December 2005

Dear Friends,

We’ve just enjoyed the best Payap Christmas ever!

On the night before “Christmas” the Christian students’ club celebrated Christmas with an outreach program for their friends. There were lots of songs and games, a play with three “wise guys” (two missionaries and the pastor of the Payap Church), a short Bible study on why the star-studiers worshipped Jesus, and lots of good food. The evening was full of joy, and a deep sense of cooperation and community among the different groups working together in evangelism and discipleship through the chaplain’s office.

“Christmas” day started with worship from 8:00 – 9:00. Almost 100 staffers showed up and enjoyed a beautiful prelude by two young harp students from the music department. They’ve only been playing for a few months, but they sounded angelic. Carols were sung, Scripture read, and Christian Communications Institute did a short, funny, northern Thai adaptation of O’Henry’s Christmas story, “Gift of the Magi.” Rob provided a short reflection on it; then we all enjoyed a breakfast snack and fellowship on the chapel porch.

After worship, Santa and his helpers began their journey throughout every faculty and every office to wish the whole Payap community a merry Christmas and to invite them to afternoon worship, the evening meal, and the Christmas concert in the evening. Santa’s helpers were about 15 students and staff dressed cheerily and armed with guitars and voices, small gifts and candies to help spread good cheer. We visited all three campuses of the university and apparently did a good PR job, because the chapel was filled for the afternoon worship service.

The angelic harpists reprised their beautiful tunes for the afternoon worship. The liturgy was meaningful, special music was provided by the Sacred Music Singers of the music department (who were recently selected by the Thailand Choir Association to represent Thailand in the Choir Olympics in China in July 2006), and by the international M.Div. students of McGilvary Faculty of Theology, who sang from the depths of their hearts. Santa Claus in Thai trousers (Rob) gave the homily in a retelling of “Amahl and the Night Visitors” to some of the children of staff members. The adults seemed more interested in the story than the kids. After worship, the president gave a short blessing speech, the winners of the office-decorating contest were announced, and prizes were handed out by the president.

Then we gathered with another 1,000 or so students in the big covered multi-purpose arena for a wonderful dinner to which all the faculties and offices of the university contributed. A talented worship band from the Faculty of Theology entertained while all ate their fill on a wonderful selection of the world’s best food—Thai food.

The Payap University Christmas Concert 2005 was meant to begin at 7:00 (and often these concerts start late), but by 6:50 the chapel was already packed and people were still streaming in, so we started right on time with beautiful bell ringing, and then Mozart’s Symphony #18 by the Chiang Mai Symphony Orchestra (Payap University), followed by the Sacred Music Singers. After a brief intermission, Handel’s Messiah filled the chapel and filled many hearts with joy and wonder. People were sitting on the floor and steps and standing all around the back of the chapel. The chapel is a beautiful, intimate space, and there was a wonderful sense of God’s love and closeness in our midst.

By the time you receive this, Christmas will have passed, but I wanted to share with you one of my best days ever in five years of ministry at Payap University. It was full of God’s blessing and presence. So many different people from many different places and backgrounds contributed the work of their hearts and minds and hands to create a wonderful celebration of the birth of Jesus.

Thank you for your prayers and your support. We are so grateful for the privilege of serving our humble joyful Lord Jesus with his people here in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We hope that wherever you are, the joy of God-with-us is permeating to the depths of your lives and work.

In Christ,

Esther Wakeman (and Rob Collins)

The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 122

We will be in the United States for time with churches and family from March 17 through May 15, 2006. The PC(USA) is scheduling our time from March 25 to April 2 and from April 22 to May 9. They’re not sure where they’re going to send us yet—to a presbytery that’s interested in Thailand, perhaps—but we’re making our own schedule for the rest of our trip, so if you’d like to invite us to speak, let us know. We’ll be in Pasadena, California, from May 15 to April 22 and in Pandora, Ohio, from May 7 to 15.