Let’s just say 2015 has been busy. Busy in every aspect of my life and it seems that this will not be

changing in the near future. Life in Thailand has been full of adventure and with so many new

things happening, the old things like regular newsletters, didn’t happen. I am very sorry. But I will

try to make up for it.

I feel like I have been writing and writing and writing and meeting and meeting and meeting and

it just won’t stop. And here I am doing more writing!!! One of my main activities for the year for

the Foundations is writing the yearly government reports, the ones attached to everyone’s

documentation for work permits and visas and stuff, so for the first 2-3 months of each year I put

together around 30 pages of words and pictures of all the

foundation activities for the previous year. Whilst this isn’t the

most fun job, it is one of the most important. It is good and bad.

Only problem this year was, I had to write it around a very big

growth spurt in the foundation as well as the creation of the

COC-Haven Legal website, a lengthy and challenging side

project, and some wisdom teeth fun! We fortunately there are

168 hours in a week, because I was using about 80-100 of them

for sitting at my computer and getting it done. I started the year

quite run down as I had used my Christmas holidays for a tiring

road adventure around Thailand...

2015 What’s it all about… well, my first newsletter for the year is here!

From Life in a Northern Town

My name is Shayne Rochfort and I am a servant of God, volunteering in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

I am the Legal Advisor at Christian Outreach Centre Thailand (COC) and The Haven Project. I

am helping coordinate visas and work permits and the whole work in local churches and

communities all over Thailand.

My main role involves everything and anything, STILL.

Please consider partnering with me, building God’s kingdom in Thailand.

It started bright and early and chilly on the 19th December (and about 32 hours after

my 3rd motorbike accident where I drove too closely to the bitumen near my house).

The planned adventure would see me complete around 2500kms (1600m) around

the fat part of Thailand. It was part work and part pleasure, but a lot of riding!

My Facebook wall has plenty of updates and anecdotes from

along the way, as I was checking in regularly, mostly to let people

know I was still alive. Well, along the way I got to visit with about 10

of our Foundation members and some old friends in Surin. I had

also promised a few weeks before, that I would visit friends in

Phnom Penh, so I was able to spend a week there including a quick trip to Siem

Reap and 6 hours at Angkor Wat. It was definitely an interesting experience in

Cambodia and I want to thank my great friend, Ken (pictured right at a

wedding), for looking after me while I was there. Maybe one day I will blog it more

extensively, but right now, it will have to wait. On my way home I visited more

Foundation members, and even got to lose my 20kg+ bag for the last 7 hours of

the ride home thanks to our Lomsak guys.

Biking tour of Thailand - 555 - LOL!

The people of Chiang Mai are truly incredible and I have been very fortunate to meet

so many awesome friends. Work and play in 2015 has been full steam ahead and full on.

Shayne in Thailand

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To

the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 1Corinthians 9:19-23 (NIV)

PO Box 90

PRASING POST OFFICE

CHIANGMAI 50205

THAILAND

Phone +66801202074

Email -

shayneinthailan@gmail.com

Skype - shayneinthailand

COC Thailand Foundation inc The Haven Foundation

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO PRAY:

Praise for God’s blessing on the work of COC Thailand and the Haven Foundation. 2014 Approximately 80 foreign volunteers and currently 160 foreign volunteers and it is my job to try and coordinate their visa and work permit processes. Please pray for my work, it’s growing and it’s fun, but it is busy and challenging.

Please pray for Thailand. It’s beautiful, but with the current political climate, we are experiencing continual changes to laws and processes.

Please pray for a new venue for our school, we have been able to reconfigure the current building, but really need a brand new facility.

After being harassed for 5 years by Ken, and since

the very first week I was in Thailand, I was able to fit

in a visit to the interesting country of Cambodia. Many activities in Cambodia had peaked

my attention, so I wanted to fit in some time seeing what they were up to. I was able to

also catch up with a great friend and support, Dr Jeff Brodsky from www.joy.org .

Life in Cambodia is very different from life in Thailand, although the Asianness is still there

the “feel” is very different. It starts with just being on the other side of the border, I felt a

strangeness, which did not leave me until I was back “home”!

I was able to see some amazing works, changing lives from the cradle to the grave, the

work of “Mother’s Heart”, meeting the needs of women and girls in times of difficult

situations and family planning, to the work of “Sak Saum”, “Friends” restaurant, and

“Precious Women”. If you get a chance to look them up and maybe make a donation, it

would be most appreciated.

It gets a little serious here - Life in Cambodia is extremely challenging. There is only one

reason for it, Khmer Rouge. The things they did to the people of Cambodia are just so

difficult to understand, whilst militarily brilliant, it is incalculable how far

back they set Cambodia in every area of life. 2015 in Cambodia is still

reeling from the effects of one group’s crazy plan.

I did some prior planning regarding catching up with friends and

meeting and seeing great works, but I didn’t prepare for “The Killing

Fields” and “Tuol Sleng.” And I am still coming to terms with what I saw.

I spent around four hours somberly walking around these horrid places,

listening to first hand accounts of what happened during those years of pain. Just the

days before, we were talking about hope and new life and freedom, seemed to pale

in comparison to the emotions felt in these few hours. Not to mention the still

thousands of unexploded ordinances still lying in wait for unsuspecting walkers.

I am glad to have experienced and will have to one day do a little more research

into the activities of the Khmer Rouge.

I made a quick stop in Siem Reap and looked around the magnificent temples at

Angkor Wat before a fun and exciting trip back to the border and my beloved

Thailand.

One Week in Cambodia

I am committed to being in Thailand. I would like to

let you know that if you are able to partner with me

in my work, then you can do so through One Mission

Society. There are many ways you can support me, through prayer as well as financially. This part-

nership is helping serve the great need for Thai people to come to know Jesus.

My prayer card with all the details is available at

http://issuu.com/shayneinthailand/docs/prayercard .

Please include my missionary number #803833 with any donations.

You can support me financially by :-

Cheque - Please make cheques payable to: OMS International, PO Box 897, RINGWOOD, Vic

3134. Include a note with my name.

Direct Debit - If you wish to make a payment directly through your bank, pay to: Westpac.

Acc Name: OMS International Australia- Inc. BSB: 733172 Account Number: 628724.

NOTE: In the transaction details please be sure to include your name

and ROC.

Credit card donations - can be made through the website.

http://www.omsaus.org OMS phone – 03 9870 8559

Supporting Shayne

A beautiful product of

Sak Saum, THE GIRL and

the bag she painted.

She’s blind but so happy!