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Life in a Northern Town

(of Thailand)

2011 - A Big Year, Big Fun & Big Challenges

My name is Shayne Rochfort and I am a servant of God, volunteering in

Hangdong, Thailand! I am helping support an amazing team in their work in the

local schools and community. My main role involves everything and anything.

Highlights -

New Year Thai Style

Losing a great friend

to Australia

The newness of things

happening here

Children’s Day

New Coffee Shop now

opened

Gaining missionary

status from OMS

International

Having friends from

my home church visit

and serve here with

me.

After a big year of change in 2010, I really

thought things may settle down as I continue to

find my feet in Thailand. In reality, I could only

hope.

The new year started with sadness as my sister,

whom I had shared most of the year with was

leaving to return home to study. I really do not

know what my life would have been like had it

not been for Ri this year. We spent most of the

year in each others’ pockets and she did really

well to put up with me. Thanks Ri and I still miss

you heaps!!!

The next couple of weeks of January were a

little quiet with many of our team in holiday

mode, away with family or heading “down

South” to connect with the people in that new

area. You will hear much more about “down

South” as the year progresses, but I can’t say

much more yet.

The team here has committed to a year of jour-

neying closer with Jesus, and always taking this

mindset into daily routines and challenges. It is

going to be a year of much blessing and growth

as we take this road together.

As I think about this in my personal life I really

think that this year will be a time of a more

fuller reliance on God and the knowledge that

this is where he has placed me and that he will

continue to guide me, if I only let Him.

Whilst in Australia it is summer holidays time,

we have no such luck over here, so each week I

would be heading into my schools with my Thai

translators and trying to teach kids about feel-

ings and emotions which, in Thailand is a little

foreign, and lately about vehicles and transporta-

tion. At the end of each subject we have a spell-

ing test and one student did amazingly with

nearly all words correct and only three wrong

letters from a perfect score. The usual class

average is about 3 correct of 14 words.

We celebrated “Wan Dek” or Children’s Day,

which the King implemented so that for one day

every child in Thailand would be treated special

and enjoy some fun and a feed. We set up our

jumping castle and many other activities for the

day. It was great to see about 30 of our team in

action helping the local Hangdong council.

After Kids day, my next big challenge was host-

ing some friends from my home church in Bris-

bane, City Life. Actually it ended up being 4 peo-

ple in total, two coming from Australia and two

on their way back to Australia after being in

India for 2010. It was great to connect with

them and let them see firsthand our way of

serving and transforming communities.

It was amazing to see them connect and be

available to serve our team here and as things

happened they filled many voids whilst other

people were away. I think that their hearts were

really opened up to possible future involvement

in missions work somewhere.

It is so hard to look back over the last couple of

months and fit in all the personal highlights and

team highlights and do justice to everything in

this short column. One thing you could do to

stay in the loop with my goings on is check out

my Facebook page or follow me on Twitter,

which I have recently started using and finding

fun and informational.

The last story I have is of our brand new River

Café which has just recently opened in the cen-

tre of Hangdong. I haven’t had much of a hands

on role, but our team has transformed a local

shopfront/accommodation Thai style building

into a coffee haven for the connoisseur. My

small part in this has been helping to design the

menus and some of the advertising. One of the

fun parts of this has been trying to get the trans-

lation happening. After many versions, formats

and translations, we’re getting there.

Volume 1 Issue 6

Photos by Isaac Yeo

May our attitude be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not count equality with God something thing to be grasped but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to

the point of death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:5-8

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FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO PRAY:

Please pray that I am able to raise the necessary support

that I need to continue my work in Thailand.

Prayer/Praise for protection for The River Team - a few of

our team have recently been involved in road accidents. Every day our team is out in the community

and the roads here can be very dangerous.

Please pray for the whole River Team - We are heading into a bunch of new things. We have opened

our coffee shop in Hangdong. We have people visiting “down South” over the next few weeks.

Please pray for our church here at The River and the many new people who are coming along.

Life in a Northern Town (of Thailand)

PO Box 11

HANGDONG

CHIANGMAI 50230

THAILAND

Phone +66801202074

Email -

schoolies2@yahoo.com

Skype - slr_legend

The River Training and Convention Centre

Any questions please do not hesitate to send me an email, schoolies2@yahoo.com or give me a call.

Open Letter to my friends

I am committed to being in Thailand

and with The River Team in a full time

capacity. I would like to let you know

that if you are able to support me in

my work, then you can do so through

One Mission Society. While I was in

Australia, I joined One Mission Society

so that everyone can have a way of

partnering in my ministry here in

northern Thailand. There are many

ways you can support me, through

prayer as well as financially.

Please go to the One Mission Society

website for more details or email me,

schoolies2@yahoo.com . My prayer

card with all the details is available at

http://tinyurl.com/33ppyxc .

Supporting Shayne

I am looking for people to partner with me in my ministry in Thailand. Firstly

I need prayer partners who would commit to praying for me and The River

Team as we work all over Thailand transforming lives and communities, one

by one. Secondly, I need financial support partners who will assist me to

continue my work here by donating to me through OMS.

I have recently received confirmation from OMS International of my

missionary status, that means that I now need to become fully compliant

under their policies. My pathway to becoming a missionary has not followed

normal procedures, but they have been gracious and helpful in making this

happen.

Over the next few months I will be required to raise

enough financial support to cover my expenses here

as well as provision for times of furlough during my

“terms” on and off the field. A full term is 5 years.

This figure for my circumstances is just under $2000

per month.

Whilst you may think that is a big number, I do too,

but I believe that we can do it, if we break it down into smaller chunks. If we

can find 200 people to just give $10 per month, then that would cover the

full amount.

In normal circumstances this figure would need to be fully raised or pledged

before I could even buy a plane ticket. Currently, I am living off my own sav-

ings, this is ok as a temporary measure, but there was always going to be a

day when I needed to send this letter off asking for assistance and support.

I believe that I am meant to be here and that what I am doing is helping to

make a difference in people’s lives. I live a simple lifestyle and am trying to

live as close as possible to the way our team here lives, and at times I try

and bless them a little, in this way or that.

Apart from you, my friends, supporting me, I would appreciate it if you could

advise your home groups or local church and see if they would be willing to

partner in my work here in Thailand. If they would like to know more about

me, my previous newsletters have more information about me, life here and

why I am here.

If you would consider helping me out in any way, you can get more informa-

tion from my prayer card and if you would like to know more about OMS

or me, please go to the OMS website.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will

remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of

flesh. Ezekiel 36:26 NIV

Above and below - With my

“sister”. Far left - homework club.

Left - trying to dance at Kids Club