July 1, 2006

Dear Friends and Family:

Greetings from Chiang Mai where the monsoon rains began early this year. Last month there was severe flooding in parts of Thailand. You may have seen pictures of the floods on TV or read about it in your newspapers. With satellite television and the Internet, news now spreads instantly around the globe. How times have changed from when we first came to Chiang Mai in the early 1960s. Back then we had to go to the post office in Bangkok to make a radio overseas telephone call, which came with long delays back and forth, or we could send a telegram from Chiang Mai. News spread across the world very slowly in those days. Today, however, being in Thailand is in many ways no different from being in a neighboring town or city in the States.

Perhaps you heard—by the grapevine or Internet—that John and I were in the United States for our “home assignment” during parts of April and May this year. Unfortunately, we were unable to see as many people as we would have liked due to limited time and travel funds. We were, however, able to visit churches in Illinois and Minnesota and visit with colleges and universities in several other areas. Martha made a quick trip to New York City and we were both at the offices of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in Louisville. It turned out that we were there when dramatic cuts were made in the budget and personnel. We hope that all Presbyterian Church members receiving this letter will study this situation and assist as you can.

Our work continues to go well at Payap University. During the past six months, the University has been preparing for a new administration. Dr. Boonthong Poocharoen, who was the President of Payap for the past 10 years, retired on May 31, and Dr. Pradit Takerngrangsarit took over as the new President on June 1. For the past several months the transition has been in progress. Being away during April and May was difficult for Martha since the new team was doing its planning then. Martha was asked to stay on as Vice President for International Affairs, the job she has held for the past eight years, until her retirement in 2008. During the next two years her work will be focused on institutional advancement and on training her successor. She will still be overseeing international support services and programs, but hopes that she will have more help in the daily activities of those areas.

John is continuing as the Senior Advisor for Payap’s Institute for the Study of Religion and Culture. He is also teaching several classes this academic year at Payap’s McGilvary College of Divinity, formerly called the Faculty of Theology. Another big job for him is helping with the planning of an international conference in June 2007 on the topic of “Religion and Culture”. There seems to be lots of interest in the conference already. If you want information on this conference, please check the Payap and/or Institute’s Web sites beginning in July.

Our partner church, The Church of Christ in Thailand, will be having elections for new officers in October. We hope that there will be a smooth and fair election and that the new team will bring strong leadership and vision to the Church of Christ in Thailand. The new Payap president wants the McGilvary College of Divinity to become more involved in the training of church and lay leaders. The College serves as one of the country’s main educational institutions preparing persons for the ministry. John hopes that the Institute will also begin to play a greater role in the peace activities and interfaith ministries of the Thai church in the future.

Thailand continues to struggle with violence in the south between Muslims and Buddhists. Dr. Mark Tamthai, John’s colleague and successor as the director of the Institute for the Study of Religion and Culture, continues to serve on national committees to work on peace and reconciliation in Southern Thailand. The Institute is concerned with helping the Thai people and others around the world understand how religious differences here and elsewhere often contribute to violence and conflict. One of the Institute’s goals is to examine how religion can contribute to building peace and reconciliation. They are working to make the Institute not only a study center but also an action center for conflict transformation and peace building. If you want to assist in this effort you can contribute funds for the work of the ISRC or towards the endowment for the salary of the ISRC Director to the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia. Information on how to contribute can be found on the Payap and the Institute web pages. You can also contact the Institute, the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, or Jay Rock in the Interfaith Office of the PC(USA) directly for more information.

The new school year here in Thailand began in early June. It is a very busy but also exciting and challenging time. We thank you for your support and prayers and thoughts. Without your assistance and your contributions to the worldwide mission ministries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) the work that many others and we do would not be possible. May God bless you in your local ministries and may God continue to guide and lead our denomination.

Peace and Love in Christ,

Martha and John Butt
Presbyterian Co-workers in Mission assigned to
The Church of Christ in Thailand and Payap University by
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p 122