April 2024 Prayer Letter
Dear Family and Friends,
The cool season has now passed, and things are heating up again in Thailand. Hot season has begun, and air pollution has gone way up in Chiang Mai as smoke from burning rice fields descends into the city, trapped by the ring of surrounding hills. We’re spending more time inside now with an air purifier turned on, but life goes on and wanted to give you an update on the past few months.
End of CTS School Term
The beginning of March saw the completion of the school term at Chiang Mai Theological Seminary (CTS), and we are now on “break” until the new academic year starts in June. I am thankful for the opportunity to teach “Thai & Asian Church History” and “Intercultural Communication” this past term. My students were largely online, in part because some of them live in another part of the country. But the class sizes were small and we had good class discussions. Some of my students are in pastoral or other church leadership roles, and other are studying for personal enrichment. Either way, I really enjoyed digging into the material with them. As a faculty, we reviewed course evaluations from students, and it was encouraging to hear what they were getting out of their studies and how it is helpful to them in doing local ministry. At our most recent faculty meeting, we spent time praying for all the students by name. Some students are full-time while other study only part-time while doing ministry and/or secular work and taking care of their family. Some have a difficult time keeping all the balls in the air and balancing responsibilities. Please pray for the CTS students, that they will be able to devote sufficient time to studies while balancing other responsibilities.
Karl preaching during CTS Chapel (click to watch)
