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August is "Foon Foo Week"
Each year the religious affairs office holds a spiritual emphasis
week for all of Payap University during August. "Foon Foo"
means "revival," and our goal is to revive weary hearts
and introduce students to the gospel of God’s love in Jesus.
CCI performs
The Christian Communications Institute has created original songs
and plays and activities for this year’s theme: "freedom."
CCI will perform their program twice each day—once on each
Payap campus. CCI’s week at Payap comes midway through their
season of performing in most of the schools of the Church of Christ
in Thailand (that is, the partner church of the PC(USA) in Thailand).
Classroom visits
Campus Crusade for Christ helps with people power and training
for visits in 30 classrooms each day to share testimonies, do
skits, and present the good news. This year, students and faculty
from the McGilvary Faculty of Theology are developing answers
to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Christianity. Last
year over 400 students responded to these class visits by saying
they wanted to know more about Jesus or to follow him. Another
400 said they needed counseling for personal issues.
Freedom fair
A new idea for follow-up: this year we’re doing a fair on
the lawn with booths where staff will be available to answer questions
and Christian student groups can advertise their activities and
recruit members; the Bible Society will have Bibles, books, and
music for sale, and CCI will sell their tapes and offer foot massages!
We hope this will provide friendly ways to get to know the kids
who are seekers and connect them with people and programs that
will lead them to Jesus.
Counseling help-line
For kids wanting counseling we are going to try a phone help-line.
We hope that kids too embarrassed to come in person for help will
benefit from the anonymity. We want to provide immediate help
with no strings attached, but also develop relationships and an
atmosphere of helpfulness, so that kids can get the long-term
help and support they need.
Seekers retreat
Last year we held our first seekers’ retreat for follow-up
and it worked wonderfully. Kids who went got a good start on relationships
with us and tended to stick with ongoing Bible study and fellowship
opportunities. We’re going to do this again at the beginning
of September.
Praise and thanks to God
During our visit this April we asked especially for prayer for
follow-up and this is precisely where God has given new ideas
and energy. Pray that everyone at Payap who is seeking truth will
find a friend who will lead them to the Truth who is the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Family news
We loved getting to know our newest grandchild Jonathan when
he and his parents, Andy and Ellen, and brother Christopher visited
during May on their return to Nepal. Andy helped Rob at CCI and
put together a list of video and computer equipment they could
use. This summer Nathan came to Chiang Mai for a couple months
and studied Thai at Payap. He polished his reading and writing
skills and will hopefully meet a requirement for his international
relations major at the College of Wooster. Nathan also cleared
14 feet in the pole vault at Wooster, which delighted his former
pole vaulter father. Anna traveled to the States and Canada to
visit family and friends. She enjoyed a great tour of the U.S.
including Washington, D.C., New York, and Boston. Her guitar skills
have improved and she’s ready for 10th grade. Paul has been
working nearly dawn to dusk on the farm and, having spent a year
out of college, is ready to try it again at Malone.
Thank you for your love, prayers, and support.
Esther Wakeman and Rob Collins
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