17 August Reflections

It was our 32nd wedding anniversary last week. To celebrate, Jennifer planned a short trip to Chiang Mai, a place we had never visited before. While there, we reconnected with Revd Noppadon and his wife, Nook.

They have been pastoring St Andrew’s Church for over two years now. The church has a thriving kindergarten and runs one bilingual service attended by both local Thais and foreigners.

Noppadon shared that he and some of his leaders regularly use Praydos, especially the daily devotions. It was encouraging to hear that what began in the MPCC context is now blessing others as well. Praydos also carries the Thai liturgy, which the clergy use regularly. We also talked about how helpful it would be to have daily devotions written in Thai for Anglicans across the country. We pray that one day this will become a reality.

It is heartening to note that the work of St Andrew’s began about 19 years ago entirely “from scratch.” The dedication of the early Anglican missionaries and Thai leaders has certainly borne fruit over time. The land on which the church and kindergarten sit is spacious, with ample room for future development. We even encouraged them to consider building pickleball courts for outreach purposes!

This week, as many of you know, we bade farewell to the Tolentinos (see photo). Many tears have been shed, and we thank the Lord for the rich friendships formed over the years. Given their active role in our worship ministry (Zimrah), there is understandably some anxiety about how our two services will manage without their leadership and input. By God’s grace, we will pull through. Prayerful conversations are already underway about how we might adjust. If you have a gift in music or sound mixing, please prayerfully consider serving, and speak to Melvin or Joy.

At the same time, we warmly welcome David Chong, who will be serving for a season as consultant, trainer, and mentor for Zimrah. His arrival happens to coincide with the Tolentinos’ departure, and we are grateful that the Lord has sent him to assist in the ministry. Please do make him feel at home as he serves among us. David will also join the Zimrah leadership team alongside Melvin, Joy, and Nigel.