Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Thai/English Christmas Cards! And the back story...
A while ago I realized there was an imbalance on the mission field - between people who had money (or 'good support') and people who did not. Typically, missionaries from nations with a large proportion of Christians in the population and a history of mission sending such as America, Britain, Australia and Korea tend to have stable fund-raising and the ability to accomplish the work they set out to do without too many financial limitations. I know I am one of these fortunate ones and am eternally grateful that I could leave my country and financial self-reliance, and still receive training and work uninterrupted for the last three years.
But I also realized there were so many who did not make it or could not continue despite the callings/passions/gifts that they had. People with a missions heart from countries with few churches (1/3rd of the world) and a history of being the mission field often find themselves with inadequate support if they want to do ministry full time. Put another way, when you're from an unreached country, where will you find the churches to support you? And churches that do exist may be more used to being on the receiving end rather than giving.
Yet the huge irony is that it is exactly these local missionaries who will be the most effective - because they do not need to overcome a language and cultural barrier before they can reach their own people.
So what to do about this? Something about about the Aussie in me doesn't live well with unfairness, so I couldn't ignore it and pretend I was more deserving of receiving support than these guys - it's none of my credit that I come from a relatively wealthy nation with a generous church family background.
Yet I could give away all that I get and I would still only have enough to help maybe one other person and soon that would run out. On top of that, inevitably money is power and I've seen first-hand that a pattern of relating where one person or nationality is always giving and the other is always receiving ends up with dependancy, distrust and manipulation - in the end if one side is always relying on the other, than one side must always obey the other while probably resenting it.
Basically to break this pattern, balance out the power and restore dignity, the poorer side needs to find an independent source of funding. So I began to look around for a simple, tent-making source of income - perhaps a minimum effort business that I could set up an hand over to a Thai missionary once it was running smoothly (thanks to Dad and Mr. Beasly for all that background in business).
So the first step in setting up a business is working out what the market wants and after deciding that the world probably doesn't need more Thai fisherman pants, I soon found an empty niche - in Chiangmai there are very few quality, decently designed Thai/English Christmas cards and the ones that do exist are expensive and focus on Santa (or are made out of elephant dung paper which can't be posted though customs).
While this idea was floating around in my mind, I found out that our current training courses were very short on funding and yet had the most Thai students we've ever had. So I proposed that we try to design and sell Christmas cards as a fund-raiser. If this goes well, perhaps it something we could continue doing to support our Thai staff who struggle with funds. After a rocky start there was finally acceptance of the idea, then we ran a mini-design competition, voted in our office and online and sent the results off to print!
So here are the results.
We're selling them for 35 baht (A$1.25) a card or a mixed pack of 6 cards for 200 baht (A$7) and they can be ordered by going to www.createthailand.com/christmas
Unfortunately, it's difficult for us to post internationally unless you order more than 30 cards (5 packs). Still, perhaps you have 30 friends?
But I also realized there were so many who did not make it or could not continue despite the callings/passions/gifts that they had. People with a missions heart from countries with few churches (1/3rd of the world) and a history of being the mission field often find themselves with inadequate support if they want to do ministry full time. Put another way, when you're from an unreached country, where will you find the churches to support you? And churches that do exist may be more used to being on the receiving end rather than giving.
Yet the huge irony is that it is exactly these local missionaries who will be the most effective - because they do not need to overcome a language and cultural barrier before they can reach their own people.
So what to do about this? Something about about the Aussie in me doesn't live well with unfairness, so I couldn't ignore it and pretend I was more deserving of receiving support than these guys - it's none of my credit that I come from a relatively wealthy nation with a generous church family background.
Yet I could give away all that I get and I would still only have enough to help maybe one other person and soon that would run out. On top of that, inevitably money is power and I've seen first-hand that a pattern of relating where one person or nationality is always giving and the other is always receiving ends up with dependancy, distrust and manipulation - in the end if one side is always relying on the other, than one side must always obey the other while probably resenting it.
Basically to break this pattern, balance out the power and restore dignity, the poorer side needs to find an independent source of funding. So I began to look around for a simple, tent-making source of income - perhaps a minimum effort business that I could set up an hand over to a Thai missionary once it was running smoothly (thanks to Dad and Mr. Beasly for all that background in business).
So the first step in setting up a business is working out what the market wants and after deciding that the world probably doesn't need more Thai fisherman pants, I soon found an empty niche - in Chiangmai there are very few quality, decently designed Thai/English Christmas cards and the ones that do exist are expensive and focus on Santa (or are made out of elephant dung paper which can't be posted though customs).
While this idea was floating around in my mind, I found out that our current training courses were very short on funding and yet had the most Thai students we've ever had. So I proposed that we try to design and sell Christmas cards as a fund-raiser. If this goes well, perhaps it something we could continue doing to support our Thai staff who struggle with funds. After a rocky start there was finally acceptance of the idea, then we ran a mini-design competition, voted in our office and online and sent the results off to print!
So here are the results.
We're selling them for 35 baht (A$1.25) a card or a mixed pack of 6 cards for 200 baht (A$7) and they can be ordered by going to www.createthailand.com/christmas
Unfortunately, it's difficult for us to post internationally unless you order more than 30 cards (5 packs). Still, perhaps you have 30 friends?
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Kwaamrak (love)
Last week we frantically wrote a 'viral video' and shot it in two days. The idea behind a viral is that it is attention grabbing and easy to share. The main reason for this was practice for the students of the SFM, but we also wanted to have something usuable by the end. I think that we did achieve that, and it was good to see the students learn how to pull together as a crew as well. It was interesting for me as I haven't really written much since high school! I enjoyed using my literary skills again though, and found that the dialogue came naturally from experience in many, many conversations with Thai girls! Later on Jason (with the inspiration of one of our Thai students, Somwang) wrte the male dialogue as counterpoint. We shot in a Muay Thai gym that Rachel, another staff member, trains at. Choreographing fight scenes was also fun!
Long days though...
Here's the script below. It's always challenging to know how much to write, and how deep to go without beating people over the head with your point.
Here's the script below. It's always challenging to know how much to write, and how deep to go without beating people over the head with your point.
SCRIPT
SCENE 1 EXT. NIMANHAMEN - DAY
Two young women, JAR and GOI are walking together in the market looking at clothes. Across the street two young men, NET and POD, are getting on a motor bike. Net catches a glimpse of GOI and waves. JAR sees him first.
JAR
1.Hey, don't look, he's looking at you.
GOI
(looking around)
2.Who?
JAR
3.Who do you think?
GOI sees him smiles and waves. Pod shakes his head at Net.
POD
4.Come on sappy boy. There's plenty of women to look at along the way.
They get on their bikes and ride away.
JAR
5.That boy is always watching you!
GOI
(smirking)
6.Maybe because he loves me.
JAR
7.I've seen Ford watching you too you know?
GOI
8.Ford? He's got a girlfriend.
JAR
9.So what? That won't stop him. You know all men cheat! 10.Just have fun and stop being so serious. There are many men out there.
SCENE 2 INT. MUAY THAI - DAY
Pod and Net get ready to box.
POD
11.Girls always take relationship seriously. Don't take a risk.
12.Watch out girls are so fussy they'll keep calling you, and start controlling your life. and checking your phone.
NET
13.No I really like her.. I don't think she's like that. She's so cute.
SCENE 3 INT. WON GEN - DAY
GOI and JAR sit down at cafe.
GOI
14.Ooohooo, Inao blames others but does it himself.
JAR
15.But hey, the highest good in life is taking care of yourself.
GOI
16.So what kind of a guy do you want to marry then?
JAR
17.Flippantly tall, white, handsome and rich. Doesn't everyone want that?
Split screen: Crane up from Pod's feet up to his face.
POD
18.White, beautiful, big boobs and curvy!
SCENE 4 INT. WON GEN - DAY
GOI
19.I think if he has a good heart it's enough...but handsome is nice.
SCENE 5 INT. MUAY THAI - DAY
NET
20.Cute is good, ci ci, but the physical body will change, she wont be white anymore, she'll may get fat, but she still be lovable.
SCENE 6 INT. WON GEN - DAY
JAR
21.So what about your date yesterday with Net?
GOI
22.What about it?
JAR
23.Tell me! What did you guys do? Did you kiss each other?
GOI is surprised.
SCENE 7 INT. MUAY THAI - DAY
POD
24.How was it friend, Did you go to heaven?
NET
25.What do you mean go to heaven?
POD
26.yung gny yung gny
Makes an insinuating action
NET
27.Don't be ridiculous man! We just drank milk, I dropped her off at her house and then came home that's it.
POD
28.OY! Is that enough, are you stupid! You wasted money on the movie, the gas,
and the food and that's all you got!
SCENE 8 INT. WON GEN - DAY
JAR
29.What?! Not even a kiss. You're not doing a good enough job! If you're too slow the dog will take the meat and eat it!
GOI
30.I'm not worried about that.
JAR
31.Have you checked his mobile phone for other girls?
GOI
32.No, that's not good manners to do it. If we love each other you have to trust each other.
JAR
33.Ah, guys are all the same.. so predictable.
34.If their not playing video games or checking out girls there probably beating each other up.
SCENE 9 INT. MUAY THAI - DAY
Hi-speed montage the boys are in dingy dark place beating the snot out of each other.
POD
35.Girls are all the same, so predictable. Their probably walking around a market, drinking coffee and talking about us.
SCENE 10 INT. WON GEN - DAY
JAR
36.If you think this way you'll be too slow to figure out what people are doing. Remember Apple? 
Flash backs; Jasmine smacks Beer.
JAR
37.See how that turned out? What makes you think this will be different?
SCENE 11 INT. MUAY THAI - DAY
POD
38.You really think she's any different?
SCENE 12 INT. WON GEN - DAY
GOI
39.He's really different. Serious about his faith and a good heart.
JAR
40.You think him being Christian makes and difference?
GOI
41.Net's very sincere about following Jesus and trying to live like Jesus did.
JAR
42. No matter what religion they follow, all men are the same under temptation or sex. We can't trust anyone in this area.
SCENE 13 INT. MUAY THAI - DAY
Net does a sweet move and knocks Pod down.
NET
43.Don't talk about her like that! Try to respect the girls a little.
POD
44.Cool heart, cool heart. Just joking.
Net smiles and helps Pod up.
NET
45.God made us strong to take care of girls.
Pod does a quick move and flips Net around and knocks him down.
POD
(Jokingly)
46.I feel weak.
SCENE 13 INT. WON GEN - DAY
GOI
47.Hey whatever happened with you and Pod?
JAR
48.I took out the trash. We couldn't go together, we are too different.
SCENE 14 INT. MUAY THAI - DAY
NET
49.What ever happened with you and Jar?
POD
50.Aw.. Nevermind, She was just a gik!
SCENE 15 INT. WON GEN - DAY
GOI
60.We are human and we all make mistakes but God looks at our
hearts and he forgives us.
70.I think as long as we're both trying to follow him we can do our best.
JAR
71.Don't be stupid, watch out. Don't give away all your heart.
GOI
72.Wait and see what happens.
SCENE 16 INT. MUAY THAI - DAY
POD
73.Be careful of the heart break after this is done!
NET
74.Love is beautiful but it can hurt us. I don't know what's going to happen
but I'm going to try to love.
SCENE 17 INT. WON GEN - DAY
JAR and GOI ask for the bill
SCENE 18 EXT. CITY - DAY
Net and Pod happen to pull up on their motorbikes just as Goi and Jar are walking out of the cafe.
NET
75. Hi! Have you eaten yet?
GOI
76. No not yet
NET
77.Do you want to eat together?
GOI
78.OK
They walk off together and Jar and Pod stare at each other, shrug and follow them.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
The raksang of Singsatsid
Recently, through books, websites and visiting teachers, it's like I've fallen down the rabbit hole of contextualising for Buddhism and like Alice, have no idea where it will end. One contextual church planter shared some of his experiences in contextualising (if you read this, forgive me, I'm writing from memory).
"I used to go to villages and pray for people. I would put my hand on their shoulder and just began to say "Oh Lord would you please..." but they would turn to speak to the person next to them! Or keep sweeping their floors or yelling at their kids! It was annoying! Next time, I watched what they did when they prayed, and they would end by saying 'Saatu'. So I tried that, and the person carried on whatever they were doing until I said 'Saatu' and then they turned to me like 'Hey, you were praying?!' Finally I went into a temple to watch what the monks did. They put their hands palms together in front of their chests and chanted prayers in a monotone. I tried this next time in the village and the whole family stopped what they were doing and knelt down with me in prayer!"
"One day I went into a village and prayed for healing for some people. Right then and there they decided that made me a 'raksang' - a medium or spirit guide. So I said 'Yes, I have the Spirit of Singsatsid (the God of the universe)'. So then they took me to meet their village raksang. She was in the middle of a trance, channelling the spirit of the local mountain. I eavesdropped on the woman making her appeal to the spirit in front of me.
The petitioner said 'I've lost my mobile phone.'
The raksang said 'When was the last time you saw it?'
'When we went to eat at this restaurant.'
'Well, have you gone back to that restaurant to look for it?'
'No.'
'Well maybe you should go back there and ask the owners if they've seen it.'
And for this amazing advice from the mountain spirit, the raksang was paid. When it came to my turn to meet the raksang, she said 'put some money in and I'll channel the spirit.' Instead, I looked at her and said 'No, I want to talk to you.' The look in her eyes was the same as when someone speaks to a prostitute properly, instead of for her body. No one had wanted to talk to her, just to the spirit. We became friends."
"One time I asked her 'Why don't you want my spirit - Singsatsid, the God of the universe, instead of the local mountain spirit?'
She looked at me back and said 'He is too big. I would explode!'"
"I used to go to villages and pray for people. I would put my hand on their shoulder and just began to say "Oh Lord would you please..." but they would turn to speak to the person next to them! Or keep sweeping their floors or yelling at their kids! It was annoying! Next time, I watched what they did when they prayed, and they would end by saying 'Saatu'. So I tried that, and the person carried on whatever they were doing until I said 'Saatu' and then they turned to me like 'Hey, you were praying?!' Finally I went into a temple to watch what the monks did. They put their hands palms together in front of their chests and chanted prayers in a monotone. I tried this next time in the village and the whole family stopped what they were doing and knelt down with me in prayer!"
"One day I went into a village and prayed for healing for some people. Right then and there they decided that made me a 'raksang' - a medium or spirit guide. So I said 'Yes, I have the Spirit of Singsatsid (the God of the universe)'. So then they took me to meet their village raksang. She was in the middle of a trance, channelling the spirit of the local mountain. I eavesdropped on the woman making her appeal to the spirit in front of me.
The petitioner said 'I've lost my mobile phone.'
The raksang said 'When was the last time you saw it?'
'When we went to eat at this restaurant.'
'Well, have you gone back to that restaurant to look for it?'
'No.'
'Well maybe you should go back there and ask the owners if they've seen it.'
And for this amazing advice from the mountain spirit, the raksang was paid. When it came to my turn to meet the raksang, she said 'put some money in and I'll channel the spirit.' Instead, I looked at her and said 'No, I want to talk to you.' The look in her eyes was the same as when someone speaks to a prostitute properly, instead of for her body. No one had wanted to talk to her, just to the spirit. We became friends."
"One time I asked her 'Why don't you want my spirit - Singsatsid, the God of the universe, instead of the local mountain spirit?'
She looked at me back and said 'He is too big. I would explode!'"
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Interesting Buddhist Scripture
“When Buddha was traveling and living in this world, there was an old Brahman priest who wore white robes who asked the Buddha, “How will all men and all Brahman continue in their merit-making so as to escape the results of sin?” The Buddha answered, “Even though all of you give alms according to the 5 precepts, the 8 precepts, the 10 precepts or the 227 precepts for 9 trillion years and you raise your hands and offer yourselves as a burnt offering, or you pray 5 times a day, you will still not escape the results of your sins. If you do this every day, your merit gained will only be equal to the smallest strand of hair of an unborn infant extremely small. You shall not enter heaven’s doors.”
The old Brahman priest asked further, “What are we going to do to be saved?” The Buddha answered the old Brahman priest, “The results of sins and Karma are very great, heavier than the sky, thicker than the earth; and so high that it would be like an angel dusting the corner-posts at the temple compound with a cloth-post that are worn down, that’s how long it would take to end your sins.” The Buddha said further, “I have given up my high position and entered the priesthood. I considered that even though I am good, I would have only a very small amount of merit at the end of the year. If I was given this same amount of merit for 100,000 epochs and live 10 more lifetimes, I would not be saved from sin’s results even once.”
The old Brahman priest asked further. “So what should we all do?” The Buddha answered, “Keep on making merit and looking for another Holy One who will come and help the world and all of you in the future.”
Then the old Brahman priest asked. “What will the characteristics of the Holy One be like?” The Buddha answered him, “The Holy One who will keep the world in the future will be like this: in the palm of his hands and in the flat of his feet will be the design of a disk, in his side will be a stab wound; and his forehead will have many marks like scars. This Holy One will be the golden boat who will carry you over the cycle of rebirths all the way to the highest heaven (Nirvana). Do not look for salvation in the old way; there is no salvation in it for sure. Quit the old way. And there will be a new spirit like the light of a lightning bug which will come down from the sky above to live in all of your hearts and you will be victorious over all your enemies. Nobody will be able to destroy you. If you die, you will not come back to be born in this world again. You will go to the highest heaven (Nirvana).” *
* Permission was granted to copy these Buddhist Scriptures from Wat Phra Sing in Chiang Mai Province. The person who gave permission was Phra Sriwisutthiwong in Bangkok. It is guaranteed that this copy is accurate according to the original, that there is no error in transmission, which is in the book of the district headman, the religious encyclopedia volume 23, book #29. This inquiry was made on October 13, 1954 A.D. (Buddhist era 2497).
http://goldenboat.webs.com
The old Brahman priest asked further, “What are we going to do to be saved?” The Buddha answered the old Brahman priest, “The results of sins and Karma are very great, heavier than the sky, thicker than the earth; and so high that it would be like an angel dusting the corner-posts at the temple compound with a cloth-post that are worn down, that’s how long it would take to end your sins.” The Buddha said further, “I have given up my high position and entered the priesthood. I considered that even though I am good, I would have only a very small amount of merit at the end of the year. If I was given this same amount of merit for 100,000 epochs and live 10 more lifetimes, I would not be saved from sin’s results even once.”
The old Brahman priest asked further. “So what should we all do?” The Buddha answered, “Keep on making merit and looking for another Holy One who will come and help the world and all of you in the future.”
Then the old Brahman priest asked. “What will the characteristics of the Holy One be like?” The Buddha answered him, “The Holy One who will keep the world in the future will be like this: in the palm of his hands and in the flat of his feet will be the design of a disk, in his side will be a stab wound; and his forehead will have many marks like scars. This Holy One will be the golden boat who will carry you over the cycle of rebirths all the way to the highest heaven (Nirvana). Do not look for salvation in the old way; there is no salvation in it for sure. Quit the old way. And there will be a new spirit like the light of a lightning bug which will come down from the sky above to live in all of your hearts and you will be victorious over all your enemies. Nobody will be able to destroy you. If you die, you will not come back to be born in this world again. You will go to the highest heaven (Nirvana).” *
* Permission was granted to copy these Buddhist Scriptures from Wat Phra Sing in Chiang Mai Province. The person who gave permission was Phra Sriwisutthiwong in Bangkok. It is guaranteed that this copy is accurate according to the original, that there is no error in transmission, which is in the book of the district headman, the religious encyclopedia volume 23, book #29. This inquiry was made on October 13, 1954 A.D. (Buddhist era 2497).
http://goldenboat.webs.com
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Village Movie Premiere
So tonight, underneath a blue tarpaulin on the dirt outside the village headman's house, we premiered the Shan evangelistic movie to an audience that included actors and extras in the film. They began by telling their testimonies and then we played the movie in a projector screen. It was so great to see their reactions. We shot this film in october last year with the SFM students and it has been in production till now.
The film has some fairly serious themes around violence, forgiveness and the displacement of Shan people into Burma. Still, the Shan guys started off laughing at themselves onscreen.
The film has some fairly serious themes around violence, forgiveness and the displacement of Shan people into Burma. Still, the Shan guys started off laughing at themselves onscreen.
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