The Latest from We Love Isaan

Two years ago when we arrived in Si Saket province, Bas (*not his real name) was completing the fifth grade unable to read and write Thai, unable to solve basic arithmetic problems, and just depleted of any will to move forward in his schooling.

At the end of sixth grade, Bas still was unable to do these things and his parents considered having him drop out, or enter the monkhood at a local temple. The question we always ask ourselves here is what is the future of these children? Children like Bas who cannot read and write their own language, who are neglected by family, and have little hope for a better future. So where’s Bas now?

We encouraged Bas and his family to keep him in school, even if they were ashamed of his academic struggles. A week ago, Bas finished the seventh grade. In the new high school he was assigned a tutor that spent time with him one-on-one to bring him up to speed in Thai. He brings his English homework over to ask for help. And we see hope in his eyes that we never saw before. He has a new found confidence.

Why? To tell the truth we haven’t done a whole lot with Bas. Over the past two years we have simply encouraged him. He has been encouraged to dream when everyone else gave up on him. We encouraged him to stay in school because without it, the opportunities in the future are slim.

This is what we are all about. We want to simply encourage families and especially children to dream of a better future. Hope is possible for these kids. Prostitution, drug addiction, and an early marriage is not the only path for the youth. There is so much more for these young lives.

Actually now Bas is holding his own classes at the center we started in the village. We have been unable to lead classes officially due to legal matters, but Bas does math, Thai, and English reviews with his friends on the weekends. I am so stoked to see the change in his life. There are new dreams in his eyes. And they started only with a bit of encouragement.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you! I’m a little behind … or perhaps way early!? Whichever the case I hope that you have had a wonderful time with family, friends, reflecting on Jesus, the greatest gift that has been given to us, as well as enjoying delicious food!

I’ve been so amazed and challenged by God during the past few months. Amazed by His patience with me, and challenged to lean into Him all the more! The ministry I’m with, We Love Isaan, is in a time of waiting. God led us into this about as soon as I arrived. It has been so good, humbling and frustrating all at the same time. What I had expected from this time was that we’d be seeking God, and asking Him to show us what to do next, but He has made it obvious since then, that this time is for seeking Him with no agenda. I feel like I can relate to the Israelites when they built the golden calf, because it can be really hard to sit still and feel like you don’t have any fruit to show for your faith in Christ. I’ve realized that idols don’t always look like cows, but  just busyness or “good ministry ideas” can easily become an idol, and I don’t want to be a hinderance to what God is doing here!

I get the question “What are you doing?” from just about everyone I talk to. I used to answer that I’m just getting to know my neighbors and playing with kids,  but I feel now as if God has given me a little kick to the tush as if to ask “Just??”.  How do I have any right to share the good news with them if I don’t take the time first to get to know them? This has been a little tricky since I’m still learning the dialect, and during the first few months most of the kids in the village were scared of me because I’m white, and the rest of the village didn’t really know what to think of me since I wasn’t teaching English, so they weren’t really sure why I had come.
My Thai mom started selling snacks at the school in our village, and I would go with her to help. Food is really the way to folks hearts! One little girl named Ploy, used to be so scared of me, but on the first day I helped mom, Ploy commented that she was amazed to see that I was just a normal person!  It was a strangely wonderful compliment! A couple high school students have been coming to me for help with their English homework, and the younger students have been asking to learn an English word a day. It started with 3 kids, and the group keeps growing!  My favorite time of the day has become the afternoons as soon as the kids get out from school. I love these kids!

In November I had my first Alaskan visitor, my friend Holly!  I had a border run to make so we went to Laos for a week and were able to visit with some dear friends there, and were also surprised to get Lao make-overs!  Isaan, the dialect I’m learning right now, is actually a lot closer to Lao, than it is to Thai, so it was a great chance for me to practice, since I couldn’t rely on speaking Thai to get by. Straight after that trip my Thai mom and I went down to Pattaya, for “Pattaya Praise” Which was an awesome week of prayer and intercession, as well a sweet time of praising God for what He’s doing in that city! Pattaya is known as being the red light city of Thailand, but God is doing HUGE things there! It was such a blessing to be a part of it! Around Christmas time we were able to take 3 of the kids from the village to a Christmas Party  at a children’s home in Phetchabun. It was a 7 hour drive, and I rode in the back of the truck with the kids, and was so blessed to see mountains for the first time through their eyes!  I think that was truly the highlight of the trip!

I’m leaving tomorrow for Chiang Mai, in the North of Thailand. I’m going to visit a ministry run by a wonderful missionary family, the Morse’s, who are partnered with my church back home. I’ll be there for 2 weeks, teaching English, and whatever else they throw at me. After that, YWAM, the organization I’m under, is having it’s 50th anniversary, and the founder of YWAM, Lauren Cunningham, is coming to Chiang Mai to hold on conference. I have friends coming from as far as China for this conference. So I think it should be a really sweet time of seeking God together, as well as hearing what He’s doing in other parts of the world!

A couple things you can be praying for:
*Continued favor here in the village, and more opportunities for friendship to open up.
*Traveling safety as I head to the North for 3 weeks. As well as for my Thai mom, who is helping her daughter-in-law, P’ Lek, take care of the grandkids while her husband is away with the Army.

Enough about me. How are you?? If there’s some way I can be lifting you up in prayer, please do let me know!

I couldn’t thank you enough for the prayers and encouragement I have received!! Thank you for being such a big part of what God is doing here. And know that you are always welcome to come for a visit, or to stay!
May you be blessed!

Love,

Katie

So we finally have some time to upload our latest update. In this update, Piyarat is interviewing Mom. Katie and myself are helping to translate.

Over this month we all are doing a bit of traveling so please pray for us. Katie has spent the past week in Laos. This coming week, her and mom will be going to Pattaya Praise, a big prayer and worship event in Pattaya.

In two weeks dad will be going with the local church to the north of Thailand for meetings and conferences.

And this coming week, our family is going to Bangkok to register Dylan’s birth with the U.S. embassy and to apply for Piyarat’s visa for our trip to the states. Please pray for favor for us at the embassy and that we wouldn’t have any difficulties. Please also pray for traveling safety for all of us and most of all that God would continue to speak to us, encourage us, and push us forward into more of Him in all that we do and in all these places where He is taking us.

Thanks for watching! We love hearing from you!

Casey for all of us in Si Saket!

Mom’s Heart & Vision – YWAM Si Saket Video Update #3 from Casey Wright on Vimeo.

Piyarat asks mom to share her heart for her village and her ministry among the families and youth in the area.