UCF Camp

UCF students with the students of a rural elementary school (I'm up on the right making the hilarious face!)

Thanks SO much for your prayers for the retreat. It was a GREAT three days! I just woke up this morning from a dream in Thai, due to three days of completely submerged in the language. We did have over 40+ folks, 50% freshmen, and six of the students were Christians. I had a few good conversations with a couple of the Christians in the group about their faith and a few non-believers in their group about Jesus too. Lots of time for excellent relationship-building. I do ask you to pray God sustains our church's friendships with these students and brings them to know Jesus as their Savior.

Highlights:
-My friend asked me if I needed my change back and I said, "No, keep it" in English. Everyone started laughing. One lady thought I said, "Kee Bet" which means "duck poop". :)
-Sleeping in an elementary school classroom one night directly under a monster fan, with a tile floor as my mattress. After my housemate told me she was proud of me for sleeping "like a Thai", I was motivated not to mention anything about how hard the floor was and did sleep, a bit.
-I understood only about half of each game we played. It's funny to play a game without knowing whether you are doing right or wrong. It's a new sense of freedom.
-One Christian student that came attends our church some. I asked him how he became a Christian and he said all on his own about three years ago. It's great to know the different ways God brings people to know him. What a great witness W. was during the camp.
-Another Christian student asked me many questions about sharing her faith on the trip. Grateful she is so zealous of her faith. Honored to talk to her and pray for her.
-I LOVE how Thai people share their food. After each rest stop on the bus, everyone would hold out their food for others to take a piece. A carton of ice cream was passed around the bus so everyone had two spoonfuls! I tasted some pork dumplings, dried squid, and fish jerky.
-I taught a group of 2nd graders at the school how to make a funny face. (You can see it in the pic above). What an impression to leave on the next generation.
-Singing, by request, a solo of "Hotel California" karaoke style, but with a microphone in one hand and a cellphone to hear the music and words in the other hand.
-Dancing to techno Thai pop on the bus ride home. I love that tradition.