Hello ,

I hope you are well and thanks for taking ten minutes to read about what happened with me in Thailand in 2020 ... so far.

Maybe click above right of the title photo to see the web version straight away.

There are a few ways you can help me included at the bottom of the email. Please don't hesitate to contact me about anything in this. I love sharing about what I am doing here in Thailand.

Well nobody expected this!

What a year so far?

What can be said about 2020 that hasn't been said already. Let's just say it's been very different to normal.

I missed doing my newsletter in March but here is my June version covering the first six months of 2020. I was busy during March helping with food distribution around Chiang Mai. See Feature below for more information.

The world as a whole has been hit very hard in this situation, but Chiang Mai has been hit harder because it's a tourist destination. Around 70% of Chiang Mai businesses are completely focused on the tourist industry. Each year around 25% of Thailand's total tourist visitors come to Chiang Mai. Of course, several other prominent areas are also hit, but they have a lot more of an expat population, whereas Chiang Mai also suffers from world's worst pollution in February, March and April. Many long-term residents leave Chiang Mai during this time.

Ok, so enough with the doom and gloom, in the middle of all the fun, I moved from the north west corner of Chiang Mai to the south east and it's been wonderful. I have gone from having loud motorbikes riding past in front of my room at 2, 3 or 4am, to zero road noise and birds gently waking me up in the morning and singing their songs throughout the day. I can exclaim, "Oh, what a beautiful morning!" every day, well at least until I take my morning walk around the local area.

This location saves me around 15 minutes to get to the office, church and a lot of meetings. Unfortunately, it takes me 10 minutes to get to my favorite restaurant.

Traveling to a retreat in Rayong in late January before COVID was a big thing.

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

1 Corinthians 20:19-23 (NIV)

Hope Connections Foundation

What we do on the ground.

This year our foundation has made several donations to various communities, but overall a little bit quieter than normal and COVID has made things difficult.

We have been focusing a lot on what is going on in Korea, because my Chairman is Korean and has been praying for churches in the area as there has been a lot of upheaval and physical challenges to the church as a whole since the elections.

We visited two local schools that we have partnered with to make some donations. I have been quite connected through the year with the School of Promise and have watched it grow from six students in the first year and they are looking to restart the 2020 school year with 125 students. They have also completed some massive COVID renovations with a new multipurpose cafeteria and meeting room, and have taken over a building onsite which used to be the landlord's residence. Praise God!

Chiang Mai Clean City

Chiang Mai Clean City has been involved in many more cleanups this year, sometimes alone and sometimes with up to 100 people like last weekend's cleanup at Thapae Gate.

One incident was at one of the big public hospitals, where there was a bus stop area, but people just threw their rubbish wherever when their transport arrived. Someone posted it on Facebook and I made a plan to go and clean it up the next day, well someone beat me to it and made it a bit cleaner, but the whole area still needed a lot of work.

So I got into it around 6:30am and around 7:30am the security guards and a waste team leader came to see what was happening. Next thing I know about 45 minutes later, two of the bosses came down and then the hospital clean up crew appeared with a big truck. So what started as cleaning up a little bit around the bus stop ended with the whole area being cleaned up so the next part of the project could be done.

About a month ago, I went past again and the whole area was transforming into a beautiful area and some of my suggestions regarding no parking in front of the hospital were in place.

Church at theAllChurch

It's wonderful to be part of a fantastic Thai church, called theAllChurch with huge dreams and visions. This year my church set a goal to grow 4 times its current size.

I was able to share some thoughts with the pastor about this. The church's membership are very committed to fellowship and community already, with small groups and more than thirty club activities are part of their mission strategy. These clubs are meeting together around technology, fun, movies, games, sports and fitness. The church hosted a great fun run outreach that had over 300 participants. It was held during our cool season VERY early in the morning.

After talking with the pastor, he wanted me to share with the broader church leadership and I had a much shorter twenty minute presentation to about twenty-five members. The presentation included many experiences I have had over the years at various churches that have been involved in with specific strategies from local, national, up to internationally recognized churches that I have been a part of. I was invited to share with around forty members of the vision team leading the strategic growth initiative.

One of the other reasons I love this church is their passion for the planet, every week they have a video or talk about less waste. We have had two cleanups as a church with about fifty people joining each time.

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

Mark  13:5-8 (NIV)

Making Movies

I was asked to be part of a TV ad for the Government AQI app. It was very interesting as I was supposed to be a foreign backpacker, who could speak Thai? It confused me too.

Chiang Mai during COVID

Hope when there is no hope!

This year I was very lucky to be in Chiang Mai. I was able to be a small part of the community efforts to get food into the hands and mouths of thousands who were really struggling. The collage above and below are just a few of the photos from food distribution activities I was involved in during March through May.

After the enforced country wide isolation, I had a small contact with someone who had been in a plane with some COVID on board. I found out he was cleared but stuck around the house after moving across town and got myself a little more settled.

When I ventured out, I was struck by what I saw. There were thousands of people at around up to forty locations some days were baking in the hot sun to receive donations of food. We are talking about the hottest time of the year with temperatures over 40c 110f ish.

I documented what was going on in Facebook for around two weeks, normally visiting 3-4 locations, but one day I went to eight different places, wow! Over my time I did notice the same people at each location. This was sad and hard to see.

Each location had a core team of volunteers and many randoms who would come to donate and then become increasingly involved. I would assist with heavy lifting, some packing, but mostly moral support and going around the area afterwards and picking up trash.

After around six weeks, my locations were closing down distribution because much of the community was getting back to normal and preparing for opening back up. It wasn't all doom and gloom because as I was walking around town for fitness, I noticed most local Thai activities and market places were operating as normal with everyone masking up.

I started back to work after that, so for me, I was also returning to normal routines.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO PRAY

• Praise God for blessing, connections and influence. Many people relate to me daily as someone who is trustworthy and reliable. With opportunity comes greater responsibility.
• Praise God for my health and abilities to continue my work here.
• Praise God for my brother's house coming together and for him to be able to settle down a bit after challenges.
• Please pray for Thailand. It's a beautiful and wonderful place. Please pray the Thai Government leaders as they lead Thailand through difficult times.
  
• Please pray for more missionaries, talk to the OMS if you want to know more.
• Please continue to pray, I have many opportunities to serve Thai people and others also, inside and outside of my “work”.
• Please pray for my family in Australia, it has been a very tough year for members of my family in many ways.

It's my birthday in August!

I am asking for your help or gift or surprise for me.

I have helped many people at many levels and will continue to do so. I am simply asking that if you would like to help or bless me or my work in Thailand, you can donate in any way available to you.

The main options are through One Mission Society in Australia or OMS USA link.

If you are in Thailand, you can donate via SCB 868-236655-3 if you have no home account or use PayPal at schoolies2@yahoo.com .

I do want to graciously thank my family, friends and churches who have been faithfully giving to me over the years. I know I don't thank you often enough, but your support and prayers have been invaluable to me.

I can't believe that I have been in Thailand for 10 years!

‘By God’s grace One Mission Society unites, inspires, and equips Christians to make disciples, multiplying dynamic communities of believers around the world.’

Final Thoughts

Thanks heaps for continuing to pray for and support my work in Thailand.

If you don't have me as a friend on Facebook CLICK HERE and add me. You will then get the latest information, as well as some videos and other bits and pieces about my life in Chiang Mai.

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Thanks for your continued prayer and support! I love you all!

In His Service,
Shayne

The new initiative from One Mission Society to give the opportunity for 1 billion people to hear the Gospel of Jesus.