Nothing Here, but Praying for There

We have felt NO repercussions of the earthquake or tsunami here in Thailand. I wanted to let all of you know so you would not be worried. Our team does have a strong partnership with a MTW team in Japan and have received a prayer update.

One missionary says it is the biggest earthquake they've seen in 24 years. They are outside of Tokyo by a few hours, but felt the long earthquake and a tremor a few hours after it. No houses collapsed in their area. The team is fine. Their church was organizing a group to head Northeast and help where needed. Please keep Japan in your prayers. Pray that God would mobilize his church there to help.

Feng Shui and Perkyness

I was asked to help a Thai airline company this week with their automated phone service. They asked for an English speaker at my language school to read some English scripts and be recorded. Let me say it was crazy. The company's motto is "professional and friendly," so they wanted me to speak in the perkiest, "lively" voice. If I would have gone through with it, I think foreigners would have hung up immediately after hearing my voice. I sounded like a kindergarten teacher on the first day of school times twenty!

While at their office, I remarked on their beautiful pomegranate trees on their porch, knowing they are good luck in Chinese culture. The office manager said a fortune teller had come to their office and told them to put those two trees on the corners and a water fountain in the middle. In doing that, they would bring good luck to their office! I never knew decorating could be so full of divination. Oh, I pray God sanctifies His kingdom here right down to its decorating style! I'm not saying I didn't love the design plan, but I'd just love to see those people believe in Jesus's power more!

Four Gals and the Baby Jesus

"A Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." -Luke 2:11b

I believe I can officially call my Monday Bible teaching a small group! The four girls in Mahathai, 8-13 yrs old, came back a second week in a row! We sat in one girls' house together and read Luke 2, about Jesus's birth.

Praise God for question time. Here are their questions:
-Why did Jesus have to come redeem us of our sins?
-Why did Mary have to be single still when she had baby Jesus?
-Why did they call him Jesus?

Some of those questions show they are still thinking about our story from last week! The other question shows how the girl is wrestling with the Gospel Truth! I was able to explain why we need Jesus to them! Then we prayed for each other and played a game.

Prayer Requests:
-Some individual time with the girls to understand their home situations better. I feel like I hurt G's feeling asking about her parents. She is living with her grandmother.
-Their desire for and knowledge of and faith in Jesus!
-Continued wisdom for me in Thai, asking good questions, and explaining God's word.

Back to the Books

After a bit of a Language Learners Retreat to the beach, I start language school back today. This month I will be studying Social Problems Part 2. Please be praying for great improvement in sentence structure, expanded vocabulary, and perserverance.


More pictures of beach trip are coming soon....for now, just think of a fishing boat trip, suntanning, running on the beach, eating seafood, beautiful sundresses, feeding monkeys, and reading by the water.

6 Months Here

Yep, today I celebrate being in Thailand six months! How will I celebrate? Well, I have a test at Thai language school. And then...off to the beach with five friends from language school through Sunday.

Bop Graduated!

It is graduation time here in Thailand! In the last two weeks, I've had 3 friends graduate! I usually find out when they invite me to their "graduation." Really, all it is is a picture-taking time where we meet them at their university where they are all dolled-up and we give them flowers and bears. The week after, they go back and receive their diplomas with just family attending. Attending the photo-taking is a big deal, because it shows we care about them and celebrate their achievement.


Pop's graduation was the only one I've been able to attend because of language classes. She became a member of our church last year. She is such a blessing to us. All the girls who live in my house went to congratulate here that day.
My two housemates that I am blessed to live with.


So excited, we just all had to jump up in the air at the same time!

Girls' Small Group!

"For nothing is impossible for God" -Luke 1:38

What started as teaching one 8 yr old the Bible one-on-one on Mondays has turned into a small group of 8-13 yr olds. Four beautiful girls. Yesterday we read how Mary was told she would be the mother of Jesus. I'm going through stories of Jesus. While learning the Bible, we also made chocolate chip cookies.

While all of that happened, God was working, but it also felt so chaotic.

I pray for:
-better Thai language skills
-wisdom to continue in a small group or individually
-better ability to make the Bible study understandable and fun
-wisdom on how to teach the Bible to kids of various reading levels

I praise God for:
-T. who read the passage before small group!
-G. who said she knows God and is therefore not afraid of Buddhist spirits
-prayer time when the girls pray for one another and their families
-conversations before and after the study