Bob and Chris Davis H4T

IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!

2009-02-14T07:55:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends, Yes, it has been awhile! We want to share some family pictures with you, as December was "visit Bob and Chris for Christmas" month!

Here are Jason and Lydia having some fun on the beach at Ban Phe, where Lydia is doing her teacher training.And these fine folks are the Barkers; Sam and Adrian and their kids, Abbie, Hannah, Liam and Courtney....along with Lydia, Chris and Jason. They were here from England for 2 weeks over Christmas.

This is Jason playing UNO with May and Maai. May is our housekeeper and Maai is her middle daughter.

Below are Lydia and Philip, saying goodbye in Bangkok. Lydia is still here, training to teach English to Thai children. Philip is in Canada, training to go on the TREK program to Lithuania in a few weeks.

Philip, Lydia and Christina at the Bangkok airport, sending Phil back to North America.
We trust you had a blessed time at Christmas as well, and were able to get together with those you love.

God Bless,

The Davis's (in Thailand)

random pictures

2008-11-11T06:29:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends,

Well, it's been awhile since we updated here, so we decided to show you some random pictures of Life and Ministry in Chachoengsao!

This first one is Chris with one of the little sweethearts from the ALH home in Bang Saen.
Jason with one of his friends at one of our kids clubs.

Bob (zen-master) chillin near the beach, while on a team team retreat.

One thing we love to do at our cell groups is EAT together. This is in May's (NEW) house!!

We love this picture. "Sometimes you get to be the cowboy, other times.........."

This is Aye. Most of the time he chooses not to wear any clothes, but this day he did.

Okay all, thanks for checking in. Love,

Bob and Chris and Jason

OZZ (Awt)

2008-10-08T01:50:00.000-07:00

We have mentioned Awt to you in our newsletters, so we thought we should post some pictures of him. He is our friend, teammate, language helper, and adopted son! He lives with us 3 days a week (well, sometimes all week, if he doesn't have responsibilites elsewhere) and has become part of the family. It is a great help to our language study to have him here with us, and we are teaching him English at the same time. Besides, he is loads of fun to have around! He plays the bass guitar and loves music. Some friends from Canada who work with First Nation's people presented him with this drum when they were here. He's really proud of it.

Awt (he spells it "Ozz" because it looks cool, but it is pronounced ott) is pretty typical of a Thai (Christian) guy his age; he is serious about his faith, but loves having fun! He plays with Jason like a brother.

His story is that he was basically homeless from childhood, and somehow ended up living in a church in Bangkok, where he became a Christian. He served in the Thai Army, where he was persecuted for following Jesus, and eventually discharged. He has been mentored by his friend who is also the pastor at The Life Center church in Bang Saen (where Team 2000 is). He is currently working with the Bethel Church Planting Team in Chachoengsao, which is how we became connected. He plans to begin formal training for ministry in a year or two, but is already a really good leader and teacher.

"Lord, we thank you for Awt, and for Your work in his life. Please use him now, and prepapre him to be used in an even greater way in the future as a leader of the Thai church. Amen"

2008-08-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our recent baptism in the canal! Seven new believers took this awesome step of obedience to the Lord and many friends came to celebrate God's glory with us. It was an awesome day!

The first one is Khun Jamlong, who is a 60 year old man who lost a leg to diabetes. He is becoming a student of God's word, and wanting to teach others about Jesus. Next is Mary (or May), our housekeeper. She is learning every day to appreciate that God's love is eternal. She has had a lot of problems in her life, but God is really growing her.

This is Pa Waw, Jamlong's wife. She is a joyful believer.
This is Serena. She has been a follower of Jesus for a few years, and has been every faithful. God is changing her life, day by day.

3 others from our cell groups were baptized that day as well.

"Thank you Jesus for saving these precious souls and bringing them into relationship with You, with us, and with one another. Keep them faithful to You, fill them with you love and grace, give them a hunger for your Word. Amen"

2008-08-17T02:54:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of life and ministry in Chachoengsao...One of our clubs where we meet every week to sing, teach, pray, and play games.

Besides the kids, there always some adults nearby. Often they join us in playing "abc bingo" and even listen to the Bible story! A few have even ventured in to the adult meeting that takes place after the kids club!

These little ones attend the school where we teach the older kids each week at our "English club".

Here are some of those older kids, listening intently.

And another class of kids. We have a great time with them every Tuesday. Please pray for all these efforts to share the love of God.

Thanks,

Bob, Chris, and Jason

Life in Chachoengsao

2008-07-04T04:51:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

We wanted to share a few more pictures with you of the ministry we are involved in here.

The first one is of the kid's club in the Bethel center, in the city. All Thai kids love to sing and play games, and to color pictures! Getting them to sit still and listen to the stories is more of a challenge, but they seem to be getting better at it!

This is the club that meets in Baa Lek's house (she is the older lady on the right). May, our housekeeper, is on the left. The adult group meets in her house, which is across the road. She and her whole family are very new believers.

This is the other kids group we do. We meet outside on a raised platform with a sheet metal roof over it. We are teaching the kids to sing "God is love" and spelling out l-o-v-e. In Thai it is "Prajow ben kwaam-rak". So we sing in Thai, but spell love in English. Crazy.

Hey, thanks for checking in!

Bob and Chris

Chachoengsao

2008-06-13T20:34:00.000-07:00

Long time no update....sorry. We have been without internet since we moved in May, and it is still not resolved. Anyway, life has been moving pretty quickly here. We love our new house and community and our new Bethel Church planting team! We have been thrown in at the deep end, as within a 2 weeks of moving we are invovled with a weekly English club at a local school and kids clubs and cell groups in the rural area and the city. In addition we are finding time to continue to study Thai several hours a day.

Anyway, here are some photos of what's been going on:

These are from the Kid's Club that meets in the city. Every Thursday we have about 30-40 kids who come to the center to sing, play, and hear about Jesus. We have a small building that we rent for this purpose. After the kids are done, there is a cell group for adult believers, currently about 5. We sing, pray, study the Bible together, then share a meal. It is an awesome time.

Here are some pics of our new living room (after and before). Now it is full of furniture. The whole house was really dirty and grubby, but now it's quite attractive and comfortable (we have furniture now too!).

We have started a club at a local school, where we have a total of 90 kids in 2 one hour sessions. We are praying that doors to homes and hearts will be opened through our efforts at the school.

Please pray for us and the team we have joined; Louise Sinclair-Peters (Team 2000) and Naat and Awt. They are great, and we are learning loads from them.

More photos later. Thanks for caring!

The Davis's

Thai New Year and Trip to the North

2008-04-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

This past week has been Thai New Year (called "songkran"), so we had a few days off school. We decided to drive up north and visit our Khmu friends, and try and escape the heat by heading for the mountains. We took Melody and Kat (friend from language school) and loaded up the pickup, and headed off!

It was great to see Pastors Sohn and Khun (pictured) and their families, and to worship with them on Sunday, and to just hang out a bit. Below is a picture with Khun's family, plus a few local kids! Kat, Melody, Jason, and Bob.

This is the traditional Khmu hut the Khun built next to his house for guests. We actually slept in a different one, because it had a ceiling fan! Not much sleep though, because the crazy roosters started crowing at 2 a.m.!!

Songkran has been called "the world's largest water-fight". We experienced it first hand. People either stand on the sides of the road and sling water at passersby, or they pile into the back of pickups with trash cans full of water and soak anything and everthing they see! This goes on for about 3 days. It is really fun, but sadly also dangerous because alot of drinking and partying goes on at the same time and there are many accidents as a result.

It was a great trip, and we are thankful for the opportunity. We drove almost 2000 kilometers without any problems, found nice, affordable places to stay, ate some amazing food and had a great time for fellowship with friends. God is good!

Another March Update!

2008-03-17T03:22:00.001-07:00

When we went to down Angsila (church plant near Bang Saen, where team 2000 is located), we got to see some of the new orphans perform. Karen Sanchez told us this cutie had lived her entire life on the streets of Bangkok before coming to the Abundant Life Home. She is beautiful!
And as so is she! (Bob says). This is Chris in our "yard". It's getting hot again... (I mean the weather!!).

This, my friends, is Ba-mii-heng-sai-moo-deng (yellow noodles with bbq pork). It is one of our favorites, and will set you back a whopping 70 cents or so, U.S. You can find it almost everywhere.
Lots of gecko's in the houses here. Jason likes to catch the little ones. We love them because they eat the mosquitoes!
We visited a nearby botanical garden and had a pik-nik. It was fun, but hot.

Okay, another glimpse into the life of language student/missionaries! Thanks for stopping by!

Bob and Chris and Jason

update, 2008!!

2008-03-08T03:28:00.000-08:00

Wow! It has been awhile, but we had some "technical difficulties", including the loss of our camera, and blogger password!

Anyway, apologies. Hopefully you have been able to keep up with us through our monthly newsletters and occasional updates. If you don't receive those, and would like to, email us at: bobcodyroad@aol.com and we will add you to the list!

Some photo's: We have told you about MELODY, from Fresno. Here she is. She has been a super blessing to us since arriving in February. She teaches Jason Tues-Sat, while Chris and Bob battle the Thai language. We ARE making progress, slow but steady.

We purchased a VEHICLE: a 2003 Mazda pickup with a "song-teow" back (2 benches in the back). These are often used as taxi's here in Thailand. Ours has been dubbed the "farang-teow" (farang is the word for white foreigner). We can get a load of people in it, so it will be a very useful ministry vehicle, in Chachaoengsoa, and then up North.

Oh, we mentioned meeting up with Phone Keo and Chansone. Here is a picture of them, with Chris, Reg, and Faa (Reg's "special friend", and Ricky Sanchez's Thai assistant).

Okay, thanks for checking in!

Bob and Chris

Bat Caves and Sunflowers

2007-12-09T02:34:00.000-08:00

Recently we did some exploring with our team member, Reg, around Lopburi. We visited some cool caves inside of a Buddhist temple, and the local sunflowers fields.

Back to Work!

2007-11-10T04:02:00.000-08:00

After a great weekend with family on the island of Koh Chaang in September, and then a week at the MBMSI retreat in beautiful Phuket in October, we are back at it in lovely Lopburi! We thought you might be interested in seeing what the Thai language looks like, so here is a glimpse of the challenge we face.

There are about 40 consonants and 9 vowels (18 counting long and short) as well as the tone rules and lots of "special" words that break the rules (like in English).

LIFE IS MORE THAN LESSONS!

2007-09-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

Recently our son Wayne and his lovely bride Sozan visited us here in Thailand. The whole family travelled to the island of Koh Chang for a weekend, and Wayne and Sozan exchanged vows on the beach at sunset. Here are a few pics from that event.

August 2007

2007-08-24T04:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

What news to give? We are still involved in the daily struggle with tones and tenses, but we all feel (team and family) that we are making some headway. This week has been Language Check time for all of us, or will be in the next few days. We have been encouraged as we have tried to use the language we have, and we are finding that we can actually communicate! There is hope! Our ability is still very limited, as is our vocabulary, but at 20+ new words a day times 5 days per week times nearly 3 months, that must be about 1200 words or so (my math still works, I think). I think that puts us somewhere around kindergarten or first grade (I'm not really sure about that). Anyway, we are getting somewhere, so thanks for praying and please don't stop.

Recently a friend shared an interesting thought. He suggested that perhaps the reason we have faced some of the trials we have shared with you, including health and safety issues, is so that people will be reminded to pray for us. It is so easy to forget to pray for one another, and even for our own needs, when everything is going great. I am not sure that is why we have specific struggles, but I do know that God loves us enough to allow those difficult times to come so we will run to Him. Pray that we will learn that lesson well, and loosen the death grip we often have on our own comfort and happiness! Jesus calls us to live for the kingdom of God, and for others. He didn't say following such a call would be easy!

Thanks again for loving us, and praying for us. We appreciate you!

In Jesus,

Bob and Family

Life in Lopburi

2007-07-15T18:50:00.000-07:00

Above: This is a reminder of why we are. Close to 100% of the population is Buddhist, and many have never even heard of the good news of forgiveness through Jesus.

Above is our downstairs bathroom, with a traditional Thai toilet, referred to often as a "squatty potty." Our upstairs bathroom has a "western toilet". Both flush by scooping water from the "ong" and pouring it in the toilet. One of the joys of life in Lopburi!

Below: This is the "Study Room" at the language school (LLC), with a few of the other students, including Reg and Christina from H4T.

Above: This is to prove that it really is the rainy season. Our neighbors spirit house in the rain.

Please keep us in your prayers and we continue to learn how to live in Thailand!

Bob, Chris, Philip and Jason

2007-07-09T05:35:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of the recent (June 2007) baptism service, in the Mekong river. There were 15 people baptized, and a team from California was present to witness and serve. It was awesome!

LOPBURI NEWS

2007-06-30T05:10:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Here are a few pictures of our home in Lopburi, where we are busy learning the Thai language and culture. Jason's Room
Phil's Room
Living Room

Phil at the Gate

Chris met Pii Kumb in Bangkok, and became good friends with her, and learned some Thai at the same time!

This is our "baan" (home). We love it!

Thanks for checking in!

Bob and Chris

Hello From Thailand

2007-05-16T05:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, this may be kinda weird because the site I am on comes up in Thai, so I have to try to do this from memory. If I hit the wrong button the whole thing will vanish.

Here are a few pictures for now. Hope you like them!

Fishers of ???

2007-04-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

Wow, it is so close to time to go, only 2 more weeks!! So much to do...but I still found time to find these pictures to post. This giant mekong catfish was caught back in June on 2006, but for some reasonI felt the need to post it now. Don't ask me why..just interesting. This fish was caught in the area we will be working in once we finish language school in monkey town (Lopburi), which starts in June and lasts 1 year. Anyway, the fish died and a whole village ate it!

Please keep praying for us these last 2 weeks. Lots to do, people to see, stuff to get rid of, and so on, there is still some of Chris' artwork available, so check the new postings on her blog if you are interested.

Hey, drop us a line!

Bob and Chris

Bob's Birthday Blog

2007-03-29T17:06:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Well, since today is my 47th birthday, I thought it would be good to post a few thoughts, along with a picture of me and my lovely wife, who looks 25 but is really not that far behind me!

It's been a wild ride. In the last 12 months we have finished a master's degree, travelled to Thailand, been part of an emerging long-term team to Northern Thailand, spoken in a number of churches from BC to central California to Kansas and Oklahoma and back again, sold virtually everything we own, including our home in Birch Bay, participated in a 2 month training program in Canada, and are now preparing to leave North America behind and move to Thailand to live, along with 2 of our 5 children, and our team of 3 single adults. Quite a lot for 1 year!

In all of this, the greatest lesson has been the faithfulness of God. We have seen so many answers to prayer, we could go on for hours. From the start of this latest chapter in the ongoing adventure that makes up our lives God has been so close, teaching us and guiding us and just loving us, in spite of our brokenness and at times, unfaithfulness. He never changes, and always hears our cries, and heals our wounds. No wonder we want to serve Him! He is worthy of all we can give, and so much more. And yet, that is all He asks..that we love Him and serve others. So, that is what we strive to do.

Happy birthday to me!

Bob

Philip Davis

2007-03-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for praying for Phil. As of today, he has not had a seizure in over 1 month! That is awesome! In addition, God really used our time with the Trekkers to bless Philip in his own walk with Jesus. He was encouraged and helped by being around young people who are serious about their faith and their desire to follow the Lord, wherever it leads. Phil made some positive decisions about what it means to follow. Praise God!

TICKETS PURCHASED!!

2007-03-14T21:51:00.000-07:00

Okay Friends,

It's getting real! Yesterday our team purchased our tickets to fly to THAILAND! We depart from Sea-Tac airport on the 7th of May at 1:45 am and arrive in Bangkok the 8th at 12:20 pm. It is a 20+ hour trip, over 7,000 miles! As you can imagine, we are getting excited, but there is still so much to do, and so many friends and family to see. Pray for energy to get it all done, and opportunities to glorify God while doing it! WOW!

Answer to Prayer for Phone Keo

2007-03-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

This is our friend Phone Keo. He pastors the Asian congregation at Butler MB church in Fresno. He is Khmu, the people group we will be working with in Thailand. Thouands of Khmu people have come to believe in Jesus over the last 2 decades, and many churches have been started.

A few months ago we heard that Phone Keo may have colon cancer. Many people all over the world began praying for him as the word spread about his condition. We just found out this week that the test results show he does NOT have cancer! Praise the Lord for His faithfulness in answering the prayers of His people! We are looking forward to serving with and learning from this special man of God.

2007-03-08T18:25:00.000-08:00

This is Jason. He is 7, and really cute!

A New Beginning

2007-03-04T21:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, be patient with us while we try our hand at something new!

We have just completed 2 months of training in Canada, as our team (H4T) joined up with a short-term program called Trek. The "Trekkers" are all 18-25 year olds who are headed to Mexico and Egypt for the next 4 months. It was amazing getting to know these committed and passionate people, living with them and learning together. Life will seem pretty quiet and a little empty without them. It was awesome time for our team and family, and we feel much better prepared to depart for Thailand now. The Lord has been faithfully (and patiently) teaching us some awesome lessons about His power and grace.

Bob had the privilege of preaching at the commissioning service for all 3 teams, and many friends and supporters gathered to worship, to witness, and to pray. The text was Psalm 84, which reminds us that God has called us all to be pilgrims who bring God's blessing to the "valley of weeping" as they travel along. May God use us for that purpose as we follow His call!

Okay, we love you all. Keep in touch!

Bob and Chris
H4T