Blessin's from Pedrito

The Maynard-Reid's 2011 Annual Letter

2011-12-01T13:55:00.000-08:00

We hope 2011 found all our blog followers in good health and enjoying God’s many blessings. This blog is a joint report by Violet (Vie) and Pedrito. We had another full year – here are some of the highlights.

As always December began with Pedrito taking two of his students to Oakwood University for the Pastoral, Evangelism and Leadership Conference. This was one of the most stimulating and energizing of the 20 that he has attended. And just as energizing was having the entire family (including in-laws and Lorraine) for Christmas at home in Walla Walla. The last grandchild, Mayamiko, was almost 3; so she got into the “spirit” as did Jasmine and Leo, and all of us “big” kids! The Maynard-Pemba’s flew back to Florida late New Year’s Eve, so we celebrated that occasion in Seattle.

During Winter quarter, Pedrito taught every Monday in Portland. He loves teaching at the Nursing School, even though it is a lot of flying or driving (8 hours round-trip). He still taught classes on the main campus and on weekends had preaching appointments and recruiting stints – like one to Valley Crossroads Church in the Los Angeles area. He spent a lovely time with his sister, Audrey, while there. The sweet-sour part of the month was that our 1989 Nissan pickup died. But we were fortunate to lease a brand new Toyota Tacoma pick-up with only 1 mile on it! The savings we gained from refinancing our house paid that new expense. It’s Vie’s; she loves the big vehicle!

We always look forward to taking the Worship class on a Field trip to Seattle to experience African American worship at Emerald City Community SDA Church and New Beginnings Baptist Church. And of course spending time with the grandkids. Vie also got to go to Florida and spend a couple weeks with Mayamiko and her parents. Pedrito is President of Rotary of Walla Walla this year. His signature project was a trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. He took along with him three Rotarians and their spouses to engage in a humanitarian project of building cisterns for clean drinking water in a poor area of the region. They also assisted in laying the flooring for one of the houses for a poor family. (For photos see: http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery/san_miguel_de_allende_mexico_trip_2011)

After Vie returned from Florida in March, we headed to Rosario Marine Station (Walla Walla University’s campus in the Puget Sound) for the North American SDA Campus Ministries Convention. There Pedrito represented the Administration and welcomed the delegates to WWU. Then he was off to Andrews University in Michigan, to be one of the Plenary speakers for their annual Worship Conference. The next out-of-town trip was to La Sierra in April for the annual West Coast Religion Teachers’ Conference. The conference was great; but spending time at the home of Pedrito’s friends and colleagues, Kendra Haloviak and Gil Valentine, was most special.

Some of you might remember that Pedrito is the Ombudsman at WWU (as well as Assistant to the President for Diversity). In those roles he has inaugurated the first Peacemaking Weekend at the University. It began with a Steel Band concert in the city plaza, and included a presentation by Doug Morgan from Washington Adventist University. Later in the quarter, he brought in Alvin Ziontz to make a presentation on Rebuilding the American Indian Nation, for the first in a series of Diversity Lectures.

The 35^th Regional Convocation at Camp Berachah was spectacular! The music was diverse and heavenly; the preaching was dynamic and powerful. Pedrito taught the SS lesson, promoted WWU, and was the MC for a fabulous concert, featuring Le Voce -- 3 operatic sopranos who brought down the house! As always, we ended May with a trip to Milo Academy in southern Oregon where Pedrito gave out over three quarters of a million dollars in scholarships for Walla Walla University.

Let us pause and let you know about our kids. Here is what’s on their websites: Dr. Natasha Maynard-Pemba is the Training Director at the University of Florida's Counseling and Wellness Center. She received her Ph.D. from the Counseling Psychology program at Arizona State University. She counsels individuals, couples, and groups with a variety of clinical and developmental concerns. Natasha uses several primary theoretical orientations in her therapy and supervision including interpersonal, family systems, and cognitive-behavioral theories. She is interested in issues of diversity, specifically issues of cultural adjustment as it relates to stress. She is the faculty advisor for the Jamaican American Student Association (JAMSA) and served as co-faculty advisor with Dr. Robinson for the Multicultural Psychological Association through the Psychology department for several years. As a way to continue meeting the needs of underrepresented groups, she and Dr. Hernandez developed an innovative bilingual group called ¿Qué pasa? She has a strong interest in training activities and supervision and oversees the training program.

Pedrito Maynard-Zhang is a software development engineer for Microsoft in the Bing local search group. Before this, he developed software at amazon.com in the customer behavior group. Prior to developing software, he was doing his other passion, teaching as an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science & Systems Analysis at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. (Nope, no affiliation to that other Miami.) However, as much as he loved teaching there, it was just too far from the west coast and family. So here they are, back in the wonderful Pacific Northwest. He received his Ph.D in Computer Science in 2001 from the Department of Computer Science at Stanford University (and picked up a Masters of Science in Computer Science along the way). He did his Bachelors in Electrical Engineering at Walla Walla University, a liberal arts university in Southeastern Washington State. His general area of expertise is Artificial Intelligence with an emphasis on Multi-agent Systems, Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, and Machine Learning.

Vie’s birthday – This was a momentous year, for Vie, one that she long dreaded. Yes, this year Vie turned 60. She begrudgingly agreed to let us celebrate – as long as we kept it within the family. With that little bit of freedom we were off. Of course, to truly celebrate with family we needed ALL the family there, so the first order of business was arranging to surprise Vie by flying Natasha and Mayamiko in from Florida. Sadly, Evans was not able to join us. But we did manage to get Natasha and Mayamiko here sorta secretly – Vie says she knew we would pull this off. What Vie didn’t see coming was that everyone had pitched in together and bought her a new refrigerator. That truly surprised her and we’ve seldom seen such a reaction out of her. The goal was to make the celebration memorable and to that extent I think we were successful.

In June the university invited the General Conference Vice President for Education, Ella Simmons, to speak for commencement. Ella and her husband, Nord, joined us at our home for a wonderful Friday evening meal. We had a memorable visit and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Pedrito traveled to the Netherlands in June for a series of meetings. His focus was on “Tearing Down Walls; Building Bridges.” The church in Holland is largely immigrant church (as it is all around the western world). He has a burden to make the gospel contextual if there is going to be any semblance of growth in the post-Christian society. The sermons were well received and his hosts did a great job of showing him the sights of this delightful country.

After returning from the Netherlands, Vie and Pedrito headed for Goldendale, Washington to the new Project Patch camp for the annual Cabinet Retreat. This new retreat center provides a safe haven for troubled families to meet and get help with various issues. The setting was beautiful and we engaged in some meaningful long-range planning for the university. Our time together is always powerful and invigorating.

Summer was busy with Vie doing many projects around the house, and taking on the big project of redoing the body of our 1965 VW bug. She taught herself to weld and all the other things that go with car body work! We spent 4^th of July in Seattle with Pedrito II and family and viewed the fireworks at the Iron Works Park. It was a great show. Pedrito’s year as Rotary President came to an end at the beginning of July. At the Award’s Banquet the Club sent him off with a wonderful Roast! Our son Pedrito II continues as a "software development engineer 2" at Microsoft, but was promoted to the upper of the two levels in that band. We are proud of our children.

At the end of August we (Vie is not able to go every year, but she came this year) took our annual short-term mission trip to Thailand with a group of students from Walla Walla University. This trip included two alums and a student from Loma Linda University. It was the best team we’ve worked with to date. Part of the team taught English at a local elementary school and the other part of the team worked on Uncle Prasarn’s and Nang’s farm. This year at the farm was especially challenging as the heavy rains of the past couple years have washed out the roads on the farm making them impassable for their small tractor. We prepped some of the roads for the loads of gravel we’d raised money to bring in. But the heavy rains kept most of the gravel from being delivered during our time there. We left funds so the work could be continued after we left. As many of you know who follow world news, Thailand is still being hit with heavy rains – the worst in 60 years. We pray for the people there as the challenges they face are enormous and their resources are scarce.

In addition to the work, we took time on the weekends to experience some of the great cultural experiences that Thailand has to offer. These included a wildlife refuge, elephant rides, shopping, and an amazing day at the Tiger Temple – an outdoor Buddhist monastery that is a tiger rehabilitation program. It’s the only place in the world that people can spend a day interacting with tigers of all ages. Even the most scared in our group found the experience exhilarating. And for Lorraine, well, it was what she called her One Perfect Day in Life. ‘Nuff said.

A few days after we returned home we headed south to spend a week with Natasha and family. Vie simply had a blast with Mayamiko! Pedrito went there primarily to get away and have some time to hibernate and meet a writing deadline for part of the new SDA Commentary on James. We could only spend a week because school began the next week. Although Pedrito’s School of Theology was kind enough to allow him a lighter load this term so that he could put more time in the writing. In the winter term he’ll take an overload to make up. So this Fall he only taught one course to the nursing students on the Portland campus on Mondays (flying most of the time via Seattle).

He continued his duties as Assistant to the President for Diversity. As part of that role he was part of the Walla Walla Diversity Coalition that coordinated the city-wide Freedom from Discrimination Month in October. Our focus was on how Asians were treated during World War II and immigration issues in general. A highlight was an honor he received from the local paper, The Union Bulletin. He was chosen as one of 8 famous persons in the Walla Walla Valley to be featured in the paper with a three-quarter page photo (published about 5 times before the year was out).

Much of Pedrito’s book writing over the years has been done in the solitude of his sister’s Audrey’s home in Pasadena. He went there for a few days in October. On a visit to our Aunt Cissy in Colton, we got a call from our brother Hugh that he was down the road at Loma Linda for a conference on mental health. (Hugh is the Director of Pastoral Care at the Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.) They 3 were able to get together for dinner and catch-up at a lovely restaurant in Old Pasadena.

While in LA, our University President asked Pedrito if he could represent him and Walla Walla at the Inauguration of the President of Oakwood University. It was a whirlwind trip, with only 3 hours sleep in 48 hours. But what a grand event it was as President Leslie Pollard was installed with all the pomp and circumstance. Pedrito also participated in a public roundtable discussion with a number of SDA university presidents on contemporary issues in Adventist higher education.

Pedrito takes many speaking appointments in the Northwest. On October 22, he preached 3 sermons at the Auburn City Church. It was a blessed day all around. We also got to spend some time with Pedrito II and his family. Can you imagine that our oldest grandchild, Jasmine, turned 10. She had the grandest birthday party at the beginning of the month.

Couple more notes on our children: Natasha was one of 3 nationally who received The Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors’ scholarship to support the cost of attending the 2011 Director's conference (October 24-28, 2011 at Arizona State University, her alma mater). As part of the scholarship she co-presented a diversity themed program at the conference. Pedrito II got another major promotion in the Software Engineering department of Microsoft.

November was a busy month of travel, speaking, and researching, with a bit of vacation thrown in. First WWU ask Pedrito again to travel to Toronto, Canada to recruit at Kingsway College and Crawford High Schools. Vie took the opportunity to come along and to spend a week with Janice and with Noel’s family. It was so much fun reliving the old times in the Thompson clan. Pedrito only spent a day there; he had to be back to teach in Portland and to head back down to Oakwood University. He was invited to preach at Madison Mission and to speak to the Theology students of the University. His friend, Pastor James Doggette, was kind enough to fly him in a few days early so that he could hibernate and get some research and writing done. It was great to see Dave, Juliet, and Jessica Knight, and the Gellineaus, and many other friends. He barely got back from there before he had to head down to San Francisco to the annual ASRS/SBL meetings. He and his brightest student, colleague, and friend, Olive, took some time to see the lovely sights in the city and to talk social justice, theology, and church politics.

The high point of November was the lovely vacation given to us by Fidel Perez. He and his identical twin, Raul, were members of the Junior Church that Pedrito founded in 1976 at West Indies College. He arranged for us to spend 3 days at a fabulous resort at Bavaro on the northeast coast of the Dominican Republic. It is the most fabulous place at which we have stayed. On Friday and Sabbath, Pedrito was the main speaker at a Master Guide Camporee in San Cristobal. Hundreds of MGs packed the hall. The energy was electrifying! Pedrito spoke 4 times on “WOW! –The Miracles of Jesus.” We had an amazing time!

Well, that’s it for life at the Maynard-Reids for the last 12 months. Thanks for your love and prayers. If you wish to see numerous photos of this year’s events, please visit our photo site: http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery; and visit earlier entries, below, of Pedrito’s blog as well: http://blessingsfrompedrito.blogspot.com/.

Thailand Journal 2011 #19

2011-09-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

After over 30 straight hours of travel, we have arrived safely back in Walla Walla (though a few team members are still traveling on their own around Thailand). Tired, but with a good feeling at having completed another successful trip. All my trips and teams are good, but this trip and team were exceptional. To have 12 people work, play, eat, and live in a foreign culture together for over two weeks can be a challenge on many levels. But this team worked, played, ate, and lived together remarkably well and made the organization and logistics much easier than it would have been otherwise.

Admittedly, the working conditions can be challenging at times. But this team kept each other going – with jokes, with song, with energy, and with encouragement. They kept each other built up when discouragement set in – especially on the farm where the weather was hot, the work was exhausting, and the project overwhelming at times. And the relationship this group of students has with God is inspiring. They relied on God throughout – for energy, for good spirits, for funds to complete the mission, for healing when one of the team had an injury, for safety, and for the ability to do their best to help those they came in contact with. Every parent and every member of WWU would have been proud of this group.

Each year I’m asked what difference can we make in just a couple weeks. Is it worth all the effort? I always say a resounding “YES.” If you saw the joy in the children’s faces when they greet the team members who come to help them with their English each day, you’d say “YES.” If you saw the tears that Nang, the woman who owns the farm, shed when we left her, you’d say “YES.” If you saw the comments the team members made as they reflected on their experiences, you’d say “YES.” There were individual and collective financial hurdles to overcome, there were logistical challenges to be worked through, and other obstacles – no undertaking of this type is without those issues, but when you see God working them out its exciting and inspiring and worth every minute of effort. I am blessed and energized to have worked with this team and hope they will all be back for the 10-year reunion I’m planning for 2014.

Links to all 19 daily blogs and 2848 photos: http://blessingsfrompedrito.blogspot.com/ and http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery/thailand_cultural_and_mission_trip_2011.

Thailand Journal 2011 #18

2011-09-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

Today was our final day together as a group. And what a day it was!!!! It is after 2:00 a.m. here in Thailand and the last few of us from the team just returned from Bangkok after a very full but great day. Here’s a quick rundown of what we did today.

At 8:00 the group met and started loading up the van. A number of the group planned to split from the group in Bangkok today and go on with their individual travel plans. Unfortunately we misjudged the amount of luggage that would be traveling with the group today and it quickly became clear that the group and the luggage were not all gonna fit into the van that we rented. Our on-site organizer and all-around good-guy, Richard, came to our rescue again. He somehow managed to round up a school van and a driver – all within about 15 minutes. The second van took the luggage and met us in Bangkok. We loaded people up into the first van and headed out for the day’s adventure. A little frustrated but things always manage to work out.

Our first stop in Bangkok was the Grand Palace. I take teams here every year as part of the cultural experience. The Grand Palace is a huge, 35-acre complex of elaborate and ornate buildings that date back to the 1700s. The place is stunning and we get quite the history lesson along the way, although it can be difficult to understand our guide oftentimes. It was a very hot day but I was glad the sun was out because, as you’ll see from the pictures, the place fairly sparkles in the sunlight and is quite breath-taking.

After the palace tour I always take the teams on a hike to my favorite restaurant. The food is fabulous and reasonably priced. We then headed for the boat ride down the canal. This is another adventure I take teams on every year. The canal is very busy with tourist boats and barges. The water was especially high this year because of the heavy rains – and muddier than ever. But the breeze was cool and welcome in the intense heat. One of the favorite stops on the ride is the fish farm where big ugly cat-fish type fish swim at the surface waiting to be fed bread. It’s very entertaining. In addition the boatman usually stops for at least one vendor to pull up in a boat alongside ours’ to try and sell their souvenirs. It’s yet another good cultural experience for the team.

Following the canal ride we drove to Mission Hospital where Faye Walters met us and helped us navigate to the Amarin mall where she knew we could get some good bargains. Along the way we stopped at the train station and said our first goodbye to a team member as Jason Bush left us to go travel through Chiang Mai for a week. We spent a couple hours at the mall then drove to the Patpong night market, as I always want the teams to experience this. And they always have the most fun at these. The traditional night market (Suan Lum) has been torn down so this was the first time to go to this particular market, but it proved to be very much like the one in Chiang Mai and had everything we were looking for to take back to our friends and loved ones at home. At the market we said goodbye to Leah Robinson who’d met up with her friend that she’ll be staying with for a few days.

From the night market we next went to the Nasa Vegas hotel where we said goodbye to Omar, Melinda, Spring (who’ll rejoin us for the flight home), Jennifer, and Lexie. The last few of us, Kofi, Dora, Vie, Lorraine, and I loaded back into the van and headed back to the university. It has been a very long day but it went well and ended well. I can’t say enough about what a great group this has been. One of the most productive and successful trips ever. Many new friendships were formed here. Thanks to FaceBook, e-mail, and other forms of communication I know many of these people will continue to keep touch over the years. People really bond during experiences like this. It’s just been a great trip with great people.

Thailand Journal 2011 #17

2011-09-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

What a full and blessed day. The only part of the day that didn’t have an activity scheduled were those hours (or minutes) between the time we woke up and the time we went to church. Since then we’ve been on the go. After church the team went their separate ways for lunch, some to the potluck, some to the café. Vie, Lorraine, and myself were invited to have lunch with Supaporn, the Hmong student we’ve been sponsoring since 2005 (and whom I baptized many years ago at Chiang Mai Academy), and who is now attending APIU. Two of her brothers are here working on campus and they wanted to prepare lunch for us. It was a lovely traditional Thai and Hmong meal. We enjoyed some wonderful food and conversation.

As soon as lunch was over we rounded everyone up and headed for the girls’ orphanage a little over an hour away. Last year was my first experience with the orphanage and I was just blown away with how responsive the children were and how in need of attention and affection they were. I knew this group of students would love the experience. Just as with last year, the girls were eagerly waiting for the vans to pull up (we came with some other students from APIU who make weekly Sabbath afternoon visits to the orphanage). The girls immediately swarm to the students and want to hold their hands or be held. Our team played with them nonstop from the time they got out of the van. It was probably close to 100 degrees today but they didn’t let that stop them. They could see how important this time was to the children and they dove in and made the most of it. The girls can’t stand it when it’s time for everyone to leave – they try to crowd into the vans with the students and have to be physically lifted out so the vans can leave. It’s heartbreaking.

We returned to campus with just enough time to freshen up and then went to the University President’s home where he and his wife and a visiting professor and his wife, as well as the VP for Student Administration served us all homemade pizzas. The team was starved and the pizzas were delicious. After dinner a few students left and went to the home of the Spanish pastor who preached the sermon today, while others stayed at the president’s home for some rousing games of Rook. A lot of laughter ensued. Everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves. It’s now after 11:00 p.m. and we leave at 8:00 a.m. for a full day in Bangkok. Tomorrow will be our last day together as a team as most of the group takes off for individual travel plans. It should be another full and fun day.

Thailand Journal 2011 #16

2011-09-02T06:50:00.000-07:00

Mixed emotions today as we wrapped up our last day of work here in Muak Lek. At the elementary school the team teachers said their goodbyes and the principal treated them to a nice lunch out. At the farm we wrapped up the day fertilizing a large corn field and then picking chili peppers. But before we started working we presented Uncle Prasarn and his wife, Nang, with some gifts. A new work outfit for Nang, souvenir T-shirts from our group, and some food for their pet dogs. Tears were shed on both sides when we said our farewells.

The afternoon was spent running up and down Muak Lek taking care of final business. We had a lovely meal at a little restaurant some of the team had discovered earlier in the week. Then we headed home for the evening. It has been a very very good experience in Thailand this year. Our work projects have gone well, they’ve taken different twists and turns then we might have anticipated, but my goal is that we be flexible and do the work that’s needed, not necessarily the work we think should be done. I believe in scratching where it itches. This team has done a great job working with that philosophy.

Tomorrow we spend the afternoon at a nearby girls’ orphanage. Another unique experience for the team that should be memorable.

Thailand Journal 2011 #15

2011-09-01T07:32:00.001-07:00

While yesterday was rather uneventful, today was the antithesis to uneventful. The day started with a phone call that one of our team members, who had been having some problems with her eye, was having serious problems with it this morning. Arrangements were made for her to go see a local doctor at 8:00 in Muak Lek. That doctor sent her to an eye specialist in Saraburi for further testing. That doctor wanted to send her to Mission Hospital in Bangkok but after the tests came back it wasn’t as serious as he’d originally feared. Her eye had been pretty badly scratched sometime this past week and had become infected. She has some medicine for it and the doctor wants her to check in again in a couple days to see how it’s progressing. She was a real trooper and came and taught at the English Language Center tonight and seems to be doing much better, but she had a pretty traumatic day. We just thank God that it was not worse.

The teachers were one person short this morning but they combined their classes and made a go of it. Some of the students made lovely cards for their teachers to thank them for spending time teaching them English these past two weeks. Tomorrow is the last day at the school. The team has really enjoyed their experience there.

It rained last night – a LOT. So no gravel was delivered to the farm again today. But we had plenty to do. We finished weeding our second chili pepper field and then moved on to the bean field, which we’ll finish up tomorrow.

After a quick lunch and time spent running around taking care of some business for this weekend, we got the team together and went to Dr. and Mrs. Hamara’s home for a WONDERFUL pizza dinner. Mrs. Hamara must have worked all day to cook so much food for us. Homemade pizzas, French fries, green salad, fresh mango, and chocolate cake (from scratch). They knew most people would be ready for some familiar food from home – and they were right. It was delicious.

We quickly went straight from dinner to the English Language Center for our last night with the kids. And what a night it was. We partied!!! The team members working with the youngest students really wanted to treat the kids to cupcakes tonight. Amazingly the university cafeteria was willing to make us 50 muffin-type cupcakes on short notice. “Cupcake” was one of the new words the team had taught to the children this week. The team also bought all kinds of prizes and handed them out as rewards while reviewing all the new words the kids had learned the last two weeks. There were lots of hugs and pictures as the kids and team members said their goodbyes. It was a great time.

During our closing party the heavens opened and the thunderstorm came with a fury! We drove home in some pretty crazy weather. But the team members were undaunted by the storm. In fact they were pumped up. The best team I ever worked with was the group that came to Thailand in 2004. Tonight I made it official that THIS group is the new best team ever!!!! That announcement set them off – they were singing, laughing, and making songs and jingles up at the top of their lungs the whole way home. What a great group! It was surely a memorable day for all of us.

Thailand Journal 2011 #14

2011-08-31T07:00:00.001-07:00

Today was fairly uneventful by all accounts. The team seemed to be suffering from a collective tiredness but still gave their all to their respective projects.

On the farm we spent another day weeding chili pepper fields. Our on-site coordinator extraordinaire, Sorawit Chaipisit (Richard), accompanied us again today. Richard is the head Dean at APIU. Working in the fields allows the team to be in closer proximity to each other, which allows for some entertaining conversations. Yesterday it seemed as if all the conversations focused on the movies – everything from Charlie Chaplin, to James Bond, to X-Men. They covered it all. Today’s topics were more diverse – Richard would ask questions about our culture and we would ask questions about his. Very educating and amusing. It is in these times that the culture and mission dimensions of our trip intermix. These discussions also helped the time go faster. Unfortunately the rains pounded the area today so it is most unlikely that we’ll get to see the road finished, but at least we know the resources and arrangements are coming in place to get it finished as soon as possible whether we’re here or not.

At the elementary school the team took turns teaching various grades. We have a great team at the school and they’re wonderful with the kids. The kids crowd around them every chance they get and want to talk with them about all sorts of things. The school kindly prepares lunch for our whole team every day. We find this especially generous and gracious since the rest of us come straight from the farm and are not exactly dressed for dining. I suppose it is helpful that they feed us outdoors.

The day ended with exciting learning sessions at the Community Center in town. The squeals of the kids (young and old alike) as we arrive each evening at 6:00pm make coming, even after a tiring day, a delight.

Thailand Journal 2011 #13

2011-08-30T06:41:00.001-07:00

We never know what to expect when we head to the farm. We went with the anticipation and hope of getting more gravel but knew with the ongoing rains that that was unlikely to happen. When we arrived the dump-truck driver was there (on his motorbike). He came out to survey the situation. He explained that we needed two consecutive days without rain. If it doesn’t rain today and tomorrow then he will round up a couple of his friends and then will make a massive push to deliver as much gravel as possible. In addition the gentleman with the tractor will be contacted so he can come help level. We had special prayer for two rainless days.

After working those arrangements out we got a new assignment – weeding the chili pepper plants. This new project seemed to re-energize the team and they took to it with gusto. The reeds of grass were five to six feet tall but the soil was soft making the weeding much easier than it would have been without all the rains (they do serve some good purposes). The team went through the field like a plague of locusts (the good kind) and finished in time to go to lunch. They were thrilled to tackle something that allowed them to see so much progress in such a short time. And it really didn’t rain today – there has been a steady drizzle all evening but not a torrential downpour so we count our blessings and pray for one more day of dry weather.

Meanwhile, back at the elementary school the team members just love working with their students. They had the challenging task of working with each grade for two-hour blocks of time but they worked it out. When we arrived they were having their noon recess and I found our team members out in the yard playing with the kids – both teachers and students laughing and thoroughly enjoying themselves. After lunch at the school where the English Camp is conducted, we all went a few kilometers up the road to the Namtok Chet Sao Noi Water Falls. But with the ongoing heavy rains the water was all brown and muddy.

The team provided another productive evening at the English language center and then an early evening at home. Many of the team headed to watch the soccer game in progress here on campus. It’s drizzling outside but of course that doesn’t impede a good soccer game. Tomorrow we head back to the school and to the farm for another productive day of work.

Thailand Journal 2011 #12

2011-08-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

Work week two started with our group’s morning devotional outside the cafeteria where we meet every morning in a shaded area under a tree. Team members take turns presenting the morning thought and each has brought a unique message every day. Each day has started with a blessing thanks to the messages they share with us.

The teaching members of the team returned to the elementary school. They enjoyed their time on the farm but were ready to get back into the classroom. And did they have a blast! The kids love them and they adore their students. The remaining team members headed out to the farm under a cloudy sky praying it wouldn’t rain again today. But such was not to be the case. The rains were so heavy this weekend that the truck was unable to deliver any loads of gravel because he’d become hopelessly stuck in the deep mud. And because the farmer’s pickup got stuck last week, we decided that we would not drive it to the site. Rather, the team had to hike/wade/swim (OK, “swim” might be a bit of an exaggeration but you get my drift) to the section where we’d done our work last week. This was more of a challenge for some than others. But everyone eventually made it through to the other side. It was a bit discouraging to see how deep the water was but the team pressed on. They spent the morning moving the gravel that had been delivered out to the deepest ruts in hopes that they could help the truck drive in further. And it rained on them – not a torrential downpour but a slow steady rain. Still they kept working. But oh my word, they a mess!!!! And if they weren’t a mess after working on the roads then they surely were by the time they helped me get the van unstuck. I’m not sure the pictures will do the situation justice – at least it provided for some good laughs. Even Nang, the farmer’s wife, bust up laughing when she saw how mud splattered everyone was. The rains have fallen all afternoon so we don’t know what tomorrow holds.

With a couple hours off this afternoon I had a chance to take care of a number of business items that needed tending to. Meanwhile several of the team enjoyed Thai massages and exploring the small town of Muak Lek.

This evening we returned to the Adventist Center for the evening English classes. The numbers were fewer tonight because of the rains but the enthusiasm of those present was certainly not dampened. These kids can sing! The team really enjoys working at this evening program. A quick stop at 7-11 afterwards and we all headed home. Team members are tired after a long but fun weekend and a full day of work.

Thailand Journal 2011 #11

2011-08-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

Oh, what a perfect day! At least for almost everyone in the group. Today we visited the Tiger Temple – an outdoor Buddhist Monastery that is a tiger rehabilitation center. We were blessed with a rainless day – and if you’d seen some of the tropical thunderstorms that we’ve encountered during the last 48 hours you’d know that that was a real miracle today. We have some real animal lovers in this group, but Lorraine especially had been looking forward to this day for the past three years when I first discovered this place. She hardly slept last night with the anticipation of this day (or because people were making noise all night long in the hotel we were staying at – could have been either one).

We started off by presenting food to the monks. They collect alms in the community every morning and the food they collect in the morning is used to feed them and the staff throughout the day. After the formal presentation we went inside the monastery grounds to an interior outdoor temple. Here the young tiger cubs were waiting our arrival, which meant BREAKFAST TIME! We, as guests, along with the staff and monks, partook of the food collected earlier in the morning. Each team member then got to bottle feed young tiger cubs. What an experience! Two of the cubs that were only six weeks old. They won over everyone in the group. And could they put up a fuss when they didn’t want to be held!!!

After breakfast the team helped walk the tiger cubs to a play/exercise area. Basically these cubs are no different than your typical house cat – they’re just a few hundred pounds bigger. And just like house cats they love to chase moving objects. Objects are hung off the end of bamboo sticks and drug around the ground for the cats to chase. After playtime they were fed some chicken and then sent off to rest a bit.

The team then moved to the bathing area. Some of the bigger cats were here waiting for their morning bath. So we got to help scrub them down and hose them off. Throughout these events the staff took our cameras and took pictures so we could fully participate in the activities. They seem to all be well trained in photography and, as you will see if you look at the picture link, they did a really great job with the photography.

The next station was exercise time for the big cats. This time the humans were put in a cage and the big cats were set free. We were down in a big rock canyon with a large pool. The handlers interacted with the cats letting them play with their toys and each other. For their size, these cats are amazingly agile. We were treated to quite a show. Tigers are one of the only members of the cat family that actually enjoy being in the water – and of course it allows them to cool off in this very hot climate.

Three team members elected to wait and join us for the afternoon program. They spent the morning at the bridge over the river Kwai, which some of you may remember from an old movie or your history of WWII. When they joined us we all spent time getting some fabulous photos with the big cats. Then we walked them back down to the canyon where we took more pictures. Each team member got to have the head of one of these magnificent creatures in their lap while a series of photos was taken. What an experience – even those who were unsure of spending time with these beautiful creatures came away with positive comments about the day.

We arrived back at the university campus around 9:00 after driving through a torrential downpour. We’re not sure what awaits us at the farm tomorrow morning after a weekend of heavy rains. But we pray that God will provide a way for us to continue working this week. Speaking of the farm, one of our team members called her father about the need for more truckloads of gravel. He brought the need to his church Sabbath morning and praise God we learned this morning that the church raised $500 to help us buy the much-needed gravel. God is Good – All the Time.

For numerous photos click on http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery/thailand_cultural_and_mission_trip_2011.

Thailand Journal 2011 #10

2011-08-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

Just a quick journal tonight: We are at a guest house in Kanchanaburi – 4 hours from APIU. And there is no internet service. But thankfully there is an Internet Café across the street. So I’ll make this quick and sweet. Today we traveled 45 kilometers to the village where the APIU nursing students have been working all week for their community nursing. A medical team from Bangkok led by Dr. Somchai and Dr. Nick (and his wife Faye) along with the Nursing Faculty and students conducted the mobile clinic. This is the 4^th year that we have joined them and assisted. A feature of these clinics is the gifts that each person receives. A wealthy business man, Udom Srikureja, who owns the Ramkhamhaeng Advent International School in Bangkok, gives school supplies to all the children, blankets to the men, and mosquito nets to all the women. Everyone also receives 20 Baht (Thai currency) and some SDA booklets. I taught his daughter at Walla Walla College in the early 1990s. She was the Administrator at this school after she graduated from WWC; but the Thailand Mission recently invited her to head the mission school. Normally, we leave early on Sunday morning for the 4-hour drive to the Tiger Temple. But this year most of the group wanted to spend the full day with the tigers. So they are paying approximately $150.00 each for this cultural, religious, and environmental experience. We begin the day at 7:15am with breakfast with the monks and the volunteers from around the world. Thus it was necessary that we travel tonight and awake fresh for this experience of a lifetime.

Thailand Journal 2011 #9

2011-08-26T06:25:00.001-07:00

What a day! Yesterday’s rains wreaked havoc on the farm. The dump truck was unable to deliver any new loads of gravel today because of the mud on the farm roads. Our own truck got stuck – over and over again. We spent the day leveling out the gravel that had been delivered yesterday and hauling the stone to the edge of the gravel to try and extend the road faster. Vie got a crew busy cutting the tall grass reeds to lay down under the gravel to create a bit of a foundation for the sand and stone we were laying. It was hard work!

Our funds from this trip are paying for 10 loads of gravel (at $45.00 per truck load), but it was quite evident today that this amount is going to fall far short of what is needed to make these roads passable. When the team learned that only three more loads are being delivered they quickly talked amongst themselves and started making phone calls home. Within a few short minutes they raised enough money to buy 10 more truck loads. These are such amazing people to work with. Just one of the greatest teams I’ve had EVER.

After working on the farm we went to Tesco Lotus for the afternoon. Picked up some supplies and then set down for a wonderful pizza dinner. They’ve worked so hard this week and although they’re exhausted they somehow found the energy to enjoy a full dinner of salad and pizza. Then the team brought out a lovely cake, complete with candles, to celebrate our 41^st wedding anniversary.

We are tired but it is a good tired that comes from a full week of hard labor and service. This team is working so well together and want to push to do as much as they can with the time they have here. Tomorrow we’ll spend the day with the university’s nursing students assisting them with a mobile clinic about 30 minutes from here in a local village. We’re looking forward to yet another wonderful adventure.

Thailand Journal 2011 #8

2011-08-25T06:49:00.000-07:00

Another full day at the farm. We arrived at the same time as the morning’s first load of gravel. As soon as the truck dumped its load the team set about to level the huge pile out. It’s a bit frustrating that our best stones end up off on the sides where they’re not needed while the center of the road gets mostly sand. So a lot of the work is just trying to scrape the stones up from the sides and get them into the center where the ground is very soft and full of sink holes.

The crew worked very hard and got the first pile leveled just enough so that when the truck arrived with its second load it was able to drive back farther with it before dumping the stones. We were taking a much needed water break while the truck unloaded the rock when we looked up and our eyes beheld the most beautiful site coming down the road. It was like a knight on a white horse – except in this case it was a gentleman driving a tractor with a bucket on the front. As soon as the dump truck left this angel of mercy set about leveling the pile of stone. We cheered and applauded. But think not that we now had nothing to do. Au contraire! While he had done a beautiful job of leveling out the large pile, our best stones were still all off on the sides where they weren’t needed thus wasting precious rock. So we started using our shovels, hoes, buckets, and hands to try and bring the stones up from the side into the center. Back-breaking work, but this team is wonderful and never complains.

About noon, just after the third load was delivered the thunderstorm came. Many of you are familiar with tropical rainstorms – it poured. Some of the students were thrilled and got out of the pickup and danced and jumped in the rain – other team members were not so amused. Some of their pictures speak more than words possibly could.

With the heavy rains the team was unable to return to the farm this afternoon, but everyone was so tired from the morning’s work that perhaps that was for the best. This evening we returned to the nighttime English camp and spent time helping the students with their English through a variety of activities. We notice that the group of children grows every night so the kids must be spreading the news through word of mouth. It’s great to see the children so excited to see the team members arrive each night. It’s really going well.

Thailand Journal 2011 #7

2011-08-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

Today we got a W-O-R-K-O-U-T! Due to scheduling conflicts at the elementary school, the team members who usually go there are joining us for the remainder of this week at the farm. It was great having the whole team in one place and meant considerably less driving to and from all the projects so we could really focus on the work at hand on the farm.

And work it was!!! Just as we were driving to the work site the first dump-truck load of gravel was delivered. Unfortunately, when the driver tried to turn his massive truck around he did so in the freshly tilled soil where the newest crop of corn had just been planted. As I’m sure you’ve already imagined, he got STUCK. Really really STUCK. So a lot of time was lost trying to help the driver get unstuck. Doing so meant dumping a large portion of his load in the corn field. The team then started putting the gravel under the truck wheels. The ruts were so deep they covered nearly a quarter of the height of the tires. What a mess. But a great cheer went up when the driver finally rolled her outta there! He won’t be using that spot to turn around anymore.

We first set about loading the pile of gravel dumped in the cornfield into the pickup we use. To do that the team organized into a “chain gang,” which proved to be fairly efficient. After the dump truck unloaded the rest of its load in a place we actually wanted it, we moved to that new location and started moving the pile of gravel onto the washed-out road. And it was hard work in the hot sun. We got two truckloads of gravel spread before breaking for lunch.

After lunch four of us returned to the farm to see what more we could do. By now the sun was hotter than ever and the humidity was high, but this team has some real troopers. Lexie, Jen, Lorraine, and I braved the weather and started in on the third delivered pile of gravel. We had to pace ourselves a bit better than we did this morning. Then Nang joined the group and the five of us conquered that whole dump-truck load of gravel in just about an hour. Just as we finished the rains came – the timing was amazing.

We barely had time to get back to the university for supper, change clothes and head back into Muak Lek for the evening English Camp. I don’t know how Lexie and Jen managed to still have so much energy to share with those kids but they and the rest of the team did a great job again tonight. We skipped the night market so that we could maybe turn in a little earlier tonight and get some rest before we hit the ground running again in the morning.

Thailand Journal 2011 #6

2011-08-23T07:53:00.000-07:00

Today Vie and I celebrated 41 years of marriage! And we celebrated it serving others and was in turn blessed! Our second day of work was jam-packed with activities. The teaching members of the group only worked at the school until 10:30 this morning as the school had other activities planned for the children. The school kids will be away at some type of camp for the rest of this week so those members of the team who came here to teach will spend the next three days on the farm with the rest of the group.

The team members working on the farm had their work cut out for them as the temperature hovered in the low 90s. But everyone is grateful that no rain has fallen for the past three days – this gives the farm roads a chance to dry out. Right now the water level in the ruts has been 6 to 8 inches deep making for a muddy mess. It takes about one hour to load and unload each truck full of rocks. After the second load the men had to drive out to the school to pick up the teachers. The women were left to their own devices and were quite proud of themselves at getting a whole round of rocks in place before the men returned. And Spring proved to be an excellent driver of that very challenging pickup truck, which is stick shift and does not have power steering.

After a quick lunch the whole group went to another nearby school to work with the students and help them with their English. The group split into four teams and each team worked with a classroom in grades three through six. A couple of the classrooms were challenging in terms of discipline but this was a one-day experience so it was doable. Some of the children performed traditional Thai music for the team using instruments quite foreign to some of the team members.

The team came back to the university in time for dinner then dashed off to the Muak Lek Adventist Center to work with the kids there. This second night went so well. Everyone knew kind of what to expect now and the team came up with some wonderful and creative ideas for interacting with the students and getting them to practice their English.

After finishing up at the Center the team went off to explore the Tuesday night market. This is the biggest of the weekly night markets here in Muak Lek. This is very much for the local population as opposed to a tourist-oriented market. Every type of food imaginable is served there and you can find everything from shoes to stereo systems. It’s a great experience and the team seemed to enjoy spending some time there.

Tomorrow is another full day but I couldn’t ask for a better group to work with. This group has great energy and is very respectful and sensitive to the Thai culture and people and to each other. It’s a joy to work with each and every one of them.

Thailand Journal 2011 #5

2011-08-22T07:36:00.000-07:00

Today was our first full work-day – and it WAS a FULL day. The first work day is always a bit chaotic with two different projects going at different places and trying to get everyone settled in. We headed out at 7:45 and went to a local school. Four team members will work here most days helping various-aged students improve their English.

The rest of the team will be working on “Uncle” Prasarn’s farm. This is an annual project that we’ve been doing for the last several years. The university has adopted Uncle Prasarn and his wife, Nang. By way of a brief explanation, Uncle Prasarn lost his legs in a train accident some years ago. Since then it has been up to his wife to keep the large farm running. She gets some help from her sister-in-law, but the farm is huge and the heavy rains the past two years have created a number of challenges. The most urgent need right now is repairing the roads on the farm. The roads have such deep muddy ruts that Nang’s tractor is unable to access her crops. The corn is nearly ready to harvest and they may lose it if they can’t get to it.

A nearby business has donated left-over pieces of rock to use for building up the roads. We had use of a pickup (with unusually difficult steering), which we filled up with stone and then drove back to the farm and started filling up the large potholes. Back-breaking work but we have an energetic group of people this year who had a lot of fun with this project. So much fun in fact that they asked if they could come back in the afternoon and keep working. That’s a first. What a great group!

The school where the teaching members were working offered to make our whole group lunch – in spite of our appearance – which was unkempt to say the least. The food was delicious and it just kept coming. They prepared quite a spread for us.

This evening the whole group went to another annual project, which is helping out at the Muak Lek Adventist Center. Here an evening program takes place every night where kids of various ages can come for activities and to work on their English. Everyone was finding their way tonight so it felt a bit unorganized, but after the first hour the team members were eagerly planning activities for the next day. We’ll help out at this project every evening for the rest of our time here.

From there we went to a small outdoor market. It’s always an interesting experience for those who’ve never been to a typical outdoor market. The senses are a bit overloaded with the sights and smells. As Lorraine likes to say, if you weren’t a vegetarian before you will be after walking through one of these. It’s always fun to hear the different reactions when everyone returns from this adventure.

Thailand Journal 2011 #4

2011-08-21T08:56:00.000-07:00

Our two big outings today were trips to the Khao Yai National forest, and elephant rides through the deep forests and swollen river. I was very disappointed with the Khao Yai visit because the interpretive center is under reconstruction and we saw basically no wildlife except for one large sick deer, a smaller nothing-to-write-home-about teenager deer, and a water dragon. But we still went on the wobbly bridge and enjoyed some great scenery in the woods and stopped by a little waterfall. But against my advice most of the team went into the damp woods and were accosted by leeches! The evil side of me was happy that they did, because we had something to write home about at last! But that is not the end of the story: When we were almost out of the park there was this large family of monkeys all over the road and in the trees. We were rewarded! The highlight of the day, however, was the rides on the elephants. Last year was very good; but this year’s ride was even better. There were 16 of us and only 5 elephants; so instead of the normal 2 per elephant, we rode 3 per elephant and in one case, four. The fun part of the ride was the owner/trainer coming off, taking our cameras and letting us truly ride the beast. In this case one brave person sits on the head and the others sit in the seat-belt-comfort of the “carriage” on the elephant’s back. Well, it was vie, me, and Lorraine on our 19-year-old animal that had a mind of its own -- stopped to eat when it wished, and kinda went where it wished, at times. And Vie was the brave one. I don’t do heights and would never sit out there on an elephants head! No siree bob! And Lorraine spent more time praying (especially as we descended into the river). I don’t think we wanted her on the elephants head! But really, it was a lotta fun. On the way home we found a fruit stand with some lovely mangoes. Yes, yes, yes! It was a good day!

Thailand Journal 2011 #3

2011-08-20T17:19:00.000-07:00

We all went to the University church on Sabbath. It is great that they have begun the practice of worshipers removing their shoes before entering the building. This was one of the few places where persons could enter a building shoe-ful. Kudos to the respect of Thai culture! This weekend there was a conference conducted by the church on Revival and Reformation with a number of guest speakers. The church had a potluck for visitors; so we had a great lunch with lots of Indian dishes. We were so happy to see Supaporn, the girl I baptized on our 2005 mission trio to Chiang Mai Academy. We have been assisting her in school; and she is now in University.

Although many students stayed back for the afternoon program on campus, there were many who went out for the outreach activities. We went to the Branch Sabbath School with Uncle Prasarn at his farm. Because of his injuries he can’t sit up for more than a couple hours at a time. So attending church is out of the question. We therefore bring church to him. The theme story of my talk this year was that of Abram’s journey to Canaan. The group then toured the farm and got an idea of the main work we will be doing this year. If the rains hold up we will be building a stone road so that Uncle Prasarn’s wife and her sister can get to the far end of the farm to tend the crops. They were so happy to see us, and were very impressed that we would keep returning year after year.

The highlight of the day was the round trip climb of over 600 steps to the white Buddha. I’ve posted some great pictures on my website (http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery/thailand_cultural_and_mission_trip_2011). Then for dinner I took the team to the famous (that is, a famous haunt for the APIU students) Blue restaurant. For all the food and drinks we paid a total of $30.00 including tips for all 12 of us! The students then went for an hour to the Saturday night market before I took the van to the airport to pick up Dora and Omar. Our team of 12 is now complete. Here are the names: Spring Townsend, Jennifer Buchheim, Lexie Bohlman, Leah Robinson, Dora Torres, Melinda Vega, Omar Constanza, Kofi Twumasi, Jason Bush, Lorraine Jacobs, Violet and Pedrito Maynard-Reid.

Thailand Journal 2011 #2

2011-08-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

With the 14-hour time difference, jet lag does take its toll on most travelers from the USA to Thailand. So I always plan a light day immediately after arrival. Most students slept in. But all came for lunch and for the orientation immediately after. What a great bunch – teachable, funny, and willing to give their all into the work. I then took them for a bit of shopping. First, we stopped at one of the many awesome fruit stands that line the highways. Then to Tesco Lotus (it is like a super Walmart), which is about 20-minutes’ drive from here. But dinner was the best: Great pizza from The Pizza Co.; and fantastic dessert at Swensen’s. If you have not had the Earthquake, you must! It was a delicious bonding experience! We ended the night at Vespers. But again jet lag was taking its toll. And just before I turned in Megan and Kindra Moore arrived to join us on our weekend adventures.

Thailand Journal 2011 #1

2011-08-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

ince we chose Thailand to be a special area of mission and cultural focus in 2003, I have led a team of students, faculty and staff, alumni, and friends of Walla Walla University on an annual trip to this beautiful country. To see the philosophy behind the trips, go to the following links: http://blessingsfrompedrito.blogspot.com/2009/07/thai-09-journal-1.html and http://blessingsfrompedrito.blogspot.com/2010/09/thailand-journal-2010-20.html.

This year the trip started off with a couple little hiccups: The flight from Portland, OR, with Vie, me, and Lorraine, left 3 hours late because of mechanical problems, which meant that we missed the last leg of our flight (Tokyo to Bangkok). They put us up in the Radisson. The bright side of this was that I finally got a Japanese stamp in my passport. The down side is that I had to cancel a whole day of appointments in Chiang Mai – visit to the school in Thepsadet, see the children at the Lawa hostel (both of which Rotary of Walla Walla has humanitarian connections), and speak for the Assembly at Chiang Mai Adventist Academy. But those who know me know that I’m persistent. Instead of 2 days in Chiang Mai we did a world wind visit on Thursday – flew in very early; had breakfast with the Rotary project representatives (Dr. Boonthong , former President of Payap University; and the EuBanks, who are celebrating 50 years as missionaries in Thailand); visited the hostel where the kids missed school and put on a little program for us; chased up to Chiang Mai Adventist were we saw Nid (who was our right-hand on the 2009 trip); got a tour of the school by David Bell; lunch with him and his wife, Annabelle; and finally, took Komchan (one of the students we are sponsoring since the 2005 trip [that was part of that mission endeavor]) on a little outing. We flew back to Bangkok on time to meet the rest of the team which arrived at 11:00pm. And here is the second hiccup: When the team arrived in Portland on Wednesday one of the students with a Mexican passport and one with a passport from El Salvador found out that they needed visas for Thailand! The sad thing is that we were assured a few weeks ago that Mexicans did not need visas! And the El Salvador one caught us by surprise. The airlines would not check them in. But Bonnie our travel agent is the best! She arranged and they got the visas yesterday (today) and Delta rebooked them on Friday’s flights without extra charges. We will go back and get them Saturday night. The rest of us made the made the 2.5-hour journey to Asia Pacific International University in Muak Lek, and were in bed by 4:30am! I was up in a couple hours for breakfast with those who HAD to eat. In the past 24 hours, I had about 3 hours sleep. But when I’m energized, I don’t need sleep.

As always, I’ll be blogging almost daily (http://blessingsfrompedrito.blogspot.com/) and updating my photo website (http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery/thailand_cultural_and_mission_trip_2011). The photos are in reverse order so that you can know where you left off the last time. If you so desire, we would be honored if you would bookmark these sites and check in on a regular basis. Thanks for your prayers and support.

Antillean Explosion

2011-07-18T21:31:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of the year thus far was my first official invitation to be the keynote speaker for a nation-wide convention, entitled "Antillean Explosion" in Rotterdam, Holland on June 18. It was a superb day with 1000 persons in attendance. The theme was "Breaking down Walls. Building Bridges." The music was great, and the programming was creative, and interactive. The bulk of the attendees have their roots in Aruba, Curacao, Bon Aire, and Suriname. There was much appreciation for my challenge that they think outside the box in breaking down walls both in and outside the church. Holland is possibly one of the most liberal countries in Europe, and many of the Dutch immigrants (who seem to make up the largest – and growing – percentage of the church), are traditionalist and conservative. So as in other European countries, there are tensions between the Caucasian locals and second generation immigrants on the one hand, and the immigrants who came especially from the Caribbean. Walls need to be broken down! Bridges need to be built! It was a brief visit; 10-hour flight each way, and I was only was there for 2 days. But I got in some sightseeing, including visiting Volendam and dressed up as a Dutch; walking around Amsterdam and shopping a bit; stopping at a cheese making factory to get cheese for my friend and colleague, Ginger (her roots are Dutch!); and visiting windmills and the statue of Erasmus in Rotterdam. Also had some good food at a Surinamese restaurant near the Savoy Hotel in Rotterdam where I was staying. Check out the photos: http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery/holland_june_2011

Music and Worship Conference Blog 2011

2011-03-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

I was invited to be part of the eighth Music and Worship Conference at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University, March 24-26, 2011. To see the photos I took of my time there go to this link: http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery/music_and_worship_conference_2011. Here are the updates that I posted to my Facebook (with a few additions):

Thursday: Great start to the Conference with Roberta King ethnomusicologist from Fuller Seminary. The worship was awesome -- eclectic: traditional hymn singing, African singing, and contemporary praise and worship - all sung with gusto! This morning I walked around and took pics of the campus, and walked into town to see my friend Nic Bikichky. Bumped into a bunch of my former students throughout the day. They are having a potluck for me on Sabbath.

Friday: A great day: My Plenary presentation on "Multicultural Worship: Melting Pot or Fruit Salad?" was well very received, so was the full-classroom workshop later. Had a lovely supper at my friends, the Johnston’s (which included a fruit salad with mangoes, and they didn't know the title of my presentation!). A blessed concert which included the University Singers, the Black Deliverance Mass Choir, the Praise and Worship team, and "The Foundations" a program of songs of our Faith and history composed by a non-Adventist duo. Day ended with a mango from Michelle Itschner.

Sabbath: The day started off with a powerful sermon by Hyveth Williams. And then I went to the black church on campus...AND, did we have CHURCH! Seminary Chapel was packed! Praise and Worship lifted us to a higher level; Terrance Taylor wooed us with his Spirit-filled solo; Eddie Hypolite knocked the Word out of the park! My WWU students had a potluck for me. Particpated in a great Q&A session with the other presenters to end the conference. I'm in Chicago tonight at my cousin Rudi and his wife Maria.

Sunday: WOW! We had Church again at Trinity UCC in Chicago! The music ministry (congregants and professionals) was so filled with the Spirit! If you are in Chicago, visit. But first read the section on AA worship in my book “Diverse Worship” to minimize initial critical thoughts and reactions. I was in the last row of the balcony, but the Pastor found me and gave a public welcome and gave Walla Walla a boost (mentioning it was in Bugs Bunny!). I couldn’t take pics - new rules since the Obama/Wright debacle.

Rotary Mexico Journal #5

2011-02-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

Our final day was a good one. I’m going to make this brief because it is now 11:00pm and I have to be up at 3:30am to go to the airport to catch the flight home. I’ll be travelling all day tomorrow and arrive home about 9:00pm!

We had a delightful time helping with the flooring of the Casita Linda house. It was wonderful to see Gordon and his team working side by side with the local workers. We then went to the Rotary meeting; and immediately heading for the bus station to catch the first class bus for the 4-hour trip to Mexico City. Ended the day with a 3-milk cake and Larry had a 3-chocolate cake!

Rotary Mexico Journal #4

2011-02-21T20:14:00.000-08:00

Laura Stewart the International Service Chair for San Miguel Rotary Club did a lot of running up and down today. She has been a wonderful host. She took Larry, Nancy, and I to one of the projects where we worked with the villagers meshing the wires for the cistern for that house. She then went back for Steve and Jim. Steve’s wife and Jim’s daughter also came. Then we went on to Cedesa (the organization which assists Rotary in our water project). It was founded by a Liberation Theology priest in the 1960s, and has done much for empowering and improving the lives of the poor of Mexico. I mentioned dry toilets in an earlier blog. In the photos today (http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery/san_miguel_de_allende_mexico_trip_2011) you will see an example of one. Notice how they separate the liquid from the solids. They put the white power over the solid. When it is almost full they cover it over for 6 months and then use it as fertilizer! It has no odor. Nothing is wasted at their compound. It was also good to find some great Jamaican foods at their store – guava cheese, sorrel, peanut brittle, etc. We ended the day with dinner on the roof of a lovely restaurant. I got a plate of asparagus – 8 on the plate sprinkled with cheese, for a little over $8:00 (US)!!

Rotary Mexico Journal #3

2011-02-20T19:25:00.001-08:00

Today was family day; so nothing was done. Larry, Nancy and I took some time to visit the Mercado, particularly the craft market and do a bit of shopping. Tomorrow we are back on the job. Ate at some nice places. Some frustrations, including trying to get on the internet. But the day is ending well.

Rotary Mexico Journal #2

2011-02-19T20:10:00.001-08:00

“And Jesus went about doing good.” That’s how I felt today as I joined other Rotarians and Mexicans going through some desperately poor communities – helping them, visiting with them, and giving hope! It was really an amazing day. Where we went the wealthy have access to lots of water which they use to grow feed for the cattle, and sometimes the water just runs and is wasted. The poor have very little access to it, and the well-water they are able to access is fluoride contaminated. The fluoride is supposed to not be more than 1.5; and here it is 4.8! Thus you see lots of rotting teeth. At one home we visited today we drew water to take to the lab for testing. Because well water will be unsafe for a very long time to come, the only immediate solution is to build cisterns to catch rain water (which only comes in the rainy season, between June and August). This is the project that the Rotary clubs I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, are involved in. In the pictures of today you will see what the final product looks like. You will also see how the villagers came out to tie the mesh together, around which they will set the concrete. It was a blessing to join them, even though briefly, in this project of hope and healing!

There are 18 communities that are involved in this project. We visited a 19^th one. They do not have a community council to organize this. So today they met to hear about organizing and to talk about their needs. They do have well water (but I already talked about the danger in that). What they need are dry toilets and other sanitary needs, etc. You will notice in those photos that there are no men in the group. All the men are in the USA working (Austin, Texas is about 9 hours away). Some have not seen their husbands in 5 years. They send home money to keep the families going. We had a good meeting. They signed up to organize; and they fed us.

As I walked the dusty (and I have not seen so much dust for a long time) I thought about Jesus on the dusty road, walking to Nazareth and going into the synagogue and reading from Isaiah 61:1 – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed [the word for “messiah” and “Christ”] me to proclaim good news to the poor….” And what did the religious “righteous” leaders do? They not only criticized, but they were ready to stone him, throw him off a cliff, and ultimately killed him! Now I’m preaching: But may we not be among that group, but be among those who both literally and figuratively walk the dusty roads and help the poor. You can do that by either joining a Rotary club and get involved in active service. You can also join me on my annual mission and cultural trip to Thailand (August 17 – September 6). Or you can simply get involved in an outreach to the poor and marginal in society.

Our day ended with a wonderful Mexican meal with the entire Walla Walla team.

Rotary Mexico Journal #1

2011-02-18T19:33:00.000-08:00

As President of Walla Walla Noon Rotary this year, I set as my focus and main emphasis, Service. The signature event would be a trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Our club has partnered with one of the San Miguel Rotary clubs in a number of projects. The first was giving a direct grant of $4,000.00 for what has now become possibly the best hospice institution in Mexico. Our latest effort is working with them on a number of water projects. This large project involves not only our club but clubs in Florida, Texas, Idaho, and the Sunrise club in Walla Walla. We wanted to come and be an active participant in the project. Three Rotarians (Larry Frank, Steve Stevens, and Jim Johnson) and their wives joined me for the trip. The latter 2 couples are spending a month here in a lovely condo.

Larry, Nancy and I left Walla Walla Thursday afternoon and arrived here at 11:00am – via Seattle, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and a 4-hour first class bus ride to San Miguel. I was quite fortunate to be upgraded to First Class on the flight from LA to MC (even though I was flying free – using frequent flyer miles). The first thing I did as we arrived was, as usual, get a phone. My number is: 415-149-6936. The three of us are staying at a lovely hotel, which they have arranged for us to pay only $10.00 per person per night! As you can see from the photos, the rooms are cute and there is a beautiful courtyard. There is free wifi outside.

We chose San Miguel because Gordon Logan, a long time resident of Walla Walla, has settled here and started this club 18 years ago, and has been spearheading humanitarian projects in the region. I met him for the first time today. He took us on a tour of the city, as well as to one of the Rotary’s (and his organization -- “Casita Linda”) building projects. They have built 37 houses for the very poor in a very, very, poor section of the city.) And then we took him and his wife out to dinner/lunch. San Miguel is an old and beautiful city. In 1776, the 3 largest cities in the West were Philadelphia, Mexico City, and in this Mexican State! The weather is great. The city is 6400 feet above sea-level; so the breeze is cool, yet the sun is hot. Perfect! It feels like how Mandeville, Jamaica used to feel in the old days. Of course the air is a little thinner; so I went a little slower as I worked on my over 21,000 pedometer steps today. And what a better way to end the day than with supper at a restaurant by the central square, and being serenaded by local musicians, and then a most delicious mango in my room! Heavenly!

Here is the link for the photos (remember they are in reverse order; each day as I add, the latest will be first): http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery/san_miguel_de_allende_mexico_trip_2011

The Maynard-Reid's 2010 Annual Letter

2010-12-02T20:29:00.000-08:00

December 2009 began with Vie still in Florida with our darling Mayamiko and her parents, and Pedrito attending his annual conference at Oakwood, again presenting on the topic, “Ethnic and Cultural Diversity: Colleagues or Competitors.” He wished Vie were with him when he attended the annual Oregon Symphony Community Gospel Christmas concert. Superb! But they were together with the rest of the immediate family in Florida for a grand Christmas celebration, followed by a fabulous 2 days at Disney World.

Pedrito’s 1^st speaking appointment for 2010 was at Grand Rapids Adventist Academy. He was invited to speak for the weekend on “The Power of One.” After 2.5 months in Florida Vie returned home the same time Pedrito returned from Michigan, and went straight into the project of building a deck for the house, and developing her Travel Agent business. You can email her at vmaynardr@gmail.com to book your travel needs or book your travel and cruises here: www.destinationagent.com/maynardstravel

February was busy with Pedrito coordinating the annual Black History celebration here at WWU (and playing the awesome pipe organ -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEkFRAJkyAI); taking his theology students on a field trip to Seattle to worship at a Black SDA church and a Black Baptist church; and going to Victory Church in the Bronx, NY to conduct a Bible Conference on “Afro-Worship and Wholistic Transformation;” and finally going with his Worship class to witness them conduct a worship service at a church in Davenport, WA.

March was not much different: The Inter American Division of SDA invited Pedrito to make a couple presentations at the Festival of the Laity in Panama City, Panama. He spoke on “Strategies for Urban Missions” and “Reaching the Upper Class.” It was his first time to the place of his mother’s birth; and his cousin Grace graciously showed him the area where his mama grew up. Other highlights were the visit to the Panama Canal, and being part of the Division-wide baptism in which nearly 100,000 persons were baptized in one day! The next weekend he was in Brooklyn, NY where he was the speaker for another Bible Conference on “Music and Worship.” The Berean and Dunamis churches joined together for this event. Both times in NY he was able to spend some time with his brothers and their wives. The following week it was time with his sister Audrey in LA and Vegas, this time with Vie. Audrey also invited Lorraine to join the excitement (these 2 get along great – their birthdays are back-to-back).

In April Pedrito joined his Theology professor colleagues from the Adventist universities on the West Coast for their annual meetings, this year at Canadian University College in Alberta. Then across the great Pond to speak for a Bible Conference in Keynes, England. His topic: “Adventist Hot Potatoes.” We ended May, as always, down in southern Oregon handing out over a quarter million dollars in WWU scholarships at Milo Academy graduation. As always Lorraine takes this opportunity to take us somewhere special for Vie’s birthday – Mount St. Helens (the 30^th anniversary of its eruption). Gorgeous view!

At the beginning of June Vie attended a Travel Agents’ convention in Vancouver, Canada. Our dear friend, Sharon (Angel) Shay was so kind to house her. While she was there, Pedrito was in North Dakota performing the wedding of Scott and Tenielle (who were on the Thailand trip last summer). Vie and Pedrito met up in Seattle and celebrated her’s and Pedrito II’s mother-in-law’s birthdays, Father’s day, and Pedrito’s birthday, at Pedrito II, Margaret, and the grandkids’ (Jasmine and Leo) home. Then we took the ferry to Orcas Island (in the San Juans) to represent WWU at the Orcas Christian School graduation. This was the second graduation for June. Earlier Pedrito gave the Commencement address for Milton-Stateline Adventist School. Natasha also got news this month that she was the 2010 recipient of APA’s Division 17 Section on College and University Counseling Centers (SCUCC) Counseling Center Outstanding Early Career Psychologist Award. This award is given annually to a professional who, with less than five years of counseling center employment, has shown outstanding leadership and excellence in service, training, and/or administrative practice. She was nominated by peers and the committee voted unanimously for her as award recipient!
We attended 2 major conventions in June. As President-elect of Rotary of Walla Walla, Pedrito (along with Vie), spent 4 days in Montreal, Canada at the International Convention. It was our first time in that part of Canada. A lovely city and a fantastic convention that included speeches and presentations from such personalities as Her Majesty, Queen Noor of Jordan, Dolly Parton, and Greg Mortenson (author of Three Cups of Tea). We also enjoyed a fabulous dinner cruise on the river through the city and a Cirque du Soleil program. We stopped in Toronto and spent some time with Vie’s siblings, Janice, and Noel and family. From the 20,000 Rotary convention we went directly to the over 50,000 General Conference Session convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Pedrito attended every business meeting. But most persons attend to reacquaint with friends and former colleague. And we did much of that as well. One of the highlights was the WIC/NCU Junior Church reunion. Pedrito founded that church in 1976 with Maxwell Blakeney as his assistant and Marie-Lucienne as their right-hand. Both were there.

Even with a busy summer of traveling, Pedrito always teaches a History of Adventism class (that’s why he was glued to his seat at the GC). And he enjoyed taking on speaking appointments, such as the one at Sandpoint, ID.

But the big event of the year was our 40^th wedding anniversary Caribbean cruise. It was a family celebration with our son and his family, Vie’s sister Janice, and our adopted family member, Lorraine. Before sailing out of Puerto Rico, we spent a couple days revisiting our old haunts in PR, especially Antillian University. Then on to the islands of St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia, St Kitts, and the Dutch/French island of St. Maarten/St. Martin. The tours of the islands were lovely and the evenings on the boat were fabulous, especially the dress-up dinner when we celebrated our anniversary, Janice’s and Pedrito II’s birthday, and Lorraine’s “bucket-list” cruise. After the cruise we spent the day at the largest rain forest in the West, El Yunque, PR. Gorgeous!

We were only home for a few hours before Pedrito had to catch the flight to Thailand for his annual University Mission Trip with 6 of his students. Again we conducted English Camps, helped the disabled farmer on the farm, assisted with a health clinic (including treating a leprosy victim), and spent time at an orphanage. But the trip also involved cultural outings like visiting the rain forest, riding elephants, and spending quality time up close and personal with tigers at the Buddhist Tiger Temple. Rotary of Walla Walla was involved with clubs in Japan, Australia, Germany and the USA in building and equipping a library in the hill country near Chiang Mai. Pedrito attended the beautiful handing-over ceremony before returning home.

The sad part of the Thailand trip was that just as he arrived, Vie’s mother died in Jamaica after an extended illness. Pedrito was the only adult on the trip so he could not leave. But Vie and all her siblings, as well as both our children, were able to attend the funeral. Our good friend Joan Francis came down for the occasion. Mama was just short of her 88^th birthday. The only parent we have living is Vie’s dad, who is 102.

Both our children are doing well, and both added to their responsibilities. Natasha was promoted to be the director of the internship of the Counseling Center at the University of Florida in Gainesville, and Pedrito II is teaching a class in Artificial Intelligence at Seattle University. He continues to work as a Software Engineer at Microsoft. We wish if Natasha and family were closer. But we got to see her and to celebrate her birthday when she came to Portland for a conference in October. And Vie was having missing-Mayamiko pangs, so she took a week’s trip down to spend time with her 2.5 year-old granddaughter. It was a great picker-upper for the doting grandma. We are happy that Pedrito II and Margaret, and Jasmine (9) and Leo (almost 7) are so close by. They come and visit every now and then and we pop over the mountain to see them also.

Pedrito continues to take a lot of speaking appointments (that’s why he is graying around his mouth). He did a camp-meeting in Wenatchee, WA; was the Sabbath morning speaker for a Bible Conference at Grand Concourse Church in NY (along with his college mates, Orlando Moncrieffe and Robert Kennedy, and got to see one of his oldest and dearest friends, Dolly). He also spoke at Roseburg, OR and promoted the University; and recruited in Portland, OR, as well as at Kingsway College and Crawford Adventist Academy in Toronto, Canada. He was guest (via Skype) of a Western Seminary class on worship in the California Bay area. They dialogued on his book, Diverse Worship, which just had its ninth printing by InterVarsity Press. At the end of November he returned to Atlanta for his annual scholars’ meetings where he participated on a panel discussion on worship and attended the Berean African American SDA Church. We had Church! He then went on to Jamaica for his 40^th college class reunion. There he launched the Edith (mama) Maynard-Reid Memorial Scholarship for worthy students studying for the Ministry at Northern Caribbean University, and taught the Sabbath School Lesson, among other things. We begin December with Vie on her way to spend a week with the grandkids in Seattle.

Thanks for your love and prayers. If you wish to see numerous photos of this year’s events, please visit our photo site: http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery; and visit Pedrito’s blog as well: http://blessingsfrompedrito.blogspot.com/.

Union Bulletin article Sunday 10-10-10

2010-10-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

http://union-bulletin.com/stories/2010/10/09/rotarian-provides-humanitarian-work-in-thailand

NEW ETCETERA - Rotarian provides humanitarian work in Thailand

ANNIE CHARNLEY EVELAND
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

Pedrito Maynard-Reid, who has been a member of the Walla Walla Noon Rotary Club since 2000 and its current president, did some humanitarian work in Thailand recently.

Pedrito is also assistant to the president for diversity, a professor of biblical studies and missiology in Walla Walla University's theology department and a WWU ombudsman.

He e-mailed details of his work in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for the Turning-Over Ceremony of the Library project at Thespadet School.

"We, along with clubs in Japan, Australia, Germany and the USA, contributed to a matching grant and direct contributions totaling tens of thousands of dollars to build the Library, purchase books and equipment, and construct restrooms," Pedrito said.

"This library will not only serve the school, but will be the only one in the district and for miles around."

Pedrito led the team of volunteers in humanitarian and cultural outreach.

"For a number of years Walla Walla Noon Rotary has partnered with Rotary of Chiang Mai in assisting the LaWa Hostel for displaced children from the Thai-Myanmar hill country," Pedrito said.

Through matching grants the Walla Walla club initiated with Rotary International Foundation, they provide computers, a clean water system, modern toilet facilities and an annual university scholarship for a deserving student.

In 2009, the Walla Walla club partnered with Rotary clubs from Japan, Australia, Germany, Arizona and a couple in Thailand to build and furnish an elementary school library in the very rural hill country of Thepsadet.

The $32,000 grant provided washroom facilities, dozens of computers, chairs and desks, library books and electronic academic resources, Pedrito said.

On Oct. 13, Pedrito represented Walla Walla at the colorful "Turning-Over" ceremony.

And before the event, WWU conducted its eighth annual short-term mission trip to Thailand.

"In years past, students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends have built dormitories, meeting places and conducted weeks of spiritual emphasis in places such as Chiang Mai and Mae Sot," Pedrito said.

Asia Pacific International University, WWU's sister school in Muak Lek, has partnered with the College Place university for the past three years, working in outreach to the surrounding city and villages. The university's ongoing projects include teaching English at the public high school and in evening classes for all ages at a metropolitan community center; assisting a disabled farmer with plowing, reaping, pruning and general farm work; and working alongside APIU nursing students in delivering healthcare, Pedrito said. And in 2010, the team assisted people who suffer from leprosy and polio, and cared for many orphan children.

Thailand Journal 2010 #20

2010-09-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

I just landed in Portland and I’m on my way back home to Walla Walla. On the last day in Thailand I visited Chiang Mai Adventist Academy. In 2005 I took a team there to assist in building the dorm for the Elementary School, to do the Week of Prayer, and to conduct Continuing Education classes for the teachers. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni fell so much in love with the students that we pledged to sponsor a number of them. This we have been doing for 5 years. Each year I visit them, encourage them, and take them out to eat and shop. For the first time the 2 that I took out spoke to me in English! Wow! I’m still working with Walla Walla University’s School of Education and Psychology on having a repeat performance of their very successful Continuing Education workshop during the 2005 trip. They still talk about it.

This was a great trip with one of the best teams (of the 10 Mission teams) that I have led. As you might have read in my philosophy statement from last year, this outreach to Thailand fits into my wholistic evangelism which I have been championing for the past couple decades. The team is crucial to its success. It is the lives lived, the actions taken, the relationships developed, that is at the foundation of the outreach. Baptisms can’t be the primary measure of success in this “10-40 window” region. Our paradigm can’t be the one I have successfully used in Africa, Jamaica, and the Philippines. There we baptized thousands of persons. Those are countries and continents comprised of mostly Christians. Thailand is 90%+ Buddhist. The paradigm is different. Therefore the measurement of success will be different. I give God thanks for what he has done through us again this year.

Blessings

pedrito

Thailand Journal 2010 #19

2010-09-13T02:40:00.000-07:00

Each year I come to Thailand, I’m involved in a variety of tasks; one of which is doing an audit visit of the projects our Rotary Club of Walla Walla is sponsoring. Today I here for the “Turning-Over” Ceremony of the Library project at the Thespadet School, way up in the Hills of Chiang Mai. We along with clubs in Japan, Australia, Germany, and the USA contributed to a Matching Grant and direct contributions totaling tens of thousands of dollars to build the Library, purchase books and equipment, and construct restrooms. The organizers were kind enough to plan the program to fit my schedule; and I was excited that 3 officers (including the President) from the Japanese club could attend. Although I’ve been working with the Chiang Mai Rotary Club and partnering with them on International Service Projects since 2004, I was excited that during my tenure as Rotary President we could bring the curtain down on this marvelous project. This Library will not only serve the School, but will be the only one in the District and for miles around. To view photos of the day, you can go directly to my Rotary site (http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery/thepsadet_turn-over_ceremony) or to my Thailand Mission Trip page which has a bit more specificity (http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery/thailand_mission_trip_2010).

Thailand Journal 2010 #18

2010-09-12T10:16:00.001-07:00

Today we toured the Grand Palace. The rules are quite strict there regarding dress. If anyone is planning on visiting there please check out the photos I took of the rules. It will save you a lot of time. Great architecture and story behind this landmark. A must-see! We had lunch at the same place we always eat at. Then we took the boat-ride down the swollen river through Bangkok. I saw the dragon “lizard” for the first time. It was huge! Traffic was the lightest I have ever seen it in Bangkok. So we had a bit of time before the Suan-Lum Night Market opened. We therefore took the opportunity to go and visit Alex Buell and Monty at Ekamai. It was great to see how better she was; and to give her one big group hug. The night market was not the same as in times past. Lots of the shops were closed; and some of the things that I usually look for were missing. I still prefer the Chiang Mai Night Market. But I won’t get time to shop there this year. Tonight I am staying at a lovely hotel 5 minutes from the airport for $36.00 per night. I fly up to Chiang Mai early tomorrow for the “Turn-Over” Ceremony of a Rotary project. More on that tomorrow. Ciera is the Mama in charge of the team; but I’m only a cell phone away.

Thailand Journal 2010 #17

2010-09-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

‘Twas a full Sabbath! We were planning on going to the University Church. But Ciera called to let me know that they were invited to attend The Seeker Ministry worship service at the Language Center. So we went. It was like WWU Awakening – student-led and driven, upbeat and contemporary. I was most impressed with the dances – a great variety from classical Thai to African American Gospel with traces of Hip Hop. It was an outreach to Muak Lek; thus it had the same philosophy as WWU Improv. It was well supported by faculty and Staff and area pastors. But the big event of the day was the afternoon’s outreach to the Orphanage in Lop Buri. It is about one hour’s drive from here. What an experience it was. The focus is on showing Christ-like love and caring to little girls who rarely receive such intimate attention. You would have to be there to fully understand the experience. And not even the pictures does justice to what we experienced. The girls simply latch on to us and treat us as if we were their closest family. They took our cameras and took hoodles of photos; they combed our team members’ hair; they played games and puzzles, etc., etc. They wouldn’t let us go! If the distance wasn’t so far, I would definitely add it as one of the projects for our Thailand outreach. But at least next year I’ll again bring the team to spend the last Sabbath afternoon with these darling girls. We ended the day at our favorite restaurant – the Blue Restaurant. We got 5 dinners including drinks for $7.00!

Thailand Journal 2010 #16

2010-09-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

Today was the day of saying good-byes and exchanging gifts. At the farm we received hammocks hand-made by the disabled farmer, and at the High School we received towels and delicious donuts. We gave them t-shirts with our trip logo. The day began at the farm with the farmer asking Melissa to change his catheter. They thought she was a nurse. So they asked us to take them to the hospital in Pakchong. There they also thought Melissa and Danny were medical personnel. Remember now, this year we didn’t have a translator with us on the farm. So we had to figure out what was going on without understanding the language. For the hospital information, however, I had to call the men’s dean, Richard, and have him translate exactly what they needed. They so much appreciated us and what we have done for them. We also completed the bamboo bed, which really is an all-purpose work and rest furniture. This afternoon we made our final Friday jaunt to Tesco Lotus, and had one last outing to The Pizza Company; and then I introduced them to one of the delicious ice cream places in Thailand – Swensen’s. I got the van we rented, washed – more like “detailed” for $6:00! Four persons worked on it, thoroughly cleaning inside and outside. It looked like “brand new second hand.” If one lives on even a modest American salary in Thailand they would be so well off.

Thailand Journal 2010 #15

2010-09-09T06:22:00.001-07:00

I got up to see Amanda from La Sierra off at 4:00am. The girls didn’t get much sleep last night – chatting, chatting! It has been a good group. At the farm we finished laying the pipes and completed more than half of the bamboo bed. Only Ciera and Kate were at the Public school. They had over 20 students each. It was tiring, but they had a great time. Tonight was the last time at the Language Center for this year. We gave the leaders T-shirts, and the kids got stickers, candy and pens. A few tears were shed.

Thailand Journal 2010 #14

2010-09-08T06:23:00.001-07:00

Not much happened yesterday, so I took a day off from blogging. Possibly the one significant thing that happened was that Amanda Moore left for home. In a few hours the other Amanda will leave as well. This had been planned many months ago. So it is down to 5 – three at the farm and 2 at the English Camp. Because it was so hot on the farm, the farmers decided to keep us in the shade, and we helped in making a bamboo bed. This was the first time that Melissa used a hammer to remove a nail. It was quite an experience at first. But then she was quickly a pro. While we were doing that, the pump arrived. I may have mentioned earlier that this was going to be our major gift to the farmer (last year it was the building of the shed). Walla Walla University and Asia-Pacific International University provided the funds to replace the 20-year old pump that was on its last leg. The farmer also wanted to bury the existing pipes; so we began digging a trench for that purpose. Hard work! We wished we had a shovel and a pick-axe. So we bought them to use tomorrow. Every year we purchase some tools for the farm that we are accustomed to use in America and Jamaica. Again, like yesterday, we ended the morning with coconut water! Then off to the Public High School to join the others for lunch. They had fish done very similar to how it is done in Jamaica. This is the first Mission group that I have led who were not afraid of the eyes and head of fried fish! On that fishy note, endeth today’s blog!

Thailand Journal 2010 #13

2010-09-06T06:34:00.000-07:00

My mama-in-law was laid to rest some hours ago. I’m really sad that I could not be there with all my family. They held up well. My wife, Vie, gave the eulogy; and our daughter, Natasha sang “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” (the same song she sang for her other grandmother two years ago). The 2.5-hour service was filled with tributes; and the interment was meaningful. We got a double vault in preparation for Daddy’s passing. He is 102.

Today was work as usual in Thailand. Great sunny day; so we got lots done on the farm. But, wow! The rains over the weekend flooded some of the farm. But it is as if the corn grew an extra 2 feet in the last few days! Possibly a highlight was eating mango sticky rice. Our driver, Panut, and his wife made it for us. Some of the team tasted durian for the first time as well.

Thailand Journal 2010 #12

2010-09-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

Today was all about tigers! We took an 8-hour round trip to the Tiger Temple. It is a must visit if you come to Thailand. It is run by monks and volunteers from around the world. We were able to pet both large and baby tigers, and even kiss them and cuddle them. It was awesome – it had to be: I took over 360 photos! I’ll leave it at that and let the pics tell the rest of the story.

Thailand Journal 2010 #11

2010-09-04T02:12:00.000-07:00

Today was Community Health and Service day sponsored by the Thailand Mission, Mission Hospital, and APIU Nursing Department. Participants come from Bangkok and the University and operate a clinic and outreach in a rural public school. Each year they invite our group to join the teams of nurses, doctors, and other philanthropists. As always, they allow our students to fully assist in all kinds of different areas, medical and otherwise. The photos will give an insight into all that we did: http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery/thailand_mission_trip_2010. A first for me was being up close to a person with leprosy. She was the first person whose eyes Danny checked. He could not get a reading; and when the doctor came and looked at the eyes, he said that it was because of the leprosy. The eyes were totally dry and needed surgery. She will get that next week. We are so delighted that the organizers were kind enough to plan the date of this outreach to fit our schedule. And they will do that again next year. A wonderful surprise was seeing students from Walla Walla. They are Student Missionaries for a year in Bangkok. They came with Namo and her family (her dad was one of the doctors). The wealthy philanthropist is originally from India and operates a private English language school in Bangkok. I taught his daughter many years ago in Walla Walla. He gave to everyone a bundle of gifts and a 20 Baht bill. The adults also got the book “Steps to Christ” in Thai. It was a great day with us doing exactly what Jesus would be doing if he were here on this Sabbath day.

Thailand Journal 2010 #10

2010-09-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

Today was the first morning since we are here that it rained and we had to cancel our work at the farm. We were disappointed. It is hard work, but we enjoy it and effects of our work are clearly seen. We went to the Public High School and watched and participated in the English Camp. The Thai certainly love the WWU student teachers. Danny played kick volleyball with the Thai kids during the lunch break. I had not seen that game before. Friday afternoon is usually Tesco Lotus shopping time. Some of the team members were so excited to get something from Starbucks. Because there was not much in the cafeteria when we returned, I took them to a popular joint where the University students like to eat. The plate of food cost $1.00! Sabbath is here; and a good upbeat Vespers to begin it.

Thailand Journal 2010 #9

2010-09-02T06:02:00.000-07:00

As we come to the end of the first week tiredness is creeping up on us. For those at the English Camp, it is their first time teaching, and they have come to a appreciate teachers even more. Even though they love the kids and find it exciting, they find it to be hard work. On the farm, it is hard work hoeing and pulling weeds from among the corn in the hot sun and very high humidity. I’m sopping wet when the morning is done. This morning I took a wash cloth to constantly dry my face. I was intrigued at how creative Nang built little fires to give off enough smoke to keep the mosquitoes away as we worked in a particular area. Rural folks are so creative and filled with inexpensive common sense. At the English Camp, the students from the 12^th grade are using part of their lunch hour to interview team members as part of a class project. Again, great relationships are being built; Facebook friends are being added!

Thailand Journal 2010 #8

2010-09-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the following was posted on Facebook by the PR folks at WWU: “Pedrito Maynard-Reid, a professor in WWU's School of Theology, is in Thailand (August-September 2010) with several WWU students. They are helping at the farm of a disabled gentleman, assisting at an English language school, and exploring the country familiarizing themselves with the culture, history and people.” I like it! I would encourage you to become friends of Walla Walla University on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/College-Place-WA/Walla-Walla-University/17584257754.

This evening the former President of Mission College, Dr. Siriporn, invited me to dinner. For the last 5 years or so she has taken me to a new wonderful restaurant each time. This year she invited the new President of the University to join us. He just began his new responsibilities. Prior to this he was VP for Academic Administration at Canadian University College. We had a lovely meal at a lovely restaurant with great conversation.

Part of the philosophy behind our Thailand Mission outreach is to having Walla Walla students working side by side with Asia Pacific International University students. But with the University now on the Asian system, school is in session while we are here. However, the English Professor has creatively gotten around the problem, by giving extra credit to the students in his Translation class if they help us at the English Camp. We had the first set of APIU students this morning; and the report was that it went well. We also made progress on the farm, and we have almost completed the weeding of the section of the corn. It was hard work today – even I sweated profusely. And the weeds/wild grass between the rows of corn is extra high. But it is a good feeling to see the great progress we have made.

Thailand Journal 2010 #7

2010-08-31T07:44:00.001-07:00

Yvonne and Noel and his wife (Ann), did arrive. So, only our son Pedrito II, Yvonne’s daughter, Talina, and Hugh (and maybe Joy) are left to arrive. Vie says that they are holding up ok, and each is dealing with the loss in his and her unique way.

Nothing new at the farm in terms of work: Danny and Mellissa did a large chunk of weeding. The engineer also came over to assess the replacement pump which we are involved in purchasing. The English Camp went great, and the students had a great morning. As usual the school prepared a dinner for us, and I bought 2 cakes to celebrate Ciera’s birthday. That was the first celebration. Tonight after the Language Center classes we went out to eat and celebrated again. We are having a great time; and the connections the team is making with their counterparts here in Thailand are marvelous!

Thailand Journal 2010 #6

2010-08-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

Most of the work began in earnest today. We went to the Public High School and got instructions regarding the changes for this year. We will only have Grade 7, and will meet with one section each day – 9 sections of 45 students in each class! It is a big High School. So there was no work at the High School today. Ciera, Kate, Amanda and Amanda will be there teaching tomorrow. Danny, Melissa, and I will be on the farm. But Ciera and Amanda H joined us this morning since they were free. We weeded the corn field. They got scratched and got a good sun tan! We went to the Monday market this evening, and saw all the good and bad, disgusting and delightful, and the cheap – including soda pop in a plastic bag. The vendor keeps the bottle and gives you a bag with the pop and ice. Creative! Tonight we began the week of helping at the Language Center run by the University Church. The kids were wonderful. But I was tired. The team caught me sleeping a few times. I’ve been up since 4:00am, working long-distance to help my family with transportation and lodging and eventualities in Jamaica. Vie, Natasha, and Janice arrived safely. Tonight they are staying at my former student, Pastor Robert Vassell’s home in Montego Bay; and then head to Mandeville in the morning after Yvonne arrives.

Thailand Journal 2010 #5

2010-08-29T05:07:00.000-07:00

Today was the last fun (and overcoming jet-lag) day before the hard work begins. I thought the day would be a bummer, because it was raining quite heavily last night into this morning. But the day turned out marvelously. We first went to Khao Yai National Park, which is about 30 minutes from the University. Our first sighting was up and personal monkeys – many, many of them! Then, though I warned the team members that there were lots of leeches on the path to the waterfalls, they took their chances and were no match for those fast moving, quick “thinking” blood-sucker critters! Yet the team members weren’t complaining about the experience. There were just too many other wonderful things: like, being up and close to a large deer; being washed in the powerful mist of a great waterfall (and descending a mighty number of stairs to get there); and to top it all were the elephant rides. I’ll let the pictures tell you the awesome story: http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery/thailand_mission_trip_2010

Thailand Journal 2010 #4

2010-08-28T12:25:00.001-07:00

The last time I blogged it was early Friday morning. It is now early Sunday morning. A lot has happened. The big one is the passing of my wife's (Violet) mother, Mrs. Iva Thompson. She was in poor health for the past year. She was just weeks shy of her 88th birthday. She is survived by her husband, John Thompson (who turned 102 last week, and is still in good health), four children, and many grand and great grand children. Vie and our children are heading down to Jamaica. I wish if I could go. But I just arrived (with the Mission Trip students) in Thailand, and I’m the only sponsor of the trip. We are so delighted that our friend, Lorraine took off the day from work to go and be there for Vie, and help her prepare to leave for Jamaica, as well as give her emotional support. Most likely the funeral will be a week from today.

As far as the Mission Trip is concerned, not much happened on Friday. It was the day for the students to get over the jet-lag. After lunch we did our orientation, and then I took them to Tesco Lotus (a kind of super Walmart over here) to shop and get some pizza. (The vegetarian one with corn is very good.) Then Vespers with the University ended the day. All our schools are going through a cultural evolution: I told the students that they should dress “churchy” for Vespers since we are in Thailand which is more conservative than in the States. They followed my advice and were way over-dressed. I was amazed at the jeans and shorts, etc., in the worship place.

Yesterday was a full day. With the passing of Vie’s mom, I was on the phone for hours calling all around the world to alert relatives before sending the announcement electronically to friends and well-wishers. After getting most of that done I rushed over to the University Church. It was interesting to see that they now have instituted the Asian practice of taking off shoes when entering a building, especially a church (it is done for homes as well). During church, Alex Buell arrived. I was so excited! She is here to spend 2 days with the team. After church we were treated to the Church’s potluck. We then went with one of the many Branch Sabbath School that go in the surrounding communities every Saturday afternoon. We, as usual, participate in the one at the farm of the disabled gentleman. I spoke/”preached” and got sweet-sop (“custard apple”, the English speakers call it in Thailand). Then the treat and workout of the day was climbing to the White Buddha – over 600 steps up and 600+ down. Awesome! Great pictures! Then we went to the Saturday night market and ended the day with the most awesome Thai food.

Thailand Journal 2010 #3

2010-08-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

It is now about 3:15am Friday morning, and we just got in. Everyone’s flight went smoothly. The security allowed me to enter the restricted area in order to meet the team members as the exited the immigration and customs hall. What a great team. Here are the members: Cierra and Katelyn Graham, Amanda Moore, and Danny Escalante (all from Walla Walla); and Amanda Hutauruk from La Sierra. As always, we stopped at the omnipresent 7-Eleven and stocked up with snacks, and I introduced them to the squat toilets. (I’ve put up pics: http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery/thailand_mission_trip_2010). They are all settled in their rooms; and for the first time all the rooms have air-conditioning and wireless internet service. If you wish to call me, my cell phone # is: (01166) 852-372-150; and the students’ is: (01166) 852-372-149.

Thailand Journal 2010 #2

2010-08-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

Great flights yesterday! From the time I left Walla Walla until I arrived here at Asia Pacific International University it was 30 hours of travelling! They have assigned us the same driver (Panut) that we have had for the past 3 years. A great guy! By the time I got settled and unpacked it was 3:00am. I got 4 hours sleep. On my way to breakfast, I met a student who has been here since 2007 when I did the Week of Prayer. He greeted me by singing the theme song, “Nothing is Impossible!” – pumping the air with all the energy with which we did it back then. I then walked around and took pics. For those for whom it is the first time to my blog and photo site, you may wish to get a glimpse of the gorgeous campus: http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery/thailand_mission_trip_2010. I’ll be posting photos daily; so you may wish to bookmark this page if you desire to see our progress – our goings and comings. Thanks for your prayers.

Thailand Journal 2010 #1

2010-08-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

For those who were following, you have seen that we had a great time on our 40^th Anniversary cruise. We arrived home at 3:00pm yesterday, mowed the lawn, did laundry, stopped by the office, and did grocery shopping, repacked, slept, and left the house at 6:15am and drove to Portland. I’m now in the airport waiting for the 10-hour flight to Japan, followed by the 6-hour flight to Bangkok. Again my plan is to be blogging daily and uploading pics to the websites. If you are interested in following our progress, I would encourage you to bookmark these pages, and return to them daily. Tomorrow I’ll give you the links. As a reminder of what we are attempting to do in Thailand, I would refer you to last year’s final blog: http://blessingsfrompedrito.blogspot.com/2009/08/thai-09-journal-24.html

40th Anniversary celebration #8

2010-08-23T12:04:00.001-07:00

We arrived in San Juan at 7:00am on Sunday and our flight would not leave for Miami until 8:25pm. So we rented a car and did some sightseeing of Old San Juan with its ancient fortifications. Then we drove to El Yunque rain forest – absolutely gorgeous! Our flight arrived in Miami at 11:00pm, and Lorraine’s flight to Portland was at 6:30am Monday. So we just stayed in the terminal and took some naps. Today is our actual 40^th anniversary; and I give God thanks and praises for 4 marvelous decades with the most wonderful wife!... We just arrived in Seattle on the straight flight from Miami. The chief flight attendant announced our anniversary, and all the passengers applauded. They also offered us champagne; which we declined, of course. But what a nice way to celebrate with so many well-wishers!

40th Anniversary celebration #7

2010-08-22T03:16:00.001-07:00

St Maarten is one of the most beautiful stops of the cruise. The island is part of France and part of Holland. But there is no border patrol. We took a tour of half of the island including the world famous Orient Beach. We ate at a delightful café which served great West Indian food. Our grand kids said that the loveliest part of the trip was the beach and swimming in the fantastic Caribbean Sea/Atlantic Ocean. We are now in docking in Puerto Rico. It will take us a day and a half to get home.

40th Anniversary celebration #6

2010-08-21T04:03:00.001-07:00

This is my first time spending more than a few minutes at the airport at St Kitts. We were impressed with the island and the little town right on the waterfront. And it was not as hot as St Lucia; thus more bearable than yesterday (although in one of the photos you will see Lorraine’s eyelids sweating. Though yesterday there were beads of water flowing from eyebrow, eyelids, and everywhere else!). And we found Ting (a world-famous, award-winning, Jamaica drink) here. We found sweet-sop also. It was a good place to shop as well. Lorraine got to pet a monkey. But we found out in ST. Thomas that monkeys don’t like strange men; so he was not fond of me, and Vie would not touch him. She took the photo. And Vie sister made us wash our hands and wipe down everything we touched with handy-wipes when we returned to the room. Overall it was a relaxing day, and we took out time to relax on the deck and read. I still put on over 27,000 pedometer steps today. Already I have 130,000 steps for the 6 days we have been on the cruise. The ship is big!