Dos and Don'ts in Thailand

Our family hosts and facilitates short-term teams from the States that come to Thailand for outreaches. We put a video together to give a few helpful hints to individuals that will be coming here. We call it this video; "The Dos and Don'ts of Thailand". We had a lot of fun putting this together and a few people that saw it have asked that we put it on the web for viewing. Let us know what you think!
Hope you Enjoy it!





Blessings,
TEAM POSSIBLE
The Scott Family

Team Possible Update

First we just want to say a huge thank you to all of you who are so faithful in your prayer for us. We feel so incredibly blessed to know that we have such a wonderful prayer covering! We are blessed!

PRAISE:

These last 6 weeks have been the highlight of our missionary career here in Thailand as we were able to host our first missions team from the United States. As a family we made a fun video of all the dos and don’ts in Thailand, prepared a scavenger hunt – “Amazing Race” style, and took care of all the ministry, construction, housing, food and job material prep. It was a TON of work, but SO much fun at the same time.

The team that came to work with us is from our home church, Maranatha (we call them the “A Team”) , from Forest Lake MN. They were here for only 10 days, but God did miraculous things through their hands – It was amazing to watch.

The first ministry we took them to was a construction project at the church we attend (the TLC) here in Chiangmai. We spent 4 ½ days on this project. Here is what they did:

· Built from the ground up, 2 dorm rooms with a small bathroom attached to each for the Bible school that will begin in a week. This was not an easy task – as they had to start with the framing and roof which had to be welded together. The Bible students used to sleep in the Sunday School classrooms which meant there was no place for the church kids to be during the 4 months the Bible School is taking place.

· Painted just about every room in the building; the Sanctuary, Sunday School rooms, coffee bar, entry way and offices. It doesn’t sound like much – but believe me – it was a LOT!

· Formed steps and walls, poured concrete and tiled the entire front entry and an area around the back entrance, to make places for scooters to park as well as making it easier to enter the building.

· Installed cupboards in the kitchen.

· Built a coffee bar in the main entry area of the church. Built the walls, installed cupboards, tiled the counters, and built a soffit around the entire area. This is going to create a HUGE ministry opportunity for this church. The TLC is built right next to Chiangmai University. In Thailand, it takes a long time to build a relationship with someone before you are able to witness and share the gospel. Having a coffee shop will allow the students to come into the church, sit down, have a coffee, do their homework, study and build some relationships with the staff at TLC. Many also love to learn English and talk to English speakers, so the TLC is going to begin to teach an ESL (English as a Second Language) class – which will also draw people in. Pastor Apple was brought to the Lord through an ESL, so she has a huge burden to get this going.

Many on the team and TLC church members helped with cutting tile, mixing mud, moving dirt, transporting materials, sweeping, cleaning, running to the store and helping do whatever was asked.

The next ministry the the “A Team” did, was at the Hope House Orphanage. This is the same orphanage that our family began ministry to with the TLC, last summer. The team tore down some previous walls that were falling apart, and put up new walls and roof, bought some plants and played with the kids. (This portion of the ministry was mostly funded by a lovely couple in the US – the Martins.)

The final ministry, we took the team to was the Karen Village near the top of Doi Inthanon (the tallest Mountain in Thailand) where our family also had done previous ministry last summer. The main purpose of this ministry was to just entertain and have fun with the kids. Relationships are everything to Asians, so building a bond with these villagers is extremely important to us! The team provided a bowling game, ring toss, soccer, and football toss. They played relay games, and tag, face painted, made balloon hats, and gave lots of candy as prizes! The kids had a FANTASTIC day – and the parents as well. The day ended with lunch at the village and a trip to the center of the village where the team was able to purchase hand crafted items as well as coffee grown and roasted right there. Also, at the last minute, we were asked if we could paint a preschool classroom that had been built in the village – and without complaint the team jumped right in and did it! In their dress clothes!! What amazing servants!

I’m sure I missed a few things, but as you can tell, a LOT went on in those 10 day. We were so blessed to have such a tremendous group of people. They worked SO hard during their time here and always had a great attitude. Many of them struggled with sickness and one man was involved in an accident where a LARGE piece of concrete fell on his head, sending him to the emergency room. (Which by the way he only received 10 stitches and didn’t feel pain the next day.) Through all of it, we NEVER heard one word of complaint. Not only were they incredible servants, they raised ALL of the funds (except the Hope House project) to do the projects that they worked on, AND left almost half of the funds necessary for us to purchase the equipment and supplies needed to open the coffee shop. They were an amazing blessing to our ministry here.

We were also blessed to have our friends, Mark and Janie Durene here to help guide us to many of the right material stores, interpreting, bringing goodies and just being there on the jobs to help do whatever we needed. They were a tremendous help and we feel incredibly blessed that God has such great people here in Thailand to be around.

PRAYER:

· Health – Troy and I (sick while team was here and still trying to recover)

· Naomi – 2^nd fever in 2 weeks – healing and that it would stay away.

· Recovery for our friend Mark (head injury from Concrete) that he would continue to feel no pain, and NO other issues would arise.

· The hanging of plumbing, ceiling, painting, A/C install and electrical for Dorm rooms to be complete at TLC before Bible students move in Saturday.

· Finances – Our support has dropped significantly because of the economy. Please pray that our supporters will have their needs met and be able to give.

Thank you again for all your prayers! God is SO good!

Much love,

The Scott Family

TEAM POSSIBLE –

Seasons Greetings from the Scott Family

Seasons Greetings from the Scott Family

We are having a hard time believing it is Christmas already, especially since it is warm out and there is no snow. Quite different from those Minnesota winters we are used to! At this time of year we like to reflect on why we celebrate Christmas. Some of the questions we like to ask our children are: Why do we decorate a tree? Why do we put up lights? Why do we send cards? Why do we give gifts to each other, when it isn’t our birthday? Some pretty good questions, and over the years have heard some very funny and some real cool answers. We enjoy discussing all the why’s with our children, which has ended up being a fun family tradition.

The highlight of our year would definitely have to be finishing up our fund raising and coming to Thailand. It was difficult to have to leave our family and friends, but know that this is where God has called us, and there is no place we would rather be. Besides, with the internet, it almost feels like we are just down the street! :)

We want to take a moment to say how much we appreciate all of our friends and family. We feel extremely honored to be able to serve God here in Thailand and we couldn't be here without your love, encouragement and prayers. For YOU we are grateful!

We love you and pray for abundant JOY for you during this season and the year to follow!

Much Love,

Troy, Cheryl

Nathaniel, Naomi & Natalie

Thailand reverts to old-style politics

Newin Chidchob (right) has decided to side with the Democrats

By Jonathan Head BBC News, Bangkok

"It's over, Boss." With those three words, veteran politician Newin Chidchob finally broke the deadlock that has paralysed Thailand for the past three years.

They were uttered in a phone conversation with Thaksin Shinawatra last week, the man to whom Mr Newin had been faithful for almost eight years, as the exiled former prime minister pleaded with him to reconsider his decision to defect to the opposition Democrats.

Mr Newin was also the first to break the bonds of money and genuine loyalty which have made the Thaksinistas the most powerful political force in Thailand for the past decade.

And he shattered any final illusions that might still have been harboured here that, a decade ago, Thailand's politics had entered a new age with the adoption of a new, populist constitution, and the rise of a new, populist party.

For Newin Chidchob has now reverted to type - the type being a provincial strongman, schooled in the rough-house politics of one of Thailand's roughest neighbourhoods, Buri Ram, who simply sells his team of MPs to the highest bidder.

This is what Mr Newin (who was named by his father after the notorious Burmese General Ne Win) did before the formation of Thaksin Shinawatra's Thai Rak Thai party in 1998. It is what every other provincial godfather did.

Corruption scandals

Thaksin Shinawatra brought a new style of politics to Thailand

These men dominated business and politics in their regions, offering voters a tantalising vision of abundant new development money if their votes gave the faction a shot at a cabinet position.

They would then collect as many loyal MPs around them as they could after the election campaign, which they funded generously, and offer the support of those MPs in parliament to whichever prospective government made them the most attractive offer.

This practice delivered Thailand a succession of short-lived, messy coalition governments in the 1990s, better known for corruption scandals than good governance.

It was under such governments - in which Mr Newin participated - that Thailand sleep-walked into the catastrophic 1997 financial crisis.

Appalled by the calibre of their politicians, Thailand's middle-class applauded the birth of a new constitution in the same year - the country's 16th, but the first to be drawn up after extensive consultation with NGOs and other representatives of civil society.

A party emerges

This constitution was the first to enshrine protection of human rights and freedom of expression. It created a number of independent bodies that were given legal powers to rein in corruption.

But the new charter also had another objective. Several of its articles, like the one restricting MPs' freedom to jump from one party to another, were intended to strengthen political parties in the hope that Thailand would progress to a more stable parliamentary system, as in western Europe.

Its drafters hoped this would nurture a new breed of clean, professional politicians to replace the corrupt old godfathers.

Newin (right) was once an enemy of Democrat leader Abhisit (left)

One of those goals, producing stronger parties, was realised with surprising speed.

Thaksin Shinawatra, an ambitious provincial businessman who had made a fortune from telecoms, and managed to keep it during the financial crisis, built a new-style party called Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais).

It used modern marketing methods and a raft of new, populist policies to win the support of the rural electorate. It encouraged mass party membership, and its appeal went right over the heads of the godfathers, making Mr Thaksin an instant political superstar.

The godfathers did not go away. Instead, recognising this new political phenomenon, they opted to move under the Thai Rak Thai umbrella. Newin Chidchob was one of them.

Mr Thaksin's wealth and personal popularity gave him a far stronger hand in dealing with the godfathers than any other party in Thailand's history, so his governments were not crippled by the demands of coalition partners, as his predecessors had been.

In 2001 he became the first prime minister in Thai history to complete a four year term in office. In the 2005 election he became the first prime minister to win an outright majority.

He inspired passionate loyalty among his lieutenants, among them Mr Newin, and he left the Democrats, Thailand's oldest party, floundering.

Thailand seemed to have put the era of weak coalition governments behind it.

Fading force

The story of how Mr Thaksin turned a position of such strength into his situation today - where he is a fading political force, stuck in exile - has been written about extensively elsewhere.

Months of anti-government protests look set to deliver a return to the past

But it is only now, when the newspapers are carrying front-page photographs of the clean-cut Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva giving a bunch of roses to Newin Chidchob, once the mortal enemy of the Democrats and every bit the old-style godfather, that it is clear Thailand has come full-circle.

After three years of turmoil, old politics is back, where politicians of whatever persuasion can climb into bed with whoever gives them a shot at power.

It is a depressing scenario, one which finally buries all the high hopes that were raised by the 1997 constitution.

Doubtless many of those now embracing old politics again, perhaps even Mr Abhisit and Mr Newin, do not feel particularly good about it.

Blame for this will be fired in many directions - at Mr Thaksin, at the military, at the Democrats, at the monarchy even, whose role in recent events is till unclear.

But at a time when Thailand is confronting its worst economic outlook since the disastrous events of 1997, old politics is unlikely to give it a government capable of meeting the challenge.