Haynes Family Mission

The Family Learning Center

2008-04-29T16:38:00.000-07:00

WANTED: Individuals interested in a grand adventure and serving Christ in Northern Thailand. K-12 school is looking for teachers in all grade levels to teach in various subjects.

The Family Learning Center was formed to “serve the servant” in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Our school was established to support the many ministries and outreaches in the North of Thailand, by serving the children of those called here to serve. We began as a ministry formed under YWAM (Youth With A Mission), and have recently moved under the Christian Education Foundation of Thailand (CEFT).

We are a K-12th grade school, and instruction is English-based. We have students from around the world including America, Australia, Thailand, Holland, Taiwan. Our teachers come from around the globe as well!

In order to “serve the servant” well, we are looking for others with mission to “serve the servant” though education. Would you consider volunteering to serve in Chiang Rai? We are looking for people to help in several areas, including teachers (all levels and subjects) and administrative staff. Whether you want to come for a semester, a year, or long-term, the Family Learning Center has a place for you to serve!

Please e-mail me at william@thaihaynes.com to start talking about the possibilities!

Pongprabaht Church Update #2

2008-04-27T06:07:00.000-07:00

We are SO thrilled to see the progress at the Pongprabaht Karin Church. We have a DTS team from YWAM Montana working there this week, so we'll post more photos at the end of the week.

When we arrived this morning, it was wonderful to see that bright blue roof already installed! Walls are going up on the downstairs rooms and the flooring is complete on the second story. The villagers were excited to show me the progress that had been made. Here's a slideshow of photos we have taken this week:

The old building was wooden and the Simpsonville team used planks from that building to help create the forms for the concrete on the new building. The team this week will be helping renovate the old building into an open air "sala", or roofed seating area.

The church leaders asked me to preach and I did the sermon on following God's vision. I'm excited for the YWAM Team getting to spend time working with this church. The team is sleeping out in the village and they've been assigned to houses of villagers in the church. Tonight is their first evening in the village, so it will be fun to hear the stories.

Pongprabaht Church Progress

2008-04-16T17:12:00.001-07:00

Cindy and I rode out to the Pongprabaht Church today to see the progress that's been made on the church building. Simpsonville First Baptist Church came and helped with the initial construction. In the last month, the second floor supports, flooring, and the roof supports have been added. Some of the walls downstairs have been done as well. I'm thinking within the next couple of months, the building will be ready to use!

Vacation Bible School

2008-03-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

We had a VBS yesterday in a nearby Karin Hilltribe Village. It went great and there were about 40 kids there. Andy Clark, from Simpsonville First Baptist Church, did a great job presenting the plan of salvation using the evangicube and about 10 children accepted Christ as their savior!

Here's a slideshow:

Or you can click here for the web album of pictures.

The crafts were very popular and each children was thrilled with the gifts that they got to take home. We will see frisbees and yoyo's for years in that Karin Hilltribe village.

Simpsonville First Baptist Outreach 2008

2008-03-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a slideshow of some pictures from the team's time here in Chiang Rai. They have been such a blessing to many, particularly the members of Phomprabaht Church where they have been working.

I thought I'd share a slideshow of their time here so far.

Or you can click here for the webalbum.

Simpsonville First Baptist Church Team

2008-03-11T23:39:00.000-07:00

The Simpsonville First Baptist Church team has arrived and is hard at work helping a local Karin Church build a new building for Sunday School and outreach. We're thrilled to have them here with us and the building is coming along quickly.

Introduction to Primary Health Care School

2008-02-29T23:28:00.000-08:00

Cindy will be developing a IPHC school with the base staff here in Chiang Rai. In February of 2009, YWAM Montana will run this school in Chiang Rai. Cindy will be taking the course then. Cindy will then need to staff the school the following year before she can help start the school in Chiang Rai during 2011.

Yes, that means we're planning to be here for quite awhile longer! Here's some background information on the course taken from the YWAM Montana website:

This school is an entry-level course designed to help those with or without prior knowledge of health care. You can have an impact on nations, communities, and individuals by learning to be equipped as primary health care workers. Students benefit from the expert instruction of practicing professionals including physicians, nurses, physician assistants, dental hygienists, social workers, and health educators.

Lecture Phase :

The three (3) month lecture phase includes:

Fundamentals of anatomy and physiology
Basic knowledge and function of the human body helping students to understand the disease process.
Strategies in primary health care
Topics include immunization, the most common diseases in developing nations, malnutrition, dehydration in children, and assessment and care of sick children. (Millions of children die each year from diarrhea and dehydration.)

Practical clinical skills:

Basic physical assessment
wound care
bandaging
sterile technique
medication administration
vital signs
emergency childbirth
first aid and managing medical emergencies.

Cindy's excited about the possibilities to impact the remote areas of Northern Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. William is working with the Chiang Rai base where the course will be held. They're quite excited about working together in this important mission.

The YWAM Chiang Rai Base

2008-02-29T20:45:00.000-08:00

Last October, I was asked to be part of a leadership team for developing a YWAM Chiang Rai Base and accepted. Over the past months, we've worked together to develop a mission, vision, and the values for this missions base.

We have been blessed by having Ron Brewster working with us in Chiang Rai. Ron is the director of the YWAM base in Lakeside, Montana and has come alongside our Chiang Rai base to help us establish long-term leadership structure and systems needed to accomplish our mission.

We are currently in the midst of our third consecutive yearly DTS with sixteen students on campus. Rob and Cy Wiebe have joined our staff, coming to us from YWAM Chile where they helped run the School of Biblical Studies (SBS). They plan to begin the first Chiang Rai SBS in the summer of 2009 and are working hard on their language studies.

Eight Thai Christians are currently attending the Discipleship Training School and we are excited to be helping train the local Christians. Our vision is to partner with these local Christians to reach the unreached of Southeast Asia. As part of our goal of reaching the unreached, the base is coordinating a worldwide YWAM Frontier Missions conference which will be held in April 2008. Attendees from around the world and representing many nations will be coming to Chiang Rai to receive encouragement and teaching to assist them in “going to the ends of the earth” and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

There are talks underway regarding additional schools which we believe would be a natural fit for YWAM Chiang Rai. The first of these is The School of Frontier Missions (SOFM) and the second is Introduction to Primary Health Care (IPHC). Please be in prayer with us as we consider the many opportunities we have to serve this area of Southeast Asia.

We’re also opening a snack bar in the administration building to serve students, staff, and the Christian community of Chiang Rai. During the six months that DTS is in session, we often have wonderful speakers on location and Wednesday night has been reserved as an evening of open invitation to the local Christian community to be encouraged in their missions work. We’re excited about the opportunity for extending the relationships between the Base and local Missions community.

Two of the base staff, Jesse and Uab Ford head up a discipleship ministry and smoothie shop across from the Mai Fae Luang University. How amazing to see university students seeking answers to life’s questions and finding the answer in Christ. We are honored to work with this ministry as an integral component of the base outreach. Please keep this ministry in your prayers.

Weekend Retreat

2008-02-24T04:28:00.000-08:00

Our family had the treat this weekend of visiting Huai Khum Resort, which is owned by a family whose children attend the FLC. We had a wonderful and active weekend of swimming, walks, and some great time with our friends Charley and Grace. At 7:20 am this morning, the local Lahu hilltribe church began ringing the gong to announce the church service. It was beautiful to hear the worship in the Lahu language.

Chiang Rai YWAM Base

2008-02-20T01:20:00.000-08:00

I have been on the leadership team of the Chiang Rai YWAM Base since last October. It's been funny, as I used to come home pleased with how meetings went but hestitant to believe that everything would work out.

Over the past month, a lot more clarity has developed about the direction of the base, upcoming projects, and my work there. The hesitancy is disappearing quickly. Yesterday, we had a meeting with Cindy about the possibility of starting a IPHC (Introduction to Primary HealthCare) school at the base. Cindy and Ute Ylauan would co-lead the school.

I'm really getting excited! We're all pulling the same direction and there are some incredible things that will happen with this base! Please keep us and this process in your prayers.

Saturday morning

2008-02-15T15:03:00.001-08:00

Well, it's Saturday morning here in Chiang Rai... The fireworks have been going off since 5:30 am this morning. Fireworks? Yes, fireworks! Apparently, it's the lunar new year and the Buddhist temple up the road is doing amplified chants and fireworks at 5:30 am to celebrate the day!

I'm thinking the fireworks are really marking Paul's first 1/2 marathon and Tim's race today as well. Congrats guys! I look forward to the race reports.

In your honor, I plan to do a special workout today. I'll post about it later!

Finding our way

2008-02-14T00:11:00.000-08:00

It's been a really interesting time of learning a lot and "finding our way". God's been teaching a lot of lessons to me about who I am and how He made me. I'm trying to figure out how to use that within the context of being a missionary. It seems a lot of gifts can have a downside too, just depending on the context. For example, you may be a strong leader but then be insensitive to people's feelings as you accomplish a lot for His Kingdom. The challenge is balance, which has never been my strong suit.

Sometimes when I speak or write this stuff, I wonder if it makes any sense to others. Anyway, I'm enjoying the blogging processing and getting it out of my mind and onto digital paper...

The Balance

2008-02-10T22:10:00.000-08:00

With our focus on fitness, I've been giving a lot of thought to the "balance" between the physical, mental, and spiritual. I think it's interesting that as my body is getting fit, I'm wanting to spend more time with God and worship Him more.

I also wonder what the categories are that we should keep balanced. Are they physical, mental, and spiritual, or are there others? Perhaps financial, or does that fit under mental (or physical)?

I am finding that as my body gets stronger, my mind is more alert, my prayer time for productive and I'm generally happier and less stressed. Perhaps more able to flow a bit more with life rather than trying to force it.