life in a northern town - issue 17
DESCRIPTION
Shayne's monthly, bi monthly, whenever news and information about his life in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.TRANSCRIPT
Another year has arrived and 9 months into it I can now
tell you about the start of it! My life is boring and
interesting, and boring and interesting, what can I say.
My time, so far this year has really been lots of reading
and writing. My first priority was completing the
Government reports for both foundations that I work
for, writing the government “speak” required to allow
our foundations and the organisations and people
underneath us to do what
they are good at, God’s
plans for them in Thailand.
It isn’t my favourite activity, but it is a very necessary requirement,
so it just has to be done. The awesome part is I have to read all
about the amazing things being done outside, that my inside work
is allowing people to do. It is hard sitting behind a desk 40 hours a
week, but I see that thousands of hours a week of life changing
testimony is going on. Amen, and thanks to everyone involved.
Most days I feel like the bad man or the teacher who is waiting for
the late reports of his students, because their calling is to the
people and not to the administration. That’s life!
After completing the Government required reporting, I then put
together an in-house report trying to highlight all the wonderful
things being done as a report to the people describing the
“complete” works of the COC and Haven foundations. A report
that could go to supporters, donors and churches so they could
hear of the wonderful works of “their” connections as a part of the
whole ministry of the foundations in Thailand. This report is available
at
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fozqsqpnmiizgzk/COC%20Haven%20Foundation%20Report.pdf -
Please check it out. It was heaps of work, but I am sure it is only the tip of the iceberg to all of
the work that is actually going on through our people. There are so many wonderful people
that I connect with in the foundation and I am privileged to serve these wonderful servants
and serve God here.
These reports were the major projects for me prior to our National Conference in March,
taking 50 pages of government reports and making around 30 pages of report including
pictures and stories from the team. Such a pleasure!!!
Reporting Fun and Challenges
Shayne in Thailand From Life in a Northern Town
My name is Shayne Rochfort and I am a servant of God, volunteering in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
I am the Legal Advisor at Christian Outreach Centre Thailand (COC) and The Haven Project. I am helping
coordinate visas and work permits and the whole work in local churches and communities all over Thailand.
My main role involves everything and anything, STILL.
Please consider partnering with me, building God’s kingdom in Thailand.
An incredibly busy year. A fun and challenging year. A stressful and
painful year. An exciting year of new opportunities and difficulties. A
blessed life and fulfilling year! All excellent ways to describe 2014!
May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendour to their children. May the favour of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:16-17 (NIV)
I am committed to being in Thailand. I would like to
let you know that if you are able to partner with me in
my work, then you can do so through One Mission
Society. There are many ways you can support me, through prayer as well as financially. This partner-
ship is helping serve the great need for Thai people to come to know Jesus.
My prayer card with all the details is available at
http://issuu.com/shayneinthailand/docs/prayercard .
Please include my missionary number #803833 with any donations.
You can support me financially by :-
Cheque - Please make cheques payable to: OMS International, PO Box 897, RINGWOOD, Vic 3134.
Include a note with my name.
Direct Debit - If you wish to make a payment directly through your bank, pay to: Westpac.
Acc Name: OMS International Australia- Inc. BSB: 733172 Account Number: 628724.
NOTE: In the transaction details please be sure to include your name and ROC.
Credit card donations - can be made through the website.
http://www.onemissionsociety.org.au
OMS phone – 03 9870 8559
Supporting Shayne
PO Box 90
PRASING POST OFFICE
CHIANGMAI 50205
THAILAND
Phone +66801202074
Email -
Skype - shayneinthailand
COC Thailand Foundation
inc The Haven Foundation
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO PRAY:
Praise for God’s blessing on the work of COC Thailand and the Haven Foundation. We have been experiencing lots of growth and lots of pain.
Please pray for the finances and ministries of COC Thailand and the Haven Foundation. It is a massive work and without the financial sup-port from individuals in Australia, UK and other places, the work would not continue.
Please pray for Thailand. It’s beautiful, but with the current political climate, we are experiencing continual changes to laws and processes.
Please pray for my work with COC, it’s growing and it’s fun, but it is busy and challenging.
The COC Thailand National Conference is the yearly chance for
Foundation members and anyone else to come together and get
refreshed, renewed and recharged for “Planting the Kingdom” in
Thailand and beyond. We had around 150 of our people join us for
the few days in March.
Conference is always a hectic time for the Legal Department as
we get all of the enquiries about everything and making a lot of people’s paperwork happen
while they are in town. We hold the Foundation AGMs during the conference and I have a
starring role in reading and taking the minutes and getting some time to talk about foundation
activities and processes.
Personally, I love the chance to hear everyone’s stories and hear how people are changing lives
around Thailand through the Gospel of Jesus. I don’t get so much time to sit around and listen
though as another of my favourite activities is the worship times at the beginnings of sessions. This
year was the Thailand version and not the Asian wide version, so we were singing in Thai and
English. I love singing in Thai, although it is challenging.
Something you need to know about singing in Thai, it’s different. We all know about the
multitude of versions of the English Bible, but there is only one version of English songs, so we all
sing the same. Well in Thailand, it’s the opposite, there is on Standard version of the Bible, so
when it is read aloud, it’s in perfect unison, but the
songs are a completely different story. Each person,
ministry or church has decided that the other
versions aren’t correct, so they need to do the
“correct” translation, therefore songs like, “Power of
Your Love”, “Yahweh” and “This is our God” are all
sung with different words. Ah the joys!!! I know God
just wants us to worship him continuously and I will try.
COC Annual Conference Time