A charitable foundation
Since our last update on Legacy school we have started and also almost finished our last semester of the school year!
Even though there is currently a land Sabbath everyone has remained very busy. I’m very happy to say that we have had a very prosperous year at the farm despite only being able to work it for the first half of the year. We have picked and used everything planted at the farm, and still have many fruit trees that are still producing!
Figure 1: Moe Palel and Htoo Gay working on the farm before the start of the land Sabbath.
Figure 2: Students painting a sign for the Farm. Top (left to right): Pan Nuang, Non, and Hser Nay Htoo. Bottom (L to R): Hser Nay Say and Htoo Gay
Also, because of the cool weather we sometimes change our Friday night activities. On particularly cool nights we sit around a fire, make a delicious snack, have Bible study, and fellowship with worship songs. It’s really a wonderful opportunity for all of us to spend time together and really appreciate the Sabbath.
Figure 3: Bible Study around the fire Friday night. From left to right: Hser Nay Say, Aj. Kathleen Kelly, Nay Blu Htoo, Pan Nuang, and Larry.
As mentioned earlier, the last semester is nearly over – leaving us just over a month until graduation. The other teachers and I are busy preparing ourselves and the third year students for graduation. The teachers have to make preparations for graduation (finals week is so soon!), for our own futures, and the graduating students’ futures. Our third year students have a lot of hard decisions to make about the next steps they need to take in their lives. Prayers that God will be with them during this very difficult and exciting time are always appreciated!
Despite all that we have left to do, recently we have taken time to reflect on the past year – specifically a few improvements we have seen in the students, and so I thought it would be great to share with everyone.
It may seem bias, but having had the opportunity to teach both Beginner and Intermediate English I see the most difference with all of the students’ English. I see this especially in my beginner students who at most only knew a few phrases when we started our first semester back in June. Now, the other teachers and I can communicate with them fairly easily while often getting across complex ideas.
Another way that we have seen improvement is when the male students speak at church. From my first church service to now the difference in their English, presentation, and depth of topic is really incredible. It has been very reassuring to us teachers because it shows that they are understanding what they are being taught in class and are able to apply it in many areas of their lives. It’s wonderful to see that we have been doing our jobs effectively.
Not only are we preparing for graduation, but also for our own return home. Lacee is staying until mid-April and is hoping to go to Burma with the Sextons for the Spring Holy days. Michael will be leaving very soon after graduation, but first plans to visit his grandma in Hawaii. Kathleen and I will be leaving at the beginning of March, but first will take the opportunity to explore more of Thailand. We all have enjoyed the amazing opportunity that Legacy and the Sextons have provided for us, and truly can’t believe how fast our time has gone by here!
Figure 4: All the Ajaans getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner! From left to right: Julia Stewart, Kathleen Kelly, Lacee Hilgen, and Michael Slocum
Written by Legacy Volunteer Teacher Julia Stewart
Photos by Legacy Staff
Here is an update on me.
It appears after I had another cardiologist review my hospital records, that I had a minor heart attack. It now appears that I may have some damage to my heart that is causing the continuation of irregular heart beat.
I will be having an angiogram procedure done next month so the heart doc can look around and see what is wrong on the inside of my heart. (modern medicine is incredible – he will run a catheter through my artery into my heart with a miniature camera on the end of it.) Then we will go from there.
In the meantime I am taking lots and lots of strange sounding drugs to regulate my heart beat, blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, etc. I am a mess. But I am still relying on God for my life and direction for these health issues.
Please pray for me that I can get my health restored and make the necessary corrections to my lifestyle so that I can continue serving my Lord and King Jesus The Christ. Thank you all for your prayers on my behalf.
Leon Sexton
L to R: Oth Ali, Lacee, Hser Nay Htoo, Kathleen, Htee Mu Pel, Hser Nay Say, Hser Nay Paw, and One.
I know this scripture was directed specifically to the apostles and Jesus Christ wanted them to be the ones to preach His truth. But what does it mean to those who aren’t ministers? What does it mean to children and young adults? What does it mean to women who don’t have a speaking or ministerial role in the church? Does that mean that we can’t go and preach the gospel? How can we preach without preaching? I have been asking myself these questions for a while.
On our way to basketball. One, Hser Nay Say and Lacee
Jesus tells the apostles to GO OUT. He doesn’t tell them to hang out where the truth was already stable and flourishing. There were already churches that were able to function on their own because of Christ and the apostles preaching. Their job was done and they then left those congregations in the hands of faithful and devout men. He told them to leave the foundation that they had built together and go find somewhere new. He told them to go and find new people to preach to and to share God’s plan to other willing hearts and ears.
Taking a break while playing basketball: Htee Mu Pel and Nay Blu Htoo
I look at a map and see just how huge this world is. I see how many places that the gospel could potentially be preached to. I know it is all up to God. The men and women who dedicate their lives to live in a different country (or preach in another country and travel tons) in order to build up a strong, faithful and unified congregation are now one of my greatest respects. They have been chosen by God to uproot their stable and comfy lives in order to create a stable and comfy church for brethren that couldn’t possibly have it without help from a more blessed nation. Those that accept the challenge are my heroes!
The students harvesting sweet potatoes. Mo Palel is using the hoe.
I am a 25 year old lady-girl (saying lady is weird and saying girl is weird because I am technically an adult… and woman makes me sound extra adult) with little travel experience. I have traveled all over America and into Canada and Mexico a few times so when I felt God pushing me to come to Thailand, I resisted at first. I actually resisted for a whole year. It was a very scary thought but thankfully I accepted the challenge and here I sit in Mae Sa, Thailand… a small and peaceful village 20 minutes outside the hustle and bustle of Chiang Mai. At this moment I am witnessing God’s endless miracles, blessings, compassion and His holy spirit working in amazing ways. Legacy continues to get money from donors from other countries and we all are very pleased and ridiculously thankful. Without those donations, Legacy wouldn’t exist anymore. Legacy couldn’t have a school, couldn’t feed the students, couldn’t house the students and most importantly, the church in Burma would lack leaders who will one day be leaders in that church. My point here isn’t to advertise the fact that Legacy needs to continue to have donations; it’s the fact that what I see is a church that is truly working! God is calling people! They LOVE God’s word and they thrive on it. They want more and more. They constantly want to learn. God’s congregation in Burma (which I get to visit in April for the Holy Days, God willing) has 25 families. Families have children, lots of children! Will those children have a future? Will they know God’s truth and live a life for Him? Will they live lives free from the war and upheaval that exists in Burma? It’s crucial that our small congregations all over the world remain intact. It’s our job and our responsibility. It’s important that they are well sustained and cared for. It’s important that each congregation has well trained leaders, who love God first and their brethren second. It takes time to train leaders to be in charge of a church community, and that’s what Legacy is here for.
Myself carrying Oth Ali to the farm
If we aren’t trained ministers, how can we “Go therefore into ALL the world?” I have a few ideas. We can donate to these small churches that need our help to build a church, a house, to have clean water and food daily. We can sponsor a young adult to go and serve in countries who need our help, encouragement, resources and EXAMPLE. Go visit during the Feast of Tabernacles and Days of Unleavened Bread. (Your life will change) If you are on vacation or a business trip in a foreign country, go and stop in on the Sabbath. I think the most important job that we all have is to PRAY. Pray that all the places that God is seeking out and calling people that He will call on special people to take on that job and duty to be there for that church community. Pray that these people will answer that calling and they are willing to give up their life for serving God and His people. Times are changing everywhere on the globe. Life is getting harder and the world is getting more evil and God has many people on this earth with eager ears to hear His word. Those of us that are blessed to know God’s truth already… well we should try to listen to what God wants us to do for Him through our lives in order to help others join us as FIRST fruits in His Kingdom.
Lacee Hilgen
Volunteer Instructor
Legacy Institute, Thailand
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