At Noon and Midnight

In just an hour and a half, Thailand will be in 2010 before any of the rest of us. I think I'll drink some sparkling grape juice at noon and midnight today to celebrate both parts of the world! New Year's is a big holiday in Thailand. Though Christmas is not really celebrated, everyone does go home for New Year's. I pray for strength for the young Thai believers as they spend time with their families to explain their faith to them. I pray for the believing families to have good opportunities to share the truth with each other. I pray for my Thai teammates and missionaries, that God would give them a good time of rest and reflection. Thanks for joining with me in celebration all day and prayer.

Suksan Wan Christmas

Merry Christmas everybody, here and on the other side of the world. While you're with your families this holiday, please be praying with me for the missionaries serving the Lord around the world.

Pray that God will...
...comfort those homesick and lonely.
...encourage those that haven't seen much fruit.
...protect those sharing the Gospel in dangerous places.
...show Christmas to them in a unique way where it doesn't feel like Christmas.
...bring many to know Jesus where few do.

Thank God for his unique gift of Jesus Christ for all of us and pray for his quick return!

Sleds, Snow Shovels, and Forts

Unprecedented amounts of snow are still falling in Asheville. I'm so thankful to God for this time of rest and enjoying his creation!
The day started early for Emily, Abby, and I. We sledded down our long, steep driveway, had snowball fights, and loved walking and falling in the knee-deep snow!

We made a fort out of really big snowballs! Our original plan was to make an igloo!

Daniel volunteered to help dig my car out of my driveway. I'm hoping to get it out by Christmas to get back to my family in Charlotte. (Someone was throwing snowballs at us while we were posing! Can you see them?)

It's Still Snowing!

Standing on the front porch of the house I live in, I captured the snow falling.

Three to twelve inches will be here by Sunday. It's amazing to see the snow fall for this long of a duration. Here's a picture of my living room in my basement apartment. I'm glad to be living below a family, to help share the snowy days with. We were just watching a movie together, stopping every few minutes to look outside in amazement, "It's still snowing!"

Sharing with Youth

Standing in front of the crowd of 70 middle schoolers, I decided the sure way to get their attention was to start speaking in Thai.  Otherwise, they would be lost to me when I said hello and start talking with their friends instead.  For a good minute, I said how nice it was to be there and share about Thailand all in another language.  I was then able to have their full attention.

What a privilege to share with the next generation about the sacrifice of Christ, about the power of prayer and the need for us to share this good news with those who don't know.  On Tuesday, I shared with those 70 middle schoolers, also receiving questions about elephant poop and piranhas.  Thankfully, I had a witty comeback by recommending they watch where they step so not to step in it!  On Wednesday, I shared with 150 elementary-age kids too who greatly appreciated my pictures of elephants, lizards, and bugs.  The twenty minute allotment went by so quickly, but I hope that I impact them.  Who knows what will light their flame?  I met missionaries that have impacted me forever at their age. 

The Holy Grail of Thai Food

Yes, I have searched for the Holy Grail of Thai food here in America.  Actually, only reaching 5 restaurants so far, I could do some more searching.  Yet tonight I was invited by some awesome friends, to a hole-in-the-wall that I now like to call the "Holy Grail of Thai Food."  This wonderful restaurant in Hickory has both Laotian and Thai food.  I got so excited to talk with an Asian person, I asked one guy who worked there when he came to America.  His reply: "I was born here."  I felt a little dumb for asking that to him.  But anyway, why I enjoyed it so much was that the food was from the Isaan region of Thailand, near the border of Laos.  While living in Thailand, two of my housemates and my neighbors were from that area.  Their food is the spiciest food of all Thai food!  It is my favorite food.  Tonight, that kind of food was on the menu!  The Thai waitress did enjoy talking with me in Thai some also.  She's heading back to Thailand in June just like I hope to be.  I offered for us to ride back on the same airplane. Yes, that was the second wierd comment I made.  I was just too excited.  I think my next Thai food trip will be to the new restaurant in Brevard in January.

Practice Justice: Book Review

Kevin Blue lives in inner-city Los Angeles. Living where he lives, he passes the homeless everyday on the street and sees the situation of the needy in our society. Kevin recognizes God's call for Christians to seek after justice and care for the needy, "In the Bible orphans and widows, some of the most vulnerable people in ancient society, are representative of people in need. We are counseled to care for those in need who are vulnerable within our society." So he doesn't just pass by these people in his city. He interacts, he befriends, and he gets involved in their lives sacrificing comfort and ease.

Part of what I hope to do while home, along with support-raising, is to take some time for training so I can better serve in the slum communities upon my return to Bangkok. The Lord has called my heart to that ministry, but I am still growing in knowledge. This book encourages me, as it should all of God's church, to be concerned about the squatters among us and with "evangelism and electricity, communion and community transformation, healing and health care, righteousness and land rights." Speaking more particularly about the "literally millions of squatters around the world who live in makeshift housing on land that they do not own in and around large cities" (like where I serve in Mahathai slum), he makes a large statement by saying that "if grouped together, [squatters] could be considered the largest unreached people group in the world"!! He has shown me the problem and I pray that He gives me wisdom, with the church in Thailand, to continue serving there.