Ton Kla

Ok. I finally have the information people have been asking for. A budget. Being as this is a brand new organization, there is a good amount of startup cost involved, but the operations cost shouldn't be too bad.

We found a 3 story town house, newly refinished, and has a half floor on the first floor. That will be where we do the group meeting and just hangout. The second floor will be where we will eventually do some tutoring. And the third floor will be where I live.

A very rough guess of monthly cost looks like this (I'll know better after a couple of months):
Rent - $225
Electricity - $30
Water - $15
Phone/Net - $30+

So roughly $300. Electricity and water should be a good bit less. But the phone could be quite a bit more counting installation. I'll find out about it Sunday afternoon.

Items we need for the startup of this organization are as follows:

Refridgerator - $240-300
Microwave - $60-90
Plastic chairs - $250+
Hot plate - $40-60
Desk - $60
Ant Cabinet* - $60-129
Collapseable tables* - IDK
Plates/cups/etc - $30-40
Misc. (mops, broom, trashcans, buckets, paper, pens, staplers, scissors, etc) $60-80

So here is how this will work.

We may need some help getting a tv, DVD player, etc. But we may be able to get those from Hanclasp. Same with things like couches and such. I will also want to decorate the the walls and floors and such. We will need things to hang and things to hang them from.

I am raising support for two separate entities right now. Ton Kla, and then me by myself. I will be keeping the funds separate. We are trying to get approval for a special projects account where the money can be sent directly to, and you can get a tax deduct and such.

So all the stuff listed so far was just for Ton Kla. Now on to me. I will be paying about $90 a month for my portion of rent and utilities. I also need to buy:

Mattress and Box springs - $400
Wardrobe - $70
Shower shelf - $20

All of my current funds are being put into the deposit for this building. So I will need to recover some of that for my daily expenses.

So, $300 a month for rent and utilities.

The group per month will need about $30 a Friday to pay for supplies for activities.

I also need to raise about $2000 so that I can go home to see my family, do some more fund raising, and then come back. As of right now, this project is considered my own startup. Handclasp is not putting their name on it. So that means all the money to run this will be coming from those who support us as well as out of my paycheck from the university.

All of that plus the extra to make the place look nice.

We will have our first meeting on either the 7th or 8th, and continue until the end of February, when the current term ends.

Then we will reevaluate where we are. At that point I will have three options that I can see now.
1. Leave things alone. This one means we continue doing thugs like they are.
2. Handclasp takes over - if things get too big for me alone, then the company would bring their resources to bear on this and we would funcion of tha area.
3. The last is the one I am leaning towards. Turns. We could take TK and make it into a non-profit organizationd and run it like a corporation.

Those are the three options I see before me right now. So if you would like to support us for the next few months, here is how. If you would like to donate directly to Ton Kla, you can wait for information on the account we are setting up.

If you would like to donate now, or directly to me for things like a bed and such, or you just don't want to wait for the account, you can get money to my mother either by check mailed to her at

Lisa Whertvine
301 W Main, Suite 202
Ardmore, OK 73401

Or just hand it to her if you see her. Please if you give a check, write on there if you would like to designate it to me or to the organization only.

Also if you have and questions, contact me at

zacwhertvine @ gmail dot com.

Thank you so much for reading through this, and for whatever support you are able to give, and I would like to end with this again

The most important thing I can ask for is your prayers. Tearing down strongholds is not done on the physical relm. Only in the spiritual, and there is a lot of spiritual warfare happening here. Even just trying to write this has been much more of a hassel than it should be.

Thank you again. Love you all. Out.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

And the name is........

Well, the Christmas party was awesome. Thank you for all your prayers.

We had about eighty or ninety kids show up, maybe more. I didn't actually get the final tally. And being that we were only thirty minutes behind schedule for our part of things, that's doing it pretty well I'd say.

We had opening speeches and then sang songs with everyone. Up on the house top and Rudolph. Then we got in to groups and played bingo, and pictionary, sang carols, and made ornaments. After a short break with snacks, we did a small skit of the birth story, watched a great video that Rob made asking people what they thought Christmas was, or what it meant to them. Then P.Sinn and I got up and he translated for me as I explained why Christmas is so important and told them about the new group we are starting.

After that the English department gave away like 20 gifts and we took a final group picture. BK gave away bags that had Hope videos, pencils and other things in them. And that was it. We had like 30 kids give us their email addresses for more information about the group. And speaking of that, I will be referring to the new group by name from now on.

Ton Kla (sounds like tohn glah)

It's the name for seedlings that are grown up for the purpose of being transplanted to grow somewhere else, usually trees. It comes from the various parable about seed, especially the one about having the faith of a mustard seed. It also has meaning in that we are an off shoot of BK (which kanoon is also a type of tree), and that our primary goal is to train up Thai leaders to go out grow where they land. It also means brave or something, I'm unclear on that meaning.

Here is where we stand on with the group right now. We have put a request into NCU to use some of their facilities, and we would probably rent them so that the school isn't endorsing religious organizations, so that we could potentially meet on campus for the first couple of weeks.

We also went out and started looking at houses and townhouses to rent (or if need be, buy) so that we can have a permanent location in Hang Dong.

People have been asking me what kind of support we need. Right now prayer is at the top of the list.

Financially we're going to need some support as well. But I don't know what that looks like just yet. I'm trying to find out what the best approach there will be.

I want to keep this legally legit. I should know more about that side of things by the end of this week.

But praying, that's the main thing we need now. Pray that the doors will open where they need to and slam shut where they need to. Pray for us as our first meeting will be this coming friday.

I'll also be starting up a couple of facebook groups, one for people in the states to stay abreast of developments and changes. One for people here who want to go to the group, which will be updated with events and such.

I'm crazy excited right now. The places this could go are astounding. Pray for le that I don't try to run ahead but keep the pace set out for me.

Love yall. More updates more often these days. It's very much needed.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Long wait, but its gonna be good!!!

Recent Happenings

Ch 1

Yeah, chapter 1. This is going to be a bit of a book. For those of you wondering what’s been happening in my life and all the fun I adventures I have been having recently, sorry, I’ve been struggling a bit with what the heck I am doing here. So Chapter 1 will deal with what all has happened since the English camp at Lampang, and then for those of you who don’t really want to read through all that, I would ask you to skip on to Chapter 2, though you won’t really have all the cool tie ins, but I would like to read about what I am going to be doing now, because I am going to need your help.

So, the second week of October I went to Lampang, and spent a week hanging out with Kathy, Kenny and Rachel. For four days of that we were at a reservoir for a power plant called Igat. We had 25 middle and high school students come and stay with us for an English camp. We are 99% sure that has never happened in Lampang, or in Thailand in general. It was awesome. I will load up some pics to facebook when I get some time on a computer. This is a hastily written letter at BK. But it was awesome. We got to play, and show them what a Farang (white foreigner: in this case American) camp would look like. Lots of activities from morning ‘til night and things they have never really done before (i.e. play in a giant mud pit).

When I got back from the camp I was on an incredible high and had some ideas spinning in my head. And then I got hit. I came down from the high yes, but I also went through a period of about three weeks trying to figure out why I was here. Whether I should still be trying to work here, or if my time for God was fulfilled and I was just clinging on because I wasn’t ready to come back to the states yet.

While I was going through with this, I was trying to get prepared for the next semester, get my visa continued, got a little sick (nothing major, just my usual allergies trying to conquer my chest), did some traveling with BK, and celebrated Loy Krathong with my friends. Well, we went and hung out, celebrated it is a little strong. We enjoyed the activities and parades and time together. Pics of that will be on facebook too. Then it clicked, thank you God, and thank you Mike Chandler for continuing to send those emails.

For the past four months I have been worried and obsessing over how I would be supporting myself, what I am supposed to be doing, how I would legally stay in country, and that I really wanted to move to new place and that was what I needed was a little more money so that I could move and I could start a group to meet at my house.

If you read that and don’t see a problem, here’s a hint, count the number of personal and personal possessive pronouns. I forgot that I didn’t bring myself here, I didn’t provide the money or visa or purpose in the first place… sometimes it is easy to forget that. So I had to sit down again and say ok, I’m done doing my own thing so take me where You want me, Even if that is back to the states. I was a little scared that He would. But He didn’t. Instead I got a call from Rob.

Also school has started back, I am teaching three classes this semester, so that gives me a bit more free time, as well as I have quit my extra teaching. I had to remember, well, believe would be a better word, that my primary purpose and support isn’t teaching English. It is simply a door opener. And other than the crisis of purpose, things have been going good, made new friends who you will meet in Chapter 2. I also got to go camping at the highest point in Thailand, and camping Thai style, danced the Thriller at a friend’s house warming (the video will be on facebook as well), have been to two teachers workshops and got some good resources to help me with my teaching. It’s been busy. But onward, Chapter 2 is ahead.

Ch 2

For those of you skipped the rest, I have backed off and God is opening some doors (abbreviated ver). So over the past few months three new journeygirls have arrived, though I didn’t meet them ‘til last month, and coincidentally enough (I just realized this as I type), met them all on the same day. They are really cool, and are looking for a way to plug in, and we have been searching for one. Also Kathy, Kenny and Rachel are moving to Chiang Mai area, which I found out last Sunday. And next month BK is helping North Chiang Mai throw a Christmas party on campus for an English Culture event. So Rob called me on Tuesday, and we have been talking about the best way to do this for a few months, and said that he and peeps at BK had been praying and wanted to use this Christmas party to kick off a group out in Hang Dong, to reach the college students who go to NCU.

Now, before I go any farther I want to say this. Nothing is firm except that we will be have this Christmas party on December 9th, from 2 pm until 4 pm… which translates to December 9th, from 1am until 3 am Central Standard Time.

And we want to do this right. Right now I am asking you to start praying. Before I even go into what my plans are going to be, because I want this to start at the right place, and that is with God. If He says go, and go this way, then that is where we want to be. If this whole idea starts to be that we are trying to make something happen, it will just be the Christmas event, and we will wait until God does say go. So this is what I would like you to pray for:

1. God blessing and free movement
   a. That we will be lead, and not lead.
   b. That Satan will be bound.
   i. We will be attacked before, during and after this. It’s going to happen, we all need to be relying on His strength.
   c. And that the people that need to be there will be.
2. Pray that we will be sensitive to God’s wisdom
   a. In the best way to do this event
   b. The best way to follow up this event
3. After the movement, what the next step will be
   a. This is a process that is God directed. So it will be a step at a time, based on him. (patience for me would be appreciated too =) )
   b. Where we should have future activities
4. That God would bring us a few Thai students to work with us and be committed to be there.
5. Pray for the people that will or won’t be working out in Hang Dong after this event.
   That’s where we need to start. This is the first step. Putting ourselves before Christ, and concentrating on doing it how He wants, and being prepared to take the next step, whatever that may be.

As of right now, the next step looks like this. The Christmas party will be our kick-off event, and there is no way we can talk about Christmas as followers of Christ and not say why we celebrate it, so there will be short gospel presentation in the story of how Christmas became what it is. We will also let them know that we will be starting a group where they can come hang out with farangs, have fun, and practice their English. We will be up front in saying that part of that English practice will be games, part will be storytelling and we will be using stories from our lives and the Bible.

The plan as of now is that I will be out there because I work there, and the three journey girls, Mandy, Melanie and Casey, will be out working with me that way there is a good mix, and a chance for us to start building relationships with the students. Also, if they want to, I would like for Kathy, Kenny and Rachel to come help because of the mix of people, I would have another guy to work with, and there would be two people that can speak pretty good Thai, but I don’t want them to feel they have to or for them to decide to do this just because it is there. I want all six of them helping only if it is where God wants them to be (prayer request 5).
The eventual goal would be to start having a group that meets once a week to do activities, play, and hear about the gospel. And then build from there to where we are going on campus at least once a week, and having a center where different activities to reach the surrounding areas can be based out of.

There are many ways this could look, but I’m trying to keep my visions reigned in a little so that I can keep my patience in check and remember to take it a step at a time, and keep my eyes that are looking into the future focused on where Christ is at that point in time. He is going to work this out the way He wants, we just need to be flexible, or following Him and not our ideas of how we want to help Him.

Right now all of this past the prayer request is being planned as firm. So I am also going to start raising some money so we are ready to move when that happens, because when we have this group going, and we have regular attendees, we will be looking to rent a place. Right now, money sent to me will be set apart for this, and to support me. I would like to continue to teach a few classes at North, but the majority of my support needs to come from home so that I can be free to work as little or much as needed. This is being planned as a long term thing. If God wills it, I would like this to be my home for a few years (min), maybe several and I will be raising support so that I can stay.

Right now I am looking for supporters who will commit to $50, $75, and $100 a month. Right now this money will be used for this project, getting a place and furnishing it. I am also starting to raise some support to come home. As of now, my plan will be to come home sometime in the spring (during summer break here), and spend a few weeks, one seeing my family and friends that I have not seen in, well it will be over a year if not more at that point. I will also, again God willing, have more of a business plan to go and show to people and raise support.

If you can start now, please send me an email to zacwhertvine at gmail dot com (it is spelled like this so that I don’t get put on a spam list, if you ever put yours on a publicly readable site, you should do the same). Right now I will have you send money to my parents, who will put it into my account in Oklahoma, which I can access from here and then I will start a new bank account that will be designated for this purpose. Also if you have any questions, send them to me. If you want to talk to me about it, email me and we can set up a phone date.

I am very excited about this, which part of the reason this is so wordy (also because I am typing on a compy and it isn’t and wearisome). If all you can commit to is praying, please put us on it. We need that most right now. I will be updating on this much more often, don’t be surprised to see a new blog and/or facebook group dedicated to this.

It’s too long as it is now, though I could keep going. I love you guys, I will be in touch.

lata

Make up work. I will never take it again. just sayin.

Wow. A month without a blog. Sorry about that. I don't really have a good excuse other than I just haven't been up to it.

Classes are finishing. Which is a little more stressful than I had anticipated. Especially in keeping the students motivated. And myself at times.

Things are pretty much exactly where they were the last time I wrote. I'm waiting. And trying to learn to be good at it. Patience has never been my most bountiful fruit. Just saying.

I have four classes for sure next term. And I finally got to go to Pai. It is impossible to say how beautiful it is. You have to come see for yourself. And the road is insane and a bit fun. Of course I wasn't the driver.

I also got paid for two months of work from north. That was fun.

Ekk will be back in Chiang Mai in about 6 hours.

Gonna have a last class party at north this Friday with people from BK and a few of my students.

Finals are next week.

I'm going to help with a 5 day English camp in Lamphang the week after that.

Somewhere in there my transcript should arrive and I can work out stuff with north then.

After that I will be able to go get my visa worked on. I'm really hoping for a couple days on the beach. But we'll see how it all works out.

Then preparing for the semester. Making many many changes in how I handle the classroom.

Then classes start on the second of November.

I may not really be online much after today. Thinking about taking a bit of a hiatus. Course that'll prolly last all of two days. Mostly just going to abstain from facebook and my online comics and other time wasters.

Oh. And I have a Thai bank account. Which has many weird features. Such as I can link whatever account or card from the bank together as I wish.

But yeah. That's life for me at this point. Thank you for continuing to pray for me. I am in a hurry up and wait mode, though a little nervous about what's gonna happen when the ebrake is released. But, I love it.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

big NEWS.

Well hi there. Sorry it has been a little while, been sorting myself out the last few weeks. Leaves me with little desire to blog til I get some semblance of order going. But I will summarize the majority of what's been going on.

By the way the rainy season has finally kicked itself into gear. It's rained pretty much every day, even if only for a little bit. It's all well and good til I'm out on the bike in it. But any ways.

My students did average on their midterms, and talking to Aacaan Aom (pronounced ahjahn ahom) finalized that I do in fact have a few classes next term. And they are going to help me with my visa, how much has yet to be determined. It will be determined by how fast my diploma arrives from the states. Then I can sign a contract with the school to finish out the term.

So that sets in motion what I think might happen over the next few years. First step is to keep my foot in the door at north which gives me an ok income, and helps me with my visa. For now.

I'm also looking for a new place to live. A place that actually has more than one room so that I can actually start having people over. That is half of the next step. I'm currently starting to look for a Thai partner and a place and I would like to open a center out here in Hang Dong. Most of my students are interested in a place like BK, but don't want to drive all the way into chiang mai for it. And the school is wide open. The majority if the students would love to have the chance to study with native speakers.

The future is to have a place where people who want to be plugged in can come work at. But mostly to have a place where the students at north can come and hang out in a constructive environment.

This is going to be a work that will take a few years, and I'm already struggling to be patient. So please pray for me as I relearn how to take baby steps and as I work on learning the language.

I know that fir now working at North will be the bast way to head down this road. But I hope to eventually cut that down to a couple classes a semester so that I can meet new students and keep up relations, and start getting support from back home. But that's a lil ways down the road after I get more of a cohesive plan put together.

The sad thing is it doesn't look like I will be coming home in October. It would more than break my piggy bank and I just would get the rest I will be needing to be ready for the new semester starting in November. So that is also in my plan to start saving some monies so that I can come home, but that for sure means I need to go full time at north.

I have also been told about a small house nearby that I might be able to move into for about 3500 baht a month. Which is right on the upper edge of my budget so it could be good. I will go look at it this week. Pray for me as I head down this path. That I stay in Gods will and don't just go off on my own. But that I wait for Him. Again. Taking the small steps that will yield His bountiful returns.

In event type stuff, I got to be a part of a big spelling bee that North hosted. It was fun. Um, Wednesday I will go with the school to watch movie. I'm also going to give blood, so that should be interesting. I broke the chain on my bike. It's all fixed but that was frustrating. Ekk will be back next month (just a couple of weeks a way, yay!)

Other than that I'm good. I go through my periods of having motivation or desire to be here. But they don't do any lasting damage other than put me behind on my grading. But I am excited for the future and pretty nervous at times. Sometimes it's hard to remember that I don't have to acomplish anything. I have to let God work in His timing and things will work out the way they are supposed to be.

But. I'm done rambling for now. I'll let you know how the movie and the blood giving goes. Oh I also have a sweet x-ray of my chest. They let you keep em over here. I want to hang it up above my desk but my fellow teachers have vetoed that.

I'm also picking up a new class out side of school. Mostly because it's a challenging side task. And keeps out of trouble. One day a week. Yup. Well. I'm out. Love yall.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

living and loving it.

Well. To pick up where the last one left off, last week I made up a couple of classes on Friday and satuday so that I could go to lampang this past Wednesday. So it wore me out a bit plus being put in stage when I didn't know that was coming.

Do then I taught on Monday like usual, and taught my two outside of class. Than on Tuesday after class, I only had one student, because the second cancelled on me. I wasn't too heartbroken over it. So I got to head out to Lampang early and eat dinner and hang out with Kathy, Rachel and Kenny and get to know the last two.

Then Kathy Kenny and I stayed up til 12:30 watching a movie (neither of them had seen Identity before, and I like that one) and then Kathy and I were up at 6:00 to go teach with Rachel and two of their Thai friends, P.Tai and P.Bee.

We went to a poorer elementary, which is ages like 4-12, and played games and taught new English stuff and a had a good time all day. Then ate dinner together at P.Tai's house. After which I went over to the house and hung out with Kenny Rachel and Kathy for a little bit more and headed back to Chiang Mai, and I got a ride with P.Bee and P.Tai. It was nice to get to talk with them some more.

So needless to say on Thursday I was beat. So I took it pretty east most of the day, and the Friday did my usual of teaching from 9-5. Ran some errands and then went to Baan Kanoon. Got to chill and chat with peeps there and and then some of us went out to eat after. All in all made it home and to bed around midnightish. And then woke up at 6:30 to drive back to CM and make my Burma border run. Which meant, leave at 8 and arrive at the Mae Sai bus station at 12:15. Catch a fifteen minute Songteaw ride to the border. Cross, look around and come back in about thirty minutes time. Eat lunch and catch a ride back to the station and depart at 2:30 and arrive back in CM at 6:45.

I was worn out so I went to the dukes for some grub, and Rob and Jordan showed up randomly so I got to just sit and spend some time with them.

So today. I slept in. Called home and am resting.


My students are taking midterms this week so it's coming down to time to decide what I will be doing. And I really at this point don't see me deciding to stay America. But I'll go wherever God wants so, please be prayin for me for that.


I'll let you know what's goin to happen as soon as I decide.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

so

I didn't realize I was going to be ShangHai-ed by a drama department today and put in a skit during church.

But I'm getting ahead of myself again.

Over the past two weeks or so since that last one, it's been a constant go without looking up. Today in fact was my first day to just sleep in and rest a bit. I like rest. I missed it.

But I have created my portion of finals for two of my classes and created the entirety of another for my English majors. Just waiting on that last one to get final approval. All midterms are reviewed by the teachers in a department. It's a great idea.

The teaching has been hard, and rewarding at times when I manage to actually teach something, but my techinical English class and my English one class, the first section, are a challenge constantly. I don't know how to get some of this stuff across the language barrier. It can be discouraging. And I hate the idea that I'm wasting their time. But with my other classes I enjoy the challenge.

So still waiting to see what happens at midterms.

I'm still teaching two student for cash outside of class, and teaching one in exchange for Thai lessons, but I'm going to be cutting that down to one for cash and rescheduling the other two in a couple of weeks.

But I'm still enjoying it.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

respite

I can see the stars tonight. I noticed them as "Such Great Heights" came on my iPod. They are a little faint because the moon us so bright, it's reflecting off the flooded rice field outside my apartment.

It's been a while since I could see lore than one or two stars. It's no view from velveetaview, or underwater bridge, or Stockton, or pomme de terre, or even Oklahoma on a clear night. But I like it.
It's a nice rest.

I've been pretty busy here lately. Between making up classroom material on the fly, picking up three students outside of class to make some extra dough, trying to find a balance between working and staying afloat while trying to keep focused on the reason I'm even here. All this with trying to stay on top of the things I'm supposed to be back in the states and deciding if I'm coming back to live or visit this fall.

Nights like tonight, with the postal service jammin in my earbuds and a sky half clouded, half starry, completely moonlit remind me how little it all matters. If the guy who designed all thus is taking care of me, I think I'll be alright. It just a hunch.

Not much new news to tell. I did get to go to a VFW fourth of July party in Chiang Mai. There were imported dogs, good drinks (sweet tea, a&w cream soda, they were sold out of DP by the time we got there), traditional American music, including Billy Ray Cyrus, a raffle, darts, and fireworks. Followed up with about 4 or five hours of playing rockband back at Baan Kanoon. It was good.

People at BK have been getting randomly sick. People are leaving to go back to the states (more) and i've met a fee new people that will be coming around that are pretty cool. Three of them are from Arkansas actually. It's been ever changing.

Anybody ever heard of Bahrain? Me neither untli I started with one of my students who is going to live and work there.

I'm putting together my portions of midterms this weekend, that's weird. I'll have been teaching for a month next week, that's weirder. They still like me as a teacher for some reason, I think that's the weirdest.

but I'm still alive. I'm feeling good, healthy at least. And things are rockin along like they usually do. Well, i don't actually have anything else to say, so enjoy, and I'll post again at some point. Thanks so much for those of you keeping up with me and praying for me. I think the next few years of my life are going to be very interesting.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

How to Become a Teacher

Welcome to teaching. Here's your books. Go have fun.

That's about what it's been like so far. Yeah, but I like it. But to catch you up to now. The week after I got back from Bangkok. I spent the good majority of it laying around my room, occasionally venturing forth to pretend I knew how to prepare for a class at the office. It was a little annoying at the end, just not doing anything, but it helped me get my bearings back.

I got rested. I got into a bit of a routine. And actually got a little prepared for my first week of class. I went to Fantastic Friday that week as well. It was so nice. I played games and got to just be with people. Met Jeff, Rob's brother who is hanging out for a while.

Then spent the weekend preparing for the rest of the week. The first week went well. I got a crash course in the differences between an American university, and a private Thai one. Like that the entire student body starts registering for classes the Wednesday before classes start. So the first two weeks of class is spent shuffling around getting in the correct sections. Like the 70+ in my technical English class that has since dropped to about 15.

They also don't know what book or supplies they need for class until their teacher tells them the first day. Found that out after my first class, so had to wait till their second day to tell em. And my personal favorite. There isn't really a copy budget. So sometimes when I want to make copies for my students I have to collect money (very little mind you, but still) to pay for them. How would you like to pay for university, and then on top of that have to pay for the tests you take in each class? Think about that a bit.

Also, as a part time teacher, I don't get my check until the semester is over. Found that out at the end of next week. But I might have money to get me through figured out. So don't worry too much about. I've always been provided for.

Went to fantastic Friday and church this past weekend, and got to hang out with Nonf Dream, she just got back from the states. Went with Ken to watch UP, it's a great movie. I highly recomend. This week getting rent and pay details worked out, keeping just barely ahead of my classes, and starting to put together a tutoring schedule. Yeah, that's my grand plan, I'm teaching cheap english on the side.

So my life is still amazingly awesome. Love it. Except the waking up at 6 part. That I'm not so much a fan of, or the dress clothes at work. But still, it keeps me on my toes.

Please pray for me as I am giving my first tests and learning how to be an effective teacher. Also my renters have broken off contact with my parents. So pray that we have wisdom about how to proceed there. Also pray for me as I'm trying to seek what's next. I'm not too worries about it as of right now. But within the next two months I will decide on if what will happen after the semester is over in October.

Also, this is my biggest one here. Pray for my friends here, both farang and Thai, believer and non. A lot of them are dealing with some heavy shtuff that Im not going to post online, but pray for God's confort and will. Pray that our friends who are on the fence will decide what they are going to do with Christ. And pray that hearts we come into contact with are being softened.

Love y'alls. I'm out.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

new

Too much has happened these past two weeks to do too much detail, but it's still going to be long

After I wrote the last one, I went to mine and Bekas farewell party, picked up a couple of nice old ladies from the airport and wandered about the Chiang Mia province, the cities of Bangkok and Rayong, and the island of Koh Samed.

The farewell party was good. It was good to see so many of my friends from here gathered in one spot, and a get a chance to say hi and bye to them since I won't see them as much the next few months. I had a good conversation one night in Louisiana with a lady named Cindy about how people and relationships move in and out of our lives. How they impact us and the seasons of our lives. I've been thinking about that conversation a lot lately. About the time you start depending on people or they on you, life changes and neither are able to keep that former dependency.

I have yet to decide how much I like or dislike that part of life.

But after the party I went to the airport and picked up my mother and mimi, and headed back to my room to spend the night.

Over the next week and two days we traveled all over this area of Thailand. We saw an umbrella factory, giant jewellery store, carpet and silk factories, tons of teak furniture, elephants, movies, rafted a river, and moved me.

Then if that wasn't enough we flew down Bangkok for a couple of days to see the park, mall, palace and big temple and eat on the river, and caught a bus three hours away to go to a beautiful beach to watch it rain and then clear up breathtakingly. Then I left their tired rears in the Bangkok airport an came home.

Also during that time, I got my books and class schedules for this semester and found an apartment for me near the university.

On saturday, I woke up, and met some guys to look at a bike. Had breakfast with them. Went to my new home, and finally unpacked and set up my room a bit, bought some things I needed at the local department store and read and at different points during the day, read through my books I'll be teaching out of.

Today I laid in bed most of the day. It was nice. Then I went in for worship, picked up a bike, and went to buy a helmet, then came back home.

It still feels new, but it really does feel like home. And now I'm relaxing to Nickel Creek, and letting y'all know what's up. This week I'll make up some lesson plans and start getting to know some of the people I will be working with. Yay!

I'm excited.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

last week at BK

So. After I finished my blog last time. On wednesday, I took a nap. And then tried to be productive that night, though I don't remeber what I did.

Thursday I got up and checked on prices of hotels and plane tickets for my mom, mimi and myself. Then made up a resumé for a local english tutoring center that pays their teachers called CEC. Took my resumé to CEC and filled out the application, then after eating dinner made my way through massive traffic towards CMU's front gate.

The reason for all the traffic is because may 8th of this year, Friday, was the celebration of buddha's birth, death, and enlightenment. So on Thursday night buddhists in Chiang Mai walk the 20 km up Doi Suthep. The walking shows strength and determination and the temple at the top of the mountain stays open all night for people to perform tamboon, or things to earn merit to counteract their karma.

Ken and Dew were going so I decided to tag along for the fun of it, and to say I've walked up Doi Suthep. There were a couple thousand people that walked and it was actually more of a party atmosphere. People walking and talking and drinking and smoking, the school was hazing freshman. So not at all like I expected. It also poured while we were walking. We were soaked, but had fun. Ate some egg omlette on the side if the road on the way, I'll come back to that. When we finally reache the top, we still had 300something steps to walk up to get to the temple. Dew was tired so she stayed at the bottom while Ken and I and their friend A walked the rest of the way up. While in the temple, I started feeling queasy. And the other two were tired, so we didn't stay long. Caught a song teaw most of the way down, then walked to our bikes and went home.

That stupid egg omlette gave me good poisoning so I was up the rest of the night... Getting rid of it.

But fortunately we were leaving early the next morning for a team retreat. So I rested quite a bit while enjoying the retreat. Worshiping, learning, "talent show", swimming an all. It was great and helpful in my recovery.

Sunday we came back, then I napped a little more, and then went met up with Ekk and Meaw and Brook and a few others to eat dinner at walking street, then walked with Ekk, Meaw and Poi to help them with last minute shopping before they left.

Monday and Tuesday I tried to hang out with Ekk as much as possible, and then went to the airport Tuesday night to see the three of them off.

Wednesday woke up and headed to the prison with O, Richard, Thum, and David. There were activities going on in the jail so no class, but we got to sit down and David and Thum talked to Luksit for a while. It was actually a very informative talk. And this wednesday may be my last visit.

Got home and rested, and then went to teach, my student again didn't show. So that as pretty much the last time I would have been able to teach her.

Thursday I ran errands, bought tickets to Bangkok for mom mimi and myself, and then got their hotel rooms reserved. We also had a meeting on thursday, to continue our training from the weekend.

Friday, Glenn and I went and grabbed stuff for Baan Kanoon, and then went and ate. While we were eating I got a phone call from North Chiang Mai University.

I had heard that they wanted some English teachers, so I had called earlier, told them my lack of credintials, and said I would be willing to try. They said they would love to have me so I now have a job working for a university teaching English. Which means I'm not coming home in June.

Friday night we watched a movie, Hancock, and had milkshakes and just hung out. It was a lot of fun. Saturday, outside of talking with a friend online, I was pretty unproductive. I went and watched star trek (AMAZING!!) by myself, and then met up with Ken and Dew. We then waited on Beca and went and ate dinner together at a hidden little spot in MaChaw I never would have guessed was there. Great, cheap food. Love it.

Sunday I woke up and called home, got a few more details ironed out, then spent some more time with a couple friends online, then we had worship at Brookes house. It was really good and increadably fun. That night went to watch Angels and Demons with friends, and then went to bed.

Today. Had lunch and dinner with Ken and Dew, and wrote this. Thursday will be my last day to be officially with Baan Kanoon. Friday farewell party for Beca and me, and then saturday the family arrives.

Then June 5th they leave, and I will move out to Hang Dong, and my semester starts June 15th. So please be praying for all of that. My last few days with this job, my mom and mimi's flight, our travels around thailand, and the new job. Thanks y'all.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

3 countries, 1 day... Finally!

I bought a Bachi ball set today for 200 baht. Shoulda got two so I could compete with people. I well, hindsight and all that. Course I'm getting a bit ahead of myself.

Where to start? More like what can I remember. So, it's been like 3 weeks since I updated, around that. Sorry, never meant to wait that long. But as I sit in a cheap motel room in Burma, lit by a green light, yeah here we go.

When I last posted, Lili had about a week left with us here in CM. So on that Friday night we had a farewell party. We all ate together, sang some of Lili's favorite songs, and listened to and shared with her. It was a great time to get to spend with her. Though it's only a blurb here, it's got a lot of great memories. After we finished up, we headed to bed. I was thinking about our big event on Saturday, and so decided to sleep in to be prepared. People who pay more attention to this blog than I do my own life will notice the little problem there.

I teach on Saturday mornings. Fortunately for my students (and Beka's) Lili was there early and taught our kids for us. I was embarrassingly reminded of my mistake on the way out to Mae Wang. Ah, well.

By after we loaded up everything, and split into vehiculars, we headed out and started setting up around 2ish... maybe. Everything got set up nicely, and quickly, and the events went rather smoothly even though I managed to destroy a chair. When you went through the "entrance" (which was the part the cars could come in, it was an open field) there was a registration/welcoming table where the people could find out what was going on. They also got their tickets for the raffle. We gave away like 6 identicle buckets that had everyday needed things, hangers and dishsoap etc. It was great. Two of our friends who work at the House of Blessing orphanage MC'd the event, and brought some of their kids to perform. We also had kids from the nearby local church show up to be a part.

Thennwe broke for supper, which we paid the village to make. We got amazing food and also got to help out the local economy without resorting to charitable giving. I'm all about that. And one of the Thai ladies with us got up and shared her testimony. But it also looked like a storm was about to break on us. I think I was just a little hurry up nudge from God, because we got it all rolling and all we had to contend with was wind, wich naturally knocked over the screen causing it to land on the lappy and projector showing the Hope video.

Now the hope video for those of y'all who ain't heard of it yet, is a video developed for cultures that have night concept of either God or the orgin of man. This is because in Buddhism, the past is ilrelevant since the goal lies in letting go of everything, and moving on to a state of nothingness. So the video starts at the creation of the world, and follows the Jewish history up tip the resurrection of Christ and the recieving of the Holy Spirit. So it's intense to be able to show it on a large scale to people who have just in the last year or even last month or even some maybe for the first time that night have begun to hear about this God that actually wants to know us.

So we diverted with another raffle while we set everything back up then continued the movie. After it was over we said another thanks to the people still there and then as they were leaving had people available to answer questions and hand out Bibles and Hope videos. It was an awesome night. Thank you to all of you who prayed for it.

My sleep schedule got all messed up the next few days, so they are kinda blurry. On Monday we hung out with Lili all day and night and then saw her off on tuesday. Bekah and I started planning for our Cinco de Mayo themed Fantasic Friday. Beka put all the planning together and I made a piñata and provided the music. On Wednesday I went and watched the Haunting in Conneticut with a few people which in itself is not worth mentioning except when we got out it's was storming hardcore. And Ekk and I came on the bike I'm using and Maew came on hers. So we all got a ride with Brooke.

Thursday. Had lunch with Glenn, an then went to our team meeting. Then headed to the mall to get supplies for Friday and to get my bike unlocked. They don't like you leaving your bike overnight. Then we hung out with various children of the families in our group while the parents went out. After which we flew back to the mall to see wolverine. That's right. I saw it on Thusday night. Before anyone else in America. Just saying.

Friday we had language and then did fantastic Friday, which was a blast. The piñata actually held out for a while. Afterwards I went out with friends and watched a local band do covers. It was awesome. I actually heard a version of apple bottom jeans I liked.

Saturday I got an and taught my students for the last time. Then attended the cooking class downstairs. And got some good s'ghetti and some really good banana bread. Went to the bookstore that afternoon. Then went to watch wolverine again with my friends who couldn't go on thursday, and met a new couple in the area. Sunday I rested.

Went to worship in the afternoon, then to walking street.

Monday I woke up a lil late, went to talk to another English tutoring place that pays their teachers. Then went and got tickets for yesterday.

Yesterday I woke up too early, and then Bekah, Sa, Sa sister and sisters friend and I went north. We headed towards Chiang Rai stopping at a hot springs, that was neat, and a the creepiest temple I have been to yet. It was solid white, and as you walk up you pass over a bridge that has sculptures of hands reaching out of hell. Then you walk past two angry sword wielding guardians over a bridge (that made me think of the dragon road in DBZ) into the actual temple. When you first walk in it looks very ordinary, two white walls on your sides and a monk sitting in front of some statues and an old painting depicting Buddha in what appeared to be heaven.

Then you realize the monk is actually a wax statue. And you turn around and are confronted with a painting. Basically it's a giant demon head with scenes interwoven ranging from bullets to superman. That's not an exageration. I don't generally mind going to different temples, but this one is not one of them.

So we left there and headed up to the golden triangle. And this time we actually got to take the boats. So Bekah Sa and I road over to an island controled by Laos, and walked around the market. It was worth the boat ride but not the admission fee. We also road by the paridise hotel in Burma where there is a large casino and rooms only cost 500 baht a night. Now 15 bucks doesn't would too bad till you find out that Thai people only pay 60 baht. While shopping I picked up those Bachi balls I was talking about, and was tempted to grab some whiskey that had real snakes and scorpions in the bottles. That would be a fun conversation peice.

But then we headed to Mae Sai, said goodbye to Sa and the other two, and then crossed the border into Tachiliek, Myanmar. This is what most people normally do, but because of the dates that Bekahs visas would expire, we had to spend the night. And we were basically flying blind cause no one we know has done it yet. So we found cheap hotel rooms for 300 baht. Then went to the market to pick up some stuff during which it proceded to pour.

Then went back to the hotel, rented the staffs DVD player from them, and watched some movies cause niether of us felt much like exploring after dark. That was when I started this entry. Since then we have crossed back into Thailand with no incedent there.

We ate some breakfast, then grabbed some snackage and realized we were cutting it close to get to the station on time. Then our songteaw driver decided to just cruise along at a leisurly rate and we missed our bus.

That was a little annoying. Fortunately, there were a couple of guys at the station that worked for the line we were on that had the drivers number. They were only a few miles down the road, so it was kind enough to pull over and wait for us to get there, and we hopped on the back of a couple of motercycle taxis and caught up with it. The rest of the trip was fine except for they had the ac at full blast and it got all the way down to 17 degrees celcius. I don't remember what that translates to exactly for farenhieght, but it was cold. Now I'm finishing up this journal after having a nice hot shower, and am sending it out from Baan Kanoon.

Hope you enjoyed it. Lata

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

well, yeah

Since my last update, a ton of nothing has happened.

Well, that's not entirely true, but you'll see what I mean in a second.

The Wednesday after I updated, PiiThumb and I went out to the prison together. The two guys from his church bailed on us, and I hadn't been able to get together a solid lesson the afternoon before, so we were a little nervous going out there. But, once again we couldn't get to our classroom so we sat outside and they talked about God. We've hit the point where they have a good amount of information, but they are asking the same questions over and over so something isn't sinking in, it can be a little aggrivating. So pray for us that we would have the words and patience needed, and also for our kids that they would gain understanding. That their ears would be opened to hear and their minds opened to understand and accept.

After that, I basically hung around BK the rest of the afternoon. My student cancelled again.

Thursday we had our prayer time. The rest I the day passed pretty quickly, I don't really remember what we did.

Friday, went to BK to have our language lesson, then got set up for fantastic friday. Beca had a load of games to play and activities for the night. We made ressurection cookies, had two different Easter egg hunts, pin the tail on the bunny, and whatnot. It was awesome. We had a blast and got to talk about it being good Friday and about Easter as well.

Saturday da3, ken, and dew all went out to Borsan to do some shopping and check out the umbrella factory. There were a lot of cool things that you could find cheaper than at the walking street. Then at the umbrella factory they will paint on. Whatever you would like them to paint on, so I took a pair of my jeans and got the legs painted on, and then got the back if one of my shirts painted on. It was really cheap too. So we played around there and then started heading back. A random guy picked us up and gave us a ride to Kad Luang which was nice, except for when he was telling Ken about how Christanity is a Farang religion, and that we believe in the same final destination as Buddha, just taking a different route to get there. Pray for Ken as the enemy is putting up a big fight for him, weird things like this keep happening. Pray for me and beca and Lili as we hang out with him, that we would be lights to his life. But after we got dropped off, we caught a ride out to Dews familys house and had a SongKhran celebration dinner with them. That was a lot of fun.

Sunday we woke up and went to a little waterfall and had an Easter morning celebration. It was all believers that morning so we worshipped and had a great time of fellowship. Then we were going to go to a swimming at 700year stadium, but it was closed so we went to Kim and Quintins little village and swam there. We went back to St, then I went to walking street, back to hang out for out friend Where's birthday, then back to walking street for a massage with Ekk. Then went to bed to prepare for SongKhran.

SongKhran is the Northern Thai new year. Back when the country was called Siam and made of 3 kingdoms, the northern kingdom, or Lanna Kingdom, celebrated the new year around April 14th. For the tradition back then, they would perfume water, pour it on Buddha statues to cleanse them, and then pour on each other, kids on parents then back around, to give and recieve blessings. Also the water represented the cleaning off of all the bad stuff of the past year and starting over clean for the new year. Well, over the centuries it has evolved a little.

Now for anywhere from 7 to 10 days around the 14th, cities all over Thailand celebrate SongKhran by having citywide waterfights. The number one city to play SongKhran in is Chiang Mai. So people come from all over to this city for the festival. This year the 13-15th the whole city shut down (except for like malls and resturaunts and whatnot) and everyone came to the middle of the city to the old moat, and threw water at each other.

It's impossible to really explain the scope of this, even pictures don't do it much justice, though I wouldn't really know since my camera busted. But that's what we did for three days. Well, two for most of us but different two days each time.

Thursday we finally got to go to 700 year stadium and go swimming. Well, basically just jumping off the Olympic sized diving platforms. It was awesome.

Went to a used bookstore on Friday morning, had language then went to Kim and Quintins for a party. Grilled out and hung out with most of the BK team. Came back and then went to the North Gate with our new friend Kathy and Lili (oh yeah, I can also drive with three on the scooter now. I'm a little proud of that). Slept in late on Saturday and read most of the day, then went and watched Race to Witch Mountain with Ekk, Maew and Kathy. Then slept in this mornig and headed to worship at four thirty.

The main reason I updated today is for this.

This coming saturday, the entire BK team as well as our Thai friends are going out to Mae Wang. We will be sharing with the majority of the village the story of the bible from creation through Christ through a movie called the Hope Video. The movie is in Thai with Thai actors. It's going to be a minor event. It's also going to be under major attack by Satan. Things have already been going rough with getting this all going, we are expecting a major, major spiritual battle this weekend. So please make this one of your major prayer concerns for this week. For Gods protection and blessing and the strength and ability to carry out His will. This is a huge opportunity. We need everyone we can get praying for us. Especially during the time of the event. If you happen to be awake from like 4-8 am CST, next Saturday the 25th, keep us in your prayers. Thanks to all of you. Love you.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

fun times ahead

Well, let's see what I can remember from this last week. Tuesday after prayer I printed off a load of stuff for prision on Wednesday. Then Lili and I rode out to Quintin and Kims house where Beca had prepared and awesome Mexican feast. We ate and talked an played games, then I ran over to Airport Plaza mall to meet up with people to watch the movie knowing. I still haven't made up my mind whether or not I enjoyed it. But it's deffinitely worth seeing.

Wednesday woke up and headed out to the prison where we didn't really get much accomplished, but I think Richard and I have some good solid plans for what we really want to get done before we leave. Most of it involves getting everything organized so that as people rotate in and out of this ministry, we can have good records of who is in the class and what not so there is very little of the akward transitions. Also we want to raise the stakes for the kids coming to class, find some way to get them invested into it.

Afterwards I met up with Glenn and he and I had some Pizza Company for lunch, and chatted about all the stuff going on. Then went back to BK to hang out for Kanoon club. We had quite a few people come over late, and then my student cancelled. I'm racking my brain but I honestly can't remember what we did after that.

So Thursday we met up for a lunch netting at The Dukes for Robs birthday, the big 25, had our meeting, and then Beca and I headed to Rim Phing Plaza, big computer store, so I could look for some connections for various things at BK. But only could get one of the 3 items I was looking for there. By the way I hate Steve Jobs.

Went from there back to ST, then I went and grabbed some dinner and went to meet up with Chang. He and I hung out for a good while, and got started on the interview, and had some good conversation. Then he headed out and Ken and I got started on ours as well. Then we got interrupted because he had loaned his scooter to a friend who got sideswiped by a truck. She was fine but Ken still had to go help get things settled. Then I worked on Lili's compy for a while trying to get some programs put on there (I hate Steve Jobs) and then gave up and went to bed.

Friday I woke up and scouted out some movies for Fantastic Friday and then went back and did some more work on Lili's compy, but it was too late to try and stuff downloaded, so we went with the DVDs. Got BK all rearranged and set up and had a slumber party theme night where we watched classic Micky Mouse and Goofy cartoons, and ate unhealthy snacks and sat around in our PJs. We also played Mafia and some other group games. It was a great night and we had a really good turnout for a non major event night. Afterwards we cleaned up and headed home to bed.

Saturday I woke up and taught my two students, and then was feeling a bit worn out so I took the rest of the day as a personal day.

Sunday, we woke up and met down at BK to go traveling for church. We drove about 40 min out to ObKhan which is a national park where there is a river running down through where you can swim and cliff jump. So we did. I think it's funny that this is the second park we have gone to that we have taken pictures in front of danger signs. But we got there, set up camp a bit an then headed down to swim. Climbed around and found a good little spot to jump that had like an 8, 14, and 20 foot spot to jump. So we had spots for all ages and experience to jump from. Then we went back, and played some ultimate frisbee, and hung out waiting on food. Got our grub on with amazing grilled chicken and fish, pico de gayo, sticky rice, fruit, brownies, ambros con leche (Mexican rice pudding). It were tasty. So we ate and fellowshipped and talked and then cleaned up and sat down for some worship. We sang and then Ekk taught about Mary annointing Jesus's feet, getting the young donkey, and the triumphial entry. Then we all got to act out a scene from the stories and that was a blast as well. Ekk did a good job putting it together. Afterwards we did some more swimming, a local guy showed us a good place to jump from about 35 feet, so of course I went for it. But by the end of the day, everyone had gotten to jump that wanted to, we had got to fellowship with friends who don't generally come to our worship time at BK, and got to worship with them as well. We got back to BK and some of us went to dinner together, then Ekk and I went to chill at walking street and get massages. So it was an awesome day.

Woke on up on Monday morning and got ready, and then went with Ken and Dew and Beca and Lili to the zoo. We had a good day walking around being together, Ken and I found a place that can get us really good airsoft guns for good prices (if I had a job and my own money I totally would, they had a fully auto M-4 that was remarkably accurate, and a bolt action sniper. It was awesome). Then we all headed to a market to get ingrediants, and on over to Dews parents house to cook dinner. So we had homemade Thai food and after we sat an got to talk to Ken about some deep stuff, then came back to ST and stayed up late watching Will Smith movies with Ekk and Meaw.

And todays prayer time got moved to Thursday morning, so I slept in and then woke up and decided to update. Gonna get stuff together for tomorrow, if you get this in time, please be praying for that. Richard is on vacation since his son has a two week break from school for Song Khran so it will be me with PiiThumb and a couple people from his church. So that will be interesting.

I'm also not sure of the details yet, but I think Beca is doing and Easter themed Fantastic Friday, so pray for us there as well. And also be praying for April 25th. The BK team will be going out to Mae Wang for a big event. I'll give more details as I can.

Love you all. Ttly.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

death of an iphone

Well, over the last week, it's been kind of slow. Or I've just been out of it. I think I hit a wall last Monday. I didn't do anything productive at all. I just laid in bed all day. I may have gone out that night but I don't really remember. Woke up on Tuesday and went to prayer time, got together an idea for Friday night an then worked out the details with Brooke, Lili and Beka. Then was really pretty much unproductive the rest of the day.

Wednesday I got up and met up with Richard and PiiThumb to head out to the prison. Discovered a great way not to practice English with them, pairing them up is a bad idea. And we did the lesson in the library with an official (duksit our usual contact was not there again) watching on. This made PiiThumb very nervous, but he did awesome, and the official got to hear some good stuff. So thank you for your prayers during and for that time.

Had lunch with Glenn, Janet, and Lili at The Dukes, so that was good fun and food. Then we went shopping for computer stuff, that's always fun. After that I hung out at BK working on the computers getting stuff ready for Friday and working on some other stuff. Then met up with A for our second lesson, which went better than the week before but ended when the power went out. That was awesome. Not

After we left I met up with Beka and Lili and we walked down to Sutheps night market, but I guess wednesday is their slow night, cause only on side of the street was set up. And our rotee stand wasn't there. So we found another and got some milkshakes and found a little shop that had all the quality of a dollar general and found some fun stuff.

Headed to bed then was going to get up early to do some spiritual mapping. Yeah, I'm still not a morning person. So I went to get lunch and enjoyed the team meeting. Oh, one thing I forgot to mention was that we, about 5 of us, created a survey questionaire that we are going to go through with our friends to find out more about them and different aspects of Thai culture. I'm looking forward to doing that.

But after the meeting I headed out to do my mapping. I had fun with it and met a lot of people, so that was fun. After I finished that up I had some dinner then met up with a guy named Chang. He is a mechanic and a friend of Brooke's who has been looking for a language partner, so he and I will be hanging out every well for an hour or so. Pray for us and me for wisdom and direction, and just things to talk about.

Friday morning I woke up late for what time I was supposed to be up, and then ran to BK to meet up with a team who was in town from Mississippi, we got to take them out to do some spiritual mapping. It was a new experience for them, so it was fun to be able to go along with them and help out. Plus PiiGoal was in my group so I got to hang out with him. He is believer who used to be a practicing monk and who used to hang out at BK a lot, but he hadn't been around lately. So pray for him as he is working a lot and also that he would come back into our group.

We ate some lunch at lemon tree, then I went back to BK to finish getting thrings ready for Friday night. It was my night to have things to do, so we whet out on a photo scavenger hunt, and did boys versus girls. The girls owned and had a blast. The guys said they had fun but seemed a bit more busy just hanging out and gettig snacks. But when we got back to BK to compare lists and pics, that was a lot of fun. Everybody yelling in English and Thai saying whether or not the pics should count.

Saturday I woke on up early again to teach my two students, then sat and listened through Rob and Glenn's financial seminar which was really cool. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon fixing this iPhone that decided to crash.

I lost all my music that was on here, pictures, bookmarks, all of my phone numbers and email addresses. I was really upset because I lost my notes, ones to friends, ones keeping track of info I needed, one that had music recomendations and email addresses on it. I was aggrivated that day.

But then Carrie came over and Ekk, Bekah, Carrie, and I all went to lemon tree again. Then we lost Bekah and picked up Meaw, headed to one of yw closer night markets where Ekk picked upper of the fundraiser shirts he ordered, then headed over to the North Gate to chill to some jazz music. We ran into Seth and Jen, some friends from Grace, and Sylvian joined us as well so we had a good group hanging out and enjoying it. I left early so I could get up early on Sunday.

Sunday morning I was up, showered and had a cup of coffee from 7-11 in hand walking down towards BK by 8 am. Then Rob, Jordan, me Brian and Susan and their son Adien all climbed into a van and we went to Burma. That was fun. We all needed to step out of the country because our 90 days was close to up. I still had about 20 but I din want to go by myself on my date so I came early. We stopped and had really good pie on the way there. Went around the market there inside the border, and then drove over to the golden triangle. We were going to do the boat ride to Laos but we were running late already. So we headed back to Chiang Mai, through a fun mountain road that had little light and lots of fun switchbacks. But made it home safely then went to bed.

Monday I slept in, ate a late lunch. Went up to the waterfall for some alone time. Then went any hung out at Mo's Coffee for a few hours playing on the wireless, and typing most of this. Met a couple of Thai girls and invited them to BK, then met up with Ekk Bekah and Lili to eat and then watch a movie.

Today we had our prayer time, and then I've been working on the stuff for the prison tomorrow. That about sums it up. Tune in next week for more fun adventures.

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Hope you brought coffee and a snack

Welp... heres the dl. I'm typing this one on the compy at BK because its gonna be long. Its gonna be awesome though, so check it out.

So, I don't really remember what all i did the Tuesday after we got back from BKK (Bangkok). That was almost two weeks ago. Plus Tuesdays don't generally have that much going on. But that Tuesday i found out that Handclasp has a scooter that had just become available, so i started driving it that night.... and hurt myself almost immediately. For anyone wondering what happened to my pinkie toe, i decided to try and get into a wreck first thing, and after i avoided that thought it would be a good idea to kick a little picketed garden. I should work on my temper a little i guess. :-D but my first night on it i drove pretty well, and am leaning fast. I enjoy it a lot. I even gave Bekah a ride to ST from BK. Yeah its just down the street but it was fun.

Wednesday i woke up and Richard, PiiThumb and i headed out to MaeRim to the juvey. We got there and found out that a local Thai massage school was out for teaching for a week, so we didn't have class. But we had fun out there, and got back early. We met up with the rest of the team to go over the final details of the schedule for the Lake Country team that was coming in.

Other highlights that happened in there, but i don't really remember when: I went and got the motorbike re-insured and legal, which involved driving all the way across town and talking to people who spoke little to no Thai, but it was a fun and learning experience. And at some point in there we (Da3, meaw, ekk, and carrie) all went out for the night on scooters. So i was driving around with people on the back. But i bring that up because we found the best Rotee that i have had in Chiang Mai. It was awesome, and i learned how to get gas in Thailand. Sounds like a no brainer but there are small differences, like specifying that you want 91 octane at the pump, not just what point you are using. Anyways, back to the other stuff.

Thursday, we woke up, and Da3 caught a songteaw out to the airport to meet up with the LCCS team. To give you a lil background on who they are: LCCS stands for Lake Country Christian Schools. Its a K-12 christian school from somewheres in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. The team was 17 kids from 14-18 who decided to raise money and give up their spring break to go work. So we got them out of the airport and went straight from there to Dr. Noodle, a nicer lil resturaunt near BK and had some lunch and orientation. We decieded to skip out on the smog and heat, and went from there on over to the Green Palace to check them into their hotel rooms, then met up with them around 5:30 to go out to HueyGeaw waterfall. (side not to those from the SBU teams: we did not go all the way up to the part where we did our orientation. It was acutally the water fall you could see from the resturaunt that we ate at the first day last year) There we had a little more orientation and spontaneous prayer and singing time. And then walked down to Huen Huey Geaw, a resturaunt that overlooks the water fall we were up playing at. By this point the whole team consited of zombies. So we took them back to the hotel.

Friday morning i woke up at 5 am. now im not much of a morning person, but OSU was playin OU in the Big 12 Championship, so i got to see them win the important game. it was awesome. in the process i managed to lay the scooter over. No i didnt hurt myself again, and the scooter was fun. But i did. And even got to see the whole game before i went to meet up with the team. We split up into four teams, and headed out in songteaws to do the "Cultural Scavenger Hunt" and had a blast wandering about the old city. Highlights from that trip included meeting a monk that looked like he could hang with any MMA fighter you wanted to put him agianst, walking through the raw meat market at Chiang Mai Gate Market, eating fun fruits including Dragon Fruit and Durien (which lived up to its smelly rep), me kicking a piece of concrete with my busted pinkie toe and bleeding all over Kad Luan (Warorot Market), and eating fried up insects (whirly gigs, silk worms, crickets, and mole crickets), and meeting a drunk Thai guy who gave all the boys hugs and welcomed us to Thailand (this was before lunch). That lasted till around 2, then the team met up at GP (green palace) where we parted ways for a bit. The team went out to Agape House, which is an Orphanage/Foster home for babies and children that are HIV positive. Da3 stayed behind to get ready for Fantastic Friday. And by get ready, i took a nap :-D. But then rearranged BK and cleared out the inside so we could all fit.. We played some icebreaker games once the team got there, then they taught everyone how to linedance, and all in all it was a blast. And we had an awesome turnout, we even managed to have more Thai people with us than we had farang, so that was even more exciting. It was even so much fun, that noone wanted to leave, but the Highschoolers had to get some rest, so once they left, so did most of the rest.

Woke up on Saturday, and met my new students (at the time they were mine and Lili's, but now they are just mine cause she picked up another class). Their names are Thai and Chai, a bf and gf couple, but they are a lot of fun. So we went through class, and then Glenn and Janet took Da3 on out to House of Blessing. HoB is an orphanage about 30 min away from CM. They are mostly hill tribe kids, but when we got out there, half the team was playing, the other half was split paiting and then clearing out a spot of land in the back to make a garden. So Lili played, Bekah painted and played, I went back and helped with the garden. I didnt really check out the painting, but we cleared out a good sized area and broke up the soil. By then the older boys there were doing most of it, they really got into it, and mixed in the the soil we bought with the soil that was there. We worked til about mid afternoon, then packed up and headed back to GP and ST to shower and get ready for the evening. We left GP and headed to a small park inside the moat where we layed out mats, tossed the football and frizbee around (both ended up in the ponds at one point or another), but more importantly met up with our friends from BK ate pizza and got to hang out some more. We really got to show the team how important relationship building is to what we are doing here. We also were going to sing a couple of songs, which turned out to be quite a few songs because our friend PiiSinn showed up and volunteered to play guitar for us. He is an increadable player.

After the team left, Da3 three and friends went out to the Saturday Night Walking Street, wich was a lot of fun exept that we ended up losing Dew. But it was fun to hang out with with everyone. Another one of the girls we taught out at North CMU has started hanging out with us, she came to BK with us for the first time that friday night, and also came to the park and walking street with us, as well as Ken, Dew, Palm, Carrie, Ekk, PiiSinn, Ray and Ham. After walking street, headed home to get some rest.

Woke up Sunday morning and met up with the team at GP, loaded up and went back out to HoB. HoB is a Christian based orphanage, so they do worship every Sunday and we got to join in with them. It's hard to explain the feeling of worshiping God in a language you don't even understand. it was so much fun, very charismatic wich was even more fun, and it was awesome that these highschoolers got to experience it like that. After a little part of worship, the kids all leave for Sunday School, which the team got to teach this day. They did a great job acting parables of Christ. The kids and the team both had a lot of fun. We ate lunch (which was amazing btw, even had some nice and ripe mango. So Goood!), then played with the kids a little more. The hard part was watching the team say goodbye to the kids. It was really moving. Especially when PiiOom (i'll talk more on him later) got everyone together and we made a huge circle holding hands with each other and the kids and PiiOom prayed over and blessed the team.

We headed home then and got changed a little, and loaded back up so the team could go to the Sunday Night Walking Street. For those of you who dont know, there are two main places to get cool suveneir type stuff (at least according to me, you make make a case for a third at Kad Luan, but i still say these are the main two). One is the Night Bazaar, its basically a flood of tourist and vendors that are trying to rip of the tourist by over charging. That place is fun because the haggling is over huge discounts, i love it. But the Sunday Night Walking Street (the saturday night one is a smaller version of the same thing, even less tourists and not so crowded) started a few years ago to encourage entrepenourship among the Thai people around here, so its all mostly all handmade items, all of it really cool, and most of it uniquely northern Thai. We shopped there from like 5:30 til 8ish. It was fun to walk around with the groups, and just look more closely at stuff i would usually pass by. I also had two guys in my group that put all the girls on the trip to shame in their shoppin ability. Then the team met up and left, i stayed behind to meet up with more friends at Wawee coffee there, hung out with them for a while, and then headed on home.

Monday we woke up and went over to the Cumming's House. This is literally a family's home here that they have started a foster home out of. They have been doing this for a few years, and are building a new larger facility that they can live out of and not have to worry about rent going up on. Again i will go into the Cumming's story a little later. But the girls played with the kids that were there, and also sanded and repainted some of the play equipment they have there. The guys headed out to the land the Cummings are getting and we started laying out a hedge. They weren't allowed to put up a wall along their property line to keep people out, so they decided on a more natural approach. And i say started 'cause we got the plants all layed out, but when we started diggin, it was all dried clay, so going was excruciatingly slow. But we got a good amount done, and then headed to Grace to clean up and swim, then to dinner and sweet resturaunt called like Jungle something. But it has the coolest bathrooms in the world, and thats not an exageration. And then went home and on to bed.

On Tuesday, i was feeling it a little bit so i was slow in the morning, and almost missed my ride out to the elephant camp. That turned out to be an amazing time, we watched the same show that we watched the first time we went out there a month ago, but it was a lot of fun with a bunch of highschoolers. Then they all went out on elephant rides, i didnt feel like paying for another ride, so i hung back and ate, as did Brooke, so it was fun to chat with her a little bit about her time here. Then the team got back, went to the souvenier shop, then we walked a ways back in to the nursuery, and got to see a tiny lil baby which ate Bekah's key chain. That was sadly funny. We loaded up then and went to Huay Tueng Teaw (i just butchered the spelling there, sorry), the reseviour lake that has the little huts on it to eat luch. hung out there for a couple of hours, i ended up actually falling asleep in one of the huts. It was nice. We headed from there on back to BK and met up with Rob and Jordan to do some spiritual mapping. That ended up being really good, because it gave the team an opportunity to participate in something that they can easily keep track of and later see the results and say,"hey, i got to help with that process." Afterwards we went and ate Moo gra ta, which is where the put coals under a peice of tin and you cook your food yourself. They had a lot of fun with that. I feel like we went and did something after that.... the team went to bed. Maybe i did too. i dont remember. Wait, now i do, i went home and that was th night that it rained. It was beautiful. I love thunderstorms and didnt think i would get to see any this spring.

Wednesday, the boys woke up at 5 to go get a head start on the hedge. I slept in :-D. But i slept in and went with Quintin and PiiThumb out to the juvey. Quintin took us out there because Richard was the one in charge of the team so he was with them. Things didnt go quite as planned though. We got out to the jail, walked all the way back to the building we teach in, and found out that KruDucit was not there at all. Which was a bit dissapointing. We asked the kids if they wanted to just sit outside and learn some English anyways, and they said no. But that was when the awesome started. They said they still wanted to hear the story that PiiThumb was going to tell this week. Well he had planned on telling the story of Cain and Abel, and he got all of a minute into it when a couple of the older boys started asking questions, and basically PiiThumb layed out the gospel for about 45 minutes straight. I had a little trouble keeping up with it, ya know cause it was in Thai, but they kept asking questions and just drinking it all up. It was soo awesome to be there for. So that was a bit of a high. We left there and I went to eat lunch before i met up Glenn for our coffee time, then the two of us went to BK for Kanoon Club. I hung out there with peoples, and then went and grabbed dinner and met my other new student. Ill be teaching her on wednesday nights at 7. We went through our first lesson, it was fun, then i left BK and headed to the Night Bazaar to meet up with the team, only got to be there with them for a bit, because they were leaving at 9, but i had some Chicken McNuggets, it was good. Then Da3 and some of our friends went on over to ST because it was going to be an early morning, so Ken, Ken, and Ket all spent the night.

We woke up 5 on Thursday. Met up with the team, and went to see the Monk parade up by Huey Geaw waterfall, and let the team have some debreifing time with PiiKim Ratliff. Then we went on up the mountain to Wat Phra Tat Doi Suthep so the team could see it. Spent about an hour there, then went back to GP to check them out of the hotel and eat our last meal together, which was at Miguel's Mexican resturaunt. It was a great place to say goodbye, then took them to the airport and waited till they got all their luggae and such checked in, said out last good byes, and then left them. I went home and napped, then woke up and we met up with Palm who was one of our students at North for her birthday. Some of her friends came with us, including Where who we also taught North. We had some snackish sweet stuff at a resturaunt, then went back BK where we ordered pizza and watched part of a movie, and just hung out and talked. It was great fun and plus Where has started hanging out with us a little more now.

Friday i woke up and started running errands. I got a 15 meter monitor cable so that we can more easily use the projector at BK, then worked on the computer downloading pictures, music from my Ipod, and making up a little slide show to show at Fantastic Friday. Rob and i also hung out for a few hours playing Wii upstairs in his and Jordan's place. That was awesome. Then got everything (as far as slideshow and music) going for FF to start. The original plan was to go to a nearby court and play some BBall and Frisbee, but about that time it started to rain again. So we scrambled for a new plan and Rob brought down the Wii and we played Mario and Sonic Olympics. It was actually increadably fun. We did a little tournement thing and competed against each other. Then about 10 something, Rob, Brit (Brooke's little brother who came over for his spring break) and i walked downt to Mike's to get some burgers, then walked back and went upstairs to watch OSU play TN. That was a blast.

Saturday I woke up early and met with Thai and Chai again, went through the lesson thing, then went to Lotus to do some shopping. After i got back to ST i was worn thin, and i layed down on my bed and didnt move til about 630, at which time i met up with Da3, Dew, Palm, Where, Ekk, Brooke and Brit, and we all went out to a buffet by the river to eat some dinner. It was a great little spot, and we enjoyed just chillin and spending some time together. After we ate, i left the main group and went to The North Gate to meet up with some other friends to listen to live jazz.. That was fanTABulous. I love jazz, and those guys tore it up for about 2 hours, and were still going when i left because i had to get up early.

This morning i woke up at 8, called my mother to wish her happy birthday, and ended up getting to talk to my little brother, my dad and my mimi also. That was really nice to say hi to everyone, and a quick praise, it looks like my parents may have finally sold the land. I'll miss the place but they are ready for something smaller. Then i met up with Bekah, Lili, Brooke, Ekk, Brit, Dew, Palm, Where, and then two of Dew's relations, and we all piled into a truck and drove up to a waterfall to have lunch and play. It was a wierd waterfall too because you could walk normal through it. It wasnt slippery at all. But we had so much fun there, I took a load of pics. Then we came back and went to worship at BK, left from there and went to walking street and Ekk and Meaw and I got massages. Then came back here and started typing.

I did take a break long enough to watch OSU hand the game to Pit. dadgummit. But when you get out rebounded 2 to 1 and one of their players gets over 30 pts, 23 of them before halftime.... bah.

Anyways.

As far as prayer requests, I have a couple of em. On is for PiiOom and PiiKat, they are the two that run House of Blessing. They are right now in the process of getting new land and bigger facilities as well. Please be praying for them as they seek the Lord's provision and direction heading into this. Also pray for their kiddos, some of whom get adopted, some grow up in the orphanage and need help paying for education and what not.

At the Cumming's house, they started when Mrs. Cummings was volunteering at a Gov run foster home, where there are just too many kids to workers. So she took on of the kids home because she was sick, and nursed her back to health and eventually adopted her, but now opens her home to take care of the babies and toddlers who are sick in the foster home. They nurse them back to health and work to try and get them adopted. They have been over the past few years had trouble staying in houses because the landlords would raise rent on them after leases were up, so they would find a new place. But now they have had help from a private donor through a foundation, and are joining with a foundation as well so that they can move to this new land. The land itself is already paid for, as is the house that is being built right now, but they are seeking direction as they join this foundation and now start expanding beyond their front door. Pray for them as they are being prodded out of their comfort zone that they would grow in their faith and trust, and follow God's directions even when it isnt exactly what they were planning. Pray for them also as they have teams of voluteers coming over to help with the kids they have that they would have good help and examples coming.

Please also keep Richard, PiiThumb and i in your prayers as we continue to go out to the prison and work, and for Da3 as we go out and continue to meet new people and make contacts around CM for Baan Kanoon and Handclasp.

Pray also for the LCCS team as they are starting up school again, that they would get over jet lag quickly, but also that they would not forget all that they did, and that they would be sensative to the Holy Spirit as they proccess through everything they saw and did while they were here.

Also please be in prayer for BK as in two months now more than half of the staff will be taking off for the states. Pray for Rob and Jordan as they are going through language so that they will be ready to take care of things and take over once the Ratliffs, Newcombs, and Neills head out.

Thank you so much for your prayer support as well as for keepin up with me as im over here.

Maybe ill get some pictures or videos up in the next couple weeks.... latras, and love yáll

futures of history

Well, when we last left off, I was in a hurry. We finished up watching get smart with Ken and Dew, and then woke up the next morning. I headed on over to BK to start putting together some material on giving directions for juvey the next day. Then we had language at 1. After language we hung around BK, and then picked up PiiToey to go to a Japanese food place (where the shrimp was amazing) and then went bowling after. It was a lot of fun but sad at the same time since it was our last night with Dream before she left.

We also found out the the people in Utah that work with this company to bring students to the states to work is run by Mormans. So Dream and her classmates as well as students from other countries are living with and working for people of the Morman belief system. So pray for them and Dream specifically.

Wednesday, I woke up early and Richard, PiiThumb and I all headed out to Mae Rim for our weekly time in jail, and we had a lot of fun with it. Giving directions is a hard lesson to teach, bit it was a blast. And PiiThumb is getting more and more in depth each week. He told his testimony last week. So pray for us as we try to teach them quality English, but also for wisdom in sharing what we believe. That it would be lived out in us, not just out words.

We left there and I made it back to BK in time to have lunch with Dream and Tham. Tham is also leaving for the states, soon if not already gone. She's going to Wyoming or Montana to work. Can't remember which.

Had a meeting and then got ready to leave for Bangkok. The train was interesting, to say the least. Rob and Jordan had a French speaking couple near them, who caused some problems. And sleepin in a train is harder than you might think.

But we made it to the train station and caught a very rickety old songteaw to the guest house where we were staying, got showered and cleaned up a bit, and then headed down to the sky train to go to the BSC.

The Baptist Student Center is an English teaching institution with over 50 years of history. It was started by three misplaced M's, though I couldn't tell you there names now I remember that two were a couple by the last name of Reeves, and has grown into a huge place that influences an average of 2500 students each term, which is about two months long. I will throw out there they are always looking for volunteers, from college juniors on up to people in their 80's. Search baptist student center dot org.

But we got to look at their structure and formatting to start some benchmarking for BK, and it was increadably encouraging to see all they had done and are still doing and to get some ideas that could be reached. So that was a ton of fun, then we headed from there to the Baptist Theological Seminary. I didn't even know such a place existed! But before any of you think about coming to Thailand for your seminary program, you'll have to learn Thai. Just a heads up. It was neat though to meet some of the teachers and students and get some history on the place.

Then after that whole long day, we went on back to the guest house and rested a bit, then got together to eat out. We went to an amazing little rib place (yeah, that's right, we had American food) and just sat and talked as a team and had some really good food. We got back to the guest house around 1030 and headed to sleep, then woke back up early. Well, I slept in til 730, but then we went to a little compound where several M's stay for an introductory orientation to Thai culture. Some of it was stuff I had known since last year, and some of it was brand new, so it was fun. That lasted til the afternoon and then we split up and went and did stuff in smaller groups. Brooke, Liliy, Beca and I was the group I went with, and we ended up going to watch The Watchmen at the Imax theatre. I was a bit dissapointed. I thought it took a good honest look at human nature, but did it much more explicitly than I thought they would. So I ended up liking most of the movie but wishing I had done a bit more research into the actual storyline than I had done.

Afterwards we split again, and Lily and I went to check out Lumpini Park, which was huge and closed 15 min after we got there. So we headed back to the guest house. I ate dinner there and met a guy who was leading a group from the states and had just finished a medical clinic. We talked a little.

Then Saturday I went straight tourist. We woke up early an had all our stuff ready to go before 830. Then the majority of us that had stayed the extra day went to tour the kings palace, which turned put to be looking at a large wat and a museum in the corner of the grounds. Then Beca, Lily and I met up with Kwan, a friend from Chiang Mai and we all went to another nearby wat to see the reclining Budha. The thing gave new definition to the word large for me me. I can't acurately describe the largeness.

Afterwards we went by boat and train to JJ's Market. It's the largest open air market in the world, and we only got to spend about an hour there. But we were there. Though I din get to see the animal part. And Bangkok also gave new meaning to the word hot for me. And it's not even on in the hottest part of the year, bit it's close.

But went to get ourselves all cleaned up and then went to the train station, said goodbye to friends we had met down there, and then got on a train to head home. I don't know if I was just exhausted or what, but I slept ok on it. Then the train decided to take an extra couple of hours to get to CM.

Bit by the time we got there an back to ST apartment, I was sleepy. So I accidentally took a 5 hour nap. Woke up just in time for worship, which was really refreshing (worship, not just the nap). After tha Rob Jordan and I headed to Richard and Christy Neills house to watch tv OSU vs OU bball game that Richard had recorded for us. It was a bit of a dissapointing game, but the time spent hanging out was good.

Then I was in bed by 1030 and was out til 8 this morning.

Next week will be a short update again if I even get the chance to do it.

But please pray for me as I continue to get things together for for the juvey time. That God would give me educational creativity. And focus. Wednesday, I will also be taking over Richards class at 7, assuming anyone comes. And then Thursday, the team of highschoolers arrives from LCCS, in Dallas. The 3 will be spending a lot of time with them. So pray we don't get too worn out going with them. They will be doing a lot of stuff in the week they are here. Also pray for them that they would be flexible, and little Christs running around. And pray for Richard as he is the one in charge of them. This is an exciting time for our team as we get to join with another team of believers and let them see the life in CM. Also we are starting the new term of teaching this week, and we are doing a camping trip on the 20-21 of march, so pray for that that those who need to be there will be able and willin to come, and pray for us as we lead them out.

Things are continuing to be exciting, and also drainig at times. Pray that we would be leaning on Gods strength and not our own on this, and that we would know His direction, and know what direction to follow, and that we would even know when to say no to doing a good thing so we don't spread ourselves to thin to do our main calling.

Thank you all again for your love and support, for the Bday cards I got, those were unexpected, and for the little notes of encouragement I get from time to time. They come at just the right times and carry me when I get tired.

I also feel compelled to say I wrote this one listening to Toby Mac, Search the City, and mewithoutYou. Loves. Latras!

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