POLINDER UPDATE !

October 2010

Some of the kids from the Akha Youth Development Center.

Settling In...
We have been back in Chiang small business ventures, and
OTHER HAPPENINGS.
Rai four months now, and we’re maintaining the postcard business
finally feeling settled in. It’s hard to that he started last year with the -In July, Luka helped with
express how thankful we are to be kids. He has also recently started the first ever digital recording
returning to a community of close teaching English three mornings a of the bible in Akha. Many
Akha in Southeast Asia are
friends here, as well as to have the week at a Thai government school.
illiterate, so even though the
continued support of loved ones I have been splitting my time bible has already been
back at home. Upon returning, we between volunteering at a local translated into their language,
were unsure of the responses we government clinic, teaching English they cannot study the bible
would receive coming back without to the foundation staff, and on their own, outside of
church. This will be a tool to
Olive, but we’ve been grateful for continuing to run the AYDC (Akha
reach out to the Akha living
the kindness people have shown to Youth Development Center) child in Thailand, Burma, Laos,
us. It has also created a space where sponsorship program. and the 1.5 million
people seem more comfortable We are getting closer to unreached Akha living in
sharing their own stories of grief C h r i s t m a s wh i ch w i l l m e a n China.
and loss—stories they had never traveling to 13 different Akha -In October, Rusty attended
“Timothy Leadership
shared with us before. villages for Christmas services and
Training” through Christian
We are both continuing with mobile clinics, as well as eating Reformed World Missions in
Thai language study, as well as more pork than you can wrap your Cambodia with another
starting to study Akha. Beyond this, mind around. Akha staff member from our
Rusty has been focusing his energy We covet your prayers as we foundation. They will also be
attending another training in
on continuing to develop, “The make decisions regarding our time
Burma 4-6 months from now,
House of Weaving Dreams” project commitment here, as well as for our with hopes to eventually host
in Chiang Rai. He has been helping marriage with all the changes we the training here in Chiang
2 5 s t u d e n t s fi n d j o b s a n d have been through over the last Rai.
internships in town, brainstorming year.
 !
A Life Well Lived.

Luka’s father, Abo Tsa, passed
away on October 26th. Over these
past few months, it was beautiful
to watch the way their family
cared for him, and especially in his
final days. Every time we visited
the hospital, there was a family
member massaging his legs,
fanning him, or wiping the sweat
off his forehead. The day before
he died, Luka’s family took him
back to the village to die in the
comfort of his own home.
His words became fewer and
fewer, mostly asking God to
please take him home to heaven,
pleading for the suffering to be
over. He said to Rusty the day he
was leaving the hospital that he
thinks he “will be able to hold
Olive in heaven today.”
Apee Pae (Luka's mother) sang
songs in Akha while weeping; she
was going to say good-bye to her
best friend, her husband of 58
years. They married when she was
16 he was 19—two Akha orphans,
migrating from Burma to
Thailand, became the first Akha
Christians in Thailand. Through
“If I find in myself a
their conversion, we see the
spread of Christianity among the desire to which no
Akha in Thailand. experience can
satisfy, the most
Every day over the last few weeks, probable explanation
as he felt death drawing nearer, his is that I was made for
daughter asked him if he had seen another world.”
heaven yet, and every day until the
day he died, he disappointedly
~C.S. Lewis
said no. In Abo Tsa's final hour,
the reality of heaven came so near.
He said he saw the hand of Jesus
reaching out to
him...then an angel.
His breathing slowed,
thunder crashed
through the sky, rain
started pouring, and his
spirit left his body to
join Jesus and Olive in
heaven.
Abo Tsa & Apee Pae
A humble orphan from
Burma, who strove to
walk “the Jesus way," has
now heard the words, "Well done,
my good and faithful servant."

We are very grateful for your support. Thank-you for joining with us in our work here in Chiang Rai.

Our Contact Info% % % Support Info.

e-mail: rustylynette@mac.com YWAM L.A.
blog: http://rustylynette.blogspot.com 11141 Osborne Street
Lake View Terrace, CA 91342
Snail Mail: Rusty and Lynette Polinder *Make your check payable to YWAM
P.O. Box 66, A. Muang L.A. Do not write our name on the
Chiang Rai 57000 check, but simply place a note in the
Thailand envelope indicating that your gift is
for us.