Again I know many people have been waiting for some kind of update.  So here it is.  We just sent out our newsletter so I might be repeating myself to some people.  If you don’t get a newsletter and would like one please e-mail me and we will put you on our list.

 

As usual I have been busy with various projects at Im Jai.  The government has come in and has made Im Jai change many things.  Many of which I hope will help the children.  Im Jai has even changed directors.  The original director Ladda is now married and living in the States but will still oversee fundraising for the children.  With many of these new changes also come many new construction projects.  We got a new eighty meter well dug for irrigation.  With the five houses and all the water of plants going on, we just weren’t having enough water.  I was in charge of the electrical which was actually a big job.  Lots of pipe had to be run.  The older boys dug me a fifty meter trench to lay the electrical pipes in to power the pump system.  We are also in the process of taking the old laundry building and converting it into some rooms for the older boys.  I came up with the design and we hired the work out to a contractor.  I spent yesterday morning disconnecting the drinking water system and electrical from the building so they could begin work.  We’ve also built a new laundry facility behind one of the houses.  Coming this next week or so we, meaning the other maintenance guy Woot and I, plus the older boys will be building a laundry facility behind each house.  There is also a new door bell system and a shaded car parking structure planned as well. 

 

Prang is a good seven months pregnant now and doing very well.  The baby is due on April 27^th.  We don’t know if it is going to be a boy or a girl.  We will just wait until the day the baby is born to know.  I think we have finally pick names too.  If it’s a boy we will give him the name Jonas.  Jonas is a form of the name Jonah from the bible.  But I didn’t pick the name from the bible.  One day Adam and I were looking on the internet for what Jonas means.  Almost every definition said Jonas meant “dove” but there was one that said it meant “the oppressor.”  Which I thought was cool.  If the baby is a girl we give her the name Abigail.  Prang picked this one and it means “Fathers joy.”  Which I also think is cool.  I didn’t find out until later that Abigail is in the bible.  She was David’s wife and was super smart.

 

Prangs two brothers (Ton and Koi) are also living with us.  Ton is 21 years old and is in college studying Civil Engineering.  Koi is 18 and is in a mechanical tech school.  I’ve been taking him out teaching him how to drive to prepare him to get his drivers license.  I’ve also been teaching Prang how to drive too.  Man it’s so freaking stress-full.  I don’t know how many times I thought we were going to get in some horrible accident.  Plus the whole clutch on the hill thing is hard to teach too.  But there both coming along. 

 

Prang and I have also been spending more time in the village.  We try to go at least once a month but more if we can.  Were just spending more time with the local Christians and getting to know them.  Our goal is to help them have a better understanding of Gods word and to have a deeper relationship with Jesus.  Then encourage and teach them how to go out and evangelize in their own village.  Most of them can’t read or write so they have never read the bible.  So we’ll just be teaching them the stories out of the bible.  They are also planning on building a new church.  They have already graded some new land and we are in the process of trying to build some kind of re-enforced wall to keep the dirt from falling down the mountain. 

 

On top of everything else God has really blessed us.  Cindy’s mom bought us all a very nice big piece of land about 20 minutes from the city.  Our goal and vision is to build two houses on the land that will serve to take in children.  One house will be Adam and Cindy’s and one house for Prang and I.  Adam and I have been having fun designing the houses on the computer.  So after the land gets all graded and cleaned up and we get a contractor and figure out the cost, then we will start the building process.  That of course all depends on money.  All of which I don’t have any.  But I know God has all the money in the world and He does with it as He pleases.  I can’t think of how the money will come.  It just will.  Look at how the land came.  I never could think of how we could get land with out any money.  Then it just came.  God is awesome.  I will try and keep everyone up todate on how everything goes. 

Take care

Sean

Most of us over in this side of the world probably know the importance of the rice harvest.  That is if we have spent any time getting to know people in the hills.  Personally I didn't know how important it was until I was able to be apart of it in my wife’s village last month.  Last year I always drove past the rice fields in the low lands while picking up the children from school for Im Jai.  At first I saw these beautiful green rice fields everywhere.  Then after about four or five months they all turned yellow and then they were all cut down.  I didn't really think anything about it other than how pretty they were.  Now every time I drive past a rice field it means so much more to me.  After the rice has been cut down I can tell if they used a machine or if they used their hands or if they are finished yet or not.  I was able to spend about four days in my wife’s village in Omkoi which is four hours South East of Chiang Mai.  When I got there they had already spent two or three days cutting all the rice by hand using a little curved hand machete that has sharp little teeth on one side.  The first morning that I was there to work we all got up real early had breakfast and then about 6 of us got in the back of a truck and headed down to the field picking up a few people here and there along the way to come and help.  When we got there, there were already some people preparing the work for us.  They cut a big square out in the middle of the rice field.  Then laid down big tarps with a wooden crate in the middle.  Then the women went and gathered big bundles of rice stalks that had been cut the previous days and brought them back to the traps where all the men including my self were.  Then they use what looks like big num chucks to grab a bundle of rice.  Then they walk over to the middle where the wooden crate is and lift the bundle of rice over their head and smack it down on the crate over and over until all the rice seeds or all off the stalks.  Everyone had a big laugh watching me try and use the sticks to pick a rice bundle.  Prangs brother showed me a few tricks and then it just took a little practice before I was off having a good time.  Until after a few hours of smacking rice over and over again.  Your lower back starts hurting and the boredom begins to come.  Then I found myself looking over the fields of rice wondering how much we had to do.  It was huge.  The rice bundles seemed to never stop coming in.  I begin wondering what I got myself into and started feeling greatfull that I was doing this by choice and not because I had to eat.  I would never choose to be a farmer.  But again those people in the village don't get to choose.  If they don't farm the rice than they don't have any food to eat.  Sometimes they don't have any food to eat and all they eat is rice and chilies.  Which I had the pleasure of eating once the food I had brought with me was gone.  See I had brought a lot of food with me to eat.  But fish and chicken and food of that nature is a special treat for them.  So everyone in the family was eating each meal together (the food that I had brought with me).  Then once the fish and chicken ran out everyone split up and ate with their own house hold.  Scrapping together what ever they could find.  I always learn something new each time I go up and spend time with my wife’s family.  Well I guess it's my family now too.

    I do have one praise.  Well I praise God for the whole experience of being able to learn the things that I did during the rice harvest.  But one thing that stood out was this.  On Sunday morning we all gathered for church and they asked me to speak.  Which is normal in the Karen culture to have the guest speak.  They don't get a lot of guest and they love to hear stories or new things about God.  Anyways after I shared one of the men who I had been working with in the fields came up to me with his son.  The little boy about seven years old or so had blood shot eyes with tears going down his face.  One look at him and you could tell he wasn't well.  The man told me that his son had a fever and asked if I would pray for him.  I prayed "Fever go away in the name of Jesus and go run and play like the little boy you are."  That’s it, plane and simple.  Then later that day I saw the boy running around and playing just like I had prayed.  The father came to me and said that the fever had left him and that he had been healed.  Now every time I see that little boy he gives me a big smile.  Where as before he was afraid of me like most of the children there.  So praise God.  I was so amazed and so blown away by God.  It was probably (other than my wedding) the best four days I have ever had up there. 
Please check out my photo journal to view pictures of the rice harvest.  We were all pretty busy working and didn't really take many pictures but there are a few.

Sean

      I know it's probably been almost a whole year since I last updated anything.  Now hopefully having my own domain name and crazy amounts of web space (that wasn't cheap by the way) I can do more on my sight and keep it maintain regularly.  So much has happened in the past year.  The biggest thing that has happened that most everyone hopefully knows is that I am now married.  Somporn Manaskulpong and Sean Abbot were married on July 15th 2006.  We have posted many pictures on the sight in the photo journal have made a wedding tab on the main page.  There you can learn more about how the wedding was.  Basically we had a missions team from our home church in San Diego come with us up to Prangs village.  We were there for about three days.  We all went up Friday night and the wedding started on Saturday morning.  The traditional Karen wedding consists of the whole village and surrounding villages coming together all through out the day eating many different kinds of pig dishes and drinking freshly made whiskey.  Well being Christian and all we threw out the whiskey but still had all the pig you could eat.  The pigs were actually killed that morning.  Every one took part in the slaughtering which consisted of six pigs.  I have been involved with killing pigs once before here in Thailand with the Akah people group near Burma.  It was interesting to see the differences in how the killed and prepared the pig.  Personally the Karen style was a lot more fun and cleaner.  Also I have many pictures in the photo journal for those who would like to see how it was done.  For me the highlight of the wedding was being able to have two different people groups come together to bring two people from the two groups together.  We were able to have all kinds of prayer.  Like normal people from around the village were coming to us all day looking for prayer.  The ministry and the interaction with the Karen was amazing and defiantly the highlight of the wedding.  We even had numerous cases where people were coming back hungry for more prayer because there was a positive effect and they could see change and healing.  One man for example which Adam talked about in his blog came to us and wanted prayer for his hands.  He couldn't fully open them due to what I think was some severe arthritis Anyways he came back the next day with a big smile and stood up in front of the church praising God because he could now open his hands and eat rice on his own again.  It was amazing to see the power of God work through these peoples lives.  It was also amazing to see two completely different people groups come together in the name of Jesus.  Since then Prang and I have been praying and have come up with some service projects and some ways of ministering to her village.  For now we are going to begin just going up to the village once a month or more and continue on the relationships that have began.  Help support the current bible intern that is living up there serving at the church that doesn't have a leader.  Teach the children English and possible take them to the city once a month to see more of the world.  Encourage and pray for the local Christians and out reach to the non-believers.  Prang is is now studying her native Karen language a little deeper in hopes to help with translation for mission teams and I will begin learning the Karen language as well.  There are many things that Prang and I would like to to up in the village with the Karen people.  For now please be praying for us as we begin this new adventure in the mountains.  Pray that we can reach the gospel to the non-believers and help build up the existing believers.  Also pray that God will bring us a truck.  We can't really get started until we have a from of transportation to and from the mountains.  But in all that you pray please pray that that village will receive more of the holy spirit and will began to be moved by the power of God.

Thanks to all those who were apart of the Coast Vineyard missions team.  All of you played a big role during the wedding and we hope you had a great time.  Thank you Jamie for doing the wedding service and Cindy for the translation.  And thank you Coast Vineyard, friends and family for all of your support both financially as well as spiritually.

Sean and Prang

Sorry to all those of you who have ben waiting patiently for a new post.  Since I got back from Hawaii a few months ago things have ben kinda busy.  Hawaii was awsome and I think two weeks is perfect.  Any more and I would have gotten sick of the island.  We stayed right on the beach with Adams family.  There was a nice reef break that had good waves almost every day.  The surf was awsome and I had some of the best waves ever.  If there wern't any waves I spent my time skim boarding or snorkling.  One day we were able to go to the North beach and snorkle with some sea turtles.  That was pretty cool.  Got real sun burnt and ate loads of food everyday.  I didn't know how much I missed food from America until we went to this awsome buffet.  Over here I eat rice and fish everyday.  Which isn't bad I really enjoy fish.  But man there's nothing like a hudge, fat, juicy steak.  Since I've ben back I practicly live here at the orphanage( Im Jai).  Well I'm sleeping at a guest house right next door.  But all my time is spent here and on Mondays and Tuesdays I sleep here with the boys so staff can have some days off.  Everydays about the same.  When I sleep here I wake up around 5 am.  Well ok this is the first week that I actuall started waking up at 5 am.  Before it was about six but I was supposed to be up at 5am but was lazy.  When I get up I help the younger boys take showers, brush their teeth and make sure they get dressed and get down stairs for worship before six.  Then it's breakfast time and I take a van full of them to school.  I return around eight or so and then we have devotion with all the staff.  After that I do what ever needs to be done around here.  Usually just helping out with whatever I can.  Usually I have home work everyday and I will do that too.  Then at 12:30 it's off to my Thai language class.  After class I pick the kids up from school and return home around 5pm.  After dinner if it's not raining I will take the boys to the local park and play soccer.  Were not supposed to go when it's raining but I have ben breaking that rule and they all seem to love it.  As do I.  My days off are on Friday night, Saterday and Sunday untill 5pm.  But I still drive the children to church in the mornings on Sunday.  On those days off I have ben spending most of my time getting to know a female.  Ok, well of my free time.  She's Thai and her name is Prong.  She's ben working here at Im Jai for about five years now.  She has such an awsome heart for these children and is on fire for God.  Two awsome things that are on the top of my list.  Please pray that God will be the center of our relationship and we will help eachother to serve him.  I will try and keep this blog updated monthly but well see how that goes.  I'm sure many of you have already dropped off due to the lack of updates.  Sorry you know how life can get busy and it gets hard to keep in touch with people who aren't in your everyday life.  Out of sight out of mind.  Sorry.  Thats all for now. 
Peace.
Sean

Well I guess I'll finally write a new post.  It's been awhile and so much has been going on.  Our friends Ray and Karu from San Diego were just here visiting us for a couple of weeks.  It was nice having some friends from home around to hang out with.  They're actually traveling around the world and they stopped here in Thailand for a bit and now have moved on to Cambodia.  For those of you who know them and are interested in their travel check out Ray's sight.    firewatching.com

The seasons are changing and now begins the rainy season.  Heavy tropical rains.  Everyone seems to enjoy them because they really lower the temperature.  It makes for a nasty ride on the motorcye though. 

Still haven’t found a permanent place to live yet and am still staying with a couple who are here planting a Vineyard church.  On the ninth Adam, Cindy and I will be moving to a new house just for two months.  We will house sit for someone while they are gone.  Free rent.  No charge.  But after the two months we need to have a place.  Still working on that.

My week consists of language school from 1pm-3pm everyday, Monday thru Friday.  I just recently got my own personal teacher.  I just wasn't retaining everything at the pace I was moving with Adam and Cindy.  So now I have two hours each day one on one.  Seems to be helping me a lot.  My teacher doesn't speak any English with me.  That too is helpful but becomes frustrating at times.  I can't hold a full conversation yet but I pick up many words and have a number of sentences down pretty well.  I mainly know vocabulary more than anything.  Trying to put the words in the proper order is the hardest part.  Plus the tones too.  But I am enjoying it.

After school each day I head on to the orphanage.  For a while I didn't really do much except play with the kids.  I still mainly do that but slowly picking up rolls the longer I am there.  I have been tutoring one girl in English grammar.  Which to me is a shock.  I'm not really the person with proper grammar.  But I seem to be a big help to her.  When it's not raining I go with the boys to the basketball court and play soccer.  It loads of fun and a great way to interact with the older boys.  They enjoy having me come and I enjoy playing anyways.  I also may be giving some guitar lessons in the future and maybe become a Sunday morning driver to church.  Not totally sure yet.  This orphanage (Im Jai House) is soon going to be opening a new house that’s bigger and has more for the kids.  I am very excited to see what God has planned for me in this.  The longer I am here and the longer I am with the kids;  the more I realize how much I need to be here and why.  Keep checking my photo journal; soon I will update it with pics from Im Jai House.  Here is a picture of Adam and some of the boys during one of our jam sessions.

Well as many of you know I really wanted to get to Burma.  Or at least work with some people from Burma.  Well I got that chance and was able to spend two weeks with the Akah.  It was still in Thailand in the far North mountains and they were indeed from Burma.  I went up there and met a team from Colorado who were there building two churches for two different tribes.  Abolanai and Boloson.  Both Christian tribes who have come a long way out of their evil spirit worship called Animism.  The Thai government has really stepped in and started helping these villages.  This same team from Colorado was there three years ago installing their first water system.  Which isn't like anything you would get in the states.  The Thai government really liked seeing the Akah try and establish permanent residence instead of wondering.  They were really impressed with their water system and ended up installing solar panels for electricity.  So they are slowly becoming more civilized and more sanitized.  It was amazing to be there and be apart of it.  I stayed with this one family alone by myself, which to me was a blessing.  There were two little girls and a little boy.  Within two days they were running up to me hugging my legs as I came home from working on the sights.  I had such a great time with all the kids.  It was amazing to see the villagers warm up to me after watching me interact with the kids.  I even had the opportunities to speak at their church on Sunday; which was fun.  I saw how they killed and slaughtered their pigs.  Even watched them burn the hair off and gut it too.  I enjoyed running down a hill in the jungle holding a rope with a bull on the other end charging down the mountain as we dragged along.  That same cow became our dinner and even enjoyed eating it raw.  Which tasted like crap but it was cool to see the men take well to me eating it.  They really like their cow and whisky.  It's a big treat for them and all the men gather around and partake together.  I formed amazing relationships with many of the villagers and will hopefully be returning soon to continue in the relationships which I have invested in.  There are many local evangelist here who have been working with these tribes for a long time and said it would be nice for me to come back.  It was a great trip and I came back a different person.  If you haven’t yet checked out my photo gallery do so now.  I took lots of pictures while I was up in the villages building the churches.

I start language school on Tuesday and will be attending classes three hours a day five days a week.  Plus I start at the orphanage here in a few weeks as well.  There are so many opportunities here it's amazing.  I want to do so much but can't do it all.  I really feel things picking up here fast and I am trying not to burn myself out.  I miss everyone and can't wait to come home and share many great stories.

It's been two weeks and I havn't had culture shock.  I know it may take a lot longer but I am really enjoying my stay.  Lots of uncomfortable situations with loads of new people who I can't really communicate with.  Visited a few churchs.  Found one that I will go to again next week.  It's a Thai church.  I met lots of cool people and plus all the kids that live at the orphanage that I will be working at go there.  It's a pretty straight up place.  It felt good.   Hopefully this week I will be able to start language school so I can get ahead of things around here.  I got a couple of what I would call new friends who are Christian.  Both German.  Our weekend nights consist of watching Eroupean soccer and drinking Beer Chaing.  A couple of stand up lads.  Looking at places here and there trying to find a place to settled down in.  I don't really want to settel down anywhere.  But a need for a place to call home for a short while can't hurt.  It looks like May 14 will be the start day at the oprhanage.  I really can't wait.  Some of the kids remembered me at church from when I was here last year.  Everyday has been a learning experiance.  I am truly learning so much about God, myself and the world.  It's fun, exciting, hard, tiring, boring, laphable, hot, and everything that I didn't and did expect.  It's going to be a good story if anything.