Catching up with friends and meeting new mission-minded people might be my favorite benefit of this seminar and most conferences. Even though we live in the same country, we don’t get to see Paul and Lori (and their 18-month-old daughter Abby) Vernon enough.
The Vernon’s http://loriandpaul.hopedenver.com/index.php are great people serving the Akha people in the far north of Thailand. The Akha comprise roughly 2.5 million tribal people living in the hills of Burma, Thailand, Southern China, Laos and Vietnam. The Vernon’s are one of only a handful of people who speak the language, and they are totally immersed in the culture to help support the people.
Paul and Lori work as Foursquare Missionaries serving an Akha foundation based in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Their stories are incredible, and their experiences will blow you away. The Akha live in the hills and work the land or make crafts, trying to live a self-sufficient life. They have no concept of the global financial crisis as they see it reported on the news. The Akha are a communal society with a totally different culture than our modern western lifestyle could fathom in a little note here.
Stay connected with the Vernon’s, and you will be enriched.
ASK THE BLIND PASTOR 