Our day on Wednesday

This morning, Jon was to pick both Emily and I up to go to the University.  Unfortunately, Emily wasn’t feeling well, so we had to go without her.  So, she didn’t have the chance to teach to 50 Thai students!  Thankfully, as the day went on, Emily definitely felt better.  So, all is well.

Jon and I went for breakfast before class this morning.  I had the egg omelet-type thing that I had the first day we arrived in Ubon.  I also got milk tea (which was yummy!) and apple juice (which was REALLY green and looked like a science experiment…but tasted good!).  Jon taught the class, and I helped when he asked me to.  He was teaching on past tense today.  The students did a really good job.  They were to practice different exercises with a partner and then come to either Jon or I for us to hear them, too.  I was blessed with a very nice compliment from one of the girls—she made my day!

After class, at about 10:30 or so, I had a few hours on my own.  Alan was with Randy at the fish farm.  Emily was still resting.  Amy and her family were visiting friends.  So, for my free time, I walked around the little mall near our house and decided I was going to continue my spa experiences here in Thailand.  So, I got a 1-hour foot massage today—for only $7!!  (I also learned I was wrong in my amount for my 2-hour Thai massage yesterday.  It was only like $13---not $30!!)  I’m loving these inexpensive, but amazing, spa services here!  J

After my little treat, I shopped a little more, got some snacks for lunch and ended up meeting the others at the waterpark on top of the hotel!  We just got in the water, when a storm came through and we had to get out.  Thankfully, it only lasted a bit and we could get back in.  This waterpark was so much fun for the kids (and the adults)!  It’s above the city, on top of the hotel—crazy!  Lots of water slides!  It was a fun couple of hours for all of us.

By late afternoon, Emily was feeling better and was able to join Jon for a meeting at the University.  Alan, Emily and I watched the Goshorn children and Caleb for the evening so Randy and Jodi and Jon and Becky could go out on a double date.  Amy and the children met some other friends for dinner.

It’s hard to believe our time here is winding down.  We only have a few days left.  Tomorrow morning, we have an early start.  Alan, Emily and I are heading out to the fish farm at 5:00 a.m. (you have to go early to beat the heat!).  Should be an interesting morning! 

Girls Day Out....and other things

We ate breakfast “from the street” on Tuesday morning.  We had pork and beef on a stick, grilled sticky rice, “donuts,” and soy milk (I think that’s it).  I’ve included some pictures from our street vendors where we purchased our breakfast.  Alan and the men on the team went out for breakfast and spent time together this morning.  While they did that, Kris, Emily and I spent a few hours helping a couple from the Ubon house church move to a new house.  Moving in Thailand was quite an experience!   Lots of taking on and off of shoes before entering houses, makes it rather interesting while carrying boxes.  We were happy to bless this beautiful couple by helping them.

So, since the men had their time in the morning, the girls had a little outing in the afternoon.  While we were out, Alan stayed back with Abby, Micah and Anna.  We enjoyed a delicious Vietnamese lunch, followed by Thai massages!!  I had my first ever Thai massage – for 2 hours!  You wear these really comfy clothes during the massage.  There were four of us in a room together.  It is very different from a Swedish massage.  It was quite an experience, especially with the banging, digging and construction going on right outside our window.  It was so loud, we couldn’t even hear the relaxing music in the room.  TOTALLY worth my $30!!  J

In the evening, Amy, her kids, and Kris were having dinner with some friends.  Alan, Emily and I were invited to the Goshorn’s to join them and the Winger’s for dinner.  We had delicious kabobs and macaroni and cheese, with chocolate pudding and chocolate chips for dessert.  It was an awesome evening of sharing together and encouraging one another. 

As we were driving home after dinner, about 9:30 p.m., we saw two guys walking a baby elephant along the street!!  Emily LOVES elephants (and that is putting it mildly)!  Randy  so graciously turned around to meet it so we could get out and feed it.  This made Emily’s entire trip!  It was AWESOME!  We’re so thankful to Randy for stopping for us!  What a memory!!

Emily and I have an early start (at least earlier than usual) tomorrow.  We’re meeting Jon at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast before we go to the University where Emily is going to teach English to 50 Thai students!!  Pray for her!  J

Laughter...sometimes the best medicine

This is just a random post of some happy, silly and fun pictures during the course of our trip!  Enjoy!

A Team Day

Monday was a big day for birthdays!  It was Amariah’s birthday, Brianna’s birthday (my niece) and my Dad’s birthday, too!  Amy was able to skype with Amariah.  I was planning to skype with my niece, but their power was out due to hurricane Irene!  I was able to call my Dad on the phone and chat a bit for his birthday.  It was fun to surprise him and bless him on his birthday.  For breakfast on Monday morning, we had quite a combination!  We had cereal, fruit, fried rice, pork on a stick and sticky rice…and ice cream cake to celebrate all of the birthdays!!  It was all quite yummy, but definitely an interesting combination for breakfast!

After breakfast, the team met and travelled the 1-1/2 hours to take a boat ride to see the 2-colored river.  The two rivers are the Mekong River (which starts in China) and the Moon River (which starts in Ubon).  The two rivers collide underwater, causing whirlpool effects.  When the two rivers come together, that is the end of the Moon River.  In the photos, you’ll see the two colors.  The Mekong River is the reddish-brown color and the Moon River is the white-clear one.

We got on our long boat, for our “3-hour tour”…no, just a 1 hour tour, but hopefully, you all have the Gilligan’s Island theme song stuck in your head now like a few of us did on the tour!  J  We saw the whirlpools where the two rivers collide and then we were also able to see the two different colors where the rivers met.  It was pretty cool!  We saw some fishermen casting their nets while we were on our tour, too.  When we got back from our tour, we had lunch together on the floating restaurant.  More good food!!

After lunch, we were planning to go to a local hotel/resort to swim for a bit.  Amy and Lynn had taken their kids here.  Our group split up and some of the adults and younger children went home and the others went swimming.  It was a lot of fun swimming with the kids.  There were lots of children being thrown around in the water, swimming races, and even some chicken fights.  The chicken fights started with Micah and Levi on Alan and Jon’s shoulders.  Then, the girls wanted to try, so it was Anna and Julia on Vicky and Amy’s shoulders.  Abby took a turn, too.  It was hilarious!  I think Amy and I were getting more beat up than the girls!  We all couldn’t stop laughing!  Good times!

After swimming, we drove back to Ubon with just enough time to do a quick change and meet the team again for dinner.  We want to another favorite restaurant of Lynn and Amy, called Smiles.  The food was excellent!  There was a live band playing music, so that made a it a bit difficult to visit, since it was so loud. 

It was a great day of joy and laughter!  Loved seeing all of the smiling faces!

Dongaul Village House Church

We spent Sunday evening at the Dongaul Village house church.  This is the first village Lynn and Amy had connections with when they were in Thailand.  When we arrived, Emily and Becky did the children’s ministry.  There were maybe 8-10 children there.  Emily reviewed the English alphabet with them and taught them to sign the alphabet.  She reviewed some English words with them as well. 

Emily and Becky continued with the children while Kris, Alan, Amy and I went to visit a woman in the village.  This woman remembered Amy and they spent some special time visiting together.  She had a stroke 6 years ago and has been paralyzed on her left side since, and hasn’t been able to walk.  We spent some time praying for her.

Church started with worship and sharing testimonies.  Amy shared her faith journey with them and how God has been with her.  I can’t even begin to recapture all that she shared with them (she spoke to them in Thai—and she thought she wouldn’t remember the language after 3 years!)  It was a special time of sharing and a sweet reunion for Amy and the kids and the people of the church.  As they were visiting, Amy gave two of the men some of Lynn’s shirts.  They loved this gift!  They put them on right away.  I know this evening was a wonderful time for Amy and her children and the people of the church. 

We shared a meal together before we left; but, earlier in the day, Emily and I had talked about really wanting to get some pizza.  So, on the way back from the village, Jon ordered us a pizza to be delivered to our Guest House.  He ordered a medium—well, let me just say, that medium was TINY!  Emily and I had a good laugh when we got the pizza.  I’m glad Jon ordered us the medium (I was thinking we’d just need a small).  He knew what he was doing! 

Monday is a “fun” day for us and the team.  I don’t know what all is planned; but I’m looking forward to it! 

We have the Power...

On Saturday morning, after breakfast, we drove to the Song Hong village house church.  It was about a 45 minute drive away.  We stopped at the market on the way to get some food for lunch.  The people at this church are beginning to all bring parts of the lunch meal, rather than having the host take care of everything.  This is a new concept for them. 

They were all excited to meet us.  One of the new Christians even had on a tie!  He was so excited…he had even called Kris that morning at 6:45 concerned that they wouldn’t have church because it was raining pretty hard at that time.  The rain had stopped by the time we went to church.  We opened the service with introductions and then a time of worship.  The last song we sang was “I Could Sing of Your Love Forever,” so we could sing in English while they sang in Thai.  In all of the cultures I’ve been in, this is one thing I appreciate and think is so cool!  After singing, the group shared praises and testimony.  There were 6 adults and 3 children and the rest of us.  The home where this church is held is “Grandma’s” house.  She was someone the team had been praying for and that her house would be a house church.  She has passed away and knew about Jesus, but we don't know if she became a believer or not.  Now the church meets in her house!  God answered the team's prayer for the house church!  Alan shared the message and it was on “prayer.”  The concept of prayer is difficult for the Thai people to understand and grasp because Buddhism is a lot of chants and memorization, where as prayer is talking to Jesus and having a conversation.  Pray for these new believers that they will really understand how to have a relationship with Jesus!  I’ve included a group photo.

We had lunch together.  I had something that I haven’t had yet—cooked bamboo.  Can’t say I really liked it at all, but I can say I ate it!  After lunch, Alan, Kris, Silk and I went through the village to visit and pray with others.  Emily, Amy and her kids, stayed back to do some children’s ministry with the kids in the village.  They played Twister, practiced their English, English alphabet and sign language and played some other games. 

I have been so blessed to be part of the prayer time and visiting with the village people!  It has been amazing to be used by God here!  Our first visit was to Ma Jong.  (And, I’m trying the Thai name thing again, but I’m sure someone will get a chuckle out of my spelling or something!)  She is a 38-year old woman with a tumor on her spine.  She is paralyzed from the neck down.  But, what a beautiful woman she is!  She has Jesus, but her life definitely isn’t easy.  Her husband is not a believer, and there is definitely opposition there.  I was able to encourage her and pray for her and her marriage.  I’ve included a photo of her.

Our next visit was to Ya Pa.  She is an older woman, new believer, but can’t straighten her back.  She walks completely bent over (from all of the years harvesting rice).  She had been sick, so Kris and Silk hadn’t seen her for a while.  We prayed with her and Kris reminded her that she can pray to Jesus anytime, on her own!  There is a photo of Kris praying with Ya Pa.  Our next visit was to Ya Pa’s daughter, May See.  I’ve included a picture of her, too.  May See has liver cancer and was laying down.  Her one leg was extremely swelled up.  It had been her other leg the last time Kris and Silk visited.  We prayed commanding prayer to remove the afflicting spirit within her.  As we prayed, and also prayed for healing, she told Kris and Silk she actually felt things leaving her body.  We continued to pray!  The cool thing about this is….it was ALL God!  We were praying in English and not leading this woman in any direction—she had no idea what we were saying.  God was answering our prayers!  She got up and walked around after we prayer, feeling stronger!  We have the authority in Christ to pray this way…yet how many of us do it?  Please pray for these three women, and the others of Song Hong Village.

We left the village and went back to the Guest House.  On Saturday night, Alan and Emily blessed Randy and Jodi by babysitting their kids.  Vicky blessed Jon and Becky by babysitting Caleb.  It was wonderful to be able to do this for the team.

On Sunday morning, I got up early to go for a run.  Alan actually joined me…sort of.  J  We walked to the University track nearby (this is actually a sports school, not really a college university) and jogged one lap together, and then I lost Alan.  I didn’t go too far—I ended up walking and talking with Alan.  We both shared our testimonies of what God has done and is doing in our lives.  It was pretty cool.  After breakfast, we had the Ubon City house church at Kris and Silk’s house.  There were about 9 people, plus our team, there.  Amy and her kids attended the Ubon Church where she had attended when she lived here.

Alan shared the message this morning – on being filled with the Holy Spirit to overflowing!  He shared how he had been disciple by Lynn and was touched by how Lynn dealt with ALS and the adversity.  He always had a smile on his face and his faith never waivered.  We had a time of prayer together.  I was able to pray for some of our team members, for strength and refreshment for them.  Then, I was lead to pray for a young Thai woman there, while Silk translated.  Her name is Fai.  She asked for prayer for her studies and her work.  She’s studying to be a lawyer.  So, I prayed for her while Silk translated.  When we finished, I wanted to give her a hug.  She clung to me and began crying.  It was very moving!  Then, I find out that her mother died a month ago…well, then I lost it myself!  We just grieved together for a bit and then, through Silk, I shared some encouragement with her and even my butterfly stories.  I told her that when she sees butterflies, she can be reminded of God’s faithfulness and that he is always there for her.  What a blessing, to be able to be a blessing to her!  God is awesome!  He has a way of orchestrating everything in ways we could never imagine!  Please pray for Fai.  Praise God that her mother knew Jesus and is in heaven.  Please pray for her younger brother and her Dad.  They are not believers yet.  I told her that I (and many others) would be praying for her and her family!  I’ve included a picture of her, too.

After lunch, we went back to the Guest House for about 2 hours to chill out, before leaving for the Dongaul village house church.  I’ll fill you in on that one next time!

Thanks for your prayers!  Everyone is doing great!  And, God is moving in Thailand!