Happy New Year 2014 from Bangkok

     

     I send my greetings to you from Bangkok, Thailand!  I am here visiting my daughter Sonya, Jason and family and welcoming the new addition, baby Lucas, who just celebrated two months of life!  After all Sonya’s sicknesses during pregnancy, Lucas is her miracle baby.  Praise God both Sonya and baby Lucas are healthy and doing well.  I am enjoying my break from studying, being back in Thailand and spending time with my grandchildren here.  I also want to give a special prayer of blessing and protection on baby Lucas and the whole family before I return to Toronto on Jan.18th.  There are protests planned next week in Bangkok.  Please pray that they will not become violent.  

 

     It is very special to be together with my family in Bangkok and before that with my son Chris, Rebecca, Daniel and Kate in Denver, Colorado along with daughter Elizabeth and Josep and also Rebecca’s family too. My cousin Carol also flew over from Edmonton, Canada to visit with us and Daniel’s nephew Ashin and Achang and Julie also came by with delicious Burmese food.  They asked me to pray especially for Ashin as he was not well and about adjusting to a new life in America. I was also able to encourage and pray for a Pakistan pastor in Denver whose daughter-n-law Ruth studies with me at Tyndale Seminary.  Chris and Rebecca were wonderful hosts.  Our time together emphasized to me how important family and friends are and not to neglect or forget them in the “business” of doing ministry. 

 

     First semester at Tyndale Seminary went by quickly!  It was very challenging to go back to school after so many years.  I had to ask the younger students how to access my syllabus and class note online and how to prepare powerpoint presentations and many other things.  Thankfully, I have made many new young friends at Tyndale and they were all very helpful and patient in showing me what to do.  Writing was another challenge.  I struggled to find the correct academic words to convey my thoughts.  I had not used scholarly English words since I last studied fourteen years ago!  And it was fourteen years ago that I last saw snow!  I shared that with one young girl at the church and her eyes went as big as saucers.  She was just thirteen years old herself!

 

     Last semester, I took three full courses:  History of Christianity 1, Gospel, Church and Culture and Design to Learn, an education class in curriculum development.  All were excellent classes and I learned so much.  I also joined the choir which is part of the University/College.  I was told by the choir director who is also an opera singer that I was “breaking the mould” as seminary students don’t usually join the choir let alone one that is sixty years old like me!  The rest are in their early twenties! This coming semester I am also studying voice with her and I am very excited about that.  I will be also taking History of Christianity 2, Pastoral Counselling in an Ethnic Setting, Biblical Interpretation and Human Development and Learning. 

 

      I had to spend much time not only in studying and doing papers but also in prayer as I often felt overwhelmed with the assignments.  I really praise God and give Him the glory that in the end, I did quite well.  What really attracted me to Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, Canada is that it is the largest evangelical seminary in Canada with around 1.500 students coming from 40 different denominations and 60 different nationalities. Even on my floor in residence, I  counted 11 countries represented  out of our 14 students having a farewell party for a German exchange student: from Canada (of course!), U.S.A., Germany, India, Pakistan, Haiti, El Salvador, Indonesia, China, Nepal and me from Thailand!  We not only live together on the “mature” floor but we are all good friends.  This is truly wonderful and amazing!

 

       I also had the opportunity to preach and visit several ethnic churches in Toronto:  Burmese, Thai, Indonesian, Chinese, Indian, Caribbean, as well as Canadian churches including the renown People’s Church.  When I am not studying, I spend time with other students, and especially with the international students and staff.  They often share their heartaches, struggles, persecution in their old countries and also their amazing courage and fortitude.  One day, I would like to write their stories.  They are very impressed that I have been in the mission work in Thailand for 39 years and esp. the Asian students visit and ask me for advice and prayer for them.  I have also become good friends with a wonderful Thai pastor and his wife who are studying at Tyndale and have established a new Thai church in Toronto.  It is fun to talk in Thai and eat Thai fruits together (during class!)  I do pray that during my time at Tyndale,  I can be a help and encouragement to both students and staff as they have been so kind and encouraging to me.   

 

       Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement also.  It has really sustained and strengthened me. I included a few pictures in this e-mail of my time at Tyndale Seminary. 

 

      May God bless you this New Year of 2014 with all His love, guidance, and power from above.

 

      Beverley Kalnin