December 15, 2003

Dear Partners in Ministry,

So much news so little space…

A new class of volunteer English Teachers arrived this past August 29th. They are Crystal Corman, Laura Koepke, Lis Leggett, JoHanna Madsen, and Jill Rode. They completed their seven weeks of orientation and language study and were off to their school assignments just in time for the closing of the schools for mid-year break (mid-October is the mid-year/semester break on the Thai school calendar, which starts in May and goes through February).

They all seem to be adjusting well to their new surroundings although language continues to be the biggest barrier to ministry. Carol and I still note those challenges after several hundred hours of language lessons and almost four years now of ministry here. Thai is just a difficult language to master. Nevertheless, as one of the Fuller Seminary professors is fond of saying, "Language learning is communication is ministry."

And so we continue in ministry not only with the English Teachers but with all members of our community. We have moved to a village just south of Chiang Mai which is more rural in nature. It presents another level of challenge to us because most people speak northern Thai. (We have spent all of our time studying central Thai—the official language—and there is about as much difference between the two as there is between 17th-century Scottish and 21st-century American English.)

The children are doing well. Zach (11th grade) has completed his first season of track and field (running the 200 and 400 meters) and started in a new season of basketball. He continues to enjoy weight lifting, made his Eagle rank in Boy Scouts, plays bass in one of the international church's worship bands and in another international church's youth group band. At the encouragement of his math teacher he is doing an independent study for his math classes so that he is able to complete a year's worth of math each semester.

Natalie (10th grade) skipped out on track and field this year and will similarly bow out of basketball so that she can continue her drama/acting classes that she enjoys so much. (No surprise to some.) She continues to enjoy her youth group Bible study and has taken to babysitting in a wonderfully natural way. She also has really excelled in math with which she has historically struggled, thanks to her ninth-grade female Irish teacher.

Jacob (6th grade) is doing a "Lone Scout" program for Boy Scouts as we now live quite a distance from the Troop meeting location. He has progressed quite rapidly, making second class in just 5 months and will probably make first class in another five months. He also played his first full year of soccer and seems to have really enjoyed it.

Caleb is keeping a close watch on Jacob in the "Lone Scout" program accompanying us on all of our campouts, developing all of the same skills and passing all of the same tests, so that he will have a head start when the time comes. He still maintains a close friendship with one of his Thai classmates, which is mutually beneficial for their language learning.

Carol has begun volunteering full-time at our children's school. She was asked to step in to run the library this year, as the usual librarian need to return home to the States for furlough (itineration). She really enjoys the time with the younger children especially, taking great delight in reading them stories and helping all to find their way around the growing collection (12,000 volumes).

We are still struggling with our email capacity as we are still without a phone line in our new house and are having to use Internet cafes and friends homes to do our work, but all in all we seem to keep relatively up to date.

This Christmas will find us in one of the most exciting ventures of our time here. Through some wonderful workings of the Lord we are going to be traveling to Nairobi, Kenya for Christmas. It will be a time for us to rekindle old friendships, to discuss future ministry opportunities, and to otherwise just enjoy a couple of weeks in a land that we have long loved. We pray that the Lord will find you enjoying this season in a place you love, with people you love, sharing His love.

In Grace and Peace,

Glen, Carol, Zakk, Natalie, Jacob, and Caleb Hallead
Hang Dong, Thailand

The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 207