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.

the Yard Sale

I'll be updating this more when I'm in Thailand, promise.

Yesterday, June 9 from 8 AM to 1 PM I was having a yard sale at the Salvation Army Church on Irmo Drive to raise support. It was a beautiful, sunny day (I have the pink shoulders to prove it :) When all was said and done, a little over $1,400 dollars was raised!!!

I'm infinitely thankful to the people who helped, it was mostly my parents and their awesome friends...the generous and loving Jim and Jan Buck, the fantastic and sincere Henry and Sherri Johnson, the ever-entertaining Charles Ayer, our wonderful next door neighbors Mike and Marion Moore, and my beautiful aunt Pattie.

When I was driving away from them yesterday, I began to think...Why would those people give so much of their time and energy for me? Oh yeah, it's not about me. ha!

The night before the yard sale, I was reading in Acts, and the chapter I "just so happened" to be reading is chapter 4 and I found this verse "32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all."
My prayer was simple: "God, the purpose of this yard sale is to glorify you. The purpose of this trip is to glorify you. The purpose of this life...is to glorify YOU :)"

The Trail to Thailand

So...here's the first post of this deal...I'm getting ready to leave for Chiang Rai, Thailand on September 1st. I am going with an organization and specifically their Luke 10 program. I'll be teaching science at the Family Learning Center (www.flcschool.com) there and I'm super-excited :) From the girls who are already there I've learned that the students are a mix of Thai and missionary kids and Christians and non-Christians. God's been preparing me for this for a long time. This is going to be awesome!