Conversations

Rich — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 03:25:37 +0000

Here is a snapshot of our day yesterday. We were on campus meeting students and had been engaging a group in conversation where we were trying to help them speak English a bit. An English professor (a Thai teacher of English) was walking by and comes over to visit with us. He was very friendly and quite fluent in English (friendly is characteristic of Thais, fluent in English is not so common). He was wondering if we were Morman- and then we had a bit of a chance to talk about our faith in God. This professor (Sathit) had been to a Catholic boarding school- so it was only half surprising to find him adamantly believing that Jesus couldn’t be God because He was God’s Son! I tried the C.S. Lewis explanation with him- about receiving our nature from our fathers (why do fish have fish and dogs have dogs and humans have humans). Anyway, he was sure that this was going to be cause a division among even Protestants themselves- but we tried to assure him that at least among the protestant group there was unity on this: Jesus is God. So, the prof looks at me and says: “you talk about God, but have you had an experience? Have you had an experience with His Spirit?” (actually, his question might have been written…. with his spirit?, since he doesn’t know who God is) I went on to explain the experience of forgiveness of sin- and no longer being a slave to sin. His question was more to set up a his own experience- which he relayed with great excitement and what I can only describe as belief. He was meditating in his apartment in Bangkok a number of years back whenever he begin to see a halo of light forming up above him. His meditation seemed to include thoughts of forgiveness, compassion, mercy, love- and he explained that this led him to forgive everything he had held against others in the past. The halo of light descended upon him- and brought tingles and a transparent touch to his own skin. (that is, he was becoming more transparent). Soon he found himself floating up out of his body and able to look down upon himself below. He thought he must be dead. Excited about this new ability to float, he wished to go up out of the building and so he did- and so got a glimpse of the streets, cars, and people below. Somewhere in all this he says he almost saw “him”- and when pressed with whom “him” designated, he said he didn’t know. He felt sure that this process was a purifying his mind from sin and that he was 70% there whenever a small fleshly sort of thought came to him. This of course sent him straight back down to earth where he awoke or became aware again. He was sad to have the experience ended and walked out on his balcony. He said he wanted to know if the experience was real or not and so he said something like “angels of God in heaven if that was real then let the wind blow” and the wind blew. Thinking this must be a coincidence (here he used the word accident, but I believe he meant coincidence) he then repeated the address with “…let the wind stop” and it stopped. Not satisfied that this wasn’t another coincidence he went to lie down in his apartment and begin thinking of a song that he wanted to hear but he couldn’t recall the name of. He repeated the address and ended with “….let me hear this song that I cannot remember the title.” And his neighbor turned on the radio and this song was playing. A final test came later when a co-worker was trying to open a freezer door that had evidently become frozen shut. Prof Sathit pointed at the door and said “open”and it opened. For seven days following this experience the professor said he had powers. Somewhere in here Sathit began to talk as if he was chosen, or set apart- or perhaps someone of very special status or worth. He went on to say that he didn’t blame us if we thought he was lying. A bus accident followed in his account, where he was traveling by bus from/to nearby Roi Et whenever a bad accident occurred. Many deaths, loss of limbs and life, occurred while Prof Sathit went unscathed and thus unhurt. His emphasis on compassion, mercy, love (for me) was here called into question as he made no mention of having pity on those who were hurt but instead emphasized his personal deduction that this meant he has special powers uncommon to other men. No mention of giving aid either. Finally, as our time had to draw to a close- Sathit said there was more to tell. Of his experience of meditating in a graveyard (Buddhists are know to meditate over corpse bodies). Sathit said he couldn’t explain or tell us what happened- but I’m assuming he was referring to the dead coming back to life. I’m thankful to the Lord that I have been reading in Revelation- and so I was thinking about how many miraculous signs will be performed along these lines. And of course such visions or “experiences.” The professor’s account was quite similar to that of Buddha- when he is said to have achieved enlightenment- or a state of all knowing. This account is similar to that of Joseph Smith, founder of Mormanism, as well as the founder of *slam.

Pray for Thailand

Rich — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 03:01:15 +0000

The Prime Minister rebuffed the protesters latest demand (that he dissolve parliament in 30 days) & the courts clarified that he is not prohibited from using force to remove them if he does it according to “international standards”. An imminent crackdown is now expected–maybe today (Sunday) or tomorrow. Several city blocks are bunkered and occupied by protesters and their guards; this could be a mess. Please pray. Pray especially for this to lead to an effective door for the Gospel that the Thais might meet the Prince of Peace.

January 25th, 2005

Rich — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 07:18:05 +0000

Five years ago on January 25th, 2005. We were five years younger, no children, few worries, optimistic, and little to no gray hair. We were perhaps a little naive and in the honeymoon stage of missions.

November Missions Emphasis Video Update for FCC

Rich — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:50:36 +0000

Video update from Amp

Rich — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:26:18 +0000

Untitled from Rich Casebolt on Vimeo.

September 30th Update

Rich — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:54:14 +0000

We had a good visit in Roi Et and had the opportunity to worship together with believers there on Sunday. Pe Daeng and his wife, Tippawan, sit down to visit with us on Monday and fielded our questions about living, working, and growing in Roi Et. We are excited about the opportunity there, and in many ways can’t imagine being anywhere else right now. So, please pray for us as we anticipate a sooner-than-later move from Khon Kaen to Roi Et. Thanks for your prayers for us in this area. We are certainly on quite an adventure with our great God.

Wednesday, September 16th Update

Rich — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:52:19 +0000

We (Vicki, the boys & I) are currently in Bangkok for a three-day training seminar. Vicki is spending time with friends while I go through the training. We appreciate your prayers for this training- that God would use this time to better equip us for the task at hand, and that Vicki and the boys might have a good time of fellowship with friends. We will drive back to Khon Kaen on either Saturday or Sunday, and so thanks for praying for safety in travel. We thank God for you in our own prayers,
-Rich, for the Casebolts

Traveling to Roi Et

Rich — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:57:43 +0000

Today, (Thursday) Rich started language school and began right away to study the Isaan language. There apears to be about a 33% overlap between Thai and Isaan. Right now, the study schedule is Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-9am, with lots of practice time outside of the classroom.

Rich will be traveling to Roi Et tomorrow with Mark for a day trip to meet Pastor Daeng and to see the work that is going on there in the area. This will be an initial survey trip as we continue the discussion with Mark regarding where we will work long term in Isaan. Thank you for your prayers as we travel and visit with Pastor Daeng. Please pray that we will have wisdom regarding the possibilities of future work in the greater Isaan area. Thank you.

You can look at a map of Isaan here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Isaan,+Thailand&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.999041,78.837891&ie=UTF8&ll=16.098598,102.403564&spn=5.04404,9.854736&z=7

Prayer for Amp’s Family

Rich — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:41:13 +0000

Prayer request for Amp’s family

Please join Amp, Benz, & the Casebolts in praying for Amp’s grandfather (Gohng). Amp’s grandfather certainly appears to be toward the end of his life and frequently goes in and out of the hospital. Most recently, a monk told Amp’s family that grandpa Gohng is suffering because he was cruel to animals in a *past life and that his sickness will end in death (a good guess, we would say, given his age and condition). Amp’s dad has not had much to say or do with his father, Gohng, during this time of sickness, but just today was at the temple to make merit for his birthday (Buddhists believe that we are born with sin, like we do, but that we can make merit to try to erase that sin) and spoke with a monk who told him that his dad was cruel to a bird in a past life and so now he is in pain because of his former sins.

Please pray that God will hear our prayers for Amp’s grandfather and choose to glorify Himself through helping Gohng recover from his pains before his life is over. The pictures above are of Amp’s family (dad, mom, grandmother) from their recent visit to the temple. The big Buddha idol was donated to the temple by Amp’s dad (at a cost of just under $1500 USD). Please pray for Amp and his family, especially for Amp’s witness and for the power of God to be made manifest on behalf of Gohng.

- The Casebolts

* Buddha didn’t teach reincarnation as such, but taught that what is passed to others in another life is an impersonal records of rights and wrongs (gam in Thai, Karma in Hinduism). The monks either don’t understand this or just don’t spend time making the distinction. In sum, Buddha (Sidharta), was a follower of Hinduism – and really just reformed it by turning it inside out – so Hinduism’s influence can be seen and felt throughout Buddhism.

Rich, Vicki, Caleb, & Kenan Casebolt
18/82 Moo Ban Pimanhansa
Soi Piboonwitaya Friendship Highway
Thombon Ni Meang
Amphur Meang Jangwat Khon Kaen
Khon Kaen, Thailand 40000
66-4-334-7236
richcasebolt@gmail.com

66-85-967-0088 (Rich)
66-84-142-8291 (Vicki)

7-22-09 Update

Rich — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:18:54 +0000

Brethren,

We have arrived safely to Khon Kaen have been given a very warm Isaan welcome. Dinner was provided for us last night (by Helen Caldwell), and we enjoyed time with Benz and Amp as well. Yesterday and today have been spent uppacking and doing laundary- while trying to keep up with the boys. Caleb has been asking about the swimming pool since we arrived to Khon Kaen, so I set up his small kid’s pool for him to swim yesterday. Thanks for your prayers for Vicki’s illness. She is feeling better but still has the cough (hopefully being away from the pollution of Bangkok will help her with that). Vicki turns #% on Friday, so we are hoping to get a chance to get out and celebrate.

Ministry-wise, I will meet with Mark Caldwell this weekend to start making some sort of plan for language study and survey trips. We live very close to the University, so I hope to utilize this closeness to find opportunities to share the Gospel with students and practice both the Thai and Isaan languages. The upcoming survey trip will be to Roi Et, which I believe to be an hour and a half away.

We don’t have internet access right now, so don’t worry if you don’t hear from us! Our phone number and address are below.

Thanks for taking time to read and pray,

-Rich, for the Casebolts

P.S. Note our address at the bottom, and Vicki’s birthday is this Friday, July 24th. (although it is too late to get something in the mail, folks might email her or drop something in the mail anyway).

Rich, Vicki, & Caleb Casebolt
18/82 Moo Ban Pimanhansa
Soi Piboonwitaya Friendship Highway
Thombon Ni Meang
Amphur Meang Jangwat Khon Kaen
Khon Kaen, Thailand 40000
66-4-334-7236

richcasebolt@gmail.com