The past couple weeks Ericka and I have been working hard to gather up as much video as possible. We've passed the half-way point of our trip and I feel like we have so much left to do.
Our most recent project has been shooting video, chasing down other media elements, and putting together stories for LIVE skype presentations we'll be broadcasting in a couple churches the last two weekends in March. Think of them as "mini-newscasts." We'll be able to video skype live in these churches up on the their big screens. I'll even be able to roll video from my computer directly into the church. Technology ROCKS!
So, a couple days ago I was cutting up some sound bites and thought this one did a really nice job of explaining the heart and vision behind the Promised Land Project (If you need to get caught up on what the project is all about - CLICK HERE).
There are some HUGE issues facing this country and region of the world. THOUSANDS of children are sold and trafficked in this country EVERY YEAR! This is a terrifying fact. Also, in the neighboring country of Burma, the Burmese army is raping, torturing and killing THOUSANDS of people. Right now, there are more than one MILLION displaced people in that country!!
This children's home is just a small solution to this very large issue. BUT, every child and every life matters, and this will be a place of not just refuge for at-risk kids - but a place of equipping and empowering. Lets get behind these people and help fund this home! $5, $10 - any amount is a blessing!
To DONATE - click HERE.
The Promised Land Project is just one of the stories we will be presenting in our live skype broadcasts. We'll also have video and stories on the deeper problems of this region, as well as video from our second project we support here in Thailand - The Refuge. "The Refuge" is an orphanage/children's home that is operating right now in a massive refugee camp along the Thai/Burma border. The boys and girls who come to this home have come straight out of the conflict zones in Burma.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Couple of JOY
Back in 2007 I met these wonderful people pictured here, and my life has not been the same!
That was my first ministry month on the World Race. I'll be honest, at the time I was not really a person who loved random people. The moment I met Pastor Panya and Rapee - that all changed.
JOY and LOVE exude from them, and it's this love that has impacted and changed entire villages in northern Thailand. Places that were once 100% Buddhist - are now majority Christian. They are true evangelists, but they don't evangelize with their words - they do it with their lives. Their focus is more on loving people than it is "conversions." Pastor and Rapee have dedicated more than 20 years to working in the high mountain areas in this country. Additionally, they are both from this area, and they're Karen people (ethnic group based in northern Thailand, and Burma). So they have a really good grasp of what is going on in the villages, and they understand the struggles these people face on a daily basis.
Their dream is to own and operate a children's home that will rescue kids out of these poverty-stricken situations in northern Thailand and Burma. This is the children's home me and Ericka are raising money through the Sound of Hope to build. (To see videos previously posted about the Promised Land Project click here, AND here.) Panya and Rapee are great people of high character and integrity. We couldn't be more blessed to be a part of their lives.
This past weekend we got to spend a lot of time with them. We hiked to a sweet waterfall one day, and went for a boat ride along the Thai/Burma border the next. I put together this little video of them. Hopefully it captures the spirit of these two wonderful people!
We are honored to call them our partners. YOU can be a part of making THEIR dream a reality. To give a tax-deductible gift, click HERE:)
JOY and LOVE exude from them, and it's this love that has impacted and changed entire villages in northern Thailand. Places that were once 100% Buddhist - are now majority Christian. They are true evangelists, but they don't evangelize with their words - they do it with their lives. Their focus is more on loving people than it is "conversions." Pastor and Rapee have dedicated more than 20 years to working in the high mountain areas in this country. Additionally, they are both from this area, and they're Karen people (ethnic group based in northern Thailand, and Burma). So they have a really good grasp of what is going on in the villages, and they understand the struggles these people face on a daily basis.
Their dream is to own and operate a children's home that will rescue kids out of these poverty-stricken situations in northern Thailand and Burma. This is the children's home me and Ericka are raising money through the Sound of Hope to build. (To see videos previously posted about the Promised Land Project click here, AND here.) Panya and Rapee are great people of high character and integrity. We couldn't be more blessed to be a part of their lives.
This past weekend we got to spend a lot of time with them. We hiked to a sweet waterfall one day, and went for a boat ride along the Thai/Burma border the next. I put together this little video of them. Hopefully it captures the spirit of these two wonderful people!
We are honored to call them our partners. YOU can be a part of making THEIR dream a reality. To give a tax-deductible gift, click HERE:)
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Promised Land - Bustling with Activity
Just like the title suggests - the Promised Land Project here in Thailand is bustling with activity. Take a look at how God is using the Sound of Hope to fuel this activity!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Reunions, Driver License, and Digging Wells
It's been a good week! And since we are about to start a new one here in Thailand I thought I'd bring you the highlights from the last several days.
Me and several of my former World Race squadmates from 2008 had a get together online Thursday. You gotta love skype! Not everybody from our team could be there, BUT it was great hear, and see many of my favorite people who I consider family. It's a real trip seeing all the marriages, and now BABIES that are on the way!
That's right folks - I'm legitimate! I got a real deal Thai government document - a driver's license!
Believe it or not, it wasn't too much of a pain to get. All I had to do was run by immigration, show them my condo lease to prove I had a residence here. Then I took the document I got from those guys and went over to the Thai DMV with my passport, Michigan DL and a certificate from a health clinic stating that I'm healthy to operate a vehicle. Yes, you have to get a physical in this country to get a license.
Anyway, once they had my info, I took an eye-sight and reaction test, then paid my money, got my photo taken and that was it. The whole process took less than 3 hours. For anyone who has been overseas, you know that is a miracle:)
Work is continuing on the Promised Land project thanks to another large donation ($3000). This money will be used to dig and equip two wells on the property. We got a team of four World Race guys that showed up this week just in time to start working on it! Look for a video update soon.
Have a great week, and thanks for checking in!
Reunions
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| Loved hearing from my World Race family! |
Driver License
Believe it or not, it wasn't too much of a pain to get. All I had to do was run by immigration, show them my condo lease to prove I had a residence here. Then I took the document I got from those guys and went over to the Thai DMV with my passport, Michigan DL and a certificate from a health clinic stating that I'm healthy to operate a vehicle. Yes, you have to get a physical in this country to get a license.
Anyway, once they had my info, I took an eye-sight and reaction test, then paid my money, got my photo taken and that was it. The whole process took less than 3 hours. For anyone who has been overseas, you know that is a miracle:)
Digging Wells
Work is continuing on the Promised Land project thanks to another large donation ($3000). This money will be used to dig and equip two wells on the property. We got a team of four World Race guys that showed up this week just in time to start working on it! Look for a video update soon.
Have a great week, and thanks for checking in!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
4 Weeks
It's hard to believe Ericka and I have been in Thailand for exactly FOUR weeks! It's sad really, because I LOVE this country, the people, our friends here, and the ministry so much. I hate that time is going by this fast.
We've done TONS, and LOTS of things have happened since we got here - such as:
Can't wait to see what the next ten weeks bring!
We've done TONS, and LOTS of things have happened since we got here - such as:
- Introduced Ericka to one of my most favorite countries on the planet!
- Spent a few days in Bangkok.
- Met my grandfather's double-first cousin in Pattaya, Sam Waller.
- Put together a video of Ericka's reaction after seeing first-hand the "red light" district.
- Moved up to Chiang Mai and reunited with our great friends. (The Wards, Mark Stratmann, our wonderful Thai connections - Pastor Panya, Rapee, Weelapong and his family)
- Searched for two days SOLID for a place to live.
- Spent a couple days at the Promised Land getting TONS of video footage and interviews.
- Moved into our new place.
- Put together a Promised Land Update Video.
- Flew to Pattaya to pick-up a car from my cousin Sam.
- Drove the 10-hour drive back to Chiang Mai - CRAZY!
- Shot, produced and edited a support video for a friend here in Thailand. It's really good you should watch it HERE.
- Thanks to my cousin Sam - the Sound of Hope has been able to direct $2,670 for the construction of a fence around the Promised Land project. PLUS, an additional $1,670 will be used to lay a concrete foundation/flooring and add a tin roof to the boy's dorm in our refugee camp children's home. That's more than $4,300 directly into the hands of our indigenous partners who are using the money to benefit children in this area! HOW COOL?!
- We started our weekly Thai lessons - yes, I can speak Thai, well kinda.
- Played with MASSIVE tigers.
- AND now I'm in the process of getting a Thai driver's license.
Can't wait to see what the next ten weeks bring!
Here's just a few of my favorite pics so far!
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| This picture was taken right after seeing Pastor Panya and Rapee for the first time in more than 2 years! |
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| This is Ericka's Valentine's Day surprise - a trip to Tiger Kingdom |
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| This thing is MASSIVE! |
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| Our sweet little Thai Condo |
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| Hanging with cousin Sam - I LOVE this picture:) |
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Promised Land Project
I'm VERY excited to tell you about one of the projects we are working to support here in Thailand - The Promised Land.
The Promised Land project all started with the dream of a Thai-Karen couple, Panya and his wife Rapee. Located near the border of Burma, The Promised Land Children's Home will be a place where children are rescued from desperate situations such as poverty, abandonment, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, or being forced to fight as child soldiers.
Approximately 7 acres of land has been purchased, which will allow The Promised Land to become much more than just a children’s home. The Promised Land will be a safe environment where children will be given love, stability, shelter, mentoring and an education. At The Promised Land, marginalized children will have a safe place to learn real life skills such as farming, fishing, raising livestock and other agricultural training. The agricultural products that will be developed will allow The Promise Land to become self-sustaining once the buildings are built and children are settled in.
This model of holistic care and self sustainability will EMPOWER the children as they grow older. It will give them the skills they need to provide for themselves and their families AND the opportunities they need to become leaders in their country!
This project is overseen by our partners in Thailand - which are the Thai-Karen couple Panya & Rapee, and an American couple, Ray & Candace Ward who have served in Thailand for 10 years.
An overall estimated 3,000,000 Thai Baht (approximately $100,000 USD) will be needed to see this project fully become a reality. Any amount you can donate will help bring HOPE and OPPORTUNITY to orphans and vulnerable children from Burma and Thailand for generations to come!
Promised Land Project (Thailand Trip Update) from Rusty Jackson on Vimeo.
To DONATE to this project click HERE
The Promised Land project all started with the dream of a Thai-Karen couple, Panya and his wife Rapee. Located near the border of Burma, The Promised Land Children's Home will be a place where children are rescued from desperate situations such as poverty, abandonment, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, or being forced to fight as child soldiers.
Approximately 7 acres of land has been purchased, which will allow The Promised Land to become much more than just a children’s home. The Promised Land will be a safe environment where children will be given love, stability, shelter, mentoring and an education. At The Promised Land, marginalized children will have a safe place to learn real life skills such as farming, fishing, raising livestock and other agricultural training. The agricultural products that will be developed will allow The Promise Land to become self-sustaining once the buildings are built and children are settled in.
This model of holistic care and self sustainability will EMPOWER the children as they grow older. It will give them the skills they need to provide for themselves and their families AND the opportunities they need to become leaders in their country!
This project is overseen by our partners in Thailand - which are the Thai-Karen couple Panya & Rapee, and an American couple, Ray & Candace Ward who have served in Thailand for 10 years.
An overall estimated 3,000,000 Thai Baht (approximately $100,000 USD) will be needed to see this project fully become a reality. Any amount you can donate will help bring HOPE and OPPORTUNITY to orphans and vulnerable children from Burma and Thailand for generations to come!
Promised Land Project (Thailand Trip Update) from Rusty Jackson on Vimeo.
To DONATE to this project click HERE
Also, we are happy to report that since getting to Thailand we have been able to raise 80,000 Baht (about $2,600) specifically for this project. This money is being used to build a much needed fence around the property.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Settling into Thai Living
The past week and a half has been jacked packed with apartment hunting, unpacking, work and travel.
I tell you, trying to find a place to live in an unfamiliar city, half way across the world in a culture where you don't speak the language is EXHAUSTING:) But after two FULL days of looking at places - and we must've seen about 15 of 'em - we finally found a home! Have a look.
Then a day after we found this place we headed out to the mountains to spend a couple days working at the Promised Land (it's one of the two orphan/at-risk children projects we support here). I got a bunch of video and in the next few days Ericka and I will be posting a short video update about this project.
And finally yesterday, we flew back down to Pattaya to pick-up a car from my cousin Sam. He's letting us use one of his vehicles while we are in country. It's a little Honda City - and as Sam says - it goes like a bullet:) We'll drive back to Chiang Mai (the length of Thailand) on Monday. Can't wait for our Thai road trip - should be interesting:)
I tell you, trying to find a place to live in an unfamiliar city, half way across the world in a culture where you don't speak the language is EXHAUSTING:) But after two FULL days of looking at places - and we must've seen about 15 of 'em - we finally found a home! Have a look.
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| Our happy reunion with Pastor Ban Ya and his wife Rapee out on the Promised Land. |
And finally yesterday, we flew back down to Pattaya to pick-up a car from my cousin Sam. He's letting us use one of his vehicles while we are in country. It's a little Honda City - and as Sam says - it goes like a bullet:) We'll drive back to Chiang Mai (the length of Thailand) on Monday. Can't wait for our Thai road trip - should be interesting:)
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