The main reason we are in Thailand is to train senior couples. Sounds odd when you think how long we have been out but it seemed to go very well. On this trip we worked with the Sips and the Rempts. The Sips are the main drivers of the welfare work in the country of Thailand and the Rempts run the Employment Center. As we learned more about the people in Thailand we found that they can get a job with very little effort but don't make much (about 6 of our dollars a day). They can live off that and appear to be happy so don't seem real motivated to work any longer or harder(kind of hard on the Employment Center).
The training we do focuses on how to use the IT systems such as Chas, setting up projects, working with NGOs, dealing with accounting and bill payment, understanding the direction of the area presidency and their key initiatives and anything else the missionary couple wants to know. In many cases these projects provide humanitarian service but they need to use "welfare principles" to implement them. They also need to work with local church leaders to do this. In some cases the members need the actual services we are providing to others.
In Thailand we have run across a story that occurred some 30 years ago that is still mentioned in conversation. Apparently young elders decided to climb up on a Buddha statue and have their picture taken. No one saw them do it but when they had their photos processed the lady at the shop reported them. It was on news channels and the church was restricted for a time. What is amazing to me is the 30 years later the people still refer to the mistake.
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