Church Christmas Outreach

Last night we went to our Church's Christmas outreach event. The event's starting time was 5:00pm, but when we arrived at 5:20pm there were only a handful of people not from our church and many empty chairs. By the time that proceeds started (around 6:30pm?) the place was full. Christians from surrounding churches feel obligated to come so there are many more Christians than none Christians, but when the crowd was asked for whom this was their first time to Church, I'd say there were 10 or more hand go up. For a church of only abour 12 adult members, they did a wonderful job getting such a big event together, especially as they do not have a pastor. The children's program led by a Swiss missionary was packed. The most children they've ever had. The event was still going at 8:20pm when we decided that it was late enough for our two boys, as there was still a 40min drive back home. We pray that there will be a least a couple of people who start coming to our church after this event.

Christmas Outreach

Last week we were both involved in Christmas outreach programs in local school around our area (we are also involved this week). It is an annual program organised by one of the longer term missionary working in Lopburi. Here am I playing King Herod in the birth narrative of Jesus.

It was a bit strange to be going to schools with Buddhist temples built within the school grounds. I can't imagine too many Christian schools in Australia letting Muslim missionary come and teach their children about Islam. We pray that a seed has been sown in the hearts of some of these children and teachers.

The 100th Posting

Well this is the 100th posting on our blog site! We hope you have enjoyed the journey so far.

Lopburi is known in Thailand as the "Monkey City" as it has so many monkeys in one part of town. This part of town is overrun with them really and they are quite a nucience. Unsuspecting tourists are bitten each day by monkeys as they try to steal any food they might be carrying. In our first months in Lopburi Lisa was carrying a bag of fruit and a monkey came and ripped open the bag and stole her fruit. I seen them climb on the back of utes while they have been stopped at traffic lights and raid the boxes of food which might be stored in the back. I hate going to this part of town as I don't like the monkeys at all. Being a Buddhist society, of course you can't kill the monkeys and they are consider sacred by many bring protect and luck to the city (hence the temples that are built for them?).
Last month we went to see the annual feeding of the monkeys at one of the "Monkey Temples" in "Old Lopburi". Large amounts of food are laviously prepared to thank the monkeys.

When we leave Lopburi next year, the monkeys will be one thing we won't miss!

Spaghetti Party

Lots of fun until the kids started eating the spaghetti after they had played in it and after it had been on the ground too!