Happy Thanksgiving!

Since my last blog, I've started studying Thai. I'm going to have my 4th lesson tomorrow. I'm learning correct grammar and pronunciation, which is great since I was just picking up bits and pieces before now. I'm not living in a complete immersion situation because I teach English all day and my co-workers are native English speakers, but I still manage to find people to practice Thai with. For example, I went to my favorite restaurant last night and a man at the next table asked if I spoke Thai. I said that I speak a little bit and he proceeded to practice his English and give me ample opportunities to practice my Thai as well.

Talking to that man turned out to be an answer to prayer because I've been praying to get to know the restaurant owners (It's a mom and pop place that has delicious food. I also like the fact that I can get stir fry and rice for less than a dollar--but it's very common to eat for a dollar or two here.) for a while. I got to meet the owner's sister and I hope to talk to the owner more also. I am really praying for the area that I live in and for the vendors/store owners that I go to the most frequently. I pray that God allows me to show His love to them more and share the hope I've found in Him.

I'm a little sad to be missing Thanksgiving in the US with my family, but I am getting to celebrate it here. I am truly grateful for the many people who've opened their arms and hearts to me here. Even though I'm far from home, I feel very loved and accepted.

Ok, now back to Thanksgiving celebrations. My first celebration was last weekend with my cell group. We had five nations represented and food from all of those nations as well. We had Japanese tempura, Filipino macaroni soup, American Stove Top Stuffing (Thanks, Dad for sending it to me!), Thai barbecued chicken, and Korean style pancakes/pizza (complete with kim chi and seafood mixed in). We had such a good time together. I made a new Japanese friend and practiced my Thai. Our aim for the party was to reach out to our non-Christian friends, and I think that we accomplished our goal. Praise the Lord!

My next Thanksgiving will be this Saturday with my American co-workers. We're shooting for a traditional Thanksgiving meal--turkey with all of the trimmings. I'm excited!

Xtreme Camp

So many great things have happened since I wrote my last blog. I went to Xtreme Camp with 1200 youth and young adults from all over Thailand . I loved jumping and dancing with them as we worshipped the Lord. The emphasis of the camp was to pray for revival in Thailand and to act on our prayers by reaching out to the youth around us. Speakers from around the world taught workshops and morning and evening sessions to equip us to be more effective in ministering to people.

At the camp, I made some new Thai friends and spent most of my time with a group that came from Vietnam. Most of them speak very little English (and I don't speak Vietnamese), but we were still able to communicate and we became very close.

After I returned from the camp, my church went to a park to evangelize. I was amazed at how effective this was. We had simple conversations with people, and as the Lord opened the door, we shared the Gospel with them. I think around 6-8 people accepted Christ that day. I was paired with a Thai girl who did most of the talking (because my language skills are limited). The 3 college students we talked with were very inquisitive about God. They prayed prayers of salvation (they said they want to try out Christianity--it's a start) and we exchanged phone numbers. God is so awesome! I am praying that the Lord reveals Himself to them and shows them that He is the only True Way.

I have heard from different people that there seems to be less resistence to the Gospel here than there was before. I think many people are curious to hear it because they have not really heard the Gospel before. I have had the opportunity to share different Bible stories with a Thai friend and she is so surpised and impressed by the miracles God has done.

The last great experience was a recent event called the "Bangkok Call." Many churches came together to pray for the nation of Thailand. Five different praise and worship bands played and we prayed for many things. It was like a continuation of Xtreme Camp! The event was held outside, so many passers by stopped to see what was happening.

And a not so spiritual experience, but one worth sharing...
I finally tried ice cream in a sub sandwich roll (many street vendors sell it). The vendor put sweetened sticky rice in the roll first, he scooped in multiple flavors of ice cream, and he finished it with chocolate syrup. It was actually really good! Who would've thought?

Cotton candy crepes and holiday adventures

After 8 straight days of English camps, I was ready for a vacation. We had two English camps at school before the holidays and I helped with an English camp for the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA)once school was out. I enjoyed being with the kids and getting to teach them songs and games, but it was very tiring keeping up with 1st and 2nd graders.

I was blessed to be able to travel to Phi Phi Island (in the south of Thailand) with some friends for 3 days. We took the bus (overnight for 11 hours if you get a direct bus) and stayed in a bungalow on the beach. We payed about nine US dollars per night for the bungalow, which is great considering we had mattresses with mosquito nets, a fan, and we shared bathrooms with all of the other bungalow dwellers. It may sound primitive, but my friends and I really enjoyed it. We relaxed on the beach, went hiking 2 times, and kayaked in the Andaman Sea. The water is very clear and you can see tropical fish and coral from the surface. God's creation is so incredible! While the scenery was beautiful and it was fun to be with my friends, I have to say that the other highlight of the trip was the food. They cater to foreigners there, so we got to eat American breakfast and real sub sandwiches (these are luxuries, I promise).

Taking the bus was really good for me because I was able to see the countryside of southern Thailand and see the people who live there. There is a greater concentration of Muslims in the South than in Bangkok, and most of the southern Muslims wear distinctive dress to set them apart. I live near a mosque in Bangkok and I hear the calls to prayer more than the required 5 times per day, but sometimes I forget about their presence. Recently I have been more aware of the cultural and religious diversity of my area, however. There are many Indians (who are probably Hindus) who live in my area, and most of the Thai people around me are Buddhists. The Lord is putting a greater burden in my heart for the people around me, especially those I buy food from on a regular basis. I pray that the Lord uses me to share thte hope of Jesus with them very soon.

Oh, I almost forgot about the cotton candy crepes. I went to a Western style palace built by King Rama V in the late 1800s and then to the ancient temple ruins of Ayutthaya (one of the historical periods/royal dynasties in Thailand)on Saturday. That area is famous for a particular dessert that comprises crepe-like bread with cotton candy-like sugar strings. Arroy mach (very delicious). Some of my Thai co-workers took me on this trip. It was fun and I know that God is allowing me to share His love and truth with one of them. Praise the Lord!

After practically living at school for two weeks, this week was great. Remember the student reports I mentioned? Let's just say they took a long time to write. And if you ever have to grade 3 exams per student for 86 students, don't wait until the weekend before the grades are due to grade them. Not a good idea--never do it!

I was able to teach an after school class this semester and one of the students really caught on when I prayed at the start of class. He would try to anticipate what I was going to say, so I asked if he wanted to pray. He prayed most of the same things I usually pray and I thought he was only mimicking me. One day, however, it was another student's birthday. The first boy prayed that day and he asked God to help the other student have a good birthday and he prayed some other things that are not the same as what I usually pray. I was surprised. I pray that the prayers he prays will mean something to him someday, even if they do not mean anything to him now.

Today I was able to go to a park with my cell group. It was great to be surrounded by green instead of the pollution of the city. We relaxed together and then took some time to talk to people in the park about the Lord. We gave them Gospel tracts as well to help them understand what we were talking about. I pray that we are able to follow through with our plan to go every month. We had one non-believer with us and we were able to share the Lord with her as well. Khap Khun Pra-jow! (Thank you Lord!)

I am excited to have a 3 week break from school starting in one week. Please pray for me as I will be leading songs and games at an English camp with Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA)October 6-8. I am excited to be able to help and to share God's love with children ages 8-12.

Chicken feet 2

Does life ever get away from anyone else? Sometimes I feel like everything flies by and my feet aren't really on the ground. I used to feel unbelievably stressed when this happened, but I'm doing ok this time. I know things will come back into balance.

My birthday was August 27th and lots of people made sure that my first birthday in Bangkok was very special. People at school said a special prayer for me in our Thai morning devotional. Many of my church friends and a few of my school friends came to my birthday party that night. Not only that, but I've realized that Thai people believe strongly in giving gifts. I got gifts every day the week of my birthday from people who could not come to my party. I was so surprised. All in all, it was a birthday I'll never forget.

The semester is winding down at school, but it's the busiest time of the year. We are giving our final examinations for the next two weeks and then writing student reports for a week after that. These are not short reports either. I get to write several sentences about each student, as well as comment on 8 specific areas of their language abilities. Good times:)

If you ever get the chance to eat bananas in a place where they are actually grown, you need to do it. It will change your view of bananas forever. I had eaten several varieties of grilled and fried bananas, but I finally ate a plain banana a few weeks ago. I'm addicted. Bananas here are sweet and almost juicy. The flavor is amazing.

And chicken feet 2...
One of my Thai friends had chicken feet this morning for breakfast and offered some to me. Being the person I am, I tried them. I was pleasantly surprised. The consistency is really strange, but the spices his mother used to cook them made them taste delicious. Chan chop teen gai nit noy (I like chicken feet a little bit).

Chan chob Krungtep mach mach. (I like Bangkok very much).

Mind the Gap

For anyone who's ever been to London, the statement "Mind the Gap" is very familiar. It means to pay attention to the space between the platform and the London Underground. I heard this message once at the Sky train station here and thought, "How could anyone fall through the small space between the platform and train?" My question was answered last week when I stepped into the gap and fell down to my hip. I know the Lord was protecting me because a Thai man pulled me out and I got onto the train without any problems. Let's just say that it was a miracle that I was at a station where the doors stay open longer than other stations and nothing really bad happened. Praise God for his protection!

I was blessed to go to a camp with my church here a week ago and the Lord refreshed me spiritually and challenged me with the theme of a greater harvest.

I have to go soon because I think that the internet cafe I'm in is closing. I just want to praise the Lord for allowing me to get a refrigerator, air conditioning in the living room, and a stove this week! I wish I could say more, but it will have to wait for next time.

Mission trip and Thai dancing

It's been a busy few weeks! The highlight was a trip to Songklaburi, a village near the border with Myanmar (formerly called Burma). I went with my Filipino churchmates. I was shocked that we fit 18 people and three massive bags in and around the large song tao (a roofed pick-up truck with two padded benches in the back and a luggage rack on the roof) that we took from the bus station to the orphanage. There are 26 children at the orphanage and most are refugees from Burma. The kids are so smart. Most speak Karen (or a different tribal language), Burmese and Thai. They know lots of English songs and English Bible verses, as well as other bits and pieces of English and Tagolog (the language of the the Filipino woman who runs the orphanage). The really striking thing is that they love Jesus Christ. They enter into worship quickly and they are very sincere.
While at the orphanage, I was almost never alone. There was usually a child at my side or sitting in my lap. They were so hungry for affection. We gave different material gifts to the kids, but I think the best gift we gave them was the time we spent with them.

Last weekend was the 155th anniversary of my school and it is a very big deal. They had vendors of all kinds all over the campus and several stages were set up as well. Different bands and groups performed all day long (Saturday). My part was to learn a Thai dance with other foreign teachers. The school rented traditional Thai costumes for us to wear and we performed in the chapel in front of a very large audience. It was a great experience and unlike anything I've done before.

Five girls from Lee University just arrived to student-teach at BCC for 2 1/2 months. It will be fun to have them here.

Pood pasathai dai nit noy ka. That means I can speak a little Thai. I am learning more all of the time from my friends. It's good to be here.