“Our First 100 Days”
“We left the states a little more than 3 months ago. It has been quite the journey but God has proven Himself faithful in every way. We are adjusting well here in Chiang Mai. Our days are mostly filled with going to school, studying language, homeschooling the kids, studying language, playing with the little ones, studying language, taking care of a new baby, studying language, trying to find our way around a new place, studying language (I think you get the point) haha.
Our Language study is going better than we ever expected. We have almost completed 3 modules/books. Each book was suppose to take around 8-10 weeks but we have completed 3 modules in 12 weeks. These modules taught us Phonetic Thai, Cultural acquisition, and Conversational Thai about topics like - food, medical, directions, colors, family, weather, dates, time, money, and lots more. We will begin studying how to read and write Thai script in the next few weeks. It is essential for us to speak Thai well before being able to move home to the mission station with family there. We long to be with them and days here can get very lonely. However, we are confident that we are exactly where we should be and will push thru till the task is finished.
The kids are doing well. They miss home a lot but have found a good group of friends here which we are thankful for. Wesley & Leigha are studying Thai language 3 days a weeks as well. They have finished the first module and working in the second very diligently. The sentiment in our house is, man we really want to speak the language. So, everyone is trying very hard. It helps that we now have a Thai only speaking house helper so we are forced to use what we know and learn new words from her everyday as well.
Approximately 8 weeks ago, after a few bouts with the normal preterm labor our new little blessing chose to make his appearance. David Watson Tolar was born 5 weeks early on July 27th (Lydia's Birthday too) and did very well. He was 2.370 kilograms and 45.7cm (which is 5lbs and 18 inches). Our Family is now complete for sure!!!
Having a baby is definitely different in a third world country than in the States. I had many bouts with extreme fear but was always reminded that I had “ The Great Physician,” at my beckon call. God is good and gives us those times with Him to teach more about how He can care for us. I had one such time the Sunday before David was born. The pastor was teaching about “David and Goliath” and on fear. I don't remember a lot of what was said but I know that morning was just for me. Here I was about to give birth to a preemie baby, in a foreign land, away from any family, with bare basic medical facilities and didn’t have a clue how to communicate with my doctors and nurses. You talk about Satan planting the spirit of fear in me - I was ready to catch the next plane home, until that morning when God talked directly to me. He reminded me of why I was here, who He was to me and how He wanted to care for me. Thank You Lord for those personal moments.
Two weeks ago, David was diagnosed with pneumonia in his right lung and was hospitalized for three days. He has still been having some problems with breathing but over all he is doing much better. Thank you for prayers. Here is our family and our newest addition…..
First 100 Days Cont……...
Last month my parents were able to come for a visit and that was a great blessing. It was wonderful to see them and it was a great encouragement that was much needed. We were able to show them around town, eat at some American friendly restaurants, and we also exposed them to some of the more common outdoor Thai eateries ("aroy" or "delicious" as they say here). We went to a Buddhist temple to see the relics, many postures of Buddha, statues of Buddha’s mom and dad, and other religious items. The "wat" is perched up on a mountain top that looks over the southwest corner of Chiang Mai and where our house is located. The natural beauty and temples around us are spectacular. It only saddens us further as we can only sit and watch these people worship and give there lives to a god who is dead. However, if Christians in America only had the devotion, dedication, honor and respect for there families, beliefs, and daily lives as they do here how the world would be different.
One of the greatest joys as a parent is too see your children follow the Lord. This past month while mom and dad were here Leigha asked that she be publicly baptized to show the world that she wanted to follow Jesus. So, we headed to the public pool and had a great family worship time. We are overjoyed to see our children continuing to embrace the Lord during this time when others might fight against such changes.
News from the front lines...
Our family was just in this exact location about 10 weeks ago with these people.
Authorities in Laos last week jailed a church leader in S. Province for embracing Christianity and threatened to expel him unless he renounces his faith – and kill him if his arrest is made public, according to a human rights organization. Officials from L. village, from Sa. sub-district and from Ad-Sap. district on Sept. 3 arrested Thao Oun, an elder at Boukham Church, at his home and forced him at gunpoint to the Sa. sub‐district office, according to Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF). The organization said the officials turned him over to the chief of police of Sa. sub‐district, Thao Somphet, who detained, interrogated, and terrorized the Christian for early six hours. Oun was charged with bringing destruction to the Lao nation and government by embracing Christianity, which the officials consider a “foreign religion to be abhorred,” according to HRWLRF. The chief of police demanded that Oun immediately renounce Christianity or face expulsion from the village. He “further threatened Thao Oun that if word of his arrest and interrogation get out to the international community, he will be put to death,” according to HRWLRF. The organization decided to publicize the mistreatment, a spokesman told Compass, citing international exposure as the most effective way of preventing Lao officials from carrying out threats. The sub-district chief of police also told Oun that his harsh treatment would end “only after the death of all believers in Boukham Church,” according to HRWLRF.
To further pressure Boukham Church, L. village officials and security forces along with Sa. sub‐district police on Saturday (Sept. 5) arrested Thao Aom, who became a Christian 10 months ago. He also was interrogated and intimidated at Sa. sub‐district police headquarters, with authorities telling him, “You have believed in a foreign religion, so you must sign an affidavit to renounce Christianity – if you do not recant, you must vacate the village.” HRWLRF reported that after three hours of police interrogation, Aom still refused to sign the affidavit renouncing his faith. He was expelled from the village. He has sought refuge in a village about six kilometers (nearly four miles) away, where he had previously lived, according to HRWLRF.
On Sunday (Sept. 6) at 6 a.m., P. district police authorities joined the officers from Sa. sub‐district, in Ad‐Sap. district, to surround the Boukham Church worship site in S. village – blocking church members from entering for Sunday morning worship. Members of Boukham Church rotate worship sites among three locations, according to HRWLRF: in L. village in Sa. sub‐district of Ad‐Sap. district; in Boukham village in Ad‐Sap. district; and in S. village in Ad‐Sap. district. Elder Oun lives in L. village, where he leads the worship service when Boukham Church meets there. To punish Boukham Church members for following Christ, Lao officials have denied schooling to 10 of their children and cut off access to water at village wells, according to HRWLRF. They have also deprived all area Christians of protection and rights and threatened to deny public medical care for Christians who get sick or injured.
Laos is a Communist country that is 1.5 percent Christian and 67 percent Buddhist, with the remainder unspecified.
The actions against Boukham church violate the Lao Constitution as well as the 2004 Law on Criminal Procedure, the 2006 Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Children and the 2005 Penal Law, according to the organization. The officials who arrested Oun and Aom have violated Article 5 of the Law on Criminal Procedure, which prohibits the arrest, detention or building search without an order from a public prosecutor or from a people’s court, according to HRWLRF. “Any individual who arrests, detains or conducts any search of buildings or persons in contravention of the laws shall be subject to criminal proceedings and shall be criminally liable,” the law states, according to HRWLRF.
“In addition to violating the Lao Constitution that guarantees religious rights of an individual Lao person, the arrest of Thao Oun by gunpoint was clearly an abuse of authority, and the officials should be punished for this criminal act,” HRWLRF said in a statement. “Article 154 of Penal Law stipulates, ‘Any civil servant engaging in the intentional excessive use of the authority provided by law, thereby [adversely] affecting the interests of the state or society or the rights and interests of citizens, shall be punished by three months to three years of imprisonment and shall be fined from 500,000 kip to 5 million kip [US$60 to US$600].”
The law further states that if such abuses of authority are committed with the use of force, weapons, torture, indecent words or acts affecting the honor and reputation of the victim, the offender is to be punished by three to five years of imprisonment and fined from 2 million kip to 7 million kip (US$240 to US$840).
The denial of education for school‐age children on the basis of religious affiliation violates Article 3 (5) of the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Children, the organization asserted. Article 6 further states, “All children are equal in all aspects without discrimination of any kind in respect of gender, race, ethnicity, language, beliefs, religion, physical state and socio‐economic status of their family.”
Last year officials in Boukham village detained three Christians from the church – Pastor Sombong Supatto, Boot Chanthaleuxay and Khamvan Chanthaleuxay – for several weeks before releasing them on Oct. 16. Authorities initially arrested Pastor Supatto and four others on July 20, storming their house church and ordering the 63 Christians present to cease worshiping or face prison for “believing in and worshiping God.”
Police targeted the church because it was not officially registered. Such registration comes with strict limitations on church activities, so many Christians avoid doing so.
This Persecuted Country was listed as one of the top 10 persecuted in the world!!! Keep the persecuted in your prayers daily….
Care of the (HRWLRF)
Ways to help:
Help us Network & make connections with other individuals, churches and organizations
Join our Immediate Support team
* Help us plan support trips
* Help us build contacts
* Advisory/Prayer team
Pray for us
Give financially (initial &/or monthly)
Prayer Needs:
Emotional strength, Loneliness in Chiang Mai where we don't have a community of people or support is difficult
Continue to find new Financial & Prayer supporters
Children's schooling & language training
Children’s health
Financial Needs::
We are still short on monthly support by about $1,000 ($2,750 in monthly support while on the field )
One time Set up needs still $ 3000
(fridge, bed, wardrobes, dresser, AC unit..we are borrowing these things from our Land Lord)
Visa/School cost this month $2800
Any and all financial contributions and gifts needs to be made out to Mekong Evangelical Mission with a separate note stating for the “Tolar Family”.
Send gifts/support to:
Compassionate Hope Foundation
Tolar Family Support
111 Gloryland Lane
Antioch, TN 37013
615-941-1392
