First "work" day

8 August

Officially our first day "working" here, strangely this is the first chance we've had to report on the kerayzee experence of camp we had at the weekend. From the moment we arrived, team members had a chance to try out their limited Thai in an atmosphere of hardcore fun, relationship building, and gospel sharing.

The punishment dances that had to be done by those who lost the games (imagine miming being a chicken stuck on a stick, dancing along to a bongo beat and you've got a fair idea...) caused great hilarity and were just one example of the fun fun atmosphere of the weekend, but what impacted me most was the willingness of the Thai students (both those involved in the Christian group and their friends) to spend time with us, laugh with us, share their culture.

I had the opportunity to share my testimony (in broken Thai!) with a young Christian high schooler called Tan and be encouraged by how God has acted in her life. So many new names and faces, but please pray specifically for the group of about 8 students (mostly of high school age) who expressed a real interest in following Christ and went home with their first Bibles. Since getting to Phitsanulok, which will be our home for the next 2 and a half weeks, we've been feeling a little more settled, and the last remnants of jetlag have left us.

Last night some of the students from the university took us out to a night market on campus, showing us the delights of fried insects (mmm, the worm things we tried were lovely!) and sharing with us a normal part of their life. Many of them came and spent time with us in the Youth House (the base for the Christian students) for the rest of the evening.

I'd really like you to pray for one young couple we have met, Pie (male) and Gung(female). They are not yet Christian, have been along to the Youth House for the past couple of months, and had a really great time at the camp. God is clearly acting in their lives, and they seem to be really searching. What a gift that their English is good enough for us to have struck up strong bonds already.

Please pray that God would use these relationships to reveal Himself and that He would provide them both with a conviction that the gospel is true and relevant to their lives.

Last thing for today - tonight at 6.30pm our time (12.30 in your afternoon) we're holding a cafe in the Youth House for students. The theme is Look! and we want to be encouraging students to look at Jesus through a talk, testimony, sketch and relaxed cafe atmosphere and chat.

Pray for good relationships to grow and that we might be effectve witnesses for Christ as we present God's truth.

Rosie