Well, let's see here, what has happened this week. Tuesday we started two new things.
In the early morning we are meeting at BK (Bann Kanoon, for the new reader. I just now checked my comments from last week) and having an hour of concentrated prayer for the city, the people we know here, and all the ways that we and others are trying to share about the love of Christ. For those of you on the central time zone that would like to join us at the same time, beingblikr minded and united around the globe for this one city, that would be from 7-8pm on Monday evenings. If you aren't in central, you can figure it out cause you know where you are in relation to it.
We are also going to new areas of the city to pray and look around for a new way we are going to try and open some doors. I don't really want to get into specifics here. But you could keep this new idea and us carrying out the opening steps in your prayers. For our wisdom and discretion as we head into it. Rob is the one heading it up.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we taught out at north again. We also are getting to know two of the students from that group. We are planning on going on up to Doi Suthep with them on Saturday. That should prove interesting.
Wednesday we went out to the prison and had some fun, and then PiiThum got a little deeper with them and expounded on knowing there is more to life than just what we see. The kids were very attentive and even wanted him to keep talking, which was so encouraging.
Then on Thursday I had a morning meeting with Glen, and lunch with he and Ryder. Those were both good times. We had our meeting, at which people remembered my birthday, so we had icecream cake from DQ, and we also talked about our true goals an got more on the same page for how to accomplish them. We are talking about starting up some new things at BK. It was awesome. I'm excited to see where God takes us in this.
After teaching, we came back and met up with people at BK, and I got another cake. Then Becca and I went to eat dinner with Ken and Dew, the two from North that I mentioned above. After dinner we went and met up with the rest of our group for some karaoke. Good times were had by all.
Friday morning I called the rents, so they could say hi to me on my bday (it still was in America). Then went and got things ready for game show night at BK. We played some family feud, and then chilled an talked. Invited them to a camping trip BK is going to take in mid march. Oh yeah. Had language class. Funtimes. Makes my head hurt.
Saturday I woke up at 7 so I could be picked up by a friend to go with her church on a ministry thing they did. There is a small area north of the city where a few Burmese families live. Her church has been going out there, helping out as they can and taking care of them. The group I went with, the majority of them are also taking a trip to Cambodia mid March, so there were there as a team building experience as well. We sang songs and played games with the kids. I was having hardcore VBS flashbacks as we sang "Im in the Lords Army" (I may never march in the infantry, ride in the Calvary, shoot the artillery...) and "My God is so Big" (my God is so big, so strong and so mighty there's nothing my God cannot do *clap,clap*) in Thai. That was awesome. Then split them up and told bible stories to them. And then made lunch for everyone. I was so glad for the opportunity to go.
Then we went back to Payup U where her church meets, and went from there to Kad Luang to shop. Found a great place with cheap clean and clear, so my toletries budget is back under control. Got a new shoulder bag as well since mine is all tore up.
Then went back to BK to meet up with Ken and Dew for dinner again, went from there to the Saturday night walking street. Got back to BK prolly around ten or eleven and found out PiiToey was there, and since we hadn't seen her in a few weeks sat and talked with her and left about one.
Saturday was beautiful. But frickin' long.
So Sunday I slept a lot. Then at worship we had a good bye party for NongDream because it was the last sunday she will be at worship before she leaves for the US to work in Vernal, Utah. And spent the evening there with her. Then I went to bed early.
Today, we are teaching out at north. The next three days will be our last out there. Pray for us again, for wisdom and good attitudes. Pray for our energy levels as well. We have all three felt less rested than we should be. Also, the whole BK team is having a mini spiritual retreat on Thursday, so pray for us that God would speak, and aslo that we would listen. Also, I'm the one coming up with a plan for this Friday night. I still don't know what to do.
Thank you again for all the support you are giving to this team by keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. Love you all take care.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
livin in love
Well, as I sit at listen to taking back sunday scream about lipstick and angels, I think about everything that's gone on this past week and want to send out a shout to James Byrd, a thanks for forcing me to listen to TBS and admit that they were a good band. Moving along.
Last Wednesday at the prison, we had a nearly entirely new group. Such was good but aggrivating, because new people means more exposure to both English and the love of Christ, but we would also like some consistency in delivering both of those things. So please pray for us there that we would be flexible, buy also when we share about our lives, that the kids that need to hear whatever will be said the most will be there. Pray that our lives would shine Christ for the short times we are there.
Then Wednesday we hung out at BK, and did our English help, met some new people and invited a lot to the BK valentines party. Then Wednesday night Beca and I went to the university and got to hang out with the Thai campus crusade people there. We watched as they played games and did a valentines day devotion. It was a lot of fun and again got to meet and hang out with a lot of fun people
Thursday we had a long meeting talking about everything going on with the BK team of Handclasp. All the events and such that we have going on. That night I went with Dream, Katie, and Meaw to a little market and was again reminded how hard it is to find shirts that fit me in Thailand.
Friday we met up at BK in the early afternoon to start getting thngs ready for the party, decorated and did language class and decorated some more, but had everything together for the party and then had a blast. We also showed the drama set to lifehouse's Everything, it had mixed results. Look it up on YouTube if you're curios about what it looks like.
Saturday I went and bought our tickets for the train ride to Bangkok the first week of march. I'll talk more about it when it gets closer but it's an IMB orientation conference thing. Then Ekk and I went to play frisbee. It was awesome. Then the crazyness broke out. One of the local churches was having a vday party, it was a dress up occasion at a nice resturant/maybe hotel. Idk. But we were late (b/c frisbee trumps parties, esp vday ones) so we missed out on food. But again, got to meet new people, and hang out with people I had already met. And I got roped into a game where single guys get blindfolded and shoot at single girls with a nerf gun and then get a "date" pakage. I somehow managed to hit one of the girls, so we won a free movie rental and microwave popcorn, so we are going to meet up at BK and bring friends and have a good time. I also somehow got chosen as the king of the party? Not sure how that happened, then we watched a homemade movie done by some of the college kids in the group, it was awesome. Went and ate after with another group of people. It actually turned out to be one of my most enjoyable vdays.
Got home and wntbti bed about twoish so I slept in on Sunday. Then got things together and headed to worship. We talked about how our vday party went, things that went well and things that we can improve for future events, had a great worship time, then went out to eat together. Afterwards we went to walking street and prayerwalked for a while. Then headed home. Today is an easy day. Mondays we generally leave unscheduled so that we can rest, so I'm gonna go play some bball later on prolly.
For this next week please be in prayer again for our prison ministry, we are also teaching out at Chiang Mai North for our second session. Please pray that we will have some fun, but also that we will be effective and plug in some of our faith to this as well. Keep us in mind on Friday evenings (mornings for y'all in central time) as we engage those with us in more personal ways. And pray that we are constantly seeking Christs wisdom and direction.
Thanks for keeping up with me in all this
Last Wednesday at the prison, we had a nearly entirely new group. Such was good but aggrivating, because new people means more exposure to both English and the love of Christ, but we would also like some consistency in delivering both of those things. So please pray for us there that we would be flexible, buy also when we share about our lives, that the kids that need to hear whatever will be said the most will be there. Pray that our lives would shine Christ for the short times we are there.
Then Wednesday we hung out at BK, and did our English help, met some new people and invited a lot to the BK valentines party. Then Wednesday night Beca and I went to the university and got to hang out with the Thai campus crusade people there. We watched as they played games and did a valentines day devotion. It was a lot of fun and again got to meet and hang out with a lot of fun people
Thursday we had a long meeting talking about everything going on with the BK team of Handclasp. All the events and such that we have going on. That night I went with Dream, Katie, and Meaw to a little market and was again reminded how hard it is to find shirts that fit me in Thailand.
Friday we met up at BK in the early afternoon to start getting thngs ready for the party, decorated and did language class and decorated some more, but had everything together for the party and then had a blast. We also showed the drama set to lifehouse's Everything, it had mixed results. Look it up on YouTube if you're curios about what it looks like.
Saturday I went and bought our tickets for the train ride to Bangkok the first week of march. I'll talk more about it when it gets closer but it's an IMB orientation conference thing. Then Ekk and I went to play frisbee. It was awesome. Then the crazyness broke out. One of the local churches was having a vday party, it was a dress up occasion at a nice resturant/maybe hotel. Idk. But we were late (b/c frisbee trumps parties, esp vday ones) so we missed out on food. But again, got to meet new people, and hang out with people I had already met. And I got roped into a game where single guys get blindfolded and shoot at single girls with a nerf gun and then get a "date" pakage. I somehow managed to hit one of the girls, so we won a free movie rental and microwave popcorn, so we are going to meet up at BK and bring friends and have a good time. I also somehow got chosen as the king of the party? Not sure how that happened, then we watched a homemade movie done by some of the college kids in the group, it was awesome. Went and ate after with another group of people. It actually turned out to be one of my most enjoyable vdays.
Got home and wntbti bed about twoish so I slept in on Sunday. Then got things together and headed to worship. We talked about how our vday party went, things that went well and things that we can improve for future events, had a great worship time, then went out to eat together. Afterwards we went to walking street and prayerwalked for a while. Then headed home. Today is an easy day. Mondays we generally leave unscheduled so that we can rest, so I'm gonna go play some bball later on prolly.
For this next week please be in prayer again for our prison ministry, we are also teaching out at Chiang Mai North for our second session. Please pray that we will have some fun, but also that we will be effective and plug in some of our faith to this as well. Keep us in mind on Friday evenings (mornings for y'all in central time) as we engage those with us in more personal ways. And pray that we are constantly seeking Christs wisdom and direction.
Thanks for keeping up with me in all this
Monday, February 2, 2009
living the life
So, since my last journal, a good amount of fun things have happened.
We completed our first three day session of teaching out at chiang mai north, it was a blast. We had about thirty students in our class. Some could speak pretty good English, others couldn't understand the basics. But it went well and we have two more sessions the last two weeks of feb. They may even be bigger classes so that we have a lit of students on our own.
We did that Monday Tuesday and Wednesday, then Thursday we woke up and went out to Saraphi again. This time we got to take samaratin's purse shoeboxes out to the children. For those of you like me who hadn't really heard about these guys, they organize in the US, Australia, and New Zealand and churches put together shoe box gifts for kids around the world. They are age and gender specific, but it was like Christmas. It was the first time that these had been taken out to this village and it was beautiful watching the kids open up their gifts.
We also went over to Rob and Jordans village to do the same thing and picked them up to bring them back to Chiang Mai.
Then we split up, got all showered and what not and went our to eat at a nice resturaunt for Beca's birthday, and met up with some friends at BK who had poundcake and strawberries (yummie). Friday we had our team meeting, and then the three if us interns started our language class finally, and did fantastic Friday night at BK.
On Saturday we went to the market to pick up some stuff, and then ate dinner with Beth an Ryder who will be joining the BK team this like August.
Sunday was nice and busy. Brooke's friend Dannielle had come to visit her, so they and us three interns went elephant riding and at lunch on a lake on these little huts that actaully floated on the lake. 'Twas awesomeness. Then The Three (I think I shall refer to us as this from now on... Or maybe just da3, I like that better) got dropped off at the flower festival, big cultural event in the old city. Then we headed home and to worship, after which we went to walking street.
Yesterday, we slept in (yay holiday) and then da3, Ekk and Dream went out to a waterfall and played in the water. Much fun and bruising of the bottoms occurred. Then just hung out the rest of the day.
So it's been good time. I left the important stuff for the end. First, on their last day there Rob and Jordan found a small Thai cell church in their village, so that was amazing. There are a lot of new believers and mostly younger believers. Pray for them as they grow and minister to that area.
Also at the prison ministry last week, we got an entirely new class. But it's smaller and the kids are more engaged so we feel this is a wide open door to share. So pray for God's wisdom and guidance as we procede the next few months.
Love you all. Check out my mobile uploads on Facebook for all the pics from these things. Lata!
We completed our first three day session of teaching out at chiang mai north, it was a blast. We had about thirty students in our class. Some could speak pretty good English, others couldn't understand the basics. But it went well and we have two more sessions the last two weeks of feb. They may even be bigger classes so that we have a lit of students on our own.
We did that Monday Tuesday and Wednesday, then Thursday we woke up and went out to Saraphi again. This time we got to take samaratin's purse shoeboxes out to the children. For those of you like me who hadn't really heard about these guys, they organize in the US, Australia, and New Zealand and churches put together shoe box gifts for kids around the world. They are age and gender specific, but it was like Christmas. It was the first time that these had been taken out to this village and it was beautiful watching the kids open up their gifts.
We also went over to Rob and Jordans village to do the same thing and picked them up to bring them back to Chiang Mai.
Then we split up, got all showered and what not and went our to eat at a nice resturaunt for Beca's birthday, and met up with some friends at BK who had poundcake and strawberries (yummie). Friday we had our team meeting, and then the three if us interns started our language class finally, and did fantastic Friday night at BK.
On Saturday we went to the market to pick up some stuff, and then ate dinner with Beth an Ryder who will be joining the BK team this like August.
Sunday was nice and busy. Brooke's friend Dannielle had come to visit her, so they and us three interns went elephant riding and at lunch on a lake on these little huts that actaully floated on the lake. 'Twas awesomeness. Then The Three (I think I shall refer to us as this from now on... Or maybe just da3, I like that better) got dropped off at the flower festival, big cultural event in the old city. Then we headed home and to worship, after which we went to walking street.
Yesterday, we slept in (yay holiday) and then da3, Ekk and Dream went out to a waterfall and played in the water. Much fun and bruising of the bottoms occurred. Then just hung out the rest of the day.
So it's been good time. I left the important stuff for the end. First, on their last day there Rob and Jordan found a small Thai cell church in their village, so that was amazing. There are a lot of new believers and mostly younger believers. Pray for them as they grow and minister to that area.
Also at the prison ministry last week, we got an entirely new class. But it's smaller and the kids are more engaged so we feel this is a wide open door to share. So pray for God's wisdom and guidance as we procede the next few months.
Love you all. Check out my mobile uploads on Facebook for all the pics from these things. Lata!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
village people
Welp, thisn will prolly be long. We left last Monday to head out to Sarapi (that's not how you really spell it) and spent the first afternoon getting settled
and our host P-Nis took us to meet some ladies de-stemming lonkin berries to be taken to a factory where they dehydrate, separate, and bag them to be shipped to china. It was a lot of fun, and we got to meet the lady who co-runs it and one if the guys that actually manages the production. That was a lot of fun.
Each day we woke up and ran, save two, then ate breakfast, I would take my dip bath and we would head to school. On the way home from school one day and the following morning we got to learn how to make koa dtang which the Thai version of rice crispies. And remember, this is nothing sophisticated like the lonkin factory, this is just people in a house making a crspload of these things and how they make their living. But they still let us keep the ones we made and gave us food when we visited. I'll get back to that. Also running on one of the mornings one of our group got separated and lost for about an hour and a half. That was fun. And Wednesday Thursday and Friday nights we would go to the obata to play footban and wolleyban.
At school we would teach the first and second grades from 11 to 12, eat lunch til one, the have the third and fourth grades til 2 and the fifth and sixth grades til 3 then head home. The kids were a lot of fun.
Then Saturday and Sunday were those villages' sport days. Saturday the villages came together for volleyball, football, and bachi ball competitions. Lots of food and vendors of random things. Then on Sunday they had a fun parade and big opening ceremony followed by fireworks. Then came the championship mend football game followed by lots of rec games like egg toss and sack racing and balloon stomping and whatnot. And we left around 130ish.
The whole week was good. No it was pretty amazing. It's such a different way of life, and yet felt so comfortable. The only time I really felt akwars or out of place was when we were at our residence because even though they were so sweet, and loving and kind, I still felt like an intruder in their lives. And they treated it like a home stay (which is like a Thai b&b, where people open their homes for people to rent out for short periods of time) so they basically took care of everything, and wouldn't even let us help.
But no matter where they took us, or how little people has when we got there, we were given water and fresh fruit or snacks and such, and it's so humbling to think that these people can so easily give of whatever they have for a stranger and I struggle to let go of a few bot. We were given the best if everything. So it really was an education in Thai culture, an they do a lot of things better than we do. Of course my rationalizing side makes the case for the fact that we were farangs visiting their village, which doesn't happen often, and they want to make sure they look good for their karma points. Idk.
But we had a lot of down time, not as much as you would think, but I finished up the signature of Jesus by brennen manning. I loved it. And I also had plenty of time to pray and sort of get my mind together and focused. Didn't journal as much as in had planned on, but each night beca, lili and i worshipped together, singing and reading and praying, and again, I love how God will coordinate things so that what in reading in one thing gives me insight here, and how they compliment and expound on each other.
Out in a village near where we stayed is a couple that came with ISC and have been out in that village for the past month for their intro to Thai culture and we got to spend some time with them. We also got lost going out there one day on bike. The village roads are almost as bad as backwoods Cajun roads.
Teaching was a fun challenge, being as we were alone and most of the kids didint speak hardly any English, but it helped our Thai. And I spoke with an Englishman who lived in our village and did tutoring and partime teaching in the school and he gave me some sites to check out getting my ESL or EFL certificate and coming back to CM or elsewhere in the world to teach. So there's some food for thought.
The most exciting thing is Beca was playing with his son, so Joseph could speak decent English as well, and led him to Christ. The thing is his mom is a major bhuddist. And his dad seemed apathetic towards religious ideas. So be in prayer for that young believer who is probably the only one in his village.
There is a lot of spiritual battles going on over her as well. Like how rob and jordan (the isc couple) live next to a young man who is a medium, or a person who does ceremonies to invite spirits into himself. And a few other things that have happened to them. So be in prayer that we are all covered and able to withstand such attacks. Satan likes his little kingdom and doesn't want anything to disturb it. We went to eat tonight and walking back to our appartment building we saw stickers on street lights that mocked Christ and stated "save Thai culture". (the website it listed was loljesus.com I believe. Haven't looked yet) but it was jsut another reminder that we are facing a large opposition in peoples hearts that Satan is trying to harden and blind hearts around us and drive us out. But people here are so hungry, searching for anything to fill a void in their lives. A lot of that is destructive in nature, especially among the younger people.
Worship on Sundays is awesome though. It reminds me so much of house church and is becoming more like that idea. I love it. The three of us also started teaching at North Chiang Mai University. It's actually a paid position, so praise God there for again providing in way unexpected ways. But it is also putting us in touch with a lot of young people who are looking to work on their English, such may get some of them joining us at Baan Kanoon. So praise God there for how He opens doors and opportunities to draw people to himself.
Thank you for reading through my ramblings. There is more but I feel like I'm already pushing the limit of readability. Love you all. Til next time, adiós.
and our host P-Nis took us to meet some ladies de-stemming lonkin berries to be taken to a factory where they dehydrate, separate, and bag them to be shipped to china. It was a lot of fun, and we got to meet the lady who co-runs it and one if the guys that actually manages the production. That was a lot of fun.
Each day we woke up and ran, save two, then ate breakfast, I would take my dip bath and we would head to school. On the way home from school one day and the following morning we got to learn how to make koa dtang which the Thai version of rice crispies. And remember, this is nothing sophisticated like the lonkin factory, this is just people in a house making a crspload of these things and how they make their living. But they still let us keep the ones we made and gave us food when we visited. I'll get back to that. Also running on one of the mornings one of our group got separated and lost for about an hour and a half. That was fun. And Wednesday Thursday and Friday nights we would go to the obata to play footban and wolleyban.
At school we would teach the first and second grades from 11 to 12, eat lunch til one, the have the third and fourth grades til 2 and the fifth and sixth grades til 3 then head home. The kids were a lot of fun.
Then Saturday and Sunday were those villages' sport days. Saturday the villages came together for volleyball, football, and bachi ball competitions. Lots of food and vendors of random things. Then on Sunday they had a fun parade and big opening ceremony followed by fireworks. Then came the championship mend football game followed by lots of rec games like egg toss and sack racing and balloon stomping and whatnot. And we left around 130ish.
The whole week was good. No it was pretty amazing. It's such a different way of life, and yet felt so comfortable. The only time I really felt akwars or out of place was when we were at our residence because even though they were so sweet, and loving and kind, I still felt like an intruder in their lives. And they treated it like a home stay (which is like a Thai b&b, where people open their homes for people to rent out for short periods of time) so they basically took care of everything, and wouldn't even let us help.
But no matter where they took us, or how little people has when we got there, we were given water and fresh fruit or snacks and such, and it's so humbling to think that these people can so easily give of whatever they have for a stranger and I struggle to let go of a few bot. We were given the best if everything. So it really was an education in Thai culture, an they do a lot of things better than we do. Of course my rationalizing side makes the case for the fact that we were farangs visiting their village, which doesn't happen often, and they want to make sure they look good for their karma points. Idk.
But we had a lot of down time, not as much as you would think, but I finished up the signature of Jesus by brennen manning. I loved it. And I also had plenty of time to pray and sort of get my mind together and focused. Didn't journal as much as in had planned on, but each night beca, lili and i worshipped together, singing and reading and praying, and again, I love how God will coordinate things so that what in reading in one thing gives me insight here, and how they compliment and expound on each other.
Out in a village near where we stayed is a couple that came with ISC and have been out in that village for the past month for their intro to Thai culture and we got to spend some time with them. We also got lost going out there one day on bike. The village roads are almost as bad as backwoods Cajun roads.
Teaching was a fun challenge, being as we were alone and most of the kids didint speak hardly any English, but it helped our Thai. And I spoke with an Englishman who lived in our village and did tutoring and partime teaching in the school and he gave me some sites to check out getting my ESL or EFL certificate and coming back to CM or elsewhere in the world to teach. So there's some food for thought.
The most exciting thing is Beca was playing with his son, so Joseph could speak decent English as well, and led him to Christ. The thing is his mom is a major bhuddist. And his dad seemed apathetic towards religious ideas. So be in prayer for that young believer who is probably the only one in his village.
There is a lot of spiritual battles going on over her as well. Like how rob and jordan (the isc couple) live next to a young man who is a medium, or a person who does ceremonies to invite spirits into himself. And a few other things that have happened to them. So be in prayer that we are all covered and able to withstand such attacks. Satan likes his little kingdom and doesn't want anything to disturb it. We went to eat tonight and walking back to our appartment building we saw stickers on street lights that mocked Christ and stated "save Thai culture". (the website it listed was loljesus.com I believe. Haven't looked yet) but it was jsut another reminder that we are facing a large opposition in peoples hearts that Satan is trying to harden and blind hearts around us and drive us out. But people here are so hungry, searching for anything to fill a void in their lives. A lot of that is destructive in nature, especially among the younger people.
Worship on Sundays is awesome though. It reminds me so much of house church and is becoming more like that idea. I love it. The three of us also started teaching at North Chiang Mai University. It's actually a paid position, so praise God there for again providing in way unexpected ways. But it is also putting us in touch with a lot of young people who are looking to work on their English, such may get some of them joining us at Baan Kanoon. So praise God there for how He opens doors and opportunities to draw people to himself.
Thank you for reading through my ramblings. There is more but I feel like I'm already pushing the limit of readability. Love you all. Til next time, adiós.
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