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RAMBLINGS of WALT
News Letter of Walt Prevost
SOUTH EAST ASIA EVANGELIZING MISSION BOX 59 CHIANGMAI, THAILAND
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO WEST SEATTLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 4400 42ND. AVE. S.W, SEATTLE, WASH. 98116. c/o DOROTHY WEBER. FWDG. AGENT

January 1980

Volume I

Number 27

A Potpourri of News from Walt

1 am using this issue of Ramhlings of Wall to report on a variety of activities with which I
have been involved.

"Compound Evangelism" is what I have been calling my attempts to reach my neighbors

for Christ in the family compound where I live. During eight weekly evening sessions about a
dozen came. These people are Buddhistthey moved a god-shelf, including an image of Buddha,
out of my house before I moved in. I am presently continuing with three girls who want some
help with English. Each Thursday evening we read from the Gospel of Mark. I am encouraged
by the fact tiiat they ask more questions about Jesus than about English words! Poyon trans
lated for the initial series; Prachuap is helping with the English Bible reading.
The Week of Evangelism early in the first term of this school year was intended to be tiie first of what will become an annual
event. The intent is (1) to give unimmersed students an opportunity to complete their obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, and (2) to
make an evangelistic impact on the neighborhood of Chiangmai Bible Institute. The first intent was brought to mind when we thought
of the idea of a Week of Evangelism because two of our students were at that time unimmersed.
That has now been corrected (see elsewhere in this ROW). During our five evening meetings we
asked preachers from outside the CBI family to preach. Special music was provided by CBI
students and visiting musicians. During the day the students visited a hospital, children's home,
and other places where the visit of concerned Christians was appreciated and where possibilities
for Christian service might be found.
The wedding of Witt and Suni was a big social event on the CBI campus. We the faculty of
CBI are proud of Witt and were happy to provide a wedding for him. I asked Peter (the partially
bald guy In the line-up) what his part was; he said, "I was the daddy." Poyon officiated. As re
ported in the June ROW, Witt and Manope have begun work in tiieir home district of Pua.
Good reports are coming in, including obedient responses to the Gospel.
The baptism of three ladies was an occasion of great joy. Tasance,Jongrak, and Wankam
were immersed into Christ one Lord's Day afternoon in the creek on Doi Sutep, the mountain
al the western edge of Chiangmai. Many of Us had been praying for these three for some time.
Tasanee and Jongrak are students at CBI; Wankam is the wife of Poyon.
The First Commencement by Chiangmai Bible Institute was held in September. Eight TwoYear Bible Diplomas were awarded. These diplomas result from at least 90 quarter-hours of
work, 15 hours of which were for intern work. One of the principles undergirding the curricu
lum of CBI is the concept of "learning by doing." Our four-year curriculum requires a full term
of Internship in each of the second, third and fourth years. Two of our Thai students. Manope
and Witt, completed their class work with the end of the 1978-79 school year and have spent
the final three months at their permanent location, working with the congregations in Ban San
Lao and Ban Haen. near Pua. Clifford accomplished his internship by translating leaching mate
rials from English into his native language. Nansar has worked at operating a hostel in Chiangmai
for Lisu people with her husband, Joni Morse. Pungsar has worked in a variety of ways with the
Morses' tribal work. James. Jungson. and Sinsar lived in tribal villages for most of a year doing
preaching and leaching while they worked with the village people. To justify being given credit
for their intern work, each student prepared a written report, describing the work accomplished.
Paul Fuller is back on the field. While Paul works on the dissertation

for his doctorate in Ethnomusicology, he and his family are living in

Bangkok. But, he still participates in the teaching program of Chiangmai
Bible Institue.

Mary Parkhurst, latest addition to the SEAEM-team. Mary lias joined

us for a year. She will help in a variety of ways, including the Improving of
the content and operation of the CBI Library. On earlier trips she did a lot
of work in organizing the Library: now she intends to complete that work
and train an Asian to do the work for the long-term operation of the
Library.
^

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three evenings. Jay Henry, the "regular" teachcr, translated into Hindi. In
Rangoon, I joined fellow SEAEM-teamer Jerry Headen. Jerry taught from
Ephesians; I taught Apologetics and (at the request of the Chin brethren)
Speaking in Tongues. The fur hat was made from Ihe skin of a small bear-

Alan Bemo, visiting

teacher. The Alan Bemofamily
is now located in Chiangniai,
working among the Chinese
population of northern Thailand.
They were located on Taiwan
before coming to Chlangmai.
Alan taught a course on the

like animal which lives in the Snow Mountains of northern Burma; it was

presented lo me in recognition of my five trips lo Burma~and in recogni

tion of the fact that I do not have much "fur" of my own on top! The visit
with the workers and kids of Kulpahar
Kids' Home was pure joy. Madonna
Burget, Steve, Caleb, and Ann Plettner.
Linda Stanton, Dolly Chitwood, and

Book of Daniel.

Translation CenterPresent and Future. The

translation of the New Testa

ment into the Ngo Chan lan

guage has now reached the
proof-reading
stage,
ncaring
printing. Peter Sutjaibun, Ying
Bawni (shown here), and Taink
Wang have completed the major
work of translating the Ngo Chan New Testament, working in this rcnied
house. To exercise better long-range .stewardship of the Lord's l"nds and to
better coordinate the various ministries of SEAEM, we wish to complete

^J(

Leah Moshier continue to maintain an

island of God's Grace in a sea of Hin
duism. It was wonderful to renew ac

quaintance with ihem as well as tlie

Indian workers and the kids (160 of
tiiem) of Kulpahar. 1 plan to report
more completely on the trip in tiie
next ROW.

CBI students are helping the refugees. As of this writing, about

a dozen CBI students as well as several adults including Doug Umbanhowar
and Poy(m. arc helping to build a new camp for Kampuchean refugees in
eastern Thailand. This came about when World Vision asked Bobby Morse
to arrange for about 30 helpers. We are pleased at this opportunity for our
students to join with other Christian workers lo express the love of Christ
to these very unfortunate people.

My first furlough will be soon. My next"big row will probably

^

-I

the section of the CBI building shown, to become the "Translation ('enter,"
where Ngo Chan New Testament and other translation work might be
accompli.shcd. We estimate tliat $2500 will complete this section of the
building. Docs this project appeal to you or your group or your classas a
place wliere you might put lo work some of the Lord's funds for which
you are responsible? If so, wc will enjoy hearing from you!

My trip to India and Burma was very rewarding. The purpose

of the (rip was lo reach al Mid-India Bible Institute in Damoh, India, and
in the Asian Leadership Seminar in Rangoon, Burma. In Damoh, I was with

Vijai Lall and Jay Henry. I taught \Vi hours of Apologetics during cacli of

written soon afler arriving home in Seattle on furlough. I plan to leave

Chiangmai about 20 March, visit several friends enroute, and arrive at SeaTac Airport on 8 .April 1980. After a bu.sy summer (NACC in Seattle in
July; WI-NE-MA Week of Missions in August), I'll become a part of the
staff of WSCC for most of my year qfXuilougl>

^___Altheagirtarrnocated in northern Thailand, several hundred

- miles frt>m the troubled eastern border of Thailand, we here arc always
aware of the difTiculties there and the fact that Thailand is considered to

be the next "domino." The King and ihe government of Thailand are work
ing hard to protect this country so that Ihe people here may continue lo
live in freedom. Will you pray with me that God will continue to bless this
free country and lhal He will intervene in the affairs of neighboring coun
tries so that those people may also live in freedom?
With love in Christ,

Ramblings jQ^^alt
, NO. 30

A CBI STUDW AT WORK ^

The

following

Is

a quotation

from a recent fetter by Doug Umbanhowar, fellow SEAEM missionary.

"One of our students, Prasaeng,
is a member of the Laflu tr i be-r
There are Lahus

in all

three coun

tries of Burma, Thailand and Laos.

During the last two months , brother
Prasaeng traveled to a remote Lahu

village which is composed of recent

Immigrants

from Laos.

Actually,

they are refugees fleeing the com

munist

rule

in

thei r

homeland.

Prasaeng knew of their needs, both

physical and spiritual, and was

willing to be a missionary
own people

to his

who have suffered much

and are in a spiritual battle with

Satan.
By going and teaching,
preaching, encouraging and witnes
sing the love of Christ he was able

^to

lead 43

people to

Christ and

baptize them for remission of sins.

He used his life as a witness to
show the love of God. He also used

his talents in digging wells,

building a church building and'
teaching about better health meth
ods.
He worked so hard and grew
so close to his new brothers and
sisters that he found it difficult
to return tohisstudies at CBI..."

That is Avhat my work in CBI is

all about - helping young people
like Prasaeng prepare to preach
Christ to their own people.