A letter from Annette George in the U.S. from Thailand
April 2013
Dear Friends and Supporters around the world,
This will be my last newsletter to you as my time of employment with PC(USA) missions is coming to an end. I will be in the U.S.A. briefly (details below) before returning to ChiangMai, Thailand, to continue working there as an employee of Payap University College of Music. First I will catch you up on the events of my school and community work from the past school year:
_1304-1_medium250.jpeg)
Two generations of flute students.
School Daze
I was happy to have three excellent freshmen majoring in woodwinds (flute, oboe and saxophone this time) to teach in addition to the upperclassmen minoring in flute and clarinet. The flutist, in particular, is advanced in skills and very ambitious in his practice habits, so I felt energized in my effort to keep him challenged. The oboist replaced a graduating student as a valuable member of our orchestras, so when he had to miss a concert, I had to brush up on my oboe performing skills quickly to cover his part in a concert with visiting soloists from the U.S.A. I had to scramble to find reeds that were decent and in tune and wished that I had kept up my lip muscles for extended oboe playing (yes, the muscles used for oboe blowing are different than those needed for good flute tone). The oboe student dropped out at the end of the year, so I will be searching for new reeds while in the U.S.A., hoping to find a better price than I pay in Thailand. Reeds get weak after sitting around in humid conditions, which was part of my problem when suddenly called upon to perform. Meanwhile, the College of Music is using a new curriculum, one that involves greatly increased paperwork before and after the courses are taught. As faculty, we all had trouble with the new, time-consuming requirements for our courses that involved freshmen or first-year master's degree students. In my graduate class I had an interesting mix of students; one from China, one from Japan, one from Canada, and four from Thailand. That was a course in Western Music Literature, so language and lack of a textbook were the largest challenges. Fortunately, the Internet has made it much easier to locate the musical examples to use for class lecture and homework assignments. My students, of course, are much savvier in browsing the Net than I am.
Cell Group
We attracted a few new students to the group this year, but it was the second- and third-year students who were the most faithful attendees and took some initiative in planning.
- We enjoyed good suppers together, because my housekeeper prepared them, and the students led worship and encouraged sharing so that we could pray for each other. The students are usually stressed by tests and auditions and upcoming performances, as well as family problems with health or relationships. They find solace in this small group that meets at my house weekly. At the end of the school year we organized a one-night retreat at a hot springs national park. The games and fellowship were good, and there were several newcomers who we hope will continue in their interest and attendance next year.
Community
I have enjoyed being part of the ChiangMai Flute Club for the past several years. In the group there are expatriates near my age and Thai flutists, one who is a former student from my very first years at Payap, and one who is my current flute major. He studied with my former student before coming to University, so I see the fruits of my labors coming full circle. I see this again when I attend church. The pastor was a young ambitious seminary student when I lived in the dormitory in my early years in ChiangMai. He has a wife and two daughters, one who plays clarinet in the small church ensemble that I direct. The second picture in this newsletter is of Pastor Tirapong serving communion. Does this evidence of generations of students make me begin to feel old? Well, yes, and I am truly grateful for my 22 years as your missionary in Thailand—but I'm not feeling finished yet, so here is my contact information if you wish to stay in touch with me in the future:
Address: College of Music, KaewNawarat Campus
Payap University, A. Muang
ChiangMai 50000
THAILAND
ajgeorge@pobox.com
Although I will no longer be a Presbyterian missionary in Thailand, there are others whose work you may wish to follow. Check on the Web, the Mission Connections lists, for Sharon Bryant, who is coordinating short-term volunteers to teach English in the mission schools, or Esther Wakeman and her husband, Robert Collins. Both teach at the seminary at Payap, and Esther is a vice-president and head chaplain for the entire university. Also Rev. Leith Fujii, and his wife, Carol, teach at a seminary in Bangkok and work in evangelism there. Presbyterians remain committed to worldwide missions. With fewer resources than before, the new emphases for this decade have been determined, after much soul-searching and hard decisions, to center around three critical global issues. Those are: eliminating the root causes of poverty, especially for women and children; finding paths to reconciliation and peace in cultures of violence, including our own; and evangelism for all people. These are goals that will allow Christianity and the church to move forward in the 21st century. I pray that you will support those working in those challenging areas as you have faithfully supported me.
Blessings to you all,
Annette George
Ocala, Florida
The 2013 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 195
Read more about Annette George's ministry
