English Camps

A great team of Aussies recently came to Thailand to assist the River Team by running two English camps, one in Chiang Mai and the other in the southernmost tip of Thailand.  Both were a great success!

Chiang Mai Camp

Klars with Ed Dept head of Languages, Area 4

About 60 lower secondary students and 10 secondary teachers came to The River for an amazing 3 day English Language Camp. Learning about important moral values was cleverly integrated into the English learning. The teachers participated in the same classes and were so impacted that they now want a greater input from The River in training them!  At the conclusion of the camp some teachers said that they would encourage their students to join our Friday youth group.

Teaching team with staff and students from some of the schools that attended the Chiang Mai Camp

Camp in the South

More than one hundred 6th and 7th graders with their teachers participated in the 3-day English Language camp in the south.  The relationship between The River Team and the local government and the schools was greatly strengthened.  At the conclusion of the camp the Lord Mayor expressed her appreciation for the significant positive impact the camp made on the students. She found it hard to comprehend the amazing progress in just 3 days! In the closing ceremony, to the surprise of everyone (including the government officials), the students spontaneously broke into a song in English! An official invitation was extended to us to conduct further camps, both for the students and the teachers.  TV crew followed and interviewed us about our purpose and methods of working in Thailand. They also filmed some of the camp and on several nights our work was aired on the local cable TV news! People in the streets now recognise us from the TV reports!  We are grateful for the favour extended to us!

The River Women SHINE

The River SHINE Team ran an encounter training week for the women of The River Team, some from women from the mountains and from the neighbouring country. Everyone was impacted by the interactive nature of the program! The participants recognise and develop their self-worth, strength, and purpose, and importantly, are empowered to fulfil their God-given destiny.

The training week joined the strengths of The River and it's "sister" Team in a neighbouring country.  The teams built on each other’s experiences on conducting the sessions and many new creative ideas were applied to enhance and strength the discovery and learning sessions. The teams worked well together in creating a beautiful atmosphere for the participants.

During the feedback time, many shared about their vision to make a difference in their world! The women felt empowered to overcome the limitations of their backgrounds! They were excited to be able to say, “I am one of a kind!”, "My every day decisions influence my future!”, “I have much to offer!”.

The River Team men cooked all the meals, which they also served to the tables! They organised the coffee breaks and made sure all the washing up and cleaning was done, so that the women could absorb as much as possible from their week together!

The SHINE week culminated in a Celebration Lunch at The River Cafe! Every woman was seated around cafe tables and served a delicious meal and dessert to follow. The message rang loud and clear: I HAVE WORTH, STRENGTH, and PURPOSE!

Kids Camp at The River

Fifty three very excited children arrived at "The River" for a 3 day camp. Most of the River Team were there to welcome the kids!  The Thais in the team were so well prepared that the foreign volunteers were able to really enjoy having fun with the children. Heaps of games, swimming, stories, singing, drama. On Friday we all went to an amazing park where we were able to show the children sights that most of them would not have seen before. A 'bus' tour and walk around the acres of lakes, fauna and animals. Trees that had been shaped like elephants, sharks, dinosaurs, birds etc, waterfall, water fountains, even a maze.

The team had prepared an great games and a fantastic lunch for the children.

The kids really enjoyed the outing. When we came back to The River it was into the pool and more sport. Some crashed and slept but the Thai team kept pouring out enthusiastically. That night they had a fabulous time of worship and games as well as dramas by the kids. A number of parents also turned up to watch their kids perform.

The next morning, Saturday, was Kids Club and they were still full of fun and encouragement. The theme was "our God is a great big God". The kids heard it and experienced it!   The team was tired, but glad to have had the privilege of loving the kids!

English Classes Launched at the River Cafe

THE RIVER CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH was launched on Saturday 24th September 2011! Our first group of 5 students are staff from Bangkok Bank. The mezzanine level of our River Cafe has been converted into an attractive setting for interactive learning. During break time, the students and teachers enjoy conversation and refreshments in the cafe. 

English Classes Begin at the River Cafe

English Classes Begin at  the Cafe  THIS WEEKEND!

An upstairs area has now been screened off and a room prepared so that the English Conversation Classes can begin. A group of bankers have signed up for the first course with many people inquiring about more classes. 

The River Cafe has now been operating since March 2011.  The staff are now very capable and confident and are putting their training into practice. The Cafe has been receiving great reviews regarding the food the coffee and the service. The customers comment on the peaceful atmosphere where they sit in the beautiful surrounds of the Cafe.

Now that the setup and running of the Cafe are in place it's time! Time now for the Cafe to come into the next stage. The purpose for having the Cafe was always as an outreach into the community, to be able to connect with the people of Hang Dong. We particularly wanted to see the business community come in and the university students to feel it was a place they could "hang  out". Our Thai team has taken on the challenge of seeing The River Cafe become a hive of activity here in the Hang Dong community.

Learning about LOVE

On Mother's Day, the River Team went with flowers to Pa Da's home.  Pa Da (in her 40's) suffers from many illnesses, which make her fearful about her future.  Although Pa Da always feels encouraged by our team's visits, she has been slow to open her heart to be truly loved.  As Yua (Thai team leader) pinned a flower on Pa Da's blouse, sh reminded the lady about the day her father at the 11th hour found eternal life in his savoir.  Yua, said, "Pa Da your dad is now in the loving arms of the Heavenly Father".  Pa Da's demeanor changed and she exclaimed "You know what? I have not had any bad dreams about my father since he died!  He truly was rescued from the dreaded cycle of reincarnation!" Pa Da was then ready to follow her dad's example! On Mother's day Pa Da became a child of God!  With a grateful heart she sent the team on their way, asking them to come back for another visit as soon as possible.

The River Team has been regularly visiting Pa Khiou in her home. One day a call came from the relatives that the woman was in hospital. This request was great surprise to us, as in the past the family did not want our visit! We prayed as a team and then some went to visit Pa Khiou at the hospital. The lady was delighted to see the team members and expressed readiness to receive Jesus! Following the decision, her countenance changed and she said, “Now I feel so much peace in my heart!”