Mom, please send pants.

Well here's a funny little anecdote...

Couple things you should know before the story.

1. The Super-highway is a 6-lane road that runs all the way through town with some stoplights and the speed limit is around 50 mph. People sit along the road at restaurants, selling fruit, sitting outside shops, whatever.
2. I was commenting to my roommates this morning about how I felt like I may have gained weight...and blamed the rice. (haha)

In the middle of the church service, they release the kids to go to a "Children's Church" much like in the US. Well, as I was getting up to go help my friend with the Children's Church and I bent over to grab my Bible on the floor. RIIIIIPP. It wasn't loud, (I don't think) but I felt it...yes, my pants had ripped in the back down the seam. Thankfully my wonderful roommate Stefanie covered the kids thing for me...but I sat in my chair thinking..."well Jess, now what are you going to do?" The best plan I could think of was to leave while everyone's attention was diverted and then, stop eating rice. So I slip out of church with the bulletin covering my rear end, no idea how bad the damage was and begin the journey home. Well, a big hole in your pants is embarassing in any country really, but even more so when your only mode of transportation is your feet and the only road home is the Super-Highway. So I begin my walk home, 2 miles down the Super-Highway with a church bulletin covering my rear, holding my head up, pretending like in America there was the SLIGHTEST chance this could be normal and thinking about how funny of a blog post this would be. I didn't dare look back to see the amusement I had brought to the many, many Thai people I walked past. Don't worry, I made it home safe and I'll be cutting back on the rice. Here's a picture of the pants.

I hope you got as big of a laugh out of this as I did, and please keep praying for me. My next post is going to be a lot deeper and tell you some areas that you can really pray for me. Love y'all!

School Dance.

Tonight was the first school dance. The theme was "Hollywood" and kindergarten through Seniors were there. My roommates and I were totally uncreative, and didn't really dress up (boo!...I know) The kids' outfits were awesome though. There was Jack Sparrow and Shrek's wife, Sam Wise, Napleon Dynamite and 3 Spidermans!

It was a typical dance...minus Boyz 2 Men...but yes, I'll still classify it as a dance. The kids had a swing dance class last year, so when that music came on, they amazed me with their dancing abilities.

This is how we roll in Thailand. On the way to the dance I was sitting back here trying to hold an umbrella with 6 other people b/c it was raining.

Jesus is cool quote of the day: For everyone who exhalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exhalted. -Luke 14:11

Thai words of the day: yaanlop - eraser, paakaa - pen, dinsaa - pencil

month one.

Alright, so I've been here one month officially today. Time to reflect.

The People.

The Thai people are so beautiful, I like making them smile :) My heart breaks when I walk down the street and think 99% of the people I pass don't know the beauty of Christ. Sometimes I get frustrated at the idea that I can't communicate it to them, but I really just have peace that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be and that God is still at work by my presence. So I pray for them and flash a smile :)

The farang (foreigners) I work with are phenomenal. Let's see if I can name all the countries represented by my co-workers, students and friends...France, Lithuania, Holland, India, Switzerland, China, England, Germany, US, Laos, Australia, I'm sure there's more I can't think of at the moment. Pretty neat, how people can come together and work for Christ. The kids are so much fun to be around and so beautiful. Their parents are wonderful as well...the work they're doing for the Lord here is incredible. Starting orphanages, helping the gospel spread,

My roommates are perfect. Stefanie from Colorado is super-caring, warm, funny and friendly.

Damaris (Acts 17:34) from Germany is super-independent, rides her bike when it's pouring, works super-hard at everything she does and makes me laugh when she does her "American" accent. She says we talk like we have a potato in our throat. hahaha!

Phet means "diamond" in Thai and she is exactly that. She is so beautiful, selfless, funny and wants to meet "a man from France who is at least 180 cm and 7 years older" than her.

boys.

We had another rainy night last night and PE today. So, imagine...the "field" from my previous blog + 12 hours of steady rain + 20 middle and high school boys = this.

Jesus is cool quote of the day: Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt 6:21

Thai Word of the day: naam - water

bucket ball.

First, I just want to start off by saying THANK YOU, (especially to Shari) for giving me a little kick on updating this blog, I may need that from time to time. Also, THANK YOU for just taking time out of your day to read about what's up in Chiang Rai :)
I'm helping with the PE class on Tuesdays and Thursdays and this was what they played on Tuesday. It's a very fun game for the resourceful (aka MK's) when you don't always have sports equipment like a basketball goal, court, field or...anything really. At first, I was a little confused...but here are the rules (very similar to ultimate frisbee). You move up and down the "field" (shown here) and try to throw the ball to your teammates.

When you catch the ball, you can't take any steps and you're trying to shoot and score on the "goal". The "goal" if you notice is a girl standing on a plastic stool holding a basket.

They didn't complain or fight, and no one kept track of the score...they just played hard and had fun :) The kids here are so awesome, I'm really enjoying getting to know them.

I'm starting to help with youth group on Tuesday nights, it's wonderful to see youth really wanting to learn more from the Bible. There are also aspects of sterotypical middle and high school, same drama (she likes HIM!?!) maybe without the drugs and violence. :)

Jesus is cool quote of the day: Matthew 10:39 Whoever finds his life for me will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Lately I've been thinking about this idea. If you saw the movie "V for Vendetta" you probably have a good idea what I'm talking about. The point that we can't truly live until we're not afraid to die. What if it's true, what if we can't really be free to live for Jesus until we're not scared of the idea of dying to ourselves. Just a thought...

My INCREDIBLE friend/teammate Rene' who's spending a couple years in Nigeria has a blog - http://www.renemarshall.blogspot.com/ where she puts a word she's learned there up everyday, I think I'm going to include that as well b/c I'm taking Thai classes 3 days a week and learning a ton! Some words aren't going to be exact though, b/c they have like 32947 vowels.

Thai Word of the day: thuay - coffee cup

holiday flood.

Today school was released @ lunch time b/c we had a VERY heavy rain last night and about 75% of the campus was flooded. Walking through the puddles isn't that big of a deal...unless your electricity is all underground! Here are a few pictures of the parking lot.

Jesus is RaD quote of the day - "Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe." - Mark 5:36

Rasta

This is seriously the cutest dog on earth. He lives in our neighborhood and I named him Rasta, b/c he looks so Rastafarian. :)

holiday fever.

So I woke up Wednesday morning feeling a little warmer than the normal 90 degree temperature we normally wake up to, and a little ache-ier than the usual stiffness from the Thai mattresses. I looked at the picture of me holding that big snake...thought about how tough I was and I went to school...and was quickly talked into going back home. I thought an afternoon of rest would kick the little bug and I'd be back at it the next day. I was treated so kindly by Ellen and Julie, giving me vitamins and treats to help me bounce back. My roommates get home with the good news that there was no school the next day (Thursday) b/c we have an electrical problem. So, I got an extra day of rest.

Thursday I expected to jump out of bed, but I felt worse. Said goodbye to Danielle :( and headed back to bed...watched movies all day and took my temperature late afternoon and it was like 38.8 C - almost 102 F and decided we should go check with Cindy, our wonderful FLC nurse/neighbor who by the Grace of God had some medicine from a Dr. supporter. Well, it was strong and kicked that sinus infection right out before it invaded my brain :) yay!

The point of all this was just to show how God really plans out how he's going to take care of you, before you even get sick. Danielle was still there to be my sub, Ruth allowed me to go home, Ellen was at the school and so sweet and gave me a ride home and treats to help me feel better, Stephanie was awesome and so nice and caring to me and Cindy was literally right around the corner, armed and so willing to help :)

"Jesus is Cool" quote of the day: "Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!" Luke 12:24

This is a little bird we were feeding in the Akha village. Sometimes God uses others to make sure we get all our needs :)

pic of the day.

In the green shirt is my roommate, Stephanie, playing frogger. I'm not in the picture b/c i chose the crosswalk b/c it's safer. (that's for you, Ma) So, the rule of driving here is that bigger is better. Motor bikes yield to tuk-tuks, b/c they're slightly larger, tuk-tuks yield to cars, cars to trucks and everyone will slow down for a double decker tour bus. In the picture you can see a motorbike with a food stand attached to it. Which poses another question...can you be late to work if your job is attached to your moped?

"Jesus is Cool" verse of the day: The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me' Matt 25:40

Phet's Birthday!

Thursday the 13th was our roommate Phet's birthday! That girl spent the ENTIRE day cooking a birthday feast. She was in the kitchen from 9 AM until 7 PM straight. Here's a picture of her with the spread and her lovely friends behind her. Phet is the kindergarten teacher at school, runs this house, and is just all around awesome. We'd be lost without her, for sure... I love the way she covers her mouth when she laughs, screams when she sees worms, loves kids, winks at you, is always willing to help, how she appreciates the white flowers on the road we walk to the market, always has her pink umbrella, and lets me be her "helper" when she can't finish her piece of cake :)

"Jesus is Cool" quote of the day - 'If you can'? (psh!) said Jesus "Everything is possible for him who believes. - Mark 9:23

a full week.

I'll start with last weekend, b/c i was waiting for some pictures before I posted from that day...

Danielle, Stefanie and I took about an hour long boat ride and rode elephants! It was awesome! Afterward, we ate lunch and I held a Reticulated Python (mostly just to show my brother and to intimidate my roommates). Then we headed home.

Then, this past week was my first week of school. My schedule is like this...1st Period M,W,F - Thai Language Classes. Tu- Worship, Th - Chemistry Lab, 2nd period - planning, 3rd period - Algebra 1, 4th - Science 6, 5th - Science 7, Lunch, :) 6th - Advanced Math (this is more of me just watching them so I can take over a Biology class this spring) and 7th - MWF - Chemistry, Tu/Th - PE!

I was really challenged the first week b/c in addition to trying to adjust to the Thai culture, I was a little uneasy planning for my classes. In the states, you're handed a set of standards that you are held responsible for the children learning. Here, it's more just - "here's a book". Also, I'm teaching the children of some parents who have AWESOME stories and are AMAZING things on the mission field. That can be a little intimidating as well. Really though, its been so wonderful getting to know the kids though and remembering how fun 6th graders can be.

This weekend, our principal took us on a tour of the north. We saw a wall built around 1200 AD, the Golden Triangle (where Burma, Laos and Thailand meet) the Mekong River, the Mae Fae Laung Gardens and stayed the night in an Akha Hilltribe Village. We played games with the kids Saturday night and joined them for church on Sunday morning.

God has been blessing me like crazy here and everyday I'm more thankful that He has allowed me to serve Him here.