conXion: Never a Dull Moment!

Barker family newsletter, May 2012

Dear friends and family,

We feel like we started the year with a bang and it has continued that way.

For those of you following Ash’s Facebook you will be aware of the volume of media exposure the ministries of UNOH, both here and in Australia and New Zealand, have had over these past few months. This doesn’t seem to be slowing down with the recent FOX sports segment on the Klong Toey Football Team and Poo and her award winning cookbook continuing to draw worldwide media attention (The BBC radio reported that she has had 24 million Google hits). All of this has meant that Ash and I feel like we are certainly living life in the fast lane, and the under the radar style of ministry we tried to maintain in Bangkok is no longer possible. At the same time there have been some amazing ministry opportunities that have arisen as a result, and with Ash gaining his PhD recently means new roles and responsibilities for us all.

At a local level God has blessed us with many new and exciting things in the last 6 months and we can really see His hand at work in both our lives and the lives of our neighbours. One of these is the young leaders program run by 2 of my young Thai staff, Kook (25yrs),Nut(21) and Chyo(19)yrs. Along with the support of fellow UNOH worker Alisha and myself they run a fortnightly program for 17 children aged between 9-11year from our neighbourhood. The idea being to prepare these future leaders for engaging life outside of the slum, teaching them how to talk and act outside of the community, and how to hope and dream for a better future- something not natural for these children- many who have been beaten up rather than brought up. Anthropologist Oscar Lewis says of children born into a culture of poverty. “….by the time these children are 6 years old, they have taken on the values, beliefs and culture of poverty that surrounds them, making them unable to make the most of good opportunities that may come their way as adults.” Kook, Nut and Chyo are committed to helping these kids and modelling a hope for their future. Alisha and I are committed to supporting this initiative and pray for transformation in these precious little lives. It is really exciting to see how God is at work in Chyo, Nut and Kooks lives also.

The Klong Toey Football club - which Ash and the Thai staff have been faithfully developing over the last 10 years- is finally getting some opportunities and recognition that is changing the lives of these boys and young men. As I sit in an air-conditioned café writing this it is 45 degrees outside, and Ash and 30 of our boys (Under 13) are training in the middle of the Thai Port FC (or Ta Rua FC, our professional National League team) pitch. Our boys have been chosen to represent Thai Port FC this season with their first official match on Sunday. At the same time we have another 60 kids playing in 2 other tournaments across Bangkok. Last Sunday our boys had a chance to perform in front of the manager for player recruitment for the British team Tottenham Hot Spurs and his talent scouts. They are looking to offer scholarships for 8 Thai players. They were very impressed with our kids who were thrilled with the chance. (Ash was a bit conflicted being a Man U support – Please pray!) And yesterday Japanese talent scouts at our training were looking for players. Sadly none of this translates to funding to keep running this program this year. Thanks to the hard work of our amazing volunteers in Bangkok we have raised 57% of this years budget and are still in need of a major sponsor- or many small ones at $200 per kid per year. God has been really faithful in the last 2 years and I am really unable to explain how we have sustained this big program as it expanded so rapidly. (5 Loaves and 2 fish maybe?)

Thank-you again, and again, all of you who faithfully support our family. We are very conscious that we have never gone without even in these tough financial times, and we continue to be able to serve the poor in Klong Toey on your behalf. At this 10 year mark in Klong Toey, we feel like we can actually see hope rising in the despair here. Life continues to be tough but our friends and neighbours are truly embracing a God that doesn’t promise to protect us from the pain and crap that life throws at us- but rather gets in there with us, alongside us, helping us find His hope in the midst of life and all it brings. Life is messy and my God is a God of peace and hope within the mess. I hope this is how you experience His amazing love also!

Love and Thanks In Christ

Ash Anji Amy Aiden and Film