Thanks to our wonderful hosts Jason and Violet, our family were able to spend our 2nd Christmas as missionaries in beautiful and clean Singapore.

2. This year with your help the students got mosquito net. The students can sleep well and less malaria illness.

3. Could provide medicine and the students who have skin disease get cured.

4. We could provide meat for meal and fruits after meal sometime.  This year the students got good nutrition and healthy.

5. Every student has new uniform and sees happy face. It is very good motivation for the students.

Sincerely,

Hkaw Lwi

After spending about 8 months in prayers and preparation, we have started our newest project. This project is located in Burma in the northern autonomous state named Kachin. Almost as soon as we arrived in Thailand, we were introduced to Kachin ladies (Yog and her sister Su Hkwang). Along with their family, they immigrated to Thailand and currently lives here in Chiangmai. Yog is currently teaching at an OMF seminary here in Chiangmai. Through them, we heard first hand about the hardships her fellow countrymen were enduring each day in Burma due to 30 years of civil unrest caused by internal political strife. Along with few other autonomous states, Kachin has been fighting a civil war with the Burmese government. This has caused tremendous civil unrest, extreme poverty, illegal drug trafficking , and deterioration in various social sectors such as healthcare and education. One can just imagine the difficult standards they live by each day when you hear that the entire city in which they live in went without electricity for one whole year in 2009. These kind of conditions breed injustice and exploitation of the weakest in every society: children.

But God is the father to the fatherless and the defender of the weak, and has faithfully raised up His people to advocate His cause. Ms. Thu Lum has answered Gods call and has scrapped up what she can and started a ministry in Mai Ja Yang city which is a border town near China-Burma border in Kachin State. On June 10, 2007, she started Shapan Boarder Orphanage to provide Christian care for children who has been orphaned or extremely marginalized by poverty. For the last 4 years, it has been struggling to keep it's doors open and we consider it a miracle that it is still open until this day.

When God brought us together, we felt like a partnership made in heaven but we wanted to be sure! So, after arranging a meeting with the director of Shapan Boarder Orphanage, Ms. Thu Lum, we have been in prayers to find Gods clear leading for the past 8 months. In the course of waiting and preparing, God has made it clear to us to become partners in this wonderful ministry. Elijah Foundation will support Shapan Orphanage's full-operation of it's day to day activities (food, education, clothing, spiritual care etc.) and will also advocate and raise awareness for it's ministries and projects. They currently have 31 children and 3 staff at Shapn Boarder Orphanage.

Thank you for your continual partnership and prayer.

As I wait for the time to go to the airport to welcome our NCPC team to Chiang Mai, I was drawn to the computer for time of reflection and prayer.  We are hosting our first short-term missions team and they are from our home church NCPC!  This reality is very exciting for our family and we have been eagerly waiting and preparing to be good hosts.  Double confirmed on lodging, triple confirmed on van reservation (I think this made the ladies at Journey Van Rental office quite mad), made a spreadsheet of our activities, prayed everyday even tried to fast for the team (which I failed), I think everything is ready...hopefully...

As I sit and reflect, I chuckled by myself as I thought about churches that I have attended and currently attending.  Allow me to explain...

When I was a little boy (at the tender age of 10), my family and I moved from Korea to America.  In America, for 32 years, I attended churches that were predominantly Asian.  Now that we moved from America to Thailand (back to Asia), we have settled at a church (Chiang Mai Christian Fellowship) which is predominantly Caucasian.  It is so ironic that I believe only God can orchestrate something like this.  As I think about such twists in fate, I can only laugh to myself and see the hand of God in my life.
This week, at the invitation of the church, I have submitted my application to be an Elder at Chiang Mai Christian Fellowship.  And on February 27th, I will be preaching for the first time at CCF.

I have to admit, it feels a little weird to be getting involved with a new church while NCPC (my home church) is coming to visit us.  Regardless, I have this strange peace in my heart because I know that God will use everything for His glory and someday I might have the pleasure of seeing His wonderful plans in panoramic.

In the month of January, I was able to spend 3 weeks visiting 4 cities in America - Chicago, Tucson, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.  It sounds weird to say "visiting America" as I spent most of my life living in America.  However, as I flew into Chicago, something was different - I couldn't put my finger on what it was exactly but it felt little different.  Maybe it was nostalgia as I found myself driving around my old neighborhood, driving past my old house few times, visiting old stores and restaurants like Target, Jason's Deli, Portillo's and of course Bob Chinn's.  Whatever that feeling was it brought out many different emotions in me and few times I had that sinking feeling in between the heart and stomach.  Did you ever feel that way before?

After few months of planning, praying and presenting ourselves to the immigration office here in Thailand, all of the Jung Family received our renewable 1 year Thai Visas!  Thanks everyone for your prayers!