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The latest trip to Thailand was a tremendous success. It was a great time of relationship building between team members, led by Pastor Bill Penny from Smithton and all the folk at the farm. Bill said the unity amongst the team members was a highlight as they worked together to be a real blessing to all at the farm. Just the example the team set in being willing to roll their sleeves up and get their hands dirty was a great example of the practical outworking of the Christian faith. This faith encourages both spiritual and practical care for the people we are wanting to help. In fact it could be said that they preached the full gospel. The good news of Jesus’ love for all mankind both in terms of the eternal well being of our souls and also the well being of our physical needs, here and now. Someone cleverly coined the phrase about Christianity; “It’s not just pie in the sky when you die, but steak on the plate while you wait”. That statement, whoever came up with it, not only appeals to my sense of humour but it also has a great simple Gospel truth weaved through it. Praise be to our Lord for the team who went on this last trip and were living examples of this statement. May God bless you all.

Purpose of the trip

1. 1. Encourage David, Paula, and the ministry team.
   2. Introduce the first stage of a poultry industry that will
   a) Supply the orphanage (which feeds about 50 people daily) with a valuable protein source.
   b) Provide a model that can be implemented anywhere.
   c) Move the orphanage towards self- sufficiency
   3. Provide a 'missions exposure experience' for the team and to serve the ministry in Thailand in every way we could.

THE TEAM

Bill Penny - Pastor of New Life Centre - Smithton.
Maja Plaschki - Teacher - Smithton
Erin Ling - Shop assistant- Smithton
Owen Wilson -Teacher- - Lauderdale
Damon Richardson - Medical student - Hobart

What we did

On arrival in Tharton, we found accommodation in a modest hotel on the Maekok River, just a few kms from the orphanage and the "Project Genesis” farm. We quickly surveyed the situation and the accommodation at the farm and moved into our bamboo and grass cottage we renamed "the Hilton”.
We immediately selected the site for the poultry shed and began digging footings for the foundations, with the welcome help of some enthusiastic boys. The girls painted out some new guest accommodations that had just been completed. Soon the slab was poured, blocks and steel ordered for construction. We then left to visit a church plant 7hrs. drive away, spent the weekend in a colourful Shan village, painted the new church, (inside and out twice) enjoyed a meal that night of rice and ????(we weren’t sure what)! We also took part in the service next morning.

Sunday afternoon we visited a "Lahu” village (1 hour in 1st gear through the mountains) enjoyed the service led by youth, and although we didn’t understand a word the singing was great. We then opened a clinic where 'Dr' Damon Richardson diagnosed and dispensed medicines by candlelight until well into the night. (An improved diet and some basic hygiene would solve 90% of the sicknesses in these villages). We returned to the farm the next day and completed construction.

We had no idea where to find any decent laying birds, so we prayed and the next day I met a man who took me to a farm where I was able to purchase 70 good birds that had just come into full lay.
There is now a fully functioning unit that is supplying all the eggs for the base and the surplus is being sold in town. I took a 100-egg incubator over and we installed this so that the farm can keep the stock built up.
Six workers from the farm did a ‘crash course’ in Poultry management and production and are ready to begin Thailand's version of 'Kentucky Fried Chicken'

Evaluation of Protect Genesis location

Soil and climate are excellent.
Spring water is available all year (a larger holding tank or dam is needed for irrigation during the dry season)
The base is an excellent location for the project as it is in Thailand with access to many surrounding countries. There is an 'on the job' workforce of Shan nationals, who are quick to learn and who also have a great work ethic.

Future projects

1. 1. Extension of poultry unit ($4 - 5000 would increase the carrying capacity to 450 birds making it a commercial proposition)
   2. Upgrade piggery with septic tank to hygienically process the effluent.
   3. Introduce goats for milk, meat, and possible future income.
   4. Develop and co-ordinate the cropping so that all feed requirements of stock & poultry are produced on site.
   5. Upgrade the irrigation system and build a dam that doesn't leak. ( Noel Jacobson)
   6. Weed control in vegetable crops a major problem. Need to sus out the organic or safe pre-emergence sprays - alternative methods of weed control in early stages of crop growth.
   7. Establishing a system or calendar for sowing, planting out etc. to ensure continuous supply of produce.
   Note: a farm project manager who could put in extended periods would fulfil the needs described above.

January 21st - February 8th 2001

It is 5:30am, dark and quite chilly, but already you can hear the boys singing as they make their way to the open sided wash-house, more laughter shrieks as they throw the icy cold spring over their near naked bodies.

Breakfast finished (boiled rice with an egg waved over it) more singing, then off to school as the sun, like a red rubber ball rises over the mountains. Bill Penny, Maja Plaschki, Erin Ling from Smithton along with Owen Wilson and Damon Richardson from Hobart are on the Thai/Burma border in Northern Thailand.

It is hard to believe that these 42 bright, happy, hardworking and well adjusted boys, were just a couple of years ago rescued from an opium warlords rebel army.

These Shan boys some as young as 7 to 8 years were trained to kill and forced to watch executions of fellow boy soldiers.

Deeply traumatized, their rehabilitation can be attributed to the compassion of a couple that risked their lives to bring them out of a living hell, and into the healing power of God.

OUR MISSION:

To establish the first stage of a poultry industry which will increase the protein levels in their diets and secondly to help this orphanage on the road to self-sufficiency.
We believe in the principle 'it is better to teach a man to fish, so he can feed himself for life, rather than give him a fish, which will only feed him for a day'.

In the short time we had (2 1/2 weeks), we were able to construct a concrete & steel structure, fit it out, establish a flock of good laying birds, install an incubator and train young men in the operation of egg production and breeding.

With the increasing flood of refugees pouring over the border and stretching the limited resources available it is rewarding to know that our small contribution can and does make an enormous difference.