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COVID IN THAILAND
THE THIRD WAVE HITS DIFFERENTLY
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Thailand continues to set new records for COVID numbers but these numbers still fall below what many other countries have experienced. There has been lots of political and social posturing and at times it has been very unclear to us what is and is not allowed. As foreigners, we know that there are nuances we are missing.
The vaccine roll out has become highly politicized and access to vaccines has been sluggish. As foreigners it was looking highly unlikely that we would be able to access vaccines here (at least for a long time), but in an answer to prayer and the kindness of a doctor we know, we are now both fully vaccinated. We know there are differing opinions on vaccines, but for us it is a sign of faithfulness and provision despite it seeming unlikely.
Midway through June, the Thai Prime Minister gave a speech saying that the harm being caused by economic collapse is now greater than the harm caused by COVID itself. As Thailand's tourism dependent economy continues to falter, people are facing increasing need. We're not talking slightly uncomfortable or just tightening up family finances, but rather no food on the table type need. In an attempt to reopen Thailand to international tourism, the resort island of Phuket has been deemed a "sandbox". It will open to vaccinated travelers on July 1st and in many ways, it will be cut off from the rest of Thailand. It is unclear how this will go, but it shows a major shift in Thailand's view of the pandemic. With borders once firmly closed, this may be the end of the bubble that Thailand worked so hard to create.
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JUNE IN THAILAND
THE MONTH IN HIGHLIGHTS
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With the end of the month came the end of the school year and we are all happy for a break from online learning. We are so very proud of Zala and Daxon who worked incredibly hard despite the challenges of online learning. Both earned multiple awards and have certainly been stretched in new ways. Juggling online school for the older two and the younger two being thrilled to climb all over everyone, we as parents have been juggling house work, school work, parenting, and ministry for so long that it feels nice to put down the school ball for now.
We've also made the decision to move from our apartment to a house. The house will actually be smaller, but it has a little outdoor space and that feels life giving after being inside with 4 kids for so long. This move will keep us in Bangkok but further from the downtown. There are a number of factors but the driving force was for our refugee friends. Most refugees do not live downtown and our proximity to the detention centre was often a cause for concern. This move does require the kids to move schools and so our summer break will be busy in other ways. We were sad that the kids were not able to say goodbye to their classmates in person.
This month we also celebrated our 14th anniversary. We took the kids with us (pandemics are not necessarily romantic) and did some socially distanced hiking by the sea (banner picture at top). What a day!
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Parks were closed, but malls were open. So we explored some malls.
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The mall exploring had some great photo ops. Wanna build a snowman?
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We were excited 14 years ago. Still are today.We loved who we were then and we keep loving who we are becoming!
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Daxon's last training as part of the soccer club we've been running. As we move, we're turning leadership over to someone else in the club.
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While our pastors are away, we've been helping at church and this month Matthew preached online. We've also continued to create online content for the children's ministry and we have a great group of people helping with this in both English and Thai.
Amber, Daxon, Zala, and Wren had to renew their visas this month. Amber also had to renew her work permit. We're happy to share that all came together without issue. PAOC Thailand has a lovely person who helps make all of that so much easier for us and we are thankful for P' Sukanya. Take a moment to pray for her as she makes life here possible for so many Global Workers.
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While Life Raft's leadership is out of country, Matthew has been leading the team meetings. The team is filled with passionate, capable, and creative people. It is a true honour to wok alongside this team.
Thailand, which is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocols, is taking steps to implement it's own system for refugees. This National Screening Mechanism (NSM) has become law but has not yet been implemented. Major international bodies and national CSO's have been engaged with the process and it is something that still raises a lot of questions (and concerns) amongst refugees here. This month Matthew was invited to be part of a working group to provide feedback on the Standard Operating Procedures surrounding the NSM. Full disclosure - this was leagues above what we're used to and there was a lot of googling of terms happening during the meeting. Please be praying that the implementation of the NSM will be a positive step for refugees rights in Thailand.
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In over his head while talking with policy experts on 3 continents, it was a good time talking about the NSM.
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Taking the littlest littles to pick up and drop off food for refugees.
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CHILDCARE PLUS
The Thai school year typically begins in May (as April is the hottest month and so it is like summer break in North America). As the third wave of COVID set in, the school year was pushed back. It was unclear what would happen with the school year after the significant delays and closures of last year. In the middle of June, schools around the country reopened with the exception of those in the 5 provinces still in the "dark red" tier (Bangkok is one of them). In those places, some schools have been able to transition to online or satellite learning (literally on a satellite TV station). The reopening of all schools will depend on the COVID numbers.
Despite the uncertainty, we prepared for kids to be in the classroom and had school fees waiting to go. We are hopeful that soon all children will be able to safely return to in-person learning. Certain provinces still have restrictions on gatherings, and so our programs still look different. We continue to adapt to the situation and we're impressed by the dedication and work of the CCP team here. They love these kids more than we could ever express!
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PRAY WITH US
we believe there is strength in numbers
- thank you for praying for the pastor at OASIS. He is recovering well.
- pray for healing from cancer for one of our CCP Program Managers
- COVID is spreading in the IDC and many refugees are being exposed with little medical intervention
- pray for peace in Thailand as there is ongoing political differences.
- pray for neighbouring Myanmar as the suppression of anti-coup demonstrations has turned deadly
- pray for refugees who are detained as it has now been months with no visitations and they will be left with dwindling funds
- pray for refugees in the resettlement process that they would receive positive responses quickly
- pray for wisdom as Thailand navigates a way forward from burst bubble to sustainable norm
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CANADIAN residents can partner with us through the International Missions department of the PAOC to receive a tax receipt.
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AMERICAN residents can partner with us through our American sister organization to receive a tax receipt.
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