Extra Help. A team of four from Texas made their second annual trip for 2 weeks to help with Centre activities including our 2nd annual Photo Contest, teaching cooking classes, making gift bags and hosting a Cooking Night. It was great having them around! Pictured below are Chan, David, Deanna and Susan.

Chan teaching students how to make french toast.

Deanna helping students learn to make brownies.

From the Director. As I look back at 2013 I am thankful for all of the opportunities God has given us to serve him at The Centre. God has provided us with an incredible staff to serve this community. We are also very grateful for the many visiting teams that have come along side us to help share the Gospel and support our staff and vision as we reach out to the nation of Thailand. 2014 will have many challenges as we look to restructure some of the governmental issues that are challenging our foundation as we keep an eye on the political unrest that is facing this nation. Our efforts here will continue as long as the door remains open. Pray for God's peace for Thailand. January will be an exciting time as a team from Oregon will partner with us for a month to run some outreaches through The Centre as well as help us facilitate an English Camp for our students. As we prepare for 2014 we ask that you keep our team in your prayers. We are excited to see all that is in store for this coming year. If you would like to donate to The Centre to help with the cost of our English camp or our day to day expenses you can do so online at www.paoc.org/donate/RobMoore and mark your donation for The Centre. Merry Christmas and Happy new Year!

Rob Moore - Executive Director, The Centre Network

Thanksgiving. Our annual Thanksgiving Party is always a hit! Students enjoyed traditional American food: turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, and green bean casserole. We sang songs and had students decorate a tree with things they were thankful for. We also had a few Centre staff share a life story giving thanks to God.

Photo Contest. Our 2nd annual Photo Contest's theme was "Hidden Gems of Chiang Mai" where students took pictures of the lesser-known "gems" in Chiang Mai and attached a short description of their picture. We had around 45 students submit pictures. These are some moments from the Awards Banquet where we served dinner and had a short program in addition to giving out prizes for the best pictures and descriptions. It was a great evening together!

Christmas Gift Bags. Our goal was to give students an opportunity to give Christmas gifts to those who might not receive any otherwise. We had a phenomenal response and the bags were filled to overflowing! We had the privilege of delivering the bags to two children's homes where we played games, sang Christmas carols and gave them presents (and we took a few pictures too!) In addition to our staff, we had a few students come along also. Special moments.

Christmas Party. The pictures say it all! We enjoyed Thai food, "Minute-to-Win-it" games, Christmas carols and Christmas story, as well as a gift exchange.

Cooking Night. A group of college students from Louisiana came for a week to help at The Centre. They sat in on classes and spent time with students before and after class. Before leaving, they hosted a Cooking Night where they served Gumbo. We're grateful for their energy and willingness to help. We hope they'll come back again next year!

Meet Hartley from Canada.

Twenty years ago, a seed was planted in Chiang Mai, Thailand. But what started as an itty-bitty seed eventually sprouted and grew into a sapling. That sapling endured troubling seasons; it learned how to adapt to all of the changes that came its way. It learned to look forward to a brighter future. It learned to persevere. It learned how to grow, even when the water was scarce. Twenty years later, that sapling has grown into a tree. It has turned into something beautiful with the help of the different gardeners who came along to water it. That little seed has flourished and stands strong to this day. That little seed was The Centre. What started as a small English Centre in a run-down building, has turned into a place of refuge for the students of Chiang Mai. It has turned into a place to learn, to flourish and to become. It has turned into a place where the relationships grow strong and the faith grows stronger; a place where there is always a friend to talk to and a shoulder to cry on. The Centre is a place where we reach out to these youth and show them that there is something greater. I have only been a part of the team for a mere week, and yet I feel like my heart has been here all along. I am filled with an eagerness I have never felt before, and feel like I can truly make a difference. I love this place. I love the staff--a team of beautifully selfless and supportive people. I love the students that I have met and the friends that I have made. I love being able to walk into this building every day and smile at all the friendly faces. I love teaching my class, and thoroughly enjoy seeing the day-to-day progress that my students are making. But even though this place has an incredibly bright future, there is still much growing to be done! I am so honored to say that I will be a part of The Centres growth for the next seven months, and know that I will be growing right along with it.

As we enter another year, we're thankful for the many students God has brought through The Centre. Pray that as they hear the Gospel both in class and during our regular activities that their hearts would be open to embrace Jesus.

English Camp. With English Camp coming up Jan. 2014, please pray that students would sign up, and that the event would run smoothly. As Life Stories are shared during group times, we're asking God to make Himself real to them.