The orphanage workers and children are cleaning up!

Life is precious and God is good!    We are very thankful life has been spared and everyone at Casa Esperanza of Angels is safe.    

We are saddened by the destruction Typhoon Rai (Odette) caused at the orphanage and all over the islands that were in the storm’s path.   It began as a Category 1 storm and quickly strengthened to a Category 5 by the time it hit the islands.   As the orphanage was directly in its path, sustained winds were over 100 mph for one entire night.  As Rai traveled west, it ripped down homes, trees and power cables, bringing with it heavy rain, widespread flooding and landslides.  Communities and villages were destroyed and hundreds of thousands were left homeless.  Over 4 million people were affected by Rai.  The death toll is reported to be 375 but many people are still missing.  

It is too soon for Ronald to estimate the cost of the damage.   The public road to the orphanage from the main highway has been washed out and cannot be traveled by vehicles.   It is not owned by the orphanage.   

Some areas have power but it has been almost two weeks since the storm and the orphanage still does not have electricity.   

The houses were flooded but their have finished the clean up inside.   The construction was good and the houses are not damaged.  The roofs held strongly.   The two vehicles are O.K. as they were parked on the highest part of the campus away from trees.  

The tent used for worship was torn apart.   The frame still stands and perhaps the canvas tent can be restored.    They had worship services there on Sunday and Bible class on Wednesday night.   During the week, it was used for school classes.  Due to the pandemic, public schools have been closed for two years.

The orchard that was producing a lot of fruit for the children was badly damaged.  

Their garden was destroyed. 

Part of the concrete block wall was blown down.  

 

Thank you for your support for this orphanage.   They are very grateful for the financial support but, most of all, for your prayers.  

Philippines, Thailand and Nepal News

The Philippines endured a super typhoon this week named Rai (aka Odette in the Philippines).  Today, I read where 169 lives have been lost in this Category 5 typhoon that hit on Thursday.   It started out as a Cat. 1 and increased to a Cat. 5 when it began to make landfall in the islands.   It was a direct hit for Casa Esperanza of Angels' orphanage.   

We had our first news from Gigi this morning saying they are all safe.  It has been hard to wait for news from them but we knew their power would be out.  A short video posted on Facebook shows water all around the houses.  There was flooding and much damage but I don't have a breakdown of what they lost at this time.    They are still without power as this island had some of the worst destruction.   We are thankful they are safe.    The last pictures I saw on the Facebook page before the short video shows Ronald meeting with the 25 children in the two houses to explain about the storm coming and giving instructions.    We are so relieved that everyone is safe.   Everything else can be replaced even though they have a long road ahead cleaning up and trying to restore everything. I will post pictures whenever I receive them.  Thank you for your prayers for their safety.  

Ranjit returned home from the hospital a couple of weeks ago but he is still not doing very well.   He has had a fever the last three days so they were taking him to the hospital today.   He is sitting down in the picture giving some clothing to one of the girls.    Please continue to pray for Ranjit.

 

  

This is the back entrance to the house.   You can see the nice neighborhood with expensive houses surrounding our safe house.    Just down the street is a nice resort.   The location is safe and an ideal place for the girls to enjoy.  The kitchen is small but I think girls can take turns cooking and  two can work together without difficulty. 

Ron has set up the office in the dry bar area so this is good utilization of this space.    

Ron has located a couple who wish to be the house parents for the new safe house in Chiang Mei.  He has been working as one of the ministers at a church of Christ about an hour away from the new house.  They have one son in college.   Neither speak much English but they are willing to study and learn.  Ron is having some basic English lessons with the minister.    I hope they will work out to be SAS's new house parents.    

He should be able to close on the purchase of the house soon.   Once that has been accomplished, house parents can move in and determine what other furnishing are needed.   Ron can begin to work with them to find girls and spend time instructing and training them.    I expect this process to take most of January.  

The border to Laos has recently opened and if Omicron does not spread to Asia quickly, Ron hopes to travel to Vientiane, Laos to meet with workers Hong and Phet who oversee the five safe houses in Laos.

Thank you again for following our work and for your support and prayers.

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Progress Made

December is half over and Ron has been gone 43 days.    Even though it was difficult for both of us to be in separate places, we are managing to accomplish our goals.   Ron has moved into the safe house pictured in the previous posting.    He is still waiting for the closing due to the governor signing off on the purchase.   The lady that owns the house told Ron to go ahead and move in all the things he has purchased and gave him permission to stay in the house.   He does not have internet service at the house so I am receiving only short emails sent from his phone.    He said he has gotten the kitchen in order and he is now cooking for himself.    He was happy to leave the hotel for several reasons.   He only had a small fridge and it was limited what food he could buy.   He didn't like the hotel restaurant but he found a Chinese restaurant where he had some good meals.    When he arrived, no one else was in the hotel but now tourists are arriving and the hotel is noisy.     

Ron will send me pictures to post of the inside of the house when he get the internet connected.

Ronald and Gigi have moved into the family cottage they have been constructing.   

Gigi spent her own money on the decorations so it looks festive for the upcoming holidays. They are really happy to be there to enjoy the house for the holidays.   This cottage has two bedrooms.  They have their office in the second bedroom.   Now they are complying with the government regulations to have the office for the foundation in a separate building from the children.

They will eventually build 2-3 more family cottages in the future to accommodate other staff members or visitors as the work grows in future years.    The complete plan includes a separate administration building, a multi-purpose building to serve as a place of worship and a school for the children.  They are presently using a tent for worship, schooling and other activities.   It serves their needs very well but it is not durable to last indefinitely and would certainly not survive a hurricane.

Laundry house on left.

Inside of the laundry house below.

The one room, laundry house has been their home for more than two years to allow space for the children.  You can see how small that space is by looking at the picture of Ronald sitting at the table with Brenda, Gigi's mom.   

Good news from Nepal.    Ranjit, our worker who has been so sick with COVID is finally at home.   I don't know what complications he has or how he is feeling but we are pleased that he is able to go home.

Wishing our family, friends and supporter/sponsors a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Search for house parents underway - baptisms in Nepal

Ron met with a church of Christ minister and this congregation is very interested in helping find a couple willing to work as the house parents for the new safe house in Chiang Mei, Thailand.   This congregation has three ministers.   It would be ideal if one of these ministers decided to take this job.  The safe house is about an hour from this large congregation so a new congregation could begin with the girls in this area.  

Ron paid $20 for a taxi to take him to this congregation so it will be too far for the girls to attend this congregation each Sunday.    

Three of our girls were baptized in Nepal yesterday.   I am sure the water is very cold there now. 

If you want to see what life is like in Nepal (especially in the Himalayan Mountains) search YouTube for NEPAL - SNOWLAND CHILDREN.     It tells the story of a school established by a Monk and it takes you with three students returning home to visit relatives after completing high school and being away from relatives for 10 years or more.   After a long trip, they find out what life is like for their relatives and understand why their relatives sent them away at a very young age so they can get an education and have hope for a better life.    

We are very thankful for our supporters/sponsors who provide the opportunity for a better life for the girls we care for at our safe houses.   We care for girls in Nepal, Laos, Thailand and the Philippines.

Property found - closing delayed

Ron was hoping to close on the property for the new safe house in Chiang Mei, Thailand.   Since the property is being purchased by a Christian foundation, it must be approved by the governor.   It is the law but no one told Ron this prior to the time to close.   It will take a minimum of one month (not sooner than December 24) but not later than January 24th.    It is a 5-bedroom house with large rooms.  There is space (I think on the right of the photo) for a large garden.    

Ron is searching now for house parents.  He will visit a second congregation on Sunday to make known our need for a couple to oversee the girls.   If he can find a couple to hire, he will begin training them for the work while he waits for the governor's approval to close on the property.    Good house parents are the most important aspect of the success of the work in this location.    

Ron is doing fine and moving ahead with the purchasing of the furnishings for the house that will be held by the companies but delivered to the house at closing.    I will post any new developments as they happen.  

Possible building located

Ron has been looking at available buildings.   He has settled on one that he believes will be very suitable for a safe house for girls in Chiang Mei.  It has 5 bedrooms and 3 full baths and some very large rooms.  There is plenty of yard space for a garden.   The house is in very good condition so it will not need much work to get it ready to move in.   I don't know how long it will be before the closing.   I reminded him to check on zoning restrictions since it is in a residential area to be sure it can be turned into a girls' home with many people living in this one location. 

I will not post pictures until I know this is a "done deal."    

Once the house belongs to SAS, he has to locate a source to provide the furnishings.   With some businesses closed due to COVID and many understaffed (just as in the U.S.), it may take time to get all of the furniture purchased and moved in.

Ron thinks there are two churches of Christ in the area but he will need to meet some of the Christians to determine their soundness in the faith in order to pursue the hiring of house parents.   Once he hires a couple, he will need to spend time with them, training them in the work they will be required to do.  

Patinya, the minister from Bangkok will arrive there next week.   I hope he will be able to help Ron in all these areas of the work.

Ron said there are 10-15 rooms occupied now in his hotel.    He can eat some of his meals in the hotel restaurant.   He has been very busy with many appointments and lots of walking.   Please continue to pray for his health to remain stable and his success in completing this work.   It would be wonderful if he could get it done and come home earlier than expected but there is still much to do.

Thank you again for your interest in our work and for your prayers.

A Starting Point

Whenever we begin any project, there is a starting point and a missionary has to learn a lot about the area and the possibilities available before any momentum can be achieved. 

Ron and I have been chatting early every morning before he begins his day and every evening before he get some rest.   I ask questions to try to understand how he is doing and what he is doing.   This first week in Chiang Mei has been a learning experience.

As I posted in the last segment, he likes his hotel.   He thinks there are only three guests there and maybe one staff member as the hotel has low occupancy due to COVID.  He found a mall to get a sim card for his cell phone we used in Thailand two years ago.  A 7-11 market is several blocks from the hotel.   He has a fridge in his room but this particular 7-11 does not have the supply of foods that we enjoyed while in Bangkok with a 7-11 nearby.   He is getting tired of junk food he can buy there but street food is not safe for a foreigner.   The small restaurants that are open are not safe either.   Our systems are not protected from bacteria from impure water or unsanitary cooking utensils so we get stomach viruses very easily in Asia.   

The market is mention in an article as the location where a number of new COVID cases have been identified.   Although Ron has gotten his vaccinations and booster, he still wants to be careful as a breakthrough case would at least slow down his work, even if he is not seriously ill.    Everywhere he goes, his temperature is taken so that is a little precaution.    How people got into a market and spread the disease with this precaution, is questionable.

Ron estimates that at least 60% of the businesses are closed.   Many people do not have jobs and are seeking help with food.    Streets are empty and the city is far from its normal pace of activity.

He has only seen properties on the internet but hopes to meet with a realtor this coming week to literally see some of the available houses.   He will determine which could be renovated to serve our needs as a safe house for girls.    Please pray that his search will find something that can easily be completed and adequate at a reasonable price.

Ron will meet with a lawyer this week to find out what is required for us to be legal and what is involved to form a foundation (NGO).   Patinya, the minister in Bangkok that we have known for years, will go to Chiang Mei to meet with Ron is two weeks.   Patinya has a Bible School in Bangkok and a foundation through which it operates.   I believe we went through his foundation to set up the safe house in Mukdahan, Thailand two years ago.   We may have to do that again if the legal process is too long and expensive to achieve quickly.    Many countries make it very difficult for foreigners to operate a business or a mission work while others welcome in such organizations quite easily.

As I stated in my opening sentence....a work has a beginning and then it takes time to implement the steps required to move forward.    I hope we will be able to report more and more progress each week.

Ron is sending out newsletter emails.  Watch for those if you are on his mailing list.  Or write to him at ronbrown10@gmail.com if you do not receive them but want to be added to his list.

Please continue to pray for Ron and for the search underway to establish this new work in Chiang Mei.

Prayers needed for a worker in Nepal

 

Ranjit is one of our two men overseeing the safe houses in Nepal.   

For some time, he has been in the hospital with COVID.   He was in ICU unconscious and was suffering with pneumonia, but then we heard later that he was getting better.   This was received this morning from Sagar who is the director of the preaching school in Narayangarh, Nepal.

Ranjit’s health becomes more of a problem, he got water in his stomach due to necrotizing pancreatitis problem. Soon he will be taken to India for treatment.  Please continually pray for him. 

Ron getting settled in and beginning his search!

 

Ron has a very nice room in a hotel with a very good breakfast included.  

The monthly cost in TB is 18,000 or US $567 per month divided by 30 equals US $18.92 per day.   The hotel probably has over 100 rooms and only three are occupied.  Many hotels and businesses are out of business and trying to sell their buildings. Some streets look like a ghost city.  

When Ron was at their service center there was a constant flow of people coming for food. They give food to anyone in need. 

Ron has found at least 20 houses which would work for the safe house.  He will look at more next week.  Only one had a large lot for growing fruits and vegetables. All had three bedrooms and baths.  One had four bedrooms and three baths.   

He thinks we can have up to 30 girls  at the houses.  The pictures of the houses look very good.  A lot better than what we saw in Mukdahan, Thailand. 

The border  continues to be closed to other countries, but he can travel to any location in Thailand and he plans to go to Mukdahan later.  He probably will not go by bus  but they do check every person for temperatures.  When he goes to the 7/11 a few blocks from the hotel, they check his temperature at the door.  Everyone flying must be vaccinated and be checked for fever. There were no checks on my American flights but he had proof of negative COVID tests.  Thailand requires vaccinations to fly.

The 7/11 stores in Thailand are excellent.   They have a section for food, fast food and fruit.   We enjoyed these markets in other cities of Thailand.  

Ron even found a Dairy Queen in Chiang Mei!    He has a built-in GPS for Dairy Queens.

Prayers needed for the church in New Zealand

From a missionary's newsletter: 

New Zealand is in a place of political and social turmoil. You will likely not be seeing it in the media because NZ has been the poster child of Covid-19 response. After a year and a half of keeping the country isolated from the outside world, the virus is becoming uncontrollable (inevitably) and the only preparation being made by the government is the enforcing of vaccine mandates. Our Prime Minister recently admitted that NZ would now be a "two class system" in which unvaccinated people have less rights than the vaccinated. Today, all unvaccinated teachers in New Zealand were fired from their jobs. This is all wreaking havoc in the congregations, where there are Christians on either side of the debate. PLEASE pray for our unity. The Wellington congregation will be meeting on Sunday to decide whether or not to enforce the government's vaccine mandate on worship assemblies. If they decide not to, they could face a fine of $10,000 each time they assemble without checking every visitor's "vaccine passport" (and turning away all unvaccinated).  

There are hopeful things going on in the work here, but the shadow of gloom seems to be over everything at the moment. Please pray for us.

Ron is at a hotel in Chiang Mei, Thailand

Yesterday, Ron made the flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mei.   He had some trouble getting the COVID test to travel on but I don't know the details of what he went through.  I think he had at least four COVID tests from the time he left Atlanta and arrived in Chiang Mei.    He said his hotel is good.   I don't know if he will have a room there the entire time or find a room in an apartment building as we had in Mukdahan, Thailand two years ago.    

Ron's back was hurting a lot from carrying the bag (one regular size bag plus a smaller satchel).   He was very tired so I have not pressed him for many details yet.

He said everyone is wearing masks.   Thailand has not faired well with the pandemic.   Most of the restaurants in the airport are closed and he said walking through was like being in a deserted airport.  They just opened up for foreigners on November 1st due to their great economic loss.    It seems we were better prepared in the U.S. in spite of closures and mandates.

The number of COVID cases in Georgia is less each week.   The majority of people are not wear masks.  Some stores still have a sign up that they are required (banks and grocery stores) but I still do not see many people observing the restrictions.    I wear one in these places out of courtesy since they state that they want us to wear them.   To me, it is the same as having a sign that says "no shirt, no shoes, no service."   They have a right to request it if its their place of business.   Their employees are all wearing masks.

We are having a beautiful fall week here in Georgia.   I have raked leaves this afternoon in 70 degree weather.   But, rain will come on Thursday and we will have a chilly weekend.

God bless you wherever you live and follow our work.   Thank you to all who care about us and keep us in your prayers.   

Arrived in Bangkok, Thailand

Ron wrote at 2 p.m. that he was at the hotel in Bangkok and very tired.  He said he would write tomorrow.  I know exactly how he feels, arriving in the middle of the night after a 22 hour flight.   It has been exactly 22 hours since he left Los Angeles.   Unless he slept on the plane, he's not had sleep in at least 30 hours.  A short message from him was sent in the middle of the night (about 10 hours ago) at 34,000' before he arrived in Narita, Japan.   He just said Japan Air was a wonderful airline.   They gave him pj's for the flight and he enjoyed a fabulous 6-course meal.   I'm sure he got fish because he loves seafood and no meal is fabulous to him unless it is seafood.   After snacking in Los Angeles for almost a week, he deserved the good food.    I am sure he mostly ate fruit and snacks while in Los Angeles because he said everything was terribly expensive there.

Just to know he's arrived safely gives me a chance to relax and get into a routine this week at home in Georgia.    He will travel on to Chiang Mei in a day or two but that is a short flight.   He will find a place to live for four months and begin looking at property to see if he can successfully establish a safe house for girls there.  

He promised me that he will eat healthy even though I'm not there to be sure he eats enough fruits and vegetables.    He and I know we both have to get enough rest and eat healthy to keep ourselves well enough to continue this work a few more years.

It was 33 here in North Georgia this morning and we had frost for the first time this fall season.   I went to church at the Woodstock church of Christ where I will attend every Sunday morning while Ron is gone.  Leigh Ann used to be a member there so many people I met asked about her.   I hope to establish a few friends there.

As I hear from Ron and know more about his work, I will post again.   

May God bless you all with a good week.

Take Off

Ron's flight is due to take off right now as I write this.    He finally got the last COVID test, checked in successfully for the flight and he was going to the gate when I last talked with him.   He is very happy to get all of this red tape behind him and finally be on his way to Bangkok.    He will arrive in the middle of the night.   He has to spend one night in a hotel to get another COVID test.  He plans to travel on to Chiang Mei on Monday or Tuesday.   I hope he will stay one more night to be fully rested but I know he is anxious to get there and start the work.   

The time will be exactly 12 hours different with our time change tonight.    When I get up in the mornings, he will be finished for the day and when I go to bed at night, he will be starting his day.    We will chat a few minutes just to know each is doing O.K.

As soon as he begins to make progress on the work, I will post his findings and let everyone know.  He hopes to find a building he can renovate but that may take weeks just looking at available properties and making a decision. 

If you need to contact me, write me at patbrown10@gmail.com or call 678-877-6300.  

Please continue to pray for both of us.

Thank you.   May God bless you!

  

Approval received!

Ron received the Thai Embassy approval this morning so he went to get the COVID test that is needed within 72 hours of arrival in Bangkok.   The result would not be available until 3 p.m. so he could not make today's flight.    He is scheduled to leave Los Angeles tomorrow (Saturday), Nov. 6 at 12:45 p.m.   

If he makes the connection in Narita, Japan, he will arrive in Bangkok about noon on Sunday (Atlanta time). He must stay in a hotel one night and have another COVID test before traveling on the Chiang Mei.  

Please pray for Ron's safe travels and his health.    Thank you.

More Red Tape!

Ron is still in Los Angeles due to more paperwork that must be submitted to the Thai Embassy for approval before he can leave the U.S. on the flight to Bangkok.   

He worked diligently to prepare a packet of information that they listed on the website that was required.  He needs a long term VISA.  Americans have never had to have a VISA to go for 30 days but it is more difficult to leave the country and go back in now due to border closures and restrictions of other countries because of COVID.  When we were there in 2019-2020, we made side trips to our safe houses in Laos and Nepal so we went in and out of the country every 30 days.   The borders of these countries are still closed so he needs to get a 5-month VISA to avoid this problem.

I will post again when Ron is able to fly and actually arrives in Thailand.   

Please pray that these setbacks will end soon and the rest of his trip will go smoothly.

Stranded in Los Angeles tonight!

Ron should be on his way to Narita, Japan but the flight was cancelled due to mechanical problems.   He will try to reschedule his flight and be on his way tomorrow.    He will be at least one day behind if he can leave Los Angeles tomorrow.   I will post short posts until he arrives safely.

Ron is on his way to Thailand

Ron left Dallas about 8:15 a.m. on his way to Los Angeles, Narita, Japan and Bangkok.    If flights are on time and he makes the connections, he will arrive in Bangkok Sunday night at 11:30 p.m. (10:30 a.m. in Atlanta).    He will apply for a long-term VISA and be tested for COVID.    He will spend one or two nights in Bangkok, presuming he tests negative, before flying on to Chiang Mei, Thailand.    I will post again once he's arrived and each time he has something to report about his progress.   Please keep him mentioned in your prayers.

Ranjit, one of our workers in Nepal has been in the ICU in critical condition for over a week with COVID.  Please pray for his recovery.

Thank you for your interest in our lives and in our work in Asia.   Thank you for your prayers for both Ron and me during this four-month period of time we will be apart.   

God bless you!

Ron's trip to Chiang Mei, Thailand

We have had a very busy year and the pace will continue as Ron leaves October 29th for Thailand.   We have been trying to get things in shape here since I will not be traveling with Ron this year.   I will continue to stay in Ronald and Gigi's house in North Georgia and try to keep things going well in the U.S. during Ron's absence.   

Ron will spend the next four months establishing a new safe house for girls in Chiang Mei, Thailand.    He got the booster vaccine today, hoping he will not get sick on this trip.   He is feeling exhausted tonight so the vaccine is giving him a little side-effect of fatigue.  

Ron hopes to find an existing building he can remodel and turn into an adequate home for girls.   This is an important area where there are many girls in need of hope.    Ryan and Ashley Lee, a couple from the U.S. have lived there for many years working with immigrants.   We visited in their home one weekend in February, 2020.   They will assist Ron with the work so I am pleased that he is going there.  They speak the language and know the location well.   I am sure our work can assist them as they probably need a home for many of the girls they counsel and try to help.

I will try to post weekly to this log, if not more often, to give updates on Ron and his work in Chiang Mei.   We will chat morning and night so we can be assured each of us is doing well.    His time will be 12 hours ahead of me so we will set a specific time to chat on the computer.   He wants to use some method where we can see each other.  I told him we will certainly worry when we see how bad we look at those times of day so I think I will hold him to just "chatting."     

Fall is here in North Georgia and I have been raking leaves.    We had five days of rain last week and the leaves fell along with the rain and covered the ground.   With Ron away, I will keep the front yard clean but cannot do all of the backyard.    The leaves will provide me with plenty of exercise until about the middle of December.  

Leigh Ann and Tatum will come from Florida to spend Thanksgiving weekend with me.   I look forward to their visit.

My 9-year old neighbor, Lane, will come over the day after Ron leaves for Thailand and we will bake Halloween cookies to give to her family and our next door neighbors.    It will be something fun for us to do together.    She helped me several times this summer to plant and weed my herb garden.   

A nurse friend from California has booked a trip to come visit me on Feb. 22nd for a week.   I told her the weather may not be so good in February.   She wants to rent a car and us drive to see Leigh Ann in Florida for a few days but it will all depend on our weather.    It could be nice or we could be in the middle of an ice storm.   January and February can be very cold.    She wanted to pay for both of us to fly to Key West that week but I declined as I am trying to stay away from crowds due to COVID.  

Our work continues to go well in all  locations.   At this time, no one is sick.  Some girls in Nepal (and some of our workers also) had COVID but they are well now.  Schools reopened in Nepal after being closed for many months.   The Laos border is still closed and most schools and businesses are still in lockdown.    Ron hopes to go to Laos and possibly Mukdahan, Thailand while he is abroad but it will depend on the virus and the closures.   He will probably have to quarantine as soon as he arrives in Thailand even with the vaccinations and a negative COVID test.

Please remember Ron and me in your prayers and the success of our work as we go forward the remained of this year.   

Thank you all for your interest in our work and for your love for us.   May God bless each of my blog readers.

August has been a busy month!

Is the time passing quickly because of my age?    It seems each week just flies by and I don't get as much accomplished as I planned.   Just keeping up the regular work and taking care of ourselves seems to be a full-time job at this age.   

We have stayed well except for the usual aging woes, dealing with sleep problems and aches and pains of back aches and fatigue.    My check up this week indicated that I am in "good shape for the shape I'm in"  Everything on my blood test was in the normal range.   COVID (Delta Variant) is surging in Georgia again so we have not been traveling.   We only went to visit one congregation outside of Atlanta this month.  

Our work continues to go well but not yet at a normal pace.   Several of our girls have been baptized as they continue to be taught by the ministers (who are their house parents) in each safe house.   

COVID has been bad in the Asian countries and they have been shutdown.   The borders of Laos have been closed since April, I believe.  Nepal has been shutdown twice so far this year.   The girls are struggling with the schooling but so far only two have gotten sick.    

We are still providing food for the poor Christians in these countries as they cannot work to earn enough to buy their daily food.   Several have been baptized as a result of our food program as the Christians share their food with neighbors.

The Philippines still have restrictions regarding travel off the island.    Casa has 23 children and a busy summer of activities but everyone has been in good health.   

Four of the older children were baptized two weeks ago which brings it to a total of 9 conversions so far.   

A new full-time minister has been hired so the community will be receiving the gospel when he is able to easily go about teaching.

Ron plans to return to Thailand the last of October, the Lord willing.  There will be many restrictions if he is even allowed to go to Thailand but he is preparing to have the proper paperwork to permit him to travel there.    Since the virus is still very bad in Asia, I will not go on this trip.   I have an autoimmune disease that puts me at a higher risk with COVID.    Ron will try to get a booster before he goes and we pray he will not get sick.

I will post more often to this blog when he leaves so I can provide an update about him and his trip.  We plan to chat each morning and evening to keep from worrying about each other.   There is a 12 hour difference in the time.  

Thanks to everyone for the wonderful support for our work, the many prayers that remember us and those we care for in Asia.    May God bless each of you as you continue to have interest in our work.   It is a team effort to save the lives and souls of those in need.    Thank you!

Everyday life from North Georgia to Asia!

There is not much to post regarding our work in Nepal and Laos.   The COVID-19 shutdown continues in both countries.    Two of our girls in Nepal have been tested positive for the virus but they are young and not very sick.   Some men in the Narayangarh church of Christ have the virus but we do not have any update on their conditions.   Our workers are doing well in both locations.  

In all locations, they continue their gardening programs, harvesting fresh vegetables to eat, planting corn and rice for future crops and daily living chores.    The girls keep busy studying their school books, trying to keep up with their knowledge to be able to continue successfully when schools reopen.   Some schools will take the combined totals of their exams instead of giving a final exam to promote girls to the next grade level.   But, some will give a final exam when the school reopens and this is a concern for the girls who know they will face a test as soon as they return to school.

We see more and more businesses opening in the U.S. without requiring masks.    Although less than half of the people in Georgia have been vaccinated, many of those remaining are young people and the virus does not seen to be spreading.   I read that there are up to 16,000 new cases each day in the entire country, which sounds high, but is a very low number from what was reported only a few months ago.  

We are beginning our weekend travels to churches that want to have a current report about our work.  Many churches know enough from our reports to continue their support and say it is not necessary for us to travel to visit them.   We have given up the Tiffin RV travel as it has become too difficult for Ron to maintain and drive since his back has been hurting a lot more this year.    I got updated glasses so my vision at a distance is good and I can help with driving the car on trips that are more than just a few hours.

We piddle with growing some vegetables and are getting green beans, peppers and yellow squash.  Ron has plants growing well to provide us with okra, spinach, zuchinni squash, and melons.   Tomato plants have many green tomatoes so we will have ripe tomatoes soon.    

Last week, our daughter, Leigh Ann, and Ellen Mao, a friend from San Jose, CA, visited for a few days.  I asked Ellen if she had eaten fried green tomatoes and she said she loved them.   I picked two of our green tomatoes and fried them for her and she really enjoyed them.    Dip them in beaten egg and then in cornmeal and fry in hot oil for 2-3 minutes on each side until crispy and enjoy!

We had a few hot days in the 90's but another cool front came through yesterday bringing early morning temperatures down to as low as 59 degrees.   A tropical storm near Mexico expected to come up in the Gulf may bring us thunderstorms and heavy rain by Sunday or Monday.     It is the season for hurricanes so we will follow their paths closely as Leigh Ann and Tatum are living in the Tampa/Clearwater, FL area now.   There will be more tropical storms and typhoons in the Philippine islands so we will also track those storms, praying that everyone will be safe at Casa Esperanza of Angels' orphanage in Tanjay.

Although their island is not shutdown, Ronald and Gigi still cannot travel due to COVID-19 conditions in the rest of the Philippines.    They have a few cases on their island and they limit the people who can come on campus to try to keep everyone safe.   

We continue to send funds for workers to buy food for Christian families in Nepal and Laos.   Many are beginning to suffer from lack of work and funds to feed themselves with the long shutdown of the countries.    We are grateful for all the people who have donated to this relief work.   Generous donations have fed a lot of poor people and we know they are very grateful.

Thank you for following my blog, keeping up with our work and our lives.  We are grateful for friends, family and supporters wherever you live.   May you stay safe, healthy and blessed by God.    

Shutdown in Nepal and Laos continues

Please remember the people in these countries in your prayers.   The country of Laos has been in shutdown mode for more than a month.  Our girls are safe at home studying their books, doing their crafts, such as macrame, sewing and embroidery, gardening and keeping up with their chores at home.   Nepal has recently shutdown for the 2nd time this year.  Girls are all in the safe houses, studying, learning to cook, playing games and reading their Bibles.   Our workers keep us well-informed by staying in touch by cellphone with the ministers overseeing the girls.  Workers cannot travel to the various safe house due to restrictions on travel.   Only essential ambulances and food delivery trucks are allowed on the roads.   Our relief work to feed the people will be on hold until workers can travel to distribute sacks of rice again.    

 India on Wednesday reported more coronavirus deaths in a single day than any other country at any time during the pandemic, while infections continued to spread through vast rural areas with weak health systems.   The Health Ministry reported a record 4,529 deaths in the past 24 hours, driving India's confirmed fatalities to 283,248. It also reported 267,334 new infections, as daily cases remained below 300,000 for the third consecutive day. The numbers are almost certainly undercounts.  The previous record for most daily deaths from the coronavirus was set on Jan. 12 in the United States, when 4,475 people died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

May brings spring weather and hope!

April passed quickly and smoothly.   We completed our vaccinations in April.   Although we were apprehensive about it, we also felt very vulnerable to the risk of COVID-19 even with the few trips we make to the grocery store.    Neither Ron nor I had any reaction to the shots.   Our arms were slightly sore for one day but no other reaction.   We feel blessed.  Now that we feel a little safer, we have had lunch at Capt.'s D's a few times.   We still wear our masks when out in public (following Biden's example...ha ha) because others do not know if we have been vaccinated.   Many stores and restaurants still request that people wear masks and keep their distance from others so we abide by the rules.  

We have worshipped on-line with the Brown Street church of Christ in Waxahachie, TX.    We parked our RV there on many occasions and they generously support our SAS work.  We feel at home with this congregation.   But, it is not the same as worshipping in person and we miss the fellowship.    

Ron will fly to Dallas next Saturday (May 15th) and stay with one of their elders.   He is scheduled to give a sermon and brief report on the work at Groesbeck, TX on Sunday morning and then at Brown Street on Sunday night.    He will return home on Monday, May 17th.   Since he is flying for a brief weekend, I will stay home this time.

We have not attended church services but intend to start back soon.   The Canton church is very small and the drive to the building is very dangerous.    It is straight up a hill with a curve in the road as you turn up so I would never make that drive myself.    The church in Woodstock has a current problem.    They disfellowshipped a member who has openly announced that she is gay.   She is attempting to bring a crowd with her and the media to stir up trouble.    We don't want to be involved in this situation and hope it ends soon.    The Piedmont Road congregation in Marietta, where Leigh Ann (our daughter) went when she lived here, is about 30 minutes from us.   There are no other sound congregations closer.   North Georgia has always been a difficult area for the church to grow.   

The schools are closed again in Nepal.   India is having a very horrible time with COVID and it is spreading into Nepal again.    Many people are out of work and desperate for food so SAS is again providing rice to Christians.   This week 52 families were given large sacks of rice.    We do not know when the pandemic will improve in these Asian countries.

Our safe houses in Laos are also in lock-down mode due to COVID-19 until the end of May.   Our girls are safe but cannot go to school.

Casa Esperanza of Angels' orphanage in the Philippines is rather isolated so their island is doing well.  The children are still in school on the campus and life is good there.

We continue to be so blessed with everything we need.  I talked with my neighbor last week and we both agreed that sometimes it takes a pandemic and hard times for people to realize how very blessed we are.   If life was terrific all the time, we would not give God credit for the good times because we would not realize all the many blessings we receive from HIM.    We often take things for granted and do not realize that we have more than we need all the time.   Thanks be to God for each of you and for our many blessings.

  

 

Happenings in Nepal

While there is good news, there is also bad news.   The good news first!   Two of our supported girls in one of our safe houses, were baptized over the weekend.   Taking confession, baptizing and picture following baptisms:

Workers are preparing many sources of income for each safe house to obtain self-stainability with food so they can learn to care for themselves in difficult times of not having jobs.    They are busy learning to have beehives, mushroom farms, fish ponds, raising some chickens, and developing rice paddies, corn fields and vegetable gardens.     It is a busy time for our worker and our girls leaning to help. 

Can you find the Queen Bee or would you like to help

rob the bee hive?

Mushroom farming

Now for the bad news:    We were notified yesterday that an entire village in Nepal burned with 115 homes destroyed.    They have no fire stations, fire trucks with water or any system to put out fires.  The villages are very poor and the construction of houses are easily consumed with fire.   No people were lost but they are in great need of food, clothing and shelter.   Ron is busy getting the word out to raise money to help these poor people.    In third world countries, the government is poor and does not help. 

Spring in the Philippines

There are videos of the children in the Philippines enjoying their Easter egg hunt all over the beautiful campus.   Check Facebook "Casa Esperanza of Angels" if you want to watch the children finding the eggs, then opening the plastic eggs to find the candy.    Each had a sack to collect the eggs and then put their candy in after putting the plastic eggs back in a box to use again next year.    Note how orderly and mannerly the children are throughout the videos.    Simple treats like this are the making of great childhood memories.

The fruits are producing and the flowers are spectacular, not to mention their beautiful skies.   I could not copy one sunset where the sky was bright orange but it is on Facebook.

The Rider Club (a biker group) comes to Casa periodically and brings gifts to the children and entertain them with games.    I know this is another special treat for the children with each of their visits.    Instead of making "field trips" the entertainment comes to the campus.    

Because He is risen, we have hope for tomorrow!

Although Christians observe the Lord's supper each Lord's day in remembrance of His death, burial and resurrection, the world recognizes Easter Sunday once a year. People who are not religious will go to church once a year on Easter.  

According to the Biblical documents, the events of Jesus' death and resurrection took place during the Jewish celebration of Passover.

Passover celebrates the liberation of the Jewish people from their captivity in Egypt. It begins on the 15th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, lasting seven to eight days, in the springtime. Jesus linked his death to the Passover lamb in his last meal with disciples.  

In the earliest days, various Christian churches celebrated what was then called Pascha, on different days. Some observed on Passover itself, or the Sunday after Passover most commonly.  Finally, the universal Council of Nicea in 325 AD established the date to celebrate Christ's Resurrection. It would be the first Sunday after the Full Moon occurring on or after the year's first vernal equinox.

In years past, we got new spring clothes to wear for Easter Sunday.   Little girls would wear hats and sometimes white gloves.  We boiled eggs and dyed them pretty colors or added designs. Children always got an Easter basket from the bunny with candy and used it at the Easter egg hunt to collect the eggs they found hidden in the grass and around the yard.   Family lunches were always an enjoyable event for Easter Sunday.   

Question: "What is the origin of the Easter bunny and Easter eggs?"

Answer: It is commonly thought that the word Easter comes from a pagan figure called Eastre (or Eostre) who was celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe. The only problem with this theory is that it has no basis in history. The existence of a goddess named Eastre or a spring festival in her honor is based on pure conjecture. The same is true of the origin of the Easter bunny and Easter eggs—no one knows for sure how these things became a part of Easter observances. The most we can say is that the word Easter is probably related to the word east (ost in German) and that the Saxons had a month they called Eosturmononath.   What is the history of Easter Bunny?  According to some sources, the Easter bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called "Osterhase" or "Oschter Haws." Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs.

While we enjoy all of these traditions, they are not biblical.  In fact, they are of pagan origin.  Like many of the traditions surrounding Christmas, we enjoy traditions but do not incorporate them into our worship.    

For a Christian, the Friday before Easter Sunday, is the most difficult day of the year as we remember the fake trial that Jesus went through, the flogging and mistreatment he received, the painful trip carrying his cross and the horrible crucifixion.    The agony was more than we can even imagine yet he endured it for our salvation.    He could have called 10,000 angels as the song says, yet he died alone for you and me.

The happy time of Easter on Sunday morning is to celebrate his resurrection from the dead.   He gave us the hope of resurrection and having life after death.   He gave us the hope of heaven.  For this, we can be happy and rejoice on Easter Sunday and celebrate with family dinners and being together to worship Him.

I remember one special Easter at Ron's aunt Virginia Taylor's home in Columbia, TN.    All of the Brown family was there and the children had a wonderful Easter egg hunt in the front yard.   I can see Leigh Ann in her pretty Easter dress and Ronald in his yellow one-piece boy's suit with their baskets looking for eggs.  If we have pictures of that day, they are in the children's picture albums.   

I also recall a special Easter when Ha Ha, a little boy from China was with us while he had skin grafts for a burn he had received when his mother tripped and spilled boiling water on his face.   

Ha Ha was the nick name given to him by the flight attendant (Masako) who accompanied him on his trip the the U.S and back home again in one year.   His real name is Li Ce.   I can honestly say, he was the best child in behavior that I have ever seen.   He is now 17 years old and in a vocational school in Xi'an, China learning how to repair electric motors for cars.  He writes to me remembers so many things from his year with us and the Petersen family (Peachtree City, GA) while he was 3-4 years old.    We sent pictures home with him so I think he must look at those picture and recall his year with us.   I have sent him many of the pictures we took of him.

I have just sent him $100 to give him a little spending money.  He is so grateful for our love and help and it brings great joy to know that he has a good life and a hope for a good job so he can take care of himself.    

These are pictures of him in 2008 and in 2020 so you can see that he was a handsome little boy and he  has not changed a lot in 14 years. 

In Everything Give Thanks!

 "In everything give thanks"  is a very good way to start off each day.   Ron and I were reflecting at breakfast this morning how very blessed we are.   I would have to write all day to list the many ways we are blessed but I will reflect on just a few at this time.

We enjoyed a delicious seafood lunch at Red Lobster restaurant yesterday to celebrate our 63rd wedding anniversary.   Last year, we were in the Philippines and what a lavish reception we were given that day! 

This year, the waitress took our picture on the cell phone but its too dark and bad to even post!   Ron and I reflected on how blessed we are with our birthdays coming in May and June (83 and 84) to be able to do what we do.   We have escaped the COVID-19 virus so far and so has every member of our family.    I will have a visit with a new rheumatologist on Thursday and discuss the safety of the vaccine for my immune system situation.   

About a month ago, Tatum Dotson, our granddaughter was in the hospital in Tampa, FL for a week.  Leigh Ann helped her a lot during the time she was in the hospital by keeping her dog, Rocky, and doing some laundry and work at Tatum's condo so she'd have things in good shape when she got home.  Tatum  had severe pain with a ruptured abscess on her colon.   We are thankful that the right antibiotics and good hospital care healed her and she seems to be doing well at this time.    

None of our girls in our safe houses, nor the children in the orphanage in the Philippines have had any serious illness.   Our workers are also doing well.

Several of the older girls at Casa Esperanza of Angels are in one-on-one Bible studies with the minister/house father after expressing an interest in being baptized.    They are sure these older children understand the important commitment they are making rather than just following a trend of what others do.  There is much excitement now with a minister delivering the Sunday sermon, continual Bible teaching and the tent being filled with a large number singing praises to God each week.    They had to buy more chairs!  What a good problem.  

Ronald and Gigi live busy lives with the construction of their first family cottage under construction.  I think the plans are to have about four of these to accommodate visitors in the future.   The dire need now is for Ronald and Gigi to have this first one for a home and office.    It will be some time before they can obtain funding for the Administration building that will have an apartment for them.   They have been living in a one-room laundry house for the past year and it is very cramped.   They have been willing to sacrifice to make room for all the children they have accepted.    

There is a total of 19 children between our two house there now.  The two houses have space for 17 more children but it depends on whether they are boys or girls to complete the sharing of rooms.  They are presently evaluating six or more children that possibly will come to Casa and we have been told there are many others who are abused and neglected and need a home.    Gigi is busy with the home schooling for the children at various levels of learning as some children are almost teenagers and have only been to the first grade.

When anything has to be done with the government, Ronald and Gigi must travel to Cebu another island nearby by ferry.  On a recent trip, they took this picture at some location along the way.   I wish it were possible for them to get away more often for their own relaxation as they are under constant pressure.   Running an orphanage is not an eight-hour job.   The paperwork continues after the day ends and problems arise to make it a 24/7 job.   But, the rewards of helping these precious children make it worthwhile.  

Spring is here!   Robins are hopping all over the yard and flowers and trees are in bloom.  The Bradford pear trees are so white and beautiful.    Dogwoods and azaleas will be in bloom soon.   

The COVID-19 numbers are down and we see more businesses open, people out without masks going about their daily lives with more confidence that things are getting back to a more normal condition for easy living.    We hope this continues to improve so we can put the pandemic into the history books and be done with it!

We are still not traveling to visit churches.   Ron works from his computer and phone to keep supporters well-informed to know that our work in Asia continues as before and much good is being done.   I continue to keep sponsors well-informed about the girls they support.    We are still capable of handling all of the work and are very thankful that we still have this ability.   

The bottom line of this post is still the same...we are very blessed and we are thankful to God for our lives and everything that HE does to sustain our lives and provide the things we need.   To God be the glory for everything that is accomplished.    May HE bless each of my readers...friends and supporters.