Dear Friends,

Six months have passed since our last epistle and every month was packed. We are deeply blessed each day by God’s goodness to us.

Esther is enjoying her new position as chaplain (and Assistant to the President for Religious Affairs) at Payap University. She’s been getting a sense of the lay of the land—the excellent programs and people already in place and the areas that need some strengthening and support. The staff folks in Religious Affairs are terrific and you’ll be getting to know them in future letters. We enjoyed a retreat recently at rustic cabins owned by the university on Khun Tan Mountain a couple of hours south of Chiang Mai. We hope to renovate and revive the use of these cabins for the spiritual refreshment of the whole university family. Pray for energy and wisdom in the renovation and programming for this camp.

Esther has put together some committees to help pray for and develop the worship life and the assembly programs of the university. This past week she was deeply encouraged as the worship committee committed to starting and encouraging several prayer cells on both campuses. Esther has felt that her primary role will be to pray and encourage prayer—so this is exciting indeed. Mr. Worachat, who works in the McGilvary Faculty of Theology office, encouraged all of us on the worship committee by telling us that a new emphasis on specific praying during the morning prayers there has resulted in noticeable positive changes in students. We are looking forward to witnessing and sharing more stories of answered prayer as we develop this discipline more faithfully in our community. Please pray for strong and lively prayer cells that will encourage the Christians and produce exciting answers for the glory of God.

Students have begun bringing their friends to Esther’s office for counsel and prayer. Pray that she’ll have wisdom and that God will do wonderful miracles in students’ lives—especially letting them know how precious they are to him.

This month about 40 to 50 Payap students along with 40 to 50 Japanese students will participate in three work camps in poor village churches in the mountains around Chiang Mai. These are wonderful opportunities for the students to experience village life, to make a contribution, to develop cross-cultural friendships, and to hear more about the Christian faith. Please pray for safety and lots of fun, and pray that these camps will accomplish good things in each student’s heart.

Rob’s work is going well. He has a new boss. Actually, Somnuk Jaripen is a former student of Rob’s. He spent many years in the pastorate, then oversaw the seminary field education program; now he has been appointed head of the theology department. Somnuk has very good people and administrative skills. He is also sensitive to important justice issues. Pray for him in this new position, please.

We are planning to be in the States this summer according to the following schedule:

California: June 9 to June 25
Ohio-Pennsylvania: June 25 to August 15
Midwest & elsewhere: Aug. 16 to Sept. 16 (Rob only)

If your church is interested in our coming to visit, please contact us at the following email address: rainrctr@loxinfo.co.th. We are eager to see you in person, even if it means simply touching base with the church mission or interpretation committee.

Blessings,

Rob Collins and Esther Wakeman

The 2001 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 171