With October being a focus on raising funds for our University Students at New Family Foundation, I thought it appropriate to extend a hearty congratulations to Pastors Suradet and Yupa on their own recent academic success.
Both have received their Masters of Theology degree having completed the requirements of a long distance learning program out of Wesley University (Korean Methodist) in Jakarta, Indonesia. This was a two year program requiring diligent study and the writing of several research papers, plus Hebrew language studies, all done remotely, except for a few strategic trips to Bangkok.
Pictured here is a 'remote' graduation ceremony held in Thailand. A full out graduation and presentation of their parchments won't happen until travel bans are lifted and they can be together with their class in Indonesia.
There are several remarkable things about this.
One is that Suradet and Yupa chose to fund these studies out of the frugal budgeting of the modest salary they receive from their small local church (where they serve as Pastors) and from New Family Foundation as Directors and Parents for our gathered family there. Anyone who's been to market with Yupa, or has been there to observe the tedious care with which resources are stewarded won't find this impossible to imagine, just once again impressive to know.
The other is that they managed these studies in between their abundant life of ministry and service, AND the latter part all happened during Covid restrictions when the children were learning from home. It takes a lot for either of them to admit that they're tired, so when I was asking them and they were saying so, I knew that it was taking a herculean effort to keep it all going.
But they did. And they're finished. And we are so grateful to have such tenacious, hard-working people leading the way by example for our family at Hot Springs.
Congratulations and well done!!!
Education in Thailand is not taken for granted. There is no publicly-funded system at any learning level, beginning from kindergarten all the way to post secondary education. Our Sponsors help to make sure our student from K to 12 can go to school, as part of their monthly contributions pay for school fees.
When it comes to post secondary, we don't ask Sponsors to bear that weight, but participate in other fundraising efforts to put towards a separate fund so that all of our young people, if they want to, can continue their education and go as far as they want to go.
Hence our "NOT A GARAGE SALE" this year.
Normally we would have been gathering items all summer long, set them up in the parking lot in mid September, and have gathered the funds for the coming year. With Covid making safety protocols difficult (especially not being able to bring things indoors if it rained), we opted with a grand experiment and brought the sale online.
If you're comfortable with online shopping, you'll find the 'store' easy to navigate. I'd invite you to take a look at https://www.hcckw.ca/store/c2/Thailand_Fundraiser.html#/ We've got baked goods, masks, art, painted rocks and even a devotional (my own Pandemic Ponderings!) for you to choose from.
NOTE: We are advertising Waterloo Region deliveries only, but if there's something (not food) that you want to consider, I'd be happy to negotiate something with you.
NOTE 2: If anyone's curious I am STILL working on my Masters of Divinity from Tyndale with only three courses to go, one of which I am working on as we speak. It's a preaching elective I've crafted and had approved called "What Then Shall We Say? Preaching For Spiritual Formation During Disorienting Times". Think it'll be relevant for the 9 month interim pastor role I'm filling at Highview this winter/spring?
Oh school! I love it!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment