Hargoon Gobindram Samtani

at least he has more hair and chin than I have.

Hari for short, although this guy stands over 6 feet tall. He was the closest of all my classmates in medical school and also a brother in the fraternity. His family had a shop on San Pedro street in Davao at that time and thats why he was in the Philippines. He could speak tagalog, cebuan and illonggo fluently and he could have been a filipino if only his application for citizenship was approved. But since he was denied he moved to Chile, South America where his wife comes from, and made good in his medical practice there.

It took us more or less twenty years to find each other again after many fraustrating attempts in the Internet and through friends. The pictures featured here were 'stolen' from his facebook account without his permission.

I'm so proud to be a friend of such a successful guy.

Better late than never

At 11 months Kailee still has a lot of catching up to do. For the average baby, teeth and hair would be very evident at this age, but for my "apo" this part of her anatomy is only starting to show.

This album will document the 2 lower incisors that are just starting to peep out, and her hair that is shy and refuses to come out in the open. Will she be a late bloomer?

Missions month @ ECB

May is missions month at Evangelical Church of Bangkok, and Thai Care was given a table to use for exhibits. Ralf Oberg [Thai Care Director] emailed me four days before the said date requesting me to stand in for him coz he had some urgent things to look after and couldnt make it at ECB on that Sunday. 

I quickly went through my files for some items that I could place on top of the table and made ready for Sunday. Little did I know that God would introduce me to two Thai Christians who also had the heart and the burden for the gospel.

The following pictures will show what transpired next.

FIFTY-TWO [52]

52 - just a number, and it could mean a hundred and one things. The most obvious of course would be the chronological point of this writer's existence on the planet. But to the age conscious it would mean the start of joint pains, blocked or leaking urethras, eyeglasses and bothersome hearing aids [what a way to portray senility]. Yet to some it would mean the start of the harvest of hardearned profits or payback time for unsettled debts - moral and monetary.

What does it mean to me? Please allow me to give it to you in the order of significance as I see it: 1. It's the first day of the rest of my life in eternity, which means that I am just a newborn babe in God's endless timetable. 2. It is the number of blessings that I have started to be very conscious of, and I just can't stop counting - they keep on coming [to God give all the glory and praise].

The pictures posted will show the blessings that outnumber 52 even if there are only about a dozen to show. The reader must be aware that he/she is also one of those blessings, because at 52 old-time friends are becoming an endangered species and are harder to locate. I can't imagine that at this age I already have outlived a couple of friends who are now growing grass out in some lonely memorial lot.

Jesus' sacrifice

Without His death I would still be in my sins. The cross has given

 new meaning to me since my rebirth and I can now see it as a complete 

and perfect offering, which negates another atonement as taught by 

my former church. I thank God for the cross.

The Holy Bible/Romans

This is the specific spot where God opened my eyes to the truth 

and which started my odyssey from the SDA church to God's 

kingdom of full and untainted grace.

The Holy Spirit

Symbolized by the dove - It gave me rebirth and took me 

out of the bondage of the law. It now guarantees and maintains 

my salvation. What more can a guy at 52 ask for?

The family

Still under one roof even after the kids are done with school

 and have their stable jobs. Roles now have changed and they pay 

the bills, take me places and support my ministry. God is great!

The wife

25 years of marriage to this gorgeous lady has taught me 

everything that I need to know about married life. 

A blessing from heaven indeed.

The son

Intelligent and caring with much love for family. He went 

straight through college and now earns his own money with a lot to spare. 

A great poet/rapper too. One great blessing indeed - hallelujah!

The daughter

Carefree with a great love for fun and adventure - which took 

her a little bit too far, yet without missing a step she got through school 

and now works not only for herself and her baby but also provides for the 

family and some orphans in northern Thailand. Great blessing, praise God!

The granddaughter

Came just at the right moment. God sent to bind the family when 

our spirituality was being put to the test. A bundle of joy and blessings indeed.

The babysitter

Yangyang - been with us for 4 years now and is like one of the 

family. Another blessing for us.

The sister and family

My only sibling with a loving husband and great kids. 

A blessing from across the ocean.

The Church

Evangelical Church of Bangkok. A sanctuary where we recharge 

our spiritual batteries every Sunday. An oasis indeed in a Buddhist country.

The orphans

Four orphanages around Thailand have taught me a lot about God's kingdom. 

They dont know it but they have brought me up in my view of life. Blessings.

Nam

A moken sea gypsy lad with a submandibular abscess. His tribe and their 

culture have taught me a lot about the kingdom of God and I am blessed.

The students [w4eo]

The much needed support when family and friends were up at me for breaking 

away from the church of my birth. God knew when to send them. I'm really blessed.

Bro Yun...

...The Heavenly Man. God used him to heal me miraculously. He prayed 

with his hand over me and God took away all the chronic illnesses that 

were plaguing me for years. Thank you Jesus.

The country

Good paying jobs, delicious food, interesting culture, low cost of living, 

great variety of fruits and great opportunities to serve God through the 

orphans and the poorest of the poor.

Blessing in disguise

The disguise: The church [I’m a third generation member] 

excommunicated me and took away my 17-year job. The blessing: 

They kicked me out of their walls into the arms of God.

@52

... with a bouquet of rambutan. I may have less hair than 

the rambutan and yet I'm so blessed. I hope I blessed 

you with this album. Vaya con Dios.

Ranong Tsunami Students Home

An orphanage established by Herr R. Oberg of ThaiCare after the 2004 tsunami. I had the chance to visit this facility after my trip to the Moken sea gypsy village in Koh Phayam island.