Christy and I send out newsletters. Most months I send them by email, but every few months I send a quarterly newsletter by snail mail. In case you missed it, I’m posting the “articles” below.
Our Big Move
Christy and I arrived in Thailand on the morning of August 25th. That means that by the time you find this letter in your mailbox it will have been about two months since we arrived in Asia. It has been wonderful to receive emails and phone calls from some of you. You’re encouragement is priceless.
So much has happened in the year since we left America. It’s no surprise that our circumstances have been difficult to keep up with. I’ve received more than one email with questions like: “What? What are you guys doing in Thailand? I’m lost. When did this happen?” Some of you may not receive our monthly e-newsletters and you may be having one of “those” moments right now. Don’t worry! The purpose of this paragraph is to let you know that: “No my friend, you are not alone.”
It has been an incredible year and our latest geographical transition has been a very happy one. As we continue to walk together as partners, please know that we greatly value your presence in our lives. God did not intend for us to follow Him in isolation, and we’re so happy that we don’t have to. In Him, we are in this together. As you think of us, as you pray for us, and as you read through this and future newsletters from us, please know that. And if there is anything that you would like to know, if you feel that you might have missed something in the midst of all of our moving, if you’re just curious about something, or if you would simply like to “catch up,” please send us a note. We’d love to chat, and I’d be happy to send you any of our past newsletters.
What are we doing in Chiang Mai?
Christy and I have spent the last two months preparing for a new kind of life. Just being in Chiang Mai has been good preparation for our move to Fang. There is a bustle to Chiang Mai that is distinct. We’re not in America and we’re definitely not in Western Europe. This time has been good for us. We’re adjusting slowly to the uniqueness of Thailand: the sounds, the smells, the people, and the way of life. Our taste buds are learning to appreciate new experiences, our minds are gathering new customs, and the part of the brain that learns new language, well; it’s getting another good workout.
Every week day Christy and I spend several hours studying the Thai language. We study at one of our partner institutions, ISDSI (www.isdsi.org). We’ve had the privilege of learning with one of the best language teachers either of us has ever had. Supposedly Thai is a level 4 language, which means that if we were in Thailand on a career assignment, we would spend two years in full-time language study before actually moving to the field. In all Christy and I will have studied Thai for seven weeks when we move to UHDP where there is almost no one who speaks English. This fact alone defines our initial time in language study as critical. We will continue to study on our own (and hopefully with a tutor) when we move to the project, but this month will mark the end our formal training. Please remember this as you pray for us. Our ability to use this difficult, tonal language is very important for our life and our work here. Pray that we will be diligent in our study and pray that God will grant us the ability to apply what we learn in a useful way.
Finally, there are a few things that we have been “up to” beyond language learning and cultural adjustment. We’ve spent time getting to know people. Rick and Ellen Burnette started UHDP ten years ago and they are our “coaches” here in Thailand. We’ve enjoyed getting to know Rick, Ellen, and their boys, Jesse, Benjamin, and William. This family has been a special blessing to us and we’re looking forward to a deeper friendship with them as the future unfolds. We have connected with students and teachers at ISDSI, a partner organization that brings students to serve and learn at UHDP from universities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. We’ve come to know many friendly faces in and around our Chiang Mai apartment. We have also had the wonderful opportunity to attend Chiang Mai Community Church, a community of faith started years ago for English speakers in the region. (Most of whom are here working with humanitarian aid and mission organizations) It has been nice to hear good sermons in our own language and to connect with some of the other Christians in Chiang Mai. All of these relationships will be important to our life and ministry here in Thailand. These new relationships, some of which are with Christians, and some of which are with non-Christians, will be vital for our work here, but they will also be part of the community that sustains us and brings us joy as we strive to fulfill God’s calling upon us in this place.
What will we be doing at UHDP?
As October draws to its close, so will our time in Chiang Mai. At the end of this month Christy and I will settle into our new home at the Upland Holistic Development Project. Many of you have asked me “Jason, what will you guys be doing at UHDP.” In fact, some of you have asked me this question more than once. I think this is because it is difficult to envision Jason Edwards and “Sustainable Development Project” going together. I understand the difficulty.
In our brief visits to UHDP I have been simply amazed by the work that is done there. In ten years these people have developed a project that truly enriches and helps to sustain the lives of thousands of refugees living in the hills of northern Thailand. The project itself is modest in size, but they use every inch of land they’ve been given to experiment with upland farming, agriculture, and business. They strive to touch every area of the lives of the Palaung people for Christ. UHDP teaches these people how to use everything around them to generate income, to enrich the lives of their villages and families, to gain citizenship, to achieve equal rights, and to access education. They are living and speaking the gospel in ways completely foreign to me. Lives are being transformed.
Christy and I will be doing many different things at UHDP. Our primary job will be to work with volunteer groups. UHDP currently cannot handle all of the volunteer requests that they receive from English speaking groups. This is because there is no one living at UHDP that really speaks English. Christy and I will become professional “middle men” for these groups. We will learn about everything at the project and will be the liaisons between the hill tribe people who work at the project and the groups.
Beyond this, there are a variety of things we will be involved in. I’ve been dubbed the “technology guy.” (strangely enough) We will be teaching English to some of the staff members as a means to help UHDP become more “sustainable” itself. We will be helping to revise some of UHDP’s educational material. In the midst of all of this we will be participants and learners in everything that they do there. We will get to know the staff and the staff is going to teach us to do what they do. Basically, we’re going to learn about agriculture, development, the environment, and equality issues. We’re going to learn how to be farmers.
How Can I Invest in Global Missions?
I haven’t mentioned much about giving. From the beginning, we made it known that we would not be “raising” financial support. Our salaries and our operational budgets come out of the CBF Offering for Global Missions. When we’ve asked for your partnership, we’ve primarily asked for your prayers, your concern, your words, and your willingness to think about ways to be involved creatively and tangibly in what we do.
Let me take this opportunity to emphasize that everything we do here, our very ability to be in Thailand, is funded by the Offering for Global Missions. The Offering is funded by churches and by people like you, people who believe in what we and others like us are doing in the world as we try to be the presence of Christ to the “most neglected.” There is something about giving that transforms us. When we take our money and we invest it in something, we are investing part of our selves, symbolically and tangibly. I want to encourage you to invest in the Offering for Global Missions. You can find out how to do that by checking out the CBF website at www.thefellowship.info.
In Conclusion…
You are our friends, our family, and quite frankly, our co-laborers in Christ. It has been our pleasure to have you as our partners in ministry. At this point it’s only natural that some of you might be asking the “so what” question. “Our church partners with Jason and Christy Edwards. They serve with CBF in Thailand.” So what? You might never say this out loud, but after one year together, let me encourage you: please, SAY IT! I’ll close this newsletter with a challenge: Help us and your church think through creative ways to partner. We would love to see some of you come to Thailand and serve with us at UHDP. That could be a life changing experience for you and for your community of faith. If you’d like to be a part of a team like this, talk to your church, talk to us. Beyond that there are many ways that we can be connected to you and your church community. I would be glad to send a video to be used in your worship service or to participate in a live phone interview. The internet provides many new avenues for us to connect as partners in ministry. Think about ways that you can give, or work with us, or ways that we can be a part of the global education opportunities at your church. I have really enjoyed every opportunity we’ve had to be involved with you guys in simple and creative ways. Let’s think together about how we can share in more of these opportunities in the coming year.
Thank you friends! We love you,
Jason & Christy
That was it! (Minus the pictures and the sidebars) If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading. If you would like to recieve our monthly or quarterly newsletter, just let me know.
P.S This newsletter was written just before our move to the project. We’ve been here for about 2 weeks now. We’re settling in, we’ve helped to facilitate a student group, and we’ve spent the night in a couple of villages. Please think of us this Thursday as we fly to Malaysia to pick up our one year visa and to celebrate our 3 year wedding anniversary.
