It is the 27th of November and our preparation is almost done. We are trying to find room for all of the donated goods we are taking. The Airlines have kindly increased our luggage allowance to 25kg each. Mayne have donated vitamins for the orphanage. We have excess school uniforms that have also been donated as well as assorted supplies for the Orphanage. If you would like to know more about the great work Mercy International does, go to their web site at http://www.mercy-international.com/mi_thailand.htm

What a week! On Tuesday I woke up covered in spots - Chicken Pox! OH NO - it is only 7 days until we leave for Khon Kaen and the HIV+ Babies Orphanage and I can't go if I am still contagious. Mum rushed me to the doctor and he promised that I would be better by the weekend. BUT Mum had to have a blood test and my little sister Natasha had to get immunised (ouch) - all because of my spots.

We would like to say hello to Samantha & Natasha, we hope that you had a great flight over there, and would also like to wish you a Merry Christmas.
Corey & Jordyn Jackson.
also hello from UCSC

Hi Natasha,

We hope we have the right place to send you an e-mail. We hope you are having a great time and learning lots. What are the babies doing? Please tell us everything you have been doing. We have taken everything down in the classroom and it looks very bare. We have even made a Christmas tree made from hands and we have been doing lots of christmas activities. It has also been raining a lot and we have had wet lunches.

We hope you are all safe. Have a lovely Christmas and look forward to seeing you again next year. Love from A3W

We need news. It is short in coming. Many prayers are going up for the team. Are there any specific needs or praise points.
Missing you Kerrin and Raph. Love you heaps from Steve. All is well at home. House has not fallen apart YET!!!!!

Well here we are at Saturday already! Natasha and Samantha are having a ball. Natasha (aged 6) is the shopping queen and is stocking up on jewellery and clothes. Her only complaint is that "Thailand smells". Samantha has been adopted by the toddlers at the orphanage. As soon as we arrive she is mobbed and always has at least two kids hanging off her.

Natasha was very tired after the flight. Samantha's time clock just wont change. We got to bed at 1:30 am on day one. That is 4:30 Gold Coast time. Samantha woke up at her normal GOLD COAST time of 6 am (thats 3 am here!!!!)

We have seen some amazing food - every kind of grasshopper you can imagine and more. We have lots of photos.

God has a sense of humour. Because Wendy did all of the communication with the hotel they thought she was the pastor and upgraded us to a beautiful suite. That night I was informed that as Life Christian Church's Kids pastor I have been chosen to preach on Sunday!!

Team 1 is in Petchabun so we have no news of them - except that we have heard there are no hot showers there - tee hee.
Team

The babies are really cute and love me lots. Samantha and I have special friends called Wei and Mai. I'm sick of eating rice every meal. The hotel I am staying at is very nice. My room is on the 11th floor. Its very noisy at night time because the Thai people seem to stay up all night.

Tracey just want to let you know we are trying to look after Paul but he has been blacklisted by the airline as he almost drowned the passengers sitting behind him after his water bottle leaked from his bag in the overhead locker not only showering them but also all their hand luggage as well! He lost his jumper on the next flight and I had to go hunting for it - manged to find it again - miracle upon miracle!!!

The girls (Shannon, Nikki, Helen, Michelle & Charissa) are still in shock over the hole in the ground toilets at Brunie airport - their bladders suddenly became very strong!!

Steve we have made sure that Kerrin has gone buying - you will be impressed!!!

On a serious note we need prayer for 2 babies aged 4months and 10months old who are HIV Positive and are currently very sick (names are Kuti and Panod)

Will keep in touch when group returns.

Thanks for the news. Preach up a storm Rod. From what I have heard from different SMS messages that people have received, no one will be wanting to come home. THAT'S BAD. We need you back home. Keep up the good work. Only a short time to make a big time impact. GO FOR ALL YOU CAN.

Dear In Jesus Christ
Christian loving greetings to you in the most highly exalted name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
God has privileged me to introduce myself and my ministry to you through this. I am Paul. Chukka. I have been doing the service of the Lord for the last 16 years. The Lord has entrusted some churches to me. A few young brothers are co-operating with me in the work of God. Our main purpose is Gospel Work.
There are many orphans in all our churches. Some have no mothers and some have no fathers. Many of them have not both the parents. They are without shelter, food and proper clothes. They are away from parental love and comfort. They are away from food many times in a month. Their condition is very pathetic. James 1:27 says, “To visit orphans in their trouble is pure and undefiled religion before God, the Father.” Therefore, I want to provide shelter, food and education. If I do not do this, they will become beggars and rowdy sheeters. I am not a rich man to feed them. So, I am bringing their miserable condition to your kind notice. Please pray for these orphaned children and extend your helping hand.
All these children are conveying their loving greetings to you. Kindly keep them in your precious prayers. I shall look forward to your kind and favorable response prayerfully and hopefully.
Yours in Jesus Christ,
Pastor. Paul Chukka

After reading your various comments, I probably need to give all the team a bit of advice...
you`re all in Thailand....EXPECT a cultural shock.....like DUH !! Having been on a mission field
myself, isn`t it WONDERFUL all the new sights and smells (like the airport facilities) ?? I`ll give
you all a challenge....when it comes to food, promise you`ll try ANYTHING once !! Hey Kerryin...
this is a OUTREACH mission, not a

*finishing sentence*.....this is an OUTREACH mission, not a SHOPPING mission !!
Good luck to you all, and God bless
BOB

It is now Monday. The team gets back from Petchabun tonight. In the next three days we visit four schools as well as two night prayer meetings. Our trip to Karat yesturday was awesome. We arived late and so I had no chance to meet my interpreter before preaching - what an experience - the words I had anticipated would cause a problem were fine - others turned out to be a total mystery so I interpreted for the interpreter who then interpreted for the congregation! We all had a blast. After church the entire congregation (NO-ONE leaves) sits down to share a meal. My poor old knees are not used to sitting cross legged on the floor. Samantha and Natasha were spoilt by everyone giving them gifts - I preached on Acts 20-35 "It is more blessed to give than receive" and the congregation seemed determined to prove that fact.

Hello to you all. Sounds like you are all ahving such a great time. WE miss you and are praying constantly for you all. Sounds like we need to hear Rod preach at home and his wife PASTOR wendy! Roll on Sept 04 as we want to share all the amazing things you guys are. Have a great R&R these next few days, and ladies happy happy shopping!!!

Hi guys, sounds like you are having a ball...we look forward in hearing you preach here rOD and your wife Pastor wendy!We miss you all are praying constantly for you,what an awesome blessing you are to those precious people. Have a great R&R these last fewdays...happy happy shopping ladies! sPECIAL LOVE TO DALLAS AND jENNY