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.

Day 2.

So I arrived really on Tuesday, but Wednesday here was my first FULL day. I'll give you a pretty special day, mostly b/c it was my roommate Danielle's Birthday.

1. Got up, had a nice cool shower, was picked up and got to school around 9. Got my room key!Had a few meetings, ate lunch, set up my room a little bit, got my class schedule figured out and did a bit of work. The school is actually an old hotel, so it's a perfect set-up. Here's my classroom (and rad principal). Leave your shoes at the door! (I know Candace is jealous...I teach barefoot).

2. After school, we went bowling (courtesy of our beautiful principal, Ruth). The bowling alley was actually nicer than all the ones I've been to in the states. The best part was that they had attendants, so if there was something wrong with the computer, they were right there to fix it.

3. After bowling, we went to a Mexican Restaurant...here's a pic of "Kae's Burritto Casa" The sweetest woman on earth runs it. She's Thai, but evidently her last ex-husband and her ran a Mexican Restaurant in like Nevada or something. Her and her cute puppy cocoa.

4. THEN after dinner, I had a new experience...a Thai Massage (courtesy of my Department Head/Everything Director, Vickie) For 2 hours, it was only 200 Baht...like $6 or $7. You wear pajamas and they take care of the rest.

Lots of fun and new experiences, and I know I've only been here a couple days, but I'm really praying hard for friendships with Thai people, believers and not.

Sawat dee kaa -j

beautiful whirl-wind.

I'm taking a little break in my lesson-planning to update this blog :) So, let me tell you how awesome God is.
1. Training was fantastic. I arrived in Seattle on Aug 20 and we spent that day and the next 2 getting to know the home office there and the fantastic office staff. We got to bless them a couple days by helping them with a little bit of work there around the office. I can confidently say I'm a master envelope folder now :)
2. Wednesday after work we went out to "the Homestead" about 45 minutes outside of town. Beautiful Christian retreat center, complete with rope swing. We went through some training sessions out there, played around, went paddling, etc and on
3. Friday night we went to a fellowship for International students and "led worship" :) Saturday we had a lunch and a couple Thai guys came and picked up Aime'e and I. We spent the next couple days in the home of Pastor JR, Merinda, his wife, and sweet baby Jada. They also have 3 girls and 3 boys staying with them. Vicky was one of the girls, sweetest friend ever, so helpful.
4. Sunday night I left around 12AM. WELL, it just so happened that one of the guys from that house, Chane, was on the same flights with me from Seattle to Taipei and to Bangkok. It was SUCH an incredible blessing to have 1. someone to travel with, 2. someone who knew the language. Thanks for the love, God.
5. Tuesday at 2 I caught a flight in Bangkok to Chiang Rai, alone and was greeted by 5 or 6 of the folks from the FLC. That afternoon, we just chilled out and I got to unpack and we went to the market for dinner.

my traveling companion.

Meet Ice E. Bear, my travel companion. He was an awesome gift from the coolest u-13 girls' soccer team ever - LCSC Ice. He even has his shirt tucked in, like I always asked my players to do! I miss that team so much, but Ice E. is coming along, as well as the 15 hearts they put in him for the 15 players I think the world of. If they can't come with me, this is the next best thing. Where will Ice E. be next?

29 days...

my visa

If you were wondering what a visa to Thailand looks like - there it is! It came in the mail today. I had to send my passport off, with some other info and they sent it back stamped and signed :) I sent that little guy off Monday and he made his way all the way to the Royal Thai Consulate General's office in Portland, Oregon and back by Saturday! If only I could get there that quick! :)

30 days...

36 days.

That's the amount of time I have here in South Carolina until I leave! yay! :)



I took some pictures of the Thai dessert that I made my parents for Father's day back in June. It had Jasmine Rice (what you get at Chinese restaurants) and coconut milk and coconut cream maybe, but it didn't really taste like coconut. VeRy tasty :)

I've been talking to the Director of the school and the missionary I'll be working with and the sender here in the states and it just gets me sooooo pumped. I've bought my ticket, I'm applying for my visa, and everything's becoming real.

Pete - the director of the Luke 10 program said something that has really resonated with me. He said our focus right now has to be on our relationship with the Lord, b/c everything around us will be changing, but God is not changing, and we need to cling to that.

If I keep working 6 more weeks, by my estimates, I should still be about $1500 short right now with my support, which is great, 1 more yard sale, selling my t-shirts, and people allowing God to provide through them - we're set. If you'd like to get a shirt or be one of those people - there's a link over on the right.