Can More

I was just in Canmore for the last few days. I was an honorary member of the MB pastor and spouses retreat. I know, I know...I'm not married, but nobody has to know, right? Seriously though, it was a great couple of days connecting with the Alberta pastors, meeting alot of people, and enjoying some fantastic food together.

I know that I wasn't able to see many of you while I was in Alberta, but we'll get some quality time when I come home for Christmas.

I've received alot of questions recently about when we are going and what we will be doing, and so I want to take this opportunity to bring some clarity and share what we know thus far. I am on a team of 5 adults and 2 kids (Bob and Christina and their two boys, Phil and Jason...Reg...and Bitsy). We are all in the middle of MTI (missionary training institute) so we are either studying at Columbia Bible College or at ACTS seminary. We will be starting team building shortly to learn more about each other, how we work together, and our strengths and weaknesses.

So, the plan at the moment is to head to Thailand at the end of January. We will either be doing language study in Lop Buri (one hour north of Bangkok) or Chiang Mai. We are still in the process of figuring that out. Wherever we end up, we will be there studying the language for a year. From that place, we plan on taking many trips up north as a team to see where we will be settling and to be able to spend much time praying together over that place.

After completing a year of language, we will move up north either to Chiang Rai or Chiang Khong. The ministry that we know at this point is two fold. First, there are some 30,000 new believers among the Khmu people so we'll be involved in discipleship, training and coming alongside the Khmu leadership. Second, there are many among the northern Thai who have never heard the gospel and so we want to be involved in church planting among them. It is among the northern Thai people where we will invest in prostitutes, orphans and the destitute. It is more than likely that we will have to learn the Khmu language as well as Thai...so that means my first 3 years will be primarily language learning.

So...that's as much as I know at the moment. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Also, if any of you have skype please email me your address, because I would love to be able to keep in touch while I'm away.