Testimony from Elphia

I was here in Maesai in 2007 for my 1st mission trip to Northern Thailand. That time, Samuel Lim, a fellow Singaporean, was the missionary coordinating and sharing the Shan work in Maesai. I remembered him sharing something that striked my heart. He shared about giving his firstfruits to the Lord. He just finished from National Service in Singapore and was seeking the Lord for the will of his life. So he wanted to give his firstfruits, his youth, to the Lord for His work n His purpose. He planned to come for 3 months ST mission and God has other plans for him. In all, he stayed for about 4 years or so. I was challenged and started to ask questions about my faith and my obedience. Here I met a fellow Singaporean, who's so much different from the youth I know back home. Different in his priorities in life, his obedience, his sacrifice, his love for the Lord. What am I doing with my youth, my life? Am I truly seeking Him? Am I contented to serve my Lord within my comfort zone? If the Lord to put a burden on me, will I be obedient to follow?

I started praying and asking God to reveal His plans to me. I started preparing myself spiritually, emotionally and started to reading the Word of God more. I see how the Lord opens the way for me. In 2007 and 2008, God blesses me with 2 promotions at work. Which is a miracle cos it's not common to have a promotion back to back. Financially, I became more secured and started to save more money. I started to get my church n friends to pray for me. And I told my family and my church my plans to serve Him in the mission field for 2 years.

Consent from my mother was what I thought the most difficult and impossible. I was ready to even resign from my job as a teacher in Singapore. My mother was very unwilling to let me go to Northern Thailand all by myself at first. But God softened her heart. She saw my determination and eventually gave me her blessings. I took a 2-years-No-Pay-Leave to come serve as a Volunteer English teacher in Thailand. It's another impossible request made possible only by the hands of God. I wrote in to the ministry to apply for leave stating clearly n truthfully that the purpose of my leave is to serve God in mission in Thailand. It was approved! My principal from school told me that it's rare for the ministry to approve such excerptionally leave reason. So I knew immediately God is paving the way for me.

As I am writing this, I am concluding my service here in Maesai. In my heart, there's many mixed emotions. God has been so good to me these past 20 months. I have learnt so many valuable lessons from Him. Some of the lessons are not so pleasant but each one of them helps me to grow more in Him and my heart fulls n overpours with thanksgiving and gratitude.

I will take home with me every single precious memories, experiences, the smiling faces of the people here. I thank God for His faithfulness, His love, His comfort. Being my best friend and the Father I missed.

Lord Jesus. I love you. And I thank you. I want to follow you for the rest of my life. Thank you for your love and giving me my identity in you. I am a beloved child of God. You are my Lord, my Father, my Saviour. May every living creature on this earth praise and give honour to you and your Name. Amen.

In Christ, elphia

Youth Camp "End of Age"

The night before our 6th Shan Youth Camp, Maesai experienced a 6.7 Ricter scale earthquake. The epicentre was about 56km away from Maesai, in Myanmar. We could feel the houses and the earth beneath us shaking violently. The aftershocks of it could even be felt even 5 days after. We were supposed to receive 5 shan youths from Myanmar to join us in this camp but because of the earthquake, the borderpass between Maesai(Thailand) and Tachilek(Myanmar) was closed the next day and the damages in Myanmar was more severe so the youths couldn't join us.

We were pretty worried that because of the earthquake, the parents would not allow their children to join us for the camp or whether was it safe enough for us to continue the camp. We prayed and commited our worries and concerns to God, knowing that His Hands are in this matter. By faith, we pressed on for the camp. Praise the Lord! We had about 50 youths turned up for the camp. 80% of them are non-Christians. Though we could feel the aftershocks during the camp as we slept, God kept us safe. But nonetheless, some of the youths were still feeling jittery.

The camp theme was "End of Age" And the Earthquake experience we just had the day before the youth camp and the recent Japan Tsunami and the war in Libya made the message more urgent and real for all of us. (Matt 26:7)

May God continues to speak to each and every of the youth of the urgency of the message.

And that all will turn away from our wilful ways and to Him.

Camp Group Picture

The Champion performance on the last night of the Youth Camp. The boys formed their own band and performed a song. Team-building game.

Let me tell you what to do.... listen to me.

Ploy: Move it this way...

Sang: this way? which way????? I can't see your way!!!! Left or right????

Measuring every drop of the water!

something funny must have had happened!

Bible Quiz Challange. You can only answer the question if you score the highest points!

Praise and Worship

Workshop 1: Girls versus Boys Debate

Games IC: Sandra, Stephen and Elphia...

P.S: I am not asking for help... but demonstrating how the game is played.

Victory!

Yellow Group having their Quiet Time with P' Motu!

Skit by the Swiss and the Thais... One of the highlights of the finale night.

We give praise and honor to our Lord for His providence, protection and overseeing the 6th annual Shan youth Camp. We pray to meet again and be encouraged in our faith and walk in the next youth camp!

Team Alaska flew 26 hours to reach us here in Maesai to bless us with their joy and their love!

On the 17th to 20th of March, a team of 8 from Alaska, USA, paid us a visit and ran a 2 day English Camp for the Shan migrant kids. They were from the sending church of the Harris, based in Chiangmai and the Harris came up with the team and coordinated the programme together with Team Maesai.

Despite the wet cold and gloomy week, God blessed us with the sun and great weather during the 2 day English camp! That's the 1st gift we and the team received joyfully when we woke up in the morning of 18th March to a bright sunny day! Thank you Father God!

The team taught the children English vocabulary and shared the Gospel using the "wordless book" and also taught the children to make friendship bands, hair-ribbons, designed their own Tshirts and played lots of fun games! Hip Hip Hooray! All the children with the Team Alaska and their own designed Tshirts! Colleen and the kids. The Team Alaska were requested to sign on the Tshirts of the children!

Jesus Loves "Tan"

Jesus Loves Likit!

Loves Awe

Doing evaluation! What do you like most in the past 2 days English Camp?

Language barrier? No worries! Just draw them out!! Creative!

Bounce the Balls!!!!

Peter's giving instructions!

Team Alaska, making up 4 adults and 4 youths from age 15 to 19, leaving the States for the 1st time! Very encouraged to hear them share and praying to come back to visit.

We hope to see you guys soon too!

Keep us and the ministry in prayers!

Eye Clinic for the Shan

On the 16th of March, a team from Canada came by our Shan Development Centre and blessed the people around the centre with free eyesight check and spectacles!

Abt 50 people queued and had their eyes checked in the short 3 hours.

Thank You Lord once again for sending Your people and Your resources to bless the people here in Maesai.