as well as financially.

Please go to the One Mission Society

website for more details or email me,

schoolies2@yahoo.com . My prayer

card with all the details is available at

http://tinyurl.com/33ppyxc .

Supporting Shayne

My first Christmas Day in Thailand was differ-

ent from any I have experienced before. Our

team was off to Nan province to visit the

work up there. I spent most of the day wait-

ing for my ride up to Nan, Once that was

happening, the day turned around a little. We

got up to Nan and hit the town to find

Christmas dinner. Mine was Pad Siiew

wrapped up in banana leaves. It was quite

nice, but I missed the usual roast and Christ-

mas pudding.

Boxing day we completed our journey to the

village and joined in the celebrations with

around 250 others from the local area as well

as the Petchabun province over 5 hours away.

There was a real family atmosphere and it just

felt like home.

We had a long drive home so just after lunch

we all packed up and headed back to The

River.

The River team itself celebrated Christmas on

the 28th with dinner and exchange of Secret

Santa presents. I received and awesome

mountains style bag.

Next on the agenda, was western New Years

which is celebrated with parties and fire-

works, feasting and fellowship. There were

four simultaneous parties going on at The

River, so I tried to visit with each for a bit of

time. It was a good night!!!