Well, this weekend was interesting to say the least...My friend China (her real name is Ariene, but we all call her China) asked me to be in her wedding when I was down here in Rocky Point in July....I thought that was kind of strange since we're not really the best of friends, but of course I agreed to do it...
So, we had the wedding yesterday here in Rocky Point...the whole experience was kind of strange...I guess I didn't consider the way the culture and differences in time would affect the wedding....so, I stayed up til 2am the night before the wedding with China and Toni (the groom) to wash tables and chairs and get them ready for the reception...the reception was gonna be at her parents' house in the backyard and nothing was done...So, that was a start...we did the party favors the night before too...Ahh, gotta love Mexico.
The day of the wedding, China and I were supposedly gonna get up at 530 am to help her mom make tamales, but that didn't happen either (although I was kind of thankful we didn't have to go off 3 1/2 hours of sleep on the wedding day). We got up around 9, leisurely made our way to the kitchen, sat and had breakfast and chatted with her mom for almost an hour...no rush, right?
So, we had quite a few things to get done and I felt kind of responsible to keep China on the ball...she didn't have her bouquet yet...hadn't even requested to have it made actually....hmmm...so, we went to this flower shop and got that taken care of...thankfully the ladies there were understanding and happy to do it...as last minute as it was....we had a few more errands to run and then headed back to the house...
Besides helping the bride with the prep for the wedding itself, I felt like I had the role of the mediator between everyone not getting along. So, Toni, the groom has a 12 year old son who was supposed to be in the wedding. But, when he got the suit that he was borrowing for the wedding, he said it was too big and that he just wasn't gonna go. So, China was really angry at him for this and Toni didn't really know what to do. Now, you have to realize that Toni's son hadn't even tried on the suit...he just looked at it and was like "no, it doesn't fit"....So, I made him try it on (which took awhile of me letting my bossy side come out lol) and what do ya know, it actually fit pretty well...a little long on the sleeves, but it looked just fine...So, he says to me "Oh it fits" with a bit of surprise in his voice and I told him that's why I made him try it on....problem resolved.
When we got to China's house, there was a lot to do with getting all the balloons blown up...at one point, I felt like I would pass out....We had to make a little balloon arch and blow up other balloons for decorating outside...Then we had to get the tables prepped and put the tablecloths on...in the midst of the wind...interesting as that was...Oh yes, China and I also somehow ended up being responsible for ironing Toni and the guys shirts....
So, to say the least, it was a hectic day...after gettting a lot of the legistics out of the way, China and I headed to a salon to get our hair done by a girl she was friends with....that made it feel more like a wedding day...I felt like all the other stuff is usually stuff they usually get done the day before the wedding...at least all the weddings I've been a part of before...So, after that, we went back to the house and finished getting ready...
A little while before I was about to put on my dress, China sends me on an errand....to buy lingerie...I'm thinking...you've gotta be kidding me...the wedding is supposed to start in 2 hours and you're just now sending me out to do this....and making ME be the one to buy it....you can't be serious....of course I didn't say that, I just suggested I go with her...But she told me that she felt bad because she knew the girl who ran the store and felt bad because she hadn't invited her....so, I went...laughing to myself the whole way there...oh the joys of being the maid of honor!
There was a little bit of debate about what time the actual wedding started....the night before, we had met with the pastor and he said...well, it starts at 5, but ya know, we're on Mexican time, so let's start at 6. So, we're all getting ready at the house and Toni says "Yeah, we don't have to be there til 6"....which started a whole other debate since China wanted to start at 5. "The invitations say 5, so we should start at 5," she insisted...."But the pastor said 6, so we have to start at 6," Toni said. So, once again I got to play the mediator and suggested we call the pastor just to clarify in case there was a misunderstanding. Once we talked to him, that helped sort things out and I reassured China that it would be fine if we started at 6....people would understand (at least I was hoping!)
We showed up to the church at about 530 and people were still getting there, so that was fine....we started taking some pictures and then China realized she'd left her bouquet at home...so I drove back to the house with her mom to pick it up. When we got back to the church, there was still a little time before the actual ceremony started, so I was thankful we were on Mexican time :)
The wedding ceremony went well....a little different than our ceremonies in the US....I walked down the aisle with the other bridesmaid instead of with the guys....Then, the wedding party sits in the front row instead of standing up front.....Even the bride and groom actually sit in these nicely decorated seats for the majority of the ceremony. then they stand up and face each other towards the end. Another thing they do in Mexico that we don't do in the US is they put a lasso over the bride and groom, symbolizing the way they are now bound together (I guess we just replace that with the unity candle)...I thought that was kind of cool....Then at the end of the ceremony, the bridesmaids pass out the party favors as they go back down the aisle...so that was kind of fun too!
After the wedding ceremony ended at the church, we took the traditional Mexican "victory lap" (well, I don't think that's what it's really called, but that's what I call it) where the bride and groom ride around town and everyone who attends the wedding follows, honking and celebrating...I got to be the lucky driver of the bride and groom, which was a lot of fun!
The wedding reception was probably my favorite part...It was great to see lots of friends there...and my "family" from Rocky Point....we had a great time with lots of music and lots of fun...sadly enough, there wasn't as much dancing as I had been hoping for, but we still had a good time...It was great to see all of my kiddos too and get to dance with them....they are so precious! All in all, it was a time of fun and joy, as weddings should be....But, after all the craziness of the day, China joked that "Now that you see all we have to do, you're never gonna want to get married!" Ha ha...well, I definitely don't want to be a wedding planner, I can tell you that! I was happy to help out though and enjoyed it, even in the crazy "mexican time" moments!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Vacation Bible School
Well, the last week was VBS week and a great week with the kids...We did the VBS at night because of the heat during the day, so the days were spent preparing the crafts and activities and making about 200 sandwiches for each evening...we had some really great personal and group devotional time for spiritual preparation for each night as well...We were blessed to have a house on the beach donated to us for the week, so it was awesome being able to spend some time with Jesus on the beach.
The VBS went really well...each day it seemed like the number of kids there would grow, as the children would invite friends...and each day, the activites seemed to go more smoothly as the leaders and kids got accustomed to the flow of things...We had a special song with fun little motions that the kids really enjoyed....It was a great opportunity to get to know more of the locals as well....there were about ten of the college-age nationals that helped out with the VBS, along with some parents from the church who paired up with helpers from our group for each of the different age groups...so it was great to work side by side with the local church in that way...
I was one of the leaders for the 3-6 year old age group, which was a very busy, but fun group of kids...We had an average of about 25 kids in that group and 4 leaders. It was a little draining at times because I would be called out of my group to go translate for another activity going on and then come back to my kids....But, it worked out well and it was fun to get to know the kids in my group...Each night we would start VBS with our special song/dance, then split the kids into their age groups (3-6, 7-9, and 10-12) and we would rotate them through craft, games, and puppets/Bible lesson. The kids in our age group seemed to especially enjoy the puppets and songs. They weren't as coordinated as the older kids during the game time, but we were able to adjust the games for their age group when we needed to....it was fun to watch them play and have a good time. Then at the end of each night, we'd get everyone back together to sing and pray and then they'd all get dinner at the end.
One of my favorite crafts that we did was that we took wooden crosses and had the kids write their sins on them...this was interesting with the younger kids...it was sweet because you could tell the older ones had already thought it out and would list off their sins kind of shamefully "I hit my brother, I lied to my mom, etc." I really loved the honesty though (honestly it reminded me of what it would be like to be the priest listening during confession)...The honesty and sincerity behind their sins made me think of that verse that says that we need to have faith like a child...we have to come to God with that kind of humility....On the other hand, there were a couple of little ones didn't know what to say...so, I'd give them ideas of typical toddler sins...I had one little 3-year old girl who was especially precious...I kept listing off different things "Have you hit your brother, have you said bad words, have you lied," etc. and every time she would say no and every time her older sister who was sitting there would say "yes you have!" It was pretty funny...Anyway, it was really neat because the next day, we took all the kids' crosses with their sins written on them and painted them white. We explained how Jesus makes us clean and pure because of the cross and how God doesn't see our sins anymore because of Jesus. It was such a cool picture for them of God's forgiveness that they were all able to take home to remember.
One of the really enjoyable things for me about VBS was also that I was able to bring several of the kids from the women's rehab center every night with me...some of the kids were the children of the directors there...others were children of some of the women who are there for drugs or alcohol problems...it was great to bring them to VBS and get to see them really enjoy all the activities...I had already been building relationships with them the week before during the time I stayed at the center, so it was fun to continue to spend some time with them...I also chose to work with the 3-6 year old group because 4 of the kids were in that age group. It was always funny though because I'd pick them up and bring them to VBS and everyone would kind of look at me funny when they got out of the car. I had several people ask me if Alexia was my daughter because she is pretty white and looks like she could be mine...Then one night, Rosa, one of the girls I was bringing from the center, had a birthday, so I took them out to ice cream...it was an interesting sight I'm sure, me and 6 kids with only 1 that looks anything like me...I got some stares and the lady who worked at the ice cream store asked me if they were mine...ha ha...I love it though...I've kind of adopted them all as my kids....I really enjoyed taking them all out even though they could be a handful at times because I know they don't get to go out for ice cream very often and they all really enjoyed it...
Anyway, VBS was great and the kids were great...I was really proud of them when they remembered their Bible verses and quoted them to me the next day...Our last night of VBS, we gave out little gifts to all the kids at the end. The boys loved the frisbees and soccer balls and the girls really loved the jump ropes and stuffed animals we gave them...After everything finished up at the church, we headed back to the house on the beach for a barbeque with all the leaders from the church who helped out. I got close with a couple of the college-aged helpers and we all got to hang out and have our little pow-wow on the beach...I was really bummed I couldn't sing with them (I lost my voice from being with the kids all week and translating so much) but it was still a really great time.
The last day as we headed out of town, we stopped by the women's rehab center to bring by some kids' toys and extra food that we had left over and to say goodbye to all our friends there. It was funny because when we got there, we found my friend Kari there trying to do a Bible study with the women from the center. She saw me walk in the room and was like "Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you're here. We are having a really rough time here. Can you translate for me?" So, God gave me another unexpected opportunity to serve. I really enjoyed the Bible study too and it was a lot of things that I feel like I needed to hear too. It was kind of humbling to translate with my lack of a voice, but I know it was good for me to rely on God's strength. So, we finished the study up and said goodbye and then I headed home with some friends from the AIM group. They are both older and wiser and I felt like God put them there with me for the car ride home too because they are just so full of wisdom and love for the Lord. I love how God is a part of everything that takes place, even those small things like who you ride home with.
Well, I really truly can honestly say that Rocky Point feels like a second home to me now. I really enjoy being there and I feel like I have family there. It was a great 3 weeks and I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to be there. I feel truly honored and blessed to be a part of what God is doing there and I'm looking forward to see all that He continues to do.
The VBS went really well...each day it seemed like the number of kids there would grow, as the children would invite friends...and each day, the activites seemed to go more smoothly as the leaders and kids got accustomed to the flow of things...We had a special song with fun little motions that the kids really enjoyed....It was a great opportunity to get to know more of the locals as well....there were about ten of the college-age nationals that helped out with the VBS, along with some parents from the church who paired up with helpers from our group for each of the different age groups...so it was great to work side by side with the local church in that way...
I was one of the leaders for the 3-6 year old age group, which was a very busy, but fun group of kids...We had an average of about 25 kids in that group and 4 leaders. It was a little draining at times because I would be called out of my group to go translate for another activity going on and then come back to my kids....But, it worked out well and it was fun to get to know the kids in my group...Each night we would start VBS with our special song/dance, then split the kids into their age groups (3-6, 7-9, and 10-12) and we would rotate them through craft, games, and puppets/Bible lesson. The kids in our age group seemed to especially enjoy the puppets and songs. They weren't as coordinated as the older kids during the game time, but we were able to adjust the games for their age group when we needed to....it was fun to watch them play and have a good time. Then at the end of each night, we'd get everyone back together to sing and pray and then they'd all get dinner at the end.
One of my favorite crafts that we did was that we took wooden crosses and had the kids write their sins on them...this was interesting with the younger kids...it was sweet because you could tell the older ones had already thought it out and would list off their sins kind of shamefully "I hit my brother, I lied to my mom, etc." I really loved the honesty though (honestly it reminded me of what it would be like to be the priest listening during confession)...The honesty and sincerity behind their sins made me think of that verse that says that we need to have faith like a child...we have to come to God with that kind of humility....On the other hand, there were a couple of little ones didn't know what to say...so, I'd give them ideas of typical toddler sins...I had one little 3-year old girl who was especially precious...I kept listing off different things "Have you hit your brother, have you said bad words, have you lied," etc. and every time she would say no and every time her older sister who was sitting there would say "yes you have!" It was pretty funny...Anyway, it was really neat because the next day, we took all the kids' crosses with their sins written on them and painted them white. We explained how Jesus makes us clean and pure because of the cross and how God doesn't see our sins anymore because of Jesus. It was such a cool picture for them of God's forgiveness that they were all able to take home to remember.
One of the really enjoyable things for me about VBS was also that I was able to bring several of the kids from the women's rehab center every night with me...some of the kids were the children of the directors there...others were children of some of the women who are there for drugs or alcohol problems...it was great to bring them to VBS and get to see them really enjoy all the activities...I had already been building relationships with them the week before during the time I stayed at the center, so it was fun to continue to spend some time with them...I also chose to work with the 3-6 year old group because 4 of the kids were in that age group. It was always funny though because I'd pick them up and bring them to VBS and everyone would kind of look at me funny when they got out of the car. I had several people ask me if Alexia was my daughter because she is pretty white and looks like she could be mine...Then one night, Rosa, one of the girls I was bringing from the center, had a birthday, so I took them out to ice cream...it was an interesting sight I'm sure, me and 6 kids with only 1 that looks anything like me...I got some stares and the lady who worked at the ice cream store asked me if they were mine...ha ha...I love it though...I've kind of adopted them all as my kids....I really enjoyed taking them all out even though they could be a handful at times because I know they don't get to go out for ice cream very often and they all really enjoyed it...
Anyway, VBS was great and the kids were great...I was really proud of them when they remembered their Bible verses and quoted them to me the next day...Our last night of VBS, we gave out little gifts to all the kids at the end. The boys loved the frisbees and soccer balls and the girls really loved the jump ropes and stuffed animals we gave them...After everything finished up at the church, we headed back to the house on the beach for a barbeque with all the leaders from the church who helped out. I got close with a couple of the college-aged helpers and we all got to hang out and have our little pow-wow on the beach...I was really bummed I couldn't sing with them (I lost my voice from being with the kids all week and translating so much) but it was still a really great time.
The last day as we headed out of town, we stopped by the women's rehab center to bring by some kids' toys and extra food that we had left over and to say goodbye to all our friends there. It was funny because when we got there, we found my friend Kari there trying to do a Bible study with the women from the center. She saw me walk in the room and was like "Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you're here. We are having a really rough time here. Can you translate for me?" So, God gave me another unexpected opportunity to serve. I really enjoyed the Bible study too and it was a lot of things that I feel like I needed to hear too. It was kind of humbling to translate with my lack of a voice, but I know it was good for me to rely on God's strength. So, we finished the study up and said goodbye and then I headed home with some friends from the AIM group. They are both older and wiser and I felt like God put them there with me for the car ride home too because they are just so full of wisdom and love for the Lord. I love how God is a part of everything that takes place, even those small things like who you ride home with.
Well, I really truly can honestly say that Rocky Point feels like a second home to me now. I really enjoy being there and I feel like I have family there. It was a great 3 weeks and I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to be there. I feel truly honored and blessed to be a part of what God is doing there and I'm looking forward to see all that He continues to do.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Nueva Creacion
Well, this has been an amazing week so far! I don´t really even know where to start..Sunday, after we went to Family of God church and everyone headed out, I took some time to recharge at the house we had stayed at, then headed over to spend some time with the Diaz family....They are a family of 4 kids...Karen is 24, Fernando 22, Alex 11, and Taylor 7....Their parents died in a car accident a few years ago and they´ve been through a lot, but they are stronger for it and they are such a neat family...I met them through an American pastor named Tab when I was down here in March....So, Tab and his wife Ellen were out of town and they were all staying at Tab´s house this weekend while he was gone, so I got to go over to hang out with them and spent the night at the house there...It started out as a pretty eventful night...Taylor came running in to the living room and was like ¨Hurry come here, there´s a fire¨ which of course scared me half to death because I never have to put out fires, but it ended up being outside of the house...Someone had set some rubber stuff on fire inside of a dumpster type thing, but the fire was growing and it was getting close to a light post, so we had to call the firefighters who surprisingly arrived pretty fast and put it out...Taylor loved the excitement because he wants to be a firefighter!
Monday, I got to spend the whole day with Taylor and Alex while their older brother and sister were working at the store they own here in town....We got to play football on the beach (Tab and Ellen´s house is right on the beach...I love it!)...and played cards and watched Happy Feet in English which the kids loved and was also good practice for them because they need to learn more English and I was able to translate a lot of it for them....The rest of the afternoon we were out and about running errands...I loved having them at the grocery store with me because they act like their my kids and people look at me funny because I´m so white with these adorable Mexican kids...it cracks me up! When we got home, Taylor and I went out and found shells together on the beach..He is precious...he kept finding them and giving them to me, telling me ¨This is a gift for you¨...it was precious....We all ate dinner together and as I was leaving to head to the women´s center (which is where I´m staying for the rest of the week), Alex said ¨Thank you so much for such a fun day¨...it was so sweet and then it hit me that they don´t normally have someone to just love on them and give them attention on a regular basis...their older brother and sister love them, but they´re busy with their store and other things and the kids don´t frequently have someone to take them places and do stuff with them...not that it was any sacrifice on my part...I loved spending the day with them...it was just as fun for me if not more fun...It was really neat to spend that time with them though...
Things at the women´s center have been great...Maria and Gregorio (the couple who run the center) are such an inspiration to me...they have such great hearts and are constantly praying and sharing about the Lord...Every morning they pray and someone preaches...so it has been great being a part of that this week and hearing Maria and Gregorio preach...God´s love really shines through them...Gregorio is always praying and fasting too...he was telling me yesterday ¨It´s not about what I say or preach...it´s all because of prayer and fasting...that´s my work here.¨He went on to tell me, ¨Yeah, I fasted yesterday and I probably will tomorrow too¨..it´s just such a normal part of his life...it´s so awesome...and he is always taking breaks to pray..that really challenged me...Maria also is amazing...she was telling me the other day when we had to take Reyna to the hospital (she´s the lady who just had the baby and we had to take the baby in for a vaccination), she was telling me how important it is to always be joyful and showing the love of Christ through your face and in the way you interact with people...and it´s so true...she doesn´t just say it, she really lives it...
Well, it´s been awesome this week too getting to know the ladies at the center more...They all have awesome stories and it´s just neat to see what God is doing in their lives and how they have changed because of His work in their lives...Wednesday, a new lady came to the center...she smelled like alcohol and was a mess...she told us she hadn´t eaten for a month because she had been afraid...she was in really bad shape and it was really sad, but we prayed for her and then Gregorio took her to the hospital later because she had multiple health things going on that she needed treatment for...
Well, one thing that I have come to learn over the years is that God has a plan in everything and that his timing is perfect...Maria´s sister and her kids are visiting right now and her nephew Daniel was recently diagnosed with childhood diabetes...but, he and his mom never really received much diabetes education and they still are feeling pretty unsure about some things and just needing some instruction....so, it was perfect because I used to teach new diabetics about diabetes at Phoenix Childrens...so, I´ve been helping them learn more about it this week...Sylvia, (Daniel´s mom) was crying the first night I stayed at the center because she was so frustrated over all the problems she´s had with Daniel this past month...but, throughout this week, we´ve been able to talk a lot about his insulin and his diet and she seems to be getting more comfortable with everything...one of my friends also picked up a diabetes handbook in spanish from my work for me so I can give it to them and go over it with them this weekend (she´ll be coming down tonight)...So, that was a total blessing and I know it was God´s timing...I let Daniel give me a saline injection in my leg today because he´s still afraid to do the injections himself..he did great with mine but was still afraid to give himself the injection after that..so, he´s taking baby steps, but it´s still gonna be awhile before he gets it all down...
Yesterday we got to take Maria´s family and some of the kids from the center, along with some of the ladies to the beach...it was a great day...the kids loved it and it was fun for me because they kept coming up to me and asking me how to swim...so, we had some little swimming lessons at the beach...even one of the ladies from the center asked me to teach her to swim...so, my 2 years on swim team came in handy after all! :) It´s been cool too because Maria´s daughter is here visiting this week too and isn´t really living her life all for God right now, so i´ve been able to hang out with her a lot and talk to her about different things and try to be a good influence on her...
Of course, I´ve been loving being at the women´s center too because I´m close with some of the little girls that live there...it has been a lot of fun this week playing with them and taking pictures with them (which they are always begging me to do lol)...they like to follow me out to the trailor that I´m staying in and wait there whenever I go in for something...then if I don´t come out right away, they start knocking on the door and calling my name...it´s precious....I have a handful of little puppie dogs following me around!
Well, I know I´ve said a lot despite the fact that a lot more has happened that would take way too long to write here...there´s one more thing I want to share though..Last month when we were down passing out bags of food, I met these four ladies Mati, Lupe, Rosario, and Elsa and got to share the gospel with them...they all prayed to receive Christ and we gave them Bibles...so, I invited them to the ladies´Bible study that we had on Wednesday night which they weren´t able to come to, but then we had a service at the church Maria and Gregorio attend last night and Lupe and Rosario were both able to come with me! It was so neat to be there with them...all of us were first timers to the church, so I wasn´t really sure what to expect, but the service was good and we all especially loved the worship songs...It was really neat too because I got to help them find different passages in their new Bibles during the service...that was really special for me...I was really excited that they were able to meet one of my friends from the ladies´Bible study and she came over and talked to them for awhile....so, hopefully they can get plugged in and continue to grow...I´m gonna try to bring them with me to the women´s Bible study and to church again next week!
Anyway, I am really loving everything down here...Before the group left last week, one of the girls asked me if I thought it would be hard being here all week alone before the next group came....But, I told her that I feel so at home in this place and in this culture...it´s like a second home to me...I´ve realized that even more this week...I feel so blessed to be here...God has definitely been speaking to me too and it has just been an awesome experience so far!
Monday, I got to spend the whole day with Taylor and Alex while their older brother and sister were working at the store they own here in town....We got to play football on the beach (Tab and Ellen´s house is right on the beach...I love it!)...and played cards and watched Happy Feet in English which the kids loved and was also good practice for them because they need to learn more English and I was able to translate a lot of it for them....The rest of the afternoon we were out and about running errands...I loved having them at the grocery store with me because they act like their my kids and people look at me funny because I´m so white with these adorable Mexican kids...it cracks me up! When we got home, Taylor and I went out and found shells together on the beach..He is precious...he kept finding them and giving them to me, telling me ¨This is a gift for you¨...it was precious....We all ate dinner together and as I was leaving to head to the women´s center (which is where I´m staying for the rest of the week), Alex said ¨Thank you so much for such a fun day¨...it was so sweet and then it hit me that they don´t normally have someone to just love on them and give them attention on a regular basis...their older brother and sister love them, but they´re busy with their store and other things and the kids don´t frequently have someone to take them places and do stuff with them...not that it was any sacrifice on my part...I loved spending the day with them...it was just as fun for me if not more fun...It was really neat to spend that time with them though...
Things at the women´s center have been great...Maria and Gregorio (the couple who run the center) are such an inspiration to me...they have such great hearts and are constantly praying and sharing about the Lord...Every morning they pray and someone preaches...so it has been great being a part of that this week and hearing Maria and Gregorio preach...God´s love really shines through them...Gregorio is always praying and fasting too...he was telling me yesterday ¨It´s not about what I say or preach...it´s all because of prayer and fasting...that´s my work here.¨He went on to tell me, ¨Yeah, I fasted yesterday and I probably will tomorrow too¨..it´s just such a normal part of his life...it´s so awesome...and he is always taking breaks to pray..that really challenged me...Maria also is amazing...she was telling me the other day when we had to take Reyna to the hospital (she´s the lady who just had the baby and we had to take the baby in for a vaccination), she was telling me how important it is to always be joyful and showing the love of Christ through your face and in the way you interact with people...and it´s so true...she doesn´t just say it, she really lives it...
Well, it´s been awesome this week too getting to know the ladies at the center more...They all have awesome stories and it´s just neat to see what God is doing in their lives and how they have changed because of His work in their lives...Wednesday, a new lady came to the center...she smelled like alcohol and was a mess...she told us she hadn´t eaten for a month because she had been afraid...she was in really bad shape and it was really sad, but we prayed for her and then Gregorio took her to the hospital later because she had multiple health things going on that she needed treatment for...
Well, one thing that I have come to learn over the years is that God has a plan in everything and that his timing is perfect...Maria´s sister and her kids are visiting right now and her nephew Daniel was recently diagnosed with childhood diabetes...but, he and his mom never really received much diabetes education and they still are feeling pretty unsure about some things and just needing some instruction....so, it was perfect because I used to teach new diabetics about diabetes at Phoenix Childrens...so, I´ve been helping them learn more about it this week...Sylvia, (Daniel´s mom) was crying the first night I stayed at the center because she was so frustrated over all the problems she´s had with Daniel this past month...but, throughout this week, we´ve been able to talk a lot about his insulin and his diet and she seems to be getting more comfortable with everything...one of my friends also picked up a diabetes handbook in spanish from my work for me so I can give it to them and go over it with them this weekend (she´ll be coming down tonight)...So, that was a total blessing and I know it was God´s timing...I let Daniel give me a saline injection in my leg today because he´s still afraid to do the injections himself..he did great with mine but was still afraid to give himself the injection after that..so, he´s taking baby steps, but it´s still gonna be awhile before he gets it all down...
Yesterday we got to take Maria´s family and some of the kids from the center, along with some of the ladies to the beach...it was a great day...the kids loved it and it was fun for me because they kept coming up to me and asking me how to swim...so, we had some little swimming lessons at the beach...even one of the ladies from the center asked me to teach her to swim...so, my 2 years on swim team came in handy after all! :) It´s been cool too because Maria´s daughter is here visiting this week too and isn´t really living her life all for God right now, so i´ve been able to hang out with her a lot and talk to her about different things and try to be a good influence on her...
Of course, I´ve been loving being at the women´s center too because I´m close with some of the little girls that live there...it has been a lot of fun this week playing with them and taking pictures with them (which they are always begging me to do lol)...they like to follow me out to the trailor that I´m staying in and wait there whenever I go in for something...then if I don´t come out right away, they start knocking on the door and calling my name...it´s precious....I have a handful of little puppie dogs following me around!
Well, I know I´ve said a lot despite the fact that a lot more has happened that would take way too long to write here...there´s one more thing I want to share though..Last month when we were down passing out bags of food, I met these four ladies Mati, Lupe, Rosario, and Elsa and got to share the gospel with them...they all prayed to receive Christ and we gave them Bibles...so, I invited them to the ladies´Bible study that we had on Wednesday night which they weren´t able to come to, but then we had a service at the church Maria and Gregorio attend last night and Lupe and Rosario were both able to come with me! It was so neat to be there with them...all of us were first timers to the church, so I wasn´t really sure what to expect, but the service was good and we all especially loved the worship songs...It was really neat too because I got to help them find different passages in their new Bibles during the service...that was really special for me...I was really excited that they were able to meet one of my friends from the ladies´Bible study and she came over and talked to them for awhile....so, hopefully they can get plugged in and continue to grow...I´m gonna try to bring them with me to the women´s Bible study and to church again next week!
Anyway, I am really loving everything down here...Before the group left last week, one of the girls asked me if I thought it would be hard being here all week alone before the next group came....But, I told her that I feel so at home in this place and in this culture...it´s like a second home to me...I´ve realized that even more this week...I feel so blessed to be here...God has definitely been speaking to me too and it has just been an awesome experience so far!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
God´s work in Rocky Point
Well, today our group from Love God Love People left....It was a really great group and we had an awesome week! In the last week, we were able to help out with some different construction projects at a center for children with special needs...it was great because I haven´t been able to do much construction this past year on our usual weekend trips since I am generally at the kids outreach instead....we got to put up drywall and do some mudding, sanding, and painting....it was a really great time of bonding with everyone...there were 4 guys and 4 girls during the week, so we all got really close...it was also really cool because the guys did a Bible study on Romans and the girls did a study in Philippians which was another awesome time of growing closer together...
Aside from the construction projects, we got to meet with Pastor Julio and some ladies from his church talking to them about their concerns for the youth in their church and in their community so that we can be more of a help than a hindrance in our ministry...It was really great to get on the same page and hear their hearts and pray together....
Another highlight of this past week for me was our beach day with the kids...we got to take a group of 18 kids to the beach just to spend time with them and get to know them better...they all loved it and we all paired up with a few kids to make sure everyone had someone with them...I was kind of surprised that even though they live here in Rocky Point and the beach is so close, so many of them didn´t even know how to swim...it´s crazy because they live really close but they don´t typically have the privilege of coming to the beach...I was kind of surprised that so many parents let their kids go with us even though many of them don´t even know us...but it was great that they did because we all had an awesome time! The kids really enjoyed it! We had a little obstacle course for them on the beach at the beginning and then we just all swam with them and played with some frisbees and balls and stuff like that in the water...It was awesome to see the kids really enjoying it and knowing that they were receiving the love and attention that they need and that many don´t always receive...
Yesterday was our big day with the whole group here....We had our monthly kids´outreach and I spoke on the story of creation...it was great because we got to do a whole skit and had some girls paint the kids´faces before the story, so they were the animals in the story of creation and also helped to hold up different props in the story...So, a lot of the kids got to be involved in the story this month and they all loved it...not to mention that they were all adorable!
In the afternoon, we did our monthly food distribution and gave out about 200 sacks of food...it was an interesting time for one of the vans, as it got stuck in the sand and was stuck for about an hour (I wasn´t there because I drove another group to a different area in my car)...then, one of the girls got a flat tire and when 2 of the guys were changing the tire later on that evening, the jack slipped underneath and the car fell, causing part of the frame to crack...so, there was definitely some spiritual warfare going on to say the least...But, everyone had great attitudes...later that night, I found out that my friend Phil had hit his finger really hard with a hammer...but, he was a good sport too...it was encouraging to see everyone´s great attitudes...
After all the different activities in the busy day yesterday, we had our ¨fiesta¨as we traditionally do at the women´s rehab center...it was great getting to see all the ladies..Shelley and I had spent some time with them earlier this week when we attended a baby shower for one of the ladies there (she actually had her baby 2 weeks ago, so they had to do it after the birth) so it was great to see all those ladies there...one of the younger girls named Lucia had shared her testimony with me at the shower, so it was neat to hear later that she had shared it with a few more of the other girls and to hear them talk about how it touched their hearts...she had previously been at the center for alcohol problems, but came this time because she was struggling with bulemia and anorexia and relationship problems...she has a great heart and it was awesome to hear and see all that God is doing in her life and how she knows now that she is a new creation in Christ (which is cool because the center is called New Creation) and how she doesn´t want to go back to her old life....
Last night, we had a campfire on the beach and debriefed the trip...it was a great time of reflection and of praise and worship too....everyone leaves tomorrow except for me, but I´m excited for what God has in store for me this week!
Aside from the construction projects, we got to meet with Pastor Julio and some ladies from his church talking to them about their concerns for the youth in their church and in their community so that we can be more of a help than a hindrance in our ministry...It was really great to get on the same page and hear their hearts and pray together....
Another highlight of this past week for me was our beach day with the kids...we got to take a group of 18 kids to the beach just to spend time with them and get to know them better...they all loved it and we all paired up with a few kids to make sure everyone had someone with them...I was kind of surprised that even though they live here in Rocky Point and the beach is so close, so many of them didn´t even know how to swim...it´s crazy because they live really close but they don´t typically have the privilege of coming to the beach...I was kind of surprised that so many parents let their kids go with us even though many of them don´t even know us...but it was great that they did because we all had an awesome time! The kids really enjoyed it! We had a little obstacle course for them on the beach at the beginning and then we just all swam with them and played with some frisbees and balls and stuff like that in the water...It was awesome to see the kids really enjoying it and knowing that they were receiving the love and attention that they need and that many don´t always receive...
Yesterday was our big day with the whole group here....We had our monthly kids´outreach and I spoke on the story of creation...it was great because we got to do a whole skit and had some girls paint the kids´faces before the story, so they were the animals in the story of creation and also helped to hold up different props in the story...So, a lot of the kids got to be involved in the story this month and they all loved it...not to mention that they were all adorable!
In the afternoon, we did our monthly food distribution and gave out about 200 sacks of food...it was an interesting time for one of the vans, as it got stuck in the sand and was stuck for about an hour (I wasn´t there because I drove another group to a different area in my car)...then, one of the girls got a flat tire and when 2 of the guys were changing the tire later on that evening, the jack slipped underneath and the car fell, causing part of the frame to crack...so, there was definitely some spiritual warfare going on to say the least...But, everyone had great attitudes...later that night, I found out that my friend Phil had hit his finger really hard with a hammer...but, he was a good sport too...it was encouraging to see everyone´s great attitudes...
After all the different activities in the busy day yesterday, we had our ¨fiesta¨as we traditionally do at the women´s rehab center...it was great getting to see all the ladies..Shelley and I had spent some time with them earlier this week when we attended a baby shower for one of the ladies there (she actually had her baby 2 weeks ago, so they had to do it after the birth) so it was great to see all those ladies there...one of the younger girls named Lucia had shared her testimony with me at the shower, so it was neat to hear later that she had shared it with a few more of the other girls and to hear them talk about how it touched their hearts...she had previously been at the center for alcohol problems, but came this time because she was struggling with bulemia and anorexia and relationship problems...she has a great heart and it was awesome to hear and see all that God is doing in her life and how she knows now that she is a new creation in Christ (which is cool because the center is called New Creation) and how she doesn´t want to go back to her old life....
Last night, we had a campfire on the beach and debriefed the trip...it was a great time of reflection and of praise and worship too....everyone leaves tomorrow except for me, but I´m excited for what God has in store for me this week!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Do we have to say goodbye?
Well, the last few days here at Agape have been so much fun. Friday, Kris and I got to teach the preschoolers...that was a lot of fun, and as you can imagine, a lot of work...35 little 4-year olds just brings a lot of energy...we had a great time though...Friday night, there was a fair in the next town and we got to go to that and take a few people from Agape...it was so cute. They even had a little ferris wheel that we got to ride...and I had my first experience eating fried scorpions! I'm not gonna lie...it was scary putting that thing in my mouth...even when they're dead they still look threatening...anyway, that was probably my first and last experience eating scorpion, but you're supposed to try everything at least once right?
The weekend was really busy, but also a lot of fun...Saturday, we got to go help the kids collect leaves (I know it sounds really funny doesn't itThey collect these huge leaves to use for the roofs...I've seen it in a lot of bamboo houses, but I hadn't seen the whole process before, so it was fun to be a part of everything with theleaves...Andrea and I thought it was really fun...the kids of course, thought we were crazy because to them it's hard work...but, it was awesome to see them all working so hard and workingtogether...they are really great kids...they didn't even complain.
Then, saturday afternoon, we got to play games with the kids and do some fun little crafts...the water games were especially fun because it has been so hot here lately...it feels like summer...Then, one of the girls came out to help me do my laundry like the girls always do (theyare such good helpers)...so we ended up having a water fight after we did the laundry and that was a lot of fun...and much needed in the heat...Later, Kris and I had a session with the kids on teeth andtaking care of their teeth...we were able to give them all new toothbrushes and toothpaste that a friendfrom church had donated for me to take, so they all loved that too!
Saturday night, I finally got to do my teaching session with the older kids (13 and up) and teachCPR...Several of the staff were able to be a part of that, so I was grateful for that..the kids seemed to really enjoy it...I made them all get partners (boys with boys and girls with girls of course...we didn't want it to turn into some matchmaking session) and they all did such a good job..no actual mouth-to-mouth of course...but, it was so much fun and I was so glad that the kids enjoy it.
Sunday, we got to go to a village for a special service for the King's sister (anyone who is royaltywho dies is mourned for over a period of 100 days...so all the teachers have been wearing black at school since I've been here...and there is some special service they're supposed to do, but it's Buddhist, so the Christians in the area decided to still honor her, but not to participate in all the Buddhist ceremonies and traditions)...it was basically just a church service with a special thing at the end for her...It was awesome that we got to visit the village though b/c I hadn't been into one of the churches in the smaller villages yet...we also met a girl from Norway at the service who has been working with YWAM in Thailand for 7 years...it was cool to hear her story and to listen to her speak theKaren language (the language spoken by the Karen tribe...which all the children at Agape can also speak).
So, today was my last day at Hoi Bong...Kris and I did our presentation on teeth and brushing your teeth...it was so much fun...we did a lot of interactive things, which they all loved...it was awesome too b/c at the end, we had enough time to sing a song with the kids...so, we sang "We are walking in the Light of God." Cru Dam, one of the teachers at the school, was translating for us and she told the kids what the song meant so they could understand...it's so cool b/c this is a public school and we are able to freely talk with the kids about Christ there...not only that, but Cru Dam is Buddhist and can be a bit hostile toward Christianityat times...but, she was right there with us singing along and doing the moves...it was a small step...we haveto keep praying that God changes her heart...
So, tonight was my last night at Agape...it was very hard for me...I got to share a short devotional with the kids and then they had this little ceremony where they put this necklace (that Pastor Winai's wife had made) around my neck and sang to me...one of the girls came up front to talk about me and thank me for coming....then they all gathered around me and after they finished singing to me, they prayed for me...it was so touching....I cried myeyes out...Then, at the end, they all lined up to give me hugs and tell me they loved me....We ended by celebrating the time we'd had together by having cookies and punch...it was a lot of fun...after that, we didn't have any more tears,but just took pictures and sang and played and had fun together...Later as I was packing in the room, some of the kidscame in to bring me cards and pictures they had made for me...Two of the boys also made me these really cool glass plaques It is very tedious work...Andrea said they have to cut each letter out with these knives...Sakchai, one of the boys who madeone for me, was working on his for over an hour and a half...it was really cute too b/c whenever i walked by (they were all working on stuff outside), he'd try to hide it so I didn't see it..It was really neat that he gave me that too because he is one of the children that I will be sponsoring when i go back home (If you want to sponsor a child, visit the Agape website: www.blesselca.org )..So, it was extra special to get that from him...
It has been so neat to form so many relationships with these kids...They are all so amazing and all so full of God's love...I will miss waking up every morning to the sound of their voices singing praises to God...I will miss the huge smiles that are always shining on their faces...I will miss their hugs and their "I love you's" every morning and every night...and of courseI will miss Thailand in general...It is a beautiful place with beautiful people...This has been such an incredible experiencefor me, but I know that it doesn't end here...I know that I will take these children with me in my heart and will continue to be a part of their lives in sponsorship and in prayer...And, I pray, that one day, and hopefully one day not too far off from now, I will be back here again...Because Agape is a place that really fulfills it's name...Agape means love and I have truly experienced love to the fullest in this place...
The weekend was really busy, but also a lot of fun...Saturday, we got to go help the kids collect leaves (I know it sounds really funny doesn't itThey collect these huge leaves to use for the roofs...I've seen it in a lot of bamboo houses, but I hadn't seen the whole process before, so it was fun to be a part of everything with theleaves...Andrea and I thought it was really fun...the kids of course, thought we were crazy because to them it's hard work...but, it was awesome to see them all working so hard and workingtogether...they are really great kids...they didn't even complain.
Then, saturday afternoon, we got to play games with the kids and do some fun little crafts...the water games were especially fun because it has been so hot here lately...it feels like summer...Then, one of the girls came out to help me do my laundry like the girls always do (theyare such good helpers)...so we ended up having a water fight after we did the laundry and that was a lot of fun...and much needed in the heat...Later, Kris and I had a session with the kids on teeth andtaking care of their teeth...we were able to give them all new toothbrushes and toothpaste that a friendfrom church had donated for me to take, so they all loved that too!
Saturday night, I finally got to do my teaching session with the older kids (13 and up) and teachCPR...Several of the staff were able to be a part of that, so I was grateful for that..the kids seemed to really enjoy it...I made them all get partners (boys with boys and girls with girls of course...we didn't want it to turn into some matchmaking session) and they all did such a good job..no actual mouth-to-mouth of course...but, it was so much fun and I was so glad that the kids enjoy it.
Sunday, we got to go to a village for a special service for the King's sister (anyone who is royaltywho dies is mourned for over a period of 100 days...so all the teachers have been wearing black at school since I've been here...and there is some special service they're supposed to do, but it's Buddhist, so the Christians in the area decided to still honor her, but not to participate in all the Buddhist ceremonies and traditions)...it was basically just a church service with a special thing at the end for her...It was awesome that we got to visit the village though b/c I hadn't been into one of the churches in the smaller villages yet...we also met a girl from Norway at the service who has been working with YWAM in Thailand for 7 years...it was cool to hear her story and to listen to her speak theKaren language (the language spoken by the Karen tribe...which all the children at Agape can also speak).
So, today was my last day at Hoi Bong...Kris and I did our presentation on teeth and brushing your teeth...it was so much fun...we did a lot of interactive things, which they all loved...it was awesome too b/c at the end, we had enough time to sing a song with the kids...so, we sang "We are walking in the Light of God." Cru Dam, one of the teachers at the school, was translating for us and she told the kids what the song meant so they could understand...it's so cool b/c this is a public school and we are able to freely talk with the kids about Christ there...not only that, but Cru Dam is Buddhist and can be a bit hostile toward Christianityat times...but, she was right there with us singing along and doing the moves...it was a small step...we haveto keep praying that God changes her heart...
So, tonight was my last night at Agape...it was very hard for me...I got to share a short devotional with the kids and then they had this little ceremony where they put this necklace (that Pastor Winai's wife had made) around my neck and sang to me...one of the girls came up front to talk about me and thank me for coming....then they all gathered around me and after they finished singing to me, they prayed for me...it was so touching....I cried myeyes out...Then, at the end, they all lined up to give me hugs and tell me they loved me....We ended by celebrating the time we'd had together by having cookies and punch...it was a lot of fun...after that, we didn't have any more tears,but just took pictures and sang and played and had fun together...Later as I was packing in the room, some of the kidscame in to bring me cards and pictures they had made for me...Two of the boys also made me these really cool glass plaques It is very tedious work...Andrea said they have to cut each letter out with these knives...Sakchai, one of the boys who madeone for me, was working on his for over an hour and a half...it was really cute too b/c whenever i walked by (they were all working on stuff outside), he'd try to hide it so I didn't see it..It was really neat that he gave me that too because he is one of the children that I will be sponsoring when i go back home (If you want to sponsor a child, visit the Agape website: www.blesselca.org )..So, it was extra special to get that from him...
It has been so neat to form so many relationships with these kids...They are all so amazing and all so full of God's love...I will miss waking up every morning to the sound of their voices singing praises to God...I will miss the huge smiles that are always shining on their faces...I will miss their hugs and their "I love you's" every morning and every night...and of courseI will miss Thailand in general...It is a beautiful place with beautiful people...This has been such an incredible experiencefor me, but I know that it doesn't end here...I know that I will take these children with me in my heart and will continue to be a part of their lives in sponsorship and in prayer...And, I pray, that one day, and hopefully one day not too far off from now, I will be back here again...Because Agape is a place that really fulfills it's name...Agape means love and I have truly experienced love to the fullest in this place...
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Reunion
Well, today was a great day...I think one of the biggest highlights of my trip was coming back to Agape tonight. As much as I loved the clinic and traveling around Northern Thailand, there is such a sense of home here at Agape. When I got back to Agape, I got so many hugs and just felt such a huge sense of overflowing love both frommy heart and from the hearts of these kids. They all kept giving me hugs and kisses and telling me how much they missed me. I don't even want to think about what goodbyes will be like when I leave to go back to the states. For now, I'm thankful to be back.
The clinics went really well and I got to see a beautiful part of the country. It was a little different kind of experience because I joined the team halfway through their trip (they went toLaos for a few days to do clinics there before meeting me for the Thailand clinics). Most of thegroup was older....50's to 70's...so it was definitely a different crowd...They had a lot of greatstories to share and a lot of wisdom to offer me, though, so it was neat to work with them and hearabout what God has taught them throughout their lives. I was amazed at Al, the oldest on the team. He was in his 70's, but you'd never guess because he is so sharp and so physically fit that he kept up with everyone else so well. It was fun talking with him because he was a missionary in Thailand for 20 years and then moved back to the states several years ago. So, he spoke Thai and told us abouta lot of his experiences in Thailand, which were really amazing.
Well, the place that we went to was beautiful. We were right on the Makong river and had a lot of patients who came over from Laos for the clinics. In just a few days, we treated over 200 patients. We were also able to share Christ with them and saw several people make decisions for Christ. I don't know the exact numbers, but God does and that's all that matters. There were several doctors there, so they didn't need me to treat patients (besides thefact that I've only been a "doctor" in Africa and I know that the American doctors know a lot more than I do), so I got to do the pharmacy stuff. I was mainly in charge of filling the prescriptions that the doctors wrote for and explaining the medicine to the patients (througha translator of course...my Thai isn't that good...yet :) So, we had 3 days of clinic up in the mountains in this village called Huay Jor and then headed back to Chiang Mai where the team headed out.
Kris and I spent an extra day in Chiang Mai to do some fun stuff and tour around. We went to thiselephant show that was really incredible where the elephants actually paint pictures and play dartsand do all kinds of crazy stuff...It was so fun to watch! I got my first hug from an elephant! They were such sweet animals! We also went to this place where you can watch the people make the umbrellasand fans...it's amazing all that goes into it...doing everything by hand...that was a lot of fun to see...it really blows my mind how hard the people here work and yet make so little money...it's reallysad, but it's awesome to be able to share Christ with them and to know that there is hope beyond this life...Someone made a really powerful statement to me one day...they said "For those who don't know Christ, this is the closest to heaven they'll ever get. But for those of us who know Christ, this is the closest to hell we'll ever get." Isn't that powerful to think of? These people spend their whole lives in hardship and suffering, just trying to make enough money to get by and many of them don't knowthe hope they can have in Christ to be in heaven for all eternity. That definitely gives me inspirationto share Christ more and more...whether in Thailand or Africa or America, people need Christ.
Well, anyway, that's my little sermon...I'm preaching to myself really...just processing everything right now...one other cool thing that happened in Chiang Mai was that I got to see the night market...it's hugeand it's really interesting to see all the different tourists from all over the place that go there....but,I was looking at some stuff at this little booth when I heard someone call my name and what do ya know, twoof the YWAM girls was standing there! It was so crazy! So, we all went to Starbucks to catch up...it was myfirst time to Starbucks in Thailand...we had a good view of the night market through the window...it was almostlike we were sitting in America looking out the window into another country...so crazy! Anyway, the rest of the YWAM girls were meeting there, so I got to see all of them and catch up a little before they had to head back. That was a fun little reunion.
So, today, Kris and I took our bus ride and came back to Mae Sot. It has been fun getting to know her as well, because she has been working in missions for 19 years and has so many amazing stories abouthow God has worked in her life and led her through some incredible times. It's so awesome to meet someone with that same heart to just travel and use her medical abilities as an open door to share the gospel in so many places. We have had some great talks and I'm excited to do ministry with her at Agape.
Tomorrow Kris will come with me to teach at the Hoi Bong school where I was teaching before I left for clinic. Then, this weekend we're gonna do some dental teaching for the kids at Agape and do some other fun games and crafts with them...we'll also do some CPR teaching for the staff and older kids. Then, monday, we will do some similar teaching at the school and tuesday I head out...it's so crazy how fast time has gone by! I don't feel ready to leave....But, Lord-willing, I will be back...I love Agape too much to not come back...
So, that's all for now...thanks again for your encouragement and prayers!
The clinics went really well and I got to see a beautiful part of the country. It was a little different kind of experience because I joined the team halfway through their trip (they went toLaos for a few days to do clinics there before meeting me for the Thailand clinics). Most of thegroup was older....50's to 70's...so it was definitely a different crowd...They had a lot of greatstories to share and a lot of wisdom to offer me, though, so it was neat to work with them and hearabout what God has taught them throughout their lives. I was amazed at Al, the oldest on the team. He was in his 70's, but you'd never guess because he is so sharp and so physically fit that he kept up with everyone else so well. It was fun talking with him because he was a missionary in Thailand for 20 years and then moved back to the states several years ago. So, he spoke Thai and told us abouta lot of his experiences in Thailand, which were really amazing.
Well, the place that we went to was beautiful. We were right on the Makong river and had a lot of patients who came over from Laos for the clinics. In just a few days, we treated over 200 patients. We were also able to share Christ with them and saw several people make decisions for Christ. I don't know the exact numbers, but God does and that's all that matters. There were several doctors there, so they didn't need me to treat patients (besides thefact that I've only been a "doctor" in Africa and I know that the American doctors know a lot more than I do), so I got to do the pharmacy stuff. I was mainly in charge of filling the prescriptions that the doctors wrote for and explaining the medicine to the patients (througha translator of course...my Thai isn't that good...yet :) So, we had 3 days of clinic up in the mountains in this village called Huay Jor and then headed back to Chiang Mai where the team headed out.
Kris and I spent an extra day in Chiang Mai to do some fun stuff and tour around. We went to thiselephant show that was really incredible where the elephants actually paint pictures and play dartsand do all kinds of crazy stuff...It was so fun to watch! I got my first hug from an elephant! They were such sweet animals! We also went to this place where you can watch the people make the umbrellasand fans...it's amazing all that goes into it...doing everything by hand...that was a lot of fun to see...it really blows my mind how hard the people here work and yet make so little money...it's reallysad, but it's awesome to be able to share Christ with them and to know that there is hope beyond this life...Someone made a really powerful statement to me one day...they said "For those who don't know Christ, this is the closest to heaven they'll ever get. But for those of us who know Christ, this is the closest to hell we'll ever get." Isn't that powerful to think of? These people spend their whole lives in hardship and suffering, just trying to make enough money to get by and many of them don't knowthe hope they can have in Christ to be in heaven for all eternity. That definitely gives me inspirationto share Christ more and more...whether in Thailand or Africa or America, people need Christ.
Well, anyway, that's my little sermon...I'm preaching to myself really...just processing everything right now...one other cool thing that happened in Chiang Mai was that I got to see the night market...it's hugeand it's really interesting to see all the different tourists from all over the place that go there....but,I was looking at some stuff at this little booth when I heard someone call my name and what do ya know, twoof the YWAM girls was standing there! It was so crazy! So, we all went to Starbucks to catch up...it was myfirst time to Starbucks in Thailand...we had a good view of the night market through the window...it was almostlike we were sitting in America looking out the window into another country...so crazy! Anyway, the rest of the YWAM girls were meeting there, so I got to see all of them and catch up a little before they had to head back. That was a fun little reunion.
So, today, Kris and I took our bus ride and came back to Mae Sot. It has been fun getting to know her as well, because she has been working in missions for 19 years and has so many amazing stories abouthow God has worked in her life and led her through some incredible times. It's so awesome to meet someone with that same heart to just travel and use her medical abilities as an open door to share the gospel in so many places. We have had some great talks and I'm excited to do ministry with her at Agape.
Tomorrow Kris will come with me to teach at the Hoi Bong school where I was teaching before I left for clinic. Then, this weekend we're gonna do some dental teaching for the kids at Agape and do some other fun games and crafts with them...we'll also do some CPR teaching for the staff and older kids. Then, monday, we will do some similar teaching at the school and tuesday I head out...it's so crazy how fast time has gone by! I don't feel ready to leave....But, Lord-willing, I will be back...I love Agape too much to not come back...
So, that's all for now...thanks again for your encouragement and prayers!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Cru Becca
Well, the weekend turned out to be a lot of fun! It was very busy, but we had a great time with the kids! Friday night, we took some of the kids out to dinner in Mae Sot. Then, we went to the Taiiwan cultural show. It was the craziest thing...we were at a Taiiwan cultural show held at the Chinese school in Thailand! Interesting combo, huh? The kids liked it though...then, we brought them back and let them watch High School Muscial 2 (I brought it with me from the states for Andrea b/c the kids requested it) and they were so excited about that! They don't get to watch tv or movies much, so it was a special treat for them!
Saturday, we got all the kids together and taught them some new Christian songs in English. We also played some games with them and we even taught them the electric slide and the macarana. They loved that! It was so much fun! Then, Saturday night, we had a missionary from a remote village come and visit us with a few friends that were here from the states and they gave a message to the kids. Then, Sunday night, the YWAM girls showed up. So, there really wasn't a dull moment!
This week has been a lot of fun being Cru Becca (Teacher Becca). The teachers gave me a Thai name the other day...they named me "Nam Peung," which means honey. I thought that was cute. I love getting names in other languages. It's fun! Anyway, this week has been great so far. Monday and Tuesday, I taught the preschoolers, who are actually more like kindergarteners. They don't have kindergarten here, so the kids go straight from preschool to first grade. The kids were very smart and I had fun teaching them songs and teaching them about colors and numbers and animals. I love that I can teach Christian songs at a public school and it's ok here. Then today I taught first grade. It was a lot of fun. I was able to teach some things that were a little more advanced than the preschool curriculum. I had a great time with them. Tomorrow, Andrea and I will go back to our team teaching at a school about an hour and a half from here. The school is kind of an outreach Andrea undertook awhile back. Then, Friday I leave for Chiang Mai to help out with the clinic. I am really looking forward to that!
Well, things have been going well with the YWAM group! The kids have really enjoyed their songs and skits and we have all enjoyed getting to know them. They went to the school where Andrea and I have been teaching (Hoi Bong) on Monday and did a program for the kids there. One skit was about how just reading your Bible or praying the right way doesn't make you a Christian and how you have to actually know Jesus personally. That was really neat. It is so great that there is such a strong Christian influence at the school. All the teachers there are Buddhist, not necessarily because they are so dedicated to Buddhism, but because it is just part of their culture and nearly everyone here just end up following that religion. It has been neat though because Andrea and I have lunch with several of the teachers nearly every day and they always have us pray before we eat and we just try to be a good, Christ-like example to them.
So, I was thinking today about how I have been in Thailand now for exactly 2 weeks…it's crazy…it has gone by so fast and yet I feel at the same time like I have been here forever. It's funny because when the YWAM girls first came, one of them asked me if I ever get homesick here…I was like "No, I don't…but, then I have Andrea with me"….then, when their leader found out I'd only been at Agape for a week when they first came, she was really surprised too…apparently I fit in really well here…I think part of it is also that I speak quite a bit of Thai (well, that's what they thought anyway...I don't think I speak that much)...I have been blessed to have the kids teach me a lot though...I guess I was just blessed to find my place here really fast...which is good because Agape just kind of feels like a second home to me now. It will be hard to leave when I do have to go…even the thought of being away from the kids for a week during my time in Chiang Mai is sad to me…they are just amazing kids!
Oh, one more thing….thank you for your prayers for me as I hadn't been feeling well…I finally got over the severe heartburn I was having and I'm feeling much better…the kids are getting over the malaria too….It has been great too because I've been able to play my role as the nurse here a little bit too with some minor injuries. I bandaged up a wound the other day when one of the boys gashed his knee and wrapped a girl's ankle last night after she injured herself playing sports. So, God has really answered that prayer of helping me find my place here in many ways. I am just loving it! Yesterday, the pastor's daughter and her husband told me I should extend my trip and stay longer…it is tempting, but it probably won't happen….I do have to say, though, Thailand is a place I don't think I could ever get sick of…it is so beautiful and the people are amazing!
Saturday, we got all the kids together and taught them some new Christian songs in English. We also played some games with them and we even taught them the electric slide and the macarana. They loved that! It was so much fun! Then, Saturday night, we had a missionary from a remote village come and visit us with a few friends that were here from the states and they gave a message to the kids. Then, Sunday night, the YWAM girls showed up. So, there really wasn't a dull moment!
This week has been a lot of fun being Cru Becca (Teacher Becca). The teachers gave me a Thai name the other day...they named me "Nam Peung," which means honey. I thought that was cute. I love getting names in other languages. It's fun! Anyway, this week has been great so far. Monday and Tuesday, I taught the preschoolers, who are actually more like kindergarteners. They don't have kindergarten here, so the kids go straight from preschool to first grade. The kids were very smart and I had fun teaching them songs and teaching them about colors and numbers and animals. I love that I can teach Christian songs at a public school and it's ok here. Then today I taught first grade. It was a lot of fun. I was able to teach some things that were a little more advanced than the preschool curriculum. I had a great time with them. Tomorrow, Andrea and I will go back to our team teaching at a school about an hour and a half from here. The school is kind of an outreach Andrea undertook awhile back. Then, Friday I leave for Chiang Mai to help out with the clinic. I am really looking forward to that!
Well, things have been going well with the YWAM group! The kids have really enjoyed their songs and skits and we have all enjoyed getting to know them. They went to the school where Andrea and I have been teaching (Hoi Bong) on Monday and did a program for the kids there. One skit was about how just reading your Bible or praying the right way doesn't make you a Christian and how you have to actually know Jesus personally. That was really neat. It is so great that there is such a strong Christian influence at the school. All the teachers there are Buddhist, not necessarily because they are so dedicated to Buddhism, but because it is just part of their culture and nearly everyone here just end up following that religion. It has been neat though because Andrea and I have lunch with several of the teachers nearly every day and they always have us pray before we eat and we just try to be a good, Christ-like example to them.
So, I was thinking today about how I have been in Thailand now for exactly 2 weeks…it's crazy…it has gone by so fast and yet I feel at the same time like I have been here forever. It's funny because when the YWAM girls first came, one of them asked me if I ever get homesick here…I was like "No, I don't…but, then I have Andrea with me"….then, when their leader found out I'd only been at Agape for a week when they first came, she was really surprised too…apparently I fit in really well here…I think part of it is also that I speak quite a bit of Thai (well, that's what they thought anyway...I don't think I speak that much)...I have been blessed to have the kids teach me a lot though...I guess I was just blessed to find my place here really fast...which is good because Agape just kind of feels like a second home to me now. It will be hard to leave when I do have to go…even the thought of being away from the kids for a week during my time in Chiang Mai is sad to me…they are just amazing kids!
Oh, one more thing….thank you for your prayers for me as I hadn't been feeling well…I finally got over the severe heartburn I was having and I'm feeling much better…the kids are getting over the malaria too….It has been great too because I've been able to play my role as the nurse here a little bit too with some minor injuries. I bandaged up a wound the other day when one of the boys gashed his knee and wrapped a girl's ankle last night after she injured herself playing sports. So, God has really answered that prayer of helping me find my place here in many ways. I am just loving it! Yesterday, the pastor's daughter and her husband told me I should extend my trip and stay longer…it is tempting, but it probably won't happen….I do have to say, though, Thailand is a place I don't think I could ever get sick of…it is so beautiful and the people are amazing!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Life at Agape
Well, I have to say that Thailand just keeps getting better and better. Every day, I just fall more in love with the children here. They are so precious. It didn't take long for them to warm up to me…after a day or two of being here, they started coming up to me to tell me they loved me and to get hugs…they are such cuddlers too…I love it! Every morning and every night, when we have worship, they all want to hold my hand or lean on my shoulder…it is so sweet…even the older girls do it…they are very affectionate here in Thailand and I just love it because I am the same way!
So, this past week, I got to go to school to do some team teaching with Andrea. We taught 4th-9th grade. It was a lot of fun and I was impressed with how well some of the older kids speak English…they still are far from fluent, but they are doing really well. It was fun teaching and getting to interact more with the kids at school since not all of them are from Agape. We also got to spend time with the teachers, as they really liked having lunch with us. I have to say…the cafeteria food in Thailand is better than any cafeteria food I've ever had! They are amazing cooks here and everything is so fresh! It was fun too because one of the teachers from the school had us over at her house last night, along with some of the other volunteers from Agape. They taught us how to cook Thai food…my favorite was learning to make papaya salad. But, Pi Ham, the teacher who was showing Andrea and I how to make it put 20 chilis in it (I only put four chilis in my first batch and it was still really spicy)…I only had one bite of her batch and I had to drink 8 glasses of water to make my mouth stop burning…Andrea and I were both dying. I guess we can't take it as much as they can since we're Americans and aren't used to it…We both had horrible heartburn all night and even today…so bad that I couldn't even eat breakfast because it hurt too much…I think I learned my lesson though…I wanted to prove I could be a tough American, but I just have to face the fact that I'm not Thai! It was still a fun experience having our little Thai cooking class though!
Yesterday, we were supposed to teach at a school that is about an hour and a half away, but the people who usually come to pick Andrea up never came. So, we ended up going with Pastor Winai to the refugee camp where his brother lives. There are about 80,000 refugees in Thailand because the Burmese people have persecuted the Karen people (they felt threatened by them apparently since there were so many) to the point where they have given them no choice but to leave the country. So, Pastor Winai has a brother that lives in the camp and we got to visit him. It is really crazy how the camps are set up. There is one bamboo house after another. A lot of them use their front porch as their little market to set things up and then sell them. The people who live there cannot leave the camp unless they get special permission, so they are basically stuck there. The camp is pretty big, but they can rarely, if ever, get outside of that place.
After visiting Pastor's brother, a friend of his named Solo took us to see the school within the camp. The principal there asked us to speak with the students there, so we got to practice English with them and had them answer some questions in English…it was really fun. They were all college students, so it was nice to do a little teaching for people closer to our age.
Anyway, I have had some really great experiences already and I'm excited about all that's still to come. I have really been bonding with the kids. One of my favorite things to do is run with the kids. We have made it a daily thing. The kids are so amazing. This one little boy named Paradon is only about 5 years old and runs faster than anyone else…and he runs barefoot! He never gets tired either…it's incredible. I don't think that all the kids who go running with us all really enjoy running…but, it's an opportunity for them to spend time with us, so they choose to come along anyway. It's really sweet.
Well, this weekend we will be taking the kids to this cultural show at the school. Tonight we are watching High School Musical 2 with them (I brought it for Andrea) and they are so excited! They always talk about High School Musical even though I think they've only seen it once…they hardly ever get to watch tv or movies, so it's a special treat.
Sunday, we have a group from YWAM coming to join us for about a week to do some special activities with the kids, so that should be fun. I'm really excited and I know the kids are too. It will be fun to have some more Americans around to speak English with. I do have to say, though, my Thai is coming along. I came here only knowing to say hello and I have learned a lot in the last week. The kids are great at teaching me.
Well, I have many stories to share, but I'll stop here. Pra jiou oi pon (God bless you)!
So, this past week, I got to go to school to do some team teaching with Andrea. We taught 4th-9th grade. It was a lot of fun and I was impressed with how well some of the older kids speak English…they still are far from fluent, but they are doing really well. It was fun teaching and getting to interact more with the kids at school since not all of them are from Agape. We also got to spend time with the teachers, as they really liked having lunch with us. I have to say…the cafeteria food in Thailand is better than any cafeteria food I've ever had! They are amazing cooks here and everything is so fresh! It was fun too because one of the teachers from the school had us over at her house last night, along with some of the other volunteers from Agape. They taught us how to cook Thai food…my favorite was learning to make papaya salad. But, Pi Ham, the teacher who was showing Andrea and I how to make it put 20 chilis in it (I only put four chilis in my first batch and it was still really spicy)…I only had one bite of her batch and I had to drink 8 glasses of water to make my mouth stop burning…Andrea and I were both dying. I guess we can't take it as much as they can since we're Americans and aren't used to it…We both had horrible heartburn all night and even today…so bad that I couldn't even eat breakfast because it hurt too much…I think I learned my lesson though…I wanted to prove I could be a tough American, but I just have to face the fact that I'm not Thai! It was still a fun experience having our little Thai cooking class though!
Yesterday, we were supposed to teach at a school that is about an hour and a half away, but the people who usually come to pick Andrea up never came. So, we ended up going with Pastor Winai to the refugee camp where his brother lives. There are about 80,000 refugees in Thailand because the Burmese people have persecuted the Karen people (they felt threatened by them apparently since there were so many) to the point where they have given them no choice but to leave the country. So, Pastor Winai has a brother that lives in the camp and we got to visit him. It is really crazy how the camps are set up. There is one bamboo house after another. A lot of them use their front porch as their little market to set things up and then sell them. The people who live there cannot leave the camp unless they get special permission, so they are basically stuck there. The camp is pretty big, but they can rarely, if ever, get outside of that place.
After visiting Pastor's brother, a friend of his named Solo took us to see the school within the camp. The principal there asked us to speak with the students there, so we got to practice English with them and had them answer some questions in English…it was really fun. They were all college students, so it was nice to do a little teaching for people closer to our age.
Anyway, I have had some really great experiences already and I'm excited about all that's still to come. I have really been bonding with the kids. One of my favorite things to do is run with the kids. We have made it a daily thing. The kids are so amazing. This one little boy named Paradon is only about 5 years old and runs faster than anyone else…and he runs barefoot! He never gets tired either…it's incredible. I don't think that all the kids who go running with us all really enjoy running…but, it's an opportunity for them to spend time with us, so they choose to come along anyway. It's really sweet.
Well, this weekend we will be taking the kids to this cultural show at the school. Tonight we are watching High School Musical 2 with them (I brought it for Andrea) and they are so excited! They always talk about High School Musical even though I think they've only seen it once…they hardly ever get to watch tv or movies, so it's a special treat.
Sunday, we have a group from YWAM coming to join us for about a week to do some special activities with the kids, so that should be fun. I'm really excited and I know the kids are too. It will be fun to have some more Americans around to speak English with. I do have to say, though, my Thai is coming along. I came here only knowing to say hello and I have learned a lot in the last week. The kids are great at teaching me.
Well, I have many stories to share, but I'll stop here. Pra jiou oi pon (God bless you)!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Loving Thailand
Sawatdee ka (Hello in Thai)! Well, I arrived in Bangkok on Thursday and finally made it to Mae Sot yesterday...The first few days in Bangkok were just for fun and relaxation…Andrea was just coming back from a trip to a rural village, so it was good for her to have a little break before getting back to Agape…I also really enjoyed being able to tour around Bangkok. Andrea and I got to see a few tourist attractions in Bangkok and spent a lot of time just catching up. Then, we took a bus to a town called Pattaya on Saturday and went to the beach. It is very tropical here so the weather was perfect for swimming. It’s funny because there were so many tourists there, but very few of them spoke English. Most of the tourists come from other parts of Asia or from Europe. Sex trafficking is very common in the big cities and we saw a lot of that in Pattaya and a little in Bangkok as well. It was so sad to see some of these girls. You can tell they’re not happy and their eyes are so full of desperation and sadness. The people here really need Christ.
I haven’t had any culture shock yet….although there have been some experiences that have taken me out of my comfort zone…When we were in Bangkok, Andrea and I had to take motorcycle taxis…you just jump on the back of a motorcycle with a guy you don’t know and tell him where you want to go. So, Andrea and I had to take separate taxis and I knew about 2 or 3 words in Thai at the time…So, I get on with this guy and he is driving really fast and weaving in and out of traffic, in between and around all the cars…I kind of just wanted to close my eyes and not watch…they drive pretty crazy here…besides the fact that I didn’t even have a helmet on. Finally, about halfway through the ride, some guy on another motorcycle said something to him in Thai, apparently telling him to give me a helmet…So, he reached into this basket and got a helmet out…all that time, he had been holding out on me…I felt a little better after I had a helmet on though…I have to admit that I always get mad when I see people ride motorcycles in America without helmets on…then, I do it in Thailand…well, I guess sometimes you just know things are gonna be different in a foreign country and you just have to go with the flow…I have to say though, I was definitely praying during the ride…it was pretty scary…It was fun too though….a little bit of a rush I guess…kind of like riding a rollercoaster….Afterward, I almost wanted to do it all over again J
Well, yesterday (Sunday), we took an 8 hour bus ride from Bangkok to Mae Sot. We got to Agape Children’s Home in the evening and all the kids were so excited to see Andrea. I can tell she’s really been able to build some great relationships here and I’m praying that I can get to know a lot of the kids on the same level. My Thai definitely isn’t as good as Andrea’s, but I am learning more and more every day.
After we arrived in Mae Sot, Andrea introduced me to a bunch of the kids and I got to take a tour of Agape. Later, Pong, one of the girls asked if we would come with her to the hospital because she wanted to visit her brother there. We also had to take one of the children from Agape because he was sick. It turned out he had malaria, but thankfully we were able to get medicine for him at the hospital. We had a good time visiting Pong’s little brother. He had been injured in a pretty intense game of soccer. I thought it was interesting to tour around the hospital and compare it to the hospitals in the states. The nursing care seemed to actually be pretty good. It’s definitely not as clean as American hospitals though. One thing that I thought was funny is that everywhere you go in Thailand, you have to take your shoes off when you go into a building. So, everyone takes their shoes off when they walk into the hospital. I’ve never walked around a hospital barefoot before, but thankfully it was pretty clean and there weren’t any needles on the floor or anything…We got to talk to some of the other patients and their families…Well, Andrea talked and I said a few words and just smiled the rest of the time…It’s even harder up north because the people speak both Thai and Karen. So, now I have to learn words in two different languages. I really like learning new languages though and the people are so helpful. The kids love to speak English to me and I try to talk to them in Thai a little bit.
Well, today we got up early for worship. It’s so cool to watch the children all huddled together early in the morning singing worship songs in Karen and praying in their native language. Today was our day to get settled in and make plans for our English lessons at the school this week. I am planning on teaching with Andrea in the school this week and also possibly doing some English lessons for the staff.
Well, that’s all for now. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. It has already been such an adventure and I’m excited for all that God still has in store!
I haven’t had any culture shock yet….although there have been some experiences that have taken me out of my comfort zone…When we were in Bangkok, Andrea and I had to take motorcycle taxis…you just jump on the back of a motorcycle with a guy you don’t know and tell him where you want to go. So, Andrea and I had to take separate taxis and I knew about 2 or 3 words in Thai at the time…So, I get on with this guy and he is driving really fast and weaving in and out of traffic, in between and around all the cars…I kind of just wanted to close my eyes and not watch…they drive pretty crazy here…besides the fact that I didn’t even have a helmet on. Finally, about halfway through the ride, some guy on another motorcycle said something to him in Thai, apparently telling him to give me a helmet…So, he reached into this basket and got a helmet out…all that time, he had been holding out on me…I felt a little better after I had a helmet on though…I have to admit that I always get mad when I see people ride motorcycles in America without helmets on…then, I do it in Thailand…well, I guess sometimes you just know things are gonna be different in a foreign country and you just have to go with the flow…I have to say though, I was definitely praying during the ride…it was pretty scary…It was fun too though….a little bit of a rush I guess…kind of like riding a rollercoaster….Afterward, I almost wanted to do it all over again J
Well, yesterday (Sunday), we took an 8 hour bus ride from Bangkok to Mae Sot. We got to Agape Children’s Home in the evening and all the kids were so excited to see Andrea. I can tell she’s really been able to build some great relationships here and I’m praying that I can get to know a lot of the kids on the same level. My Thai definitely isn’t as good as Andrea’s, but I am learning more and more every day.
After we arrived in Mae Sot, Andrea introduced me to a bunch of the kids and I got to take a tour of Agape. Later, Pong, one of the girls asked if we would come with her to the hospital because she wanted to visit her brother there. We also had to take one of the children from Agape because he was sick. It turned out he had malaria, but thankfully we were able to get medicine for him at the hospital. We had a good time visiting Pong’s little brother. He had been injured in a pretty intense game of soccer. I thought it was interesting to tour around the hospital and compare it to the hospitals in the states. The nursing care seemed to actually be pretty good. It’s definitely not as clean as American hospitals though. One thing that I thought was funny is that everywhere you go in Thailand, you have to take your shoes off when you go into a building. So, everyone takes their shoes off when they walk into the hospital. I’ve never walked around a hospital barefoot before, but thankfully it was pretty clean and there weren’t any needles on the floor or anything…We got to talk to some of the other patients and their families…Well, Andrea talked and I said a few words and just smiled the rest of the time…It’s even harder up north because the people speak both Thai and Karen. So, now I have to learn words in two different languages. I really like learning new languages though and the people are so helpful. The kids love to speak English to me and I try to talk to them in Thai a little bit.
Well, today we got up early for worship. It’s so cool to watch the children all huddled together early in the morning singing worship songs in Karen and praying in their native language. Today was our day to get settled in and make plans for our English lessons at the school this week. I am planning on teaching with Andrea in the school this week and also possibly doing some English lessons for the staff.
Well, that’s all for now. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. It has already been such an adventure and I’m excited for all that God still has in store!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
God decides to send me on another adventure
Well, many of you were probably initially surprised to hear that I was gonna be going to Thailand as it kind of came up out of the blue....So, before my adventure begins, I wanted to tell the story of how God led me to this trip in the first place...
After returning from Kenya in October, I began to pray about some important decisions I needed to make at the end of the year....I had already been considering leaving my job at Phoenix Children's at the end to begin a travel nursing job within the United States...but, in between ending my job and beginning a travel assignment, I knew I would have a break and so I wanted to take a trip to Latin America that my friend and I had been trying to plan since the summer...
When I was in Kenya, one of the nurses on the trip had told me about her friend Kris who was also a nurse and was very involved in missions....she suggested that I email her when I got back from my trip because I had talked about going to Latin America and she thought Kris might be there when I was going down....This will be important later...
So, I got back from Kenya and found out about a week later that my trip to Latin America with my friend wasn't going to work out because she had some changes in her plans that prevented her from being able to take the trip with me....So, I was really bummed out about that because I always wanted to backpack around Latin America...
I started looking into a few different things I could do in January, but nothing really seemed to fit...I just didn't have peace about all these different options I was looking into....I was praying but didn't seem to get any answers....
About a week later, I started to notice that all of a sudden, I seemed to be hearing about Thailand wherever I went...I had 4 different people talk to me about Thailand in a variety of different settings...the people didn't know each other and had all been there for different reasons...I thought it was really strange that within a few days, I had heard from these 4 people about their experiences in Thailand...I thought maybe God was trying to get my attention and show me that He wanted me to go there...In this same few days, I had gotten sick and had to go to the Urgent Care...as I was sitting in the exam room waiting for the doctor, I looked up at the wall and saw a picture of a Thai boy...underneath the picture it said "THAILAND" really big....I thought that was an odd picture to have in an urgent care room...So, I was like "Lord, this is strange...are you trying to tell me something?"
3 days later, I got an email from Kris, my friend's missionary friend...I had emailed her about 2 weeks before and hadn't heard back, so I had kind of just given up on that and didn't expect to hear back....well, it turned out she had just gotten back from Africa....she emailed me to tell me that she was going on another trip in January if I wanted to go....and of all places, where do you think the trip was? Thailand!
So, that's kind of how God led me to this trip...I had prayed that God would make it really clear and He definitely did...I guess I'm kind of like Gideon and just needed a sign to confirm God's calling....I know He doesn't always work that way, but I was grateful that He showed me so clearly!
Ever since Kris told me about this trip, things have fallen into place...one thing after another.... God definitely just put everything right into my lap and was so gracious to me...
So, now I'm heading out to Thailand in a couple of days...I will be spending the first couple of weeks teaching English at an orphanage called Agape Children's Home in a town called Mae Sot...Then I will head to another town called Chiang Mai for a medical clinic....after the clinic, Kris and I will head back to the orphanage...She and I will be teaching CPR and some other medical basics to the people who work in the orphanage...
Well, that's the story...please keep me in your prayers...God is good and I know He will continue to be faithful to me...
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