Hello ,

I hope you are well and thanks for taking ten minutes to read about what happened with me in Thailand in 2021.

This newsletter is long, you can 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.

Christmas Newsletter

A Quiet Christmas This Year

Firstly, I am very sorry that communication has been limited this year, it's been a long time since you heard from me, probably last Christmas. Well, I hope to change this in the new year and make a shorter monthly newsletter to keep you up to date. If you follow or use Facebook, that's definitely a better way to keep up to date with my ministry and life in Thailand. You are sure to get a faster response with messenger.

This year, normal ministry has been very difficult due to restrictions with COVID. Previously our foundation would have had up to ten overseas teams visiting us throughout each year, but there have been no teams since international travel ceased.

Earlier this year I was able to join with a group that does vision and sight screening for children. This was enjoyable and a chance to help many less fortunate children to be able to study and learn easier.

I have however been walking alongside and providing encouragement to several people in Chiang Mai with their journey. I will share a few stories below.

My life is mostly about service and there is always something happening where I can work by myself or with others to make Chiang Mai better. It's about being the hands and feet, the apostle, serving alongside others with different talents and gifts.

I want to again thank everyone who has supported me financially, in prayer or with encouragement during 2021. I pray that you will continue to follow my journey and ministry in 2022. May God bless you all.

Stories of Encouragement

There have been many special opportunities to help people in 2021, for some it's just an hour or two meeting or call, for others, it's just a few texts or chats. My visa expertise comes in handy to help people regularly to stay in Thailand.

However, there are some whom I have been helping and regularly meeting and chatting with. I have been advising and encouraging them through life and the challenges they have been facing. It's satisfying to see change and growth. My life has provided me with experiences and abilities to practically help people in this way.

I will share some of these here.

A friend who calls regularly to chat about decisions and circumstances and opportunities they have to help. I have been able to at times bring smiles and laughter where there were tears and stress.

Several people with IT problems that I have solved. This is my former life's work which God led me to as a 12 year old. I still really enjoy using these skills.

Another friend I meet with to discuss a simpler world view from years past and how things are going wrong in this current experience of life as we know it. I have also done a lot of IT problem solving and practically as they prepare to travel.

Some very cool people introduce me as a problem solver to other interesting people in difficult circumstances. This definitely challenges my networks and solution-providing abilities.

These stories were written with a certain person in mind, but reading back over them, I can see a few people would ”fit" into each scenario.

That's the beauty of my previous life experiences, God has blessed me in many ways and most have been able to be practically shared, discussed, and implemented with others. This reputation and trust are invaluable in ministry and serving God.

PICTURES ARE RANDOM SHOTS THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR - NO RELATION TO THE STORIES!

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:20-21 (NIV)

Hope Connections Foundation

What we do on the ground.

We visited the schools we support several times to preach in the schools and some of the local communities around the schools.

We also made a donation of a bag of rice to the families for Christmas. We are connected to three different worker camps around the area near our foundation office.

We also joined a couple of other groups to make food and give out donations around Chiang Mai.

Although this year our ministry was down a little compared to pre Covid years, but the foundation Chairman was able to visit home in South Korea to visit and report to supporting churches, meet missions boards and to take some time for rest, relaxation and renewal.

Chiang Mai Clean City

Earlier in the year, Chiang Mai Clean City activities were happening about once a month and we were cleaning up some of the big intersections in Chiang Mai.

I joined a local international school's citizenship program, for about 5 weekend activities. The last one included a piece of disused land that was used as a dumpsite for locals that I found a couple of years ago. It was disappointing that during the week between cleanups more industrial garbage had been dumped.

Imagine the shock when one day we turned up to clean up more and we found that someone during the week had brought in big machines and cleaned up the whole area from the roadside to about 10 metres in. Then fenced the whole area off so no more dumping could occur.

Top photo (below) - 13th March
Video - 2nd April - Thai and English later https://www.facebook.com/chiangmaicleancity/videos/482217706306475/

Bottom Photo (below) - 26th April

After that we had about five or six cleanups along the road up to Doi Suthep, basically cleaning up the curb and cleaning up the roadside to make it free of leaves and other debris.

We finished those activities by moving about 2-3 tons of sand from one area to another and spreading it out over about 100 to 150 square metres. It was a difficult but satisfying morning.

I then spent about 7 or 8 days cleaning up and removing 8 ft high grass from a public sidewalk area across from the zoo. It was about 30 metres by 5 metres. I stopped doing that after I found a very scaly-looking piece of skin attached to a thing about as round as my forearms.

My last big Chiang Mai Clean City activities were along the river. We had a team of people going out on kayaks on the Mae Ping River and removing trash from the river. While they were out I spent my time cleaning the river banks which were frequently used by locals for fishing.

I continued random cleanups at The Chiang Mai Urban Farm whenever I had the chance.

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Matthew  2:16-20 (NIV)

Eye Testing

I had the opportunity to join a friend and help out with his sight screening program. It's a fantastic project put together by an Aussie! Visit Children's Sight Project-Thailand for more details.

This year I joined around 12-15 days during January to May to Thai schools, the Juvenile Detention Center and temples to screen children and youth for vision problems and gives glasses to students who have problems with school due to poor vision.

We visited around 12 different locations including Chiang Mai, Hangdong, Lamphun, Mae Rim and Phrao for between one to four days seeing around 150 to 170 students per day depending on the size of the school.

We have six steps involving registration, reading, colour blind testing, distance, three dimensional vision and if required full testing by the optometrist and if glasses were needed selecting glass frames so that lens could be made for each student. I learned how to do all screening steps but I was mostly involved in registration and explanation and administration and frame selection. I managed COVID procedures and student flow through the processes.

This activity is funded by donations from many groups and has several volunteers involved in conjunction with many Rotary Clubs around Chiang Mai who helped some days.

We screened around 2000 students and gave away around 150-180 pairs of glasses. After the glasses are ordered, it takes about two weeks before visiting the school again to give out the glasses

This project has been going on for five years and has seen over 10000 Chiang Mai students. It is something that is very helpful to be a part of.

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.
• 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.

Feel free to send a Christmas Gift

Would you like to assist me in my work in Thailand?

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 .

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 nearly 12 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.