Pizza Time!

This past Sunday I was able to get together with some students and cook pizza with them. Our unit was about countries, languages and different foods. When I told them I could cook some Italian they all wanted to make Pizza. This was really cool, because sometimes I've tried to make plans with them and they haven't been able to make it or they don't have the time. They intitiated this get together so I praised the Lord. These are my students: Jeep, Preow, and Dream Thai people are not used to baking a whole lot or using things like measuring cups. We were able to practice the different terms of cooking and make some dough from scratch. Special thanks to Becky Pennington for lending me the recipe, it worked so well. They all made their own pizza and were able to put whatever toppings on it. We had onions, green peppers, pepporoni (really expensive in Thailand), cheese (extremely expensive), sauce, crab meat, pork, bologna/ham, spicy ham,...etc... It was smelling pretty good after a while. :0) Yui, Preow and Am... I showed them different ways to make dough...like when you let the yeast sit or rise; or like putting the dough in for about 10 min. and then taking it out to put your toppings on so the crust is not so gigantic :0) I think Jeep had the most fun with the left over dough. . . All in all it was a success and time well spent...

Cultural Frustration

Today was sharing day. Everyday the Centre staff meet together and have a meeting. There are themes for each meeting. Thursdays are sharing days. I set up this blog so that those reading would not only know my adventures, but all that goes with them too. I wanted to share with the rest of you what frustration I have in my heart. Our team leader Opal was talking about a wonderful opportunity we have with one girl named Yui. She was able to sit and talk with Yui about her life. Yui comes from a rough background and we knew as soon as she attended classes at the Centre that she was hurting and looking for affection of some kind. (In case your thinking, "I've heard that name before." You have; she came to the waterfalls with me. There is a picture of her in the post, "Sabboth rest") Sarah, my friend and co-worker, was her teacher and often we all go out together. However, Sarah and I both are so drained after being with Yui. Yui doesn't speakor understand english very well; but she is very clingy and emotional and wants to do things with us all the time. As I shared this morning, Sarah and I are always at odds with spending too much time with Yui. I know I don't want to become someone she is dependent on. I want to point her to the one who can help her...but I don't have the words. The Thai words. It's so frustrating to know the One who can help, but be limited to how we share. I know the Holy Spirit can still work miracles and that Love through action can be enough to lead, but my heart aches each time I realize there is a barrier. Love can break it down, I know, but it takes TIME. I am eager to share the word and eager to share Christ. I need patience and endurance. I don't want Yui to be confused thinking the love that we show her is of ourselves. I want her to know it is of Christ... and that she can know it. If you can imagine yourself seeing someone come to your church who has hurt written all over their face and yet they speak chinese, german, or some other language you don't know; then you can imagine this frustration. My desire is to see people saved, but I know I often get envious of those who can reach in and help, because they know Thai. I'm bearing my heart with you all because I need you to pray. For whatever comes to your mind. Some of you will know exactly what to pray because you've been there. Others of you may be at a loss, but please pray. Pray I would be patient and continue to resonate the love of Christ in my life. Thank you Ephesians 3:20--Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Lost and Found

Thank you all who prayed that I would have a great Lord's Day; the Lord certainly answered. I was able to go to another Thai church in the morning. This church me in a house and was smaller. The worship was all in accappella; it sounded wonderful. I was able to sing in Thai a lot of what we sing in english. The service was translated for us. The pastor preached on Colossians 3 and what we should put on as Christians. My friend and I thought it was very applicable to what we were able to share with each other just days before about working with people in minstry. Then we stayed for Bible Study after the service. We studied about "The Stupid of the Wise," a study about Solomon and pieces of His life. I really enjoyed hearing in the translation how things are described to the Thai people. Nothing much different, but just in things that they could relate to. Afterward, we found out that a girl who'd been attending for some weeks just got saved and was being baptized that day by the waterfalls. The same waterfalls I had been to last Sunday. It was so nice to witness the whole thing and see that the place I found sabbath rest at was now going to be remembered this way in someone's life and those who were around. Praise the Lord, this women came to Christ, and wished to proclaim it. She was lost and now is found. This is the woman who was babtized and the man who baptized her is leaving for Houston in a few days to study for his pastoral degree. Later that day, I went to a church that some other SIM missionaries go to. The service is at 4:15. I loved just being in a church again and hearing familiar songs. Every week there is a different worship team, and this week they had hyms and a quartet leading. I felt right at home. The service there is larger, but it was just so neat to be in an international church. There were so many other missionaries and countries represented there. It's sort of like going to a missions conference every week :0) I heard from one lady who had been in Equador around the time Nate Saint and those four other men were killed. This lady had been responsible for translating the book of Matthew for some of the Ketchua (spelling??? sorry) people. She was in Thailand tracing some family history for a month. Anyway, I just want to thank you so much for praying that I'd find a church. I'll be attending this church every Sunday evening and still be hoping around for an english service in the morning.

Cooking Nights

So every wednesday is exciting here at the center. After classes we have our cooking nights. For three wednesdays out of the month we try to cook some western food and then one we cook Thai food. Most of the time we stay right at the Center, but last Wednesday we went to one of the teacher's houses. Bev, her name, cooked pork roast with mashed potatoes....

Sorry I didn't get this pic at the start of the night. But at least you know it was liked :0)

This is Bev...

There was also wonderful dessert....Twinkie cake and pumkin cake...

Cooking nights and other events the Center holds is a great way to make the students feel more like friends then just students; and it makes them have to speak english conversationally with the foreigners there.

Jamie...England humor I suppose :0)

This week we're having "Bangers and Mash" in honor of our England theme for the week. Jamie and Cynthia are two workers here from England so they say it like 'bangas and mash' but really it's just sausages and mashed potatoes :0)

Throughout the week we try to get together with the students outside of class time so that it becomes a comfortable environment for them. If they feel comfortable enough they begin to ask questions about our faith. Luckily, I'm here for a while so I have lots of time to build great relationships.

One of the girls in my class asked me yesterday. ..."What did you study in university?" I told her I'd been to Bible school for 3 yrs. She had a puzzled look on her face and said, "Why don't you teach Bible?" I just said, "Anytime, I can teach you about the Bible, even in English class. She gave a smile of interest and I praised the Lord. Pray for Ew that she would remain interested and that the Lord would give me wisdom on what to teach from scripture. Have you ever had one of those....'it's happening' moments...an open door, an opportunity staring you in the face...well, I'm beginning to feel that. Praise the Lord! In His Time...

Sabbath rest

Well, this weekend was somewhat of a disappointment when the search for an international church was not found. I was given directions to a specific church so I was able to follow them, but when I got there I didn't find a church in sight; not to mention I had no idea what to look for in the first place. Anyway, I was quite discouraged about the whole thing. I was far away enough from the city that the way back cost more then normal. I took a tuck tuck so it took longer to get home. I was thankful I was able to find anything, because I was on the "super highway" (as they call it here in Chaing Mai). On the ride back I was determined not to let Satan have a foothold in the least. I was determined to find spiritual meat. I was so exausted from the whole ordeal that I went straight to sleep. I was praying to the Lord all the way home till I went to sleep. When I woke up I did a book study on Philemon. I wasn't really familliar with the book, but I had a good booklet to go along with it. I enjoyed the study but there was one cross-reference I was to look up in 2 Peter 1: 5-8 about what kind of characteristics Philemon could have possessed and something to be admired. That was my meat! If you have time to read verses 3-10; about making our calling and election sure. This is what I will chew on for the rest of this week.

Then I was supposed to go to the waterfalls nearby with a co-worker and some students of ours. They picked us up at 2:00 and we were off. I didn't realize that they were so close to where I live. Lets just say I found a resting place...

It's beautiful, and I couldn't here any city noise. I could here the people around us, but it was a pleasant sound. I was so content.

I saw lots of families and kids there.

The Lord had provided that Sabbath rest I was looking for. He wasn't done either. We then went in CMU (Chaing Mai University) campus and went to the lake....yes there is a lake inside the campus :0) This campus is huge. I haven't even seen the buildings yet. We played checkers with Preaw and Yui there by the lake. They won each time :0)

Can you guess what he is....yes, a preying mantus...

We drove to diner in the rain and reminded of a wonderful promise when we arrived. The most beautiful rainbow ever. I wasn't able to upload the picture for some reason.

After Preaw dropped me home, I watched "Beyond the Gates of Splendor" and was humbled by those 5 missionary men who were so devoted until there death. I love the testimony from their wives. It was a great end to this day of rest. The Lord provided. Also, he answered my prayer just yesterday when I met some other SIM missionaries who will be showing me several churches around. I'll be meeting them this Sunday for service. I'm very grateful for the faithfulness of our God.

Continue to pray for our students and outings like this one. Yui will be in Bangkok for a while, but she loves to hang around with "foreigners." Pray she'd become more interested in our faith too. I know it seems like I'm only doing fun things, but know that there is much struggle in not being able to share our faith quickly. It's a long process and sometimes very frustrating with the language barrior. I really want to take Thai tutorials...please pray that it would all work out. I don't want to be too hasty. Thank you. I hope you enjoy the pictures, Chaing Mai is a beautiful place.

Another "Little" Friend

Another "little" friend made it's way to our house last night. I arrived home from cooking night to find my roommate Wor a little frightened. I wasn't sure what to expect but when I stepped onto the porch and saw this little guy racing to the bushes (of course by racing I mean snail racing), I couldn't help but be amazed...thought I'd share it with you.

just to show you a little perspective of how big that tile he's slithering on is....

This was my first reaction...

And another reaction...

Put your War face on!...

Aww, we fell for him...we called him speedy (yeah so original right?)

Opal dropped by a little later and just wanted to hit him, and then Peow came back home and screamed...it was funny seeing all our reactions. I think I remember saying, "This is by far the best thing I've seen in Thailand." Even Wor said she'd never seen it so big :0)