My Chiang Mai

Time to Say Goodbye

2006-07-29T23:44:00.000-07:00

This week has been a whirlwind of activity, as my time here in Chiang Mai draws to a close. On Wednesday night many of us dressed up and went out to eat at Riverside, a restaurant on the banks of the Ping river. The dinner was a good-bye celebration for my time in Thailand, and it was so much fun to see my friends all dressed up and having a great time.

Deborah-our new friend from China, Dahleen-on her way home to South Africa, and Jenica.
Paeng! It was so much fun to dress up and spend time with all of my friends.

On Friday night we had a good-bye party for all of the American interns. We played games and ate Thai snacks, and we each received blessings and prayers for our lives back in the states.

Sitting amidst the balloon decorations, Tim, Jenica, Johanna and Rocio receive words of encouragement and thanks from their friends.

Team red! Woot, Rocio, Jenica, Tdom and Tim.

I felt so blessed by the prayers of my brothers in sisters. These people have become a second family to me, and I will miss each of them dearly.

For our last night in Chiang Mai a group of us went to sing karaoke! It was so much fun hanging out and singing together. I believe we are singing a Backstreet Boys song, which explains my passion.
Rocio, Johanna and Jenica singing our favorite Thai song: ja ja da da, ja ja ja da da WOO!

Karaoke was a really fun way to spend my last night in Chiang Mai. It still does not feel like I am really leaving- I think the reality will set in slowly, as I travel to Bangkok today and then on to America on Tuesday. As of Tuesday night I will be back in Austin! Thanks for taking this journey with me- it wasn't what I expected in many ways, but I am so thankful for what God has done in me and through me during the last six months.

God bless each of you!

Chiang Mai Summer Internship 2006- Keepin' it Real

2006-07-29T23:25:00.000-07:00

There are few things we love better than taking pictures, and last Friday all of the summer interns had a photo shoot at the former location of a great restuarant called Scoopy Ice. The building was torn down and some talented artists created this great graffiti art. This group picture includes all of the Payap and Chueng Doi summer interns for 2006.

We match the background! Woot, Tim, Nui and Jennifer.

Rocio and I imitating the bear.

The "Westside Story" picture!

Can you say modeling contract?

Chueng Doi interns, showing our silly side. I will miss these people so much!

Nam Tdok Jet Sii

2006-07-24T03:16:00.000-07:00

Nam Tdok Jet Sii = water falling seven color = the waterfall of seven colors! This waterfall is one of the coolest places I have visited in Thailand. The rocks are not slippery- it's like walking on sandpaper, and you can literally crawl up and down a huge waterfall. We took an impromptu trip to the waterfall on Saturday, and thanks to Rocio and her camera, we got some pictures!

P'Gade and I gracefully welcome you to the waterfall.

Adventurers such as we pay no heed to the "DANGEROUS" signs posted at the top of the waterfall. We look fear in the face and laugh!

Facing certain death! Actually this isn't as dangerous as it looks- the waterfall is very easy to climb, if you don't mind getting completely soaked.

P'Gade, her friend Dahleen visiting from London, me and Rocio pose for a picture.

This trip was totally unexpected. My friend Rin came by the church on Saturday morning and asked if we wanted to go see the waterfall. Rin was the girl who came to Singapore and Malaysia with us, and I haven't seen much of her in the past few months. I thank God for bringing her back to town only a week before I will leave. God works in mysterious ways!

More Than Words

2006-07-24T02:54:00.000-07:00

Every Friday during the summer internship, we have had "experiential equipping." We have visited temples, hospitals and mountains, and this past week we visited an orphanage and a school for deaf children. We were only able to stay a short time at the orphanage, but Eddie quickly made a new friend.

The blue group! Quite often we will all wear the same color shirt, so it's fun to get a group picture every now and then. Pictured are O, Eddie, Jenica, P'Gade, Johanna, me, Rocio and Wah.

After leaving the orphanage we headed to a school for deaf or hearing-impaired children. The school educates over 400 children from Northern Thailand, and one of the teachers allowed us to meet her students. They gave each of us a name in sign language- mine involved finger motions indicating my long braids!

Nui practices her new name with one of the students.

Rocio, our resident language expert, is fluent in American Sign Language. Every country has its own form of sign language, but many of the Thai signs are similar to ASL, and Rocio was able to understand much of what the students were saying.

These experiential equippings have really taught me to engage with the community and the world. There are always people who need a smile, someone to talk to, or the simple presence of another human being. Let us imitate Jesus in reaching out to those around us in whatever way we can.

UNplanned Trip

2006-07-20T01:33:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I travelled to Chiang Rai with several of the interns. The American interns needed to go to the border to renew their visas, but mine will last until I leave, so Un and I decided to spend the weekend with our friend Ae in Chiang Rai. Un was in charge of planning the weekend, and I was kept in the dark about all of her mysterious ideas. I found out later that she made it up as we went along, hence the "UNplanned trip!"

On the way we stopped at a great coffee shop for a much-needed break.

One of the places we visited was this beautiful white temple. Most temples in Thailand are covered in gold and vibrant colors, so this was strikingly different than any other place I have visited.

At the entrance to the temple, visitors have to cross a bridge over "hell"- hands protrude out of the ground, as if to escape their torment. Notice the jeweled ring on one of the hands- disregarding wealth is one practice of Buddhism.

There was a storm coming in the distance, which made for a really beautiful background.

Ae and Un, my wonderful tour guides!

For lunch on Sunday we visited "Pattaya," a tiny beach area near the city. We had brough swimsuits with us, but when we saw the "beach" and the lovely brown water, we decided to stay dry!

I had a great time relaxing with my friends! As my departure draws nearer, I really enjoy spending time with the people I have drawn close to during the last six months.

Speaking of six months, it was exactly six months ago today, January 20, that I left Texas to start this adventure. So much time has passed since then, it's astonishing when I remember that I have been away for so long. God can do a lot in half a year!

International Party

2006-07-17T02:24:00.000-07:00

This past Friday night, the Payap and CMU students met together to celebrate this great, big world we live in with an International Party! Once a month the two campuses meet together for “Friday Night Live,” and this month each person dressed up to represent different countries.

The Payap girls always have great costumes! Pictured are Wah (Turkey), Un (Netherlands), Little (Thailand) and Nui (Japan).

Russ, standing tall and representing Mexico.

Team England! Tommy and Tim represented the island nation.

Paeng (India) and Rebecca (Mexico).

The guys strike a pose- Russ (Mexico), Woot (Thailand), Eddie (Starbucksland), and O (Texas!)...and yes, he does know that Texas is not a country!

Winners of the costume contest! Nui (Japan) and Jason (Saudi Arabia).

Everyone brought a sample of food from their chosen country, and Rocio made some delicious Mexican food!

P’Gade went all out with her costume, representing Papua New Guinea. I played for the home team as a Native American.

Group photo! I had a great time seeing how creative all of my friends can be. We are already an international bunch here in Chiang Mai, so it was fun to extend our imaginations to all corners of the globe.

15 days and counting…please continue to pray that God will help me through each day, and that I will be a blessing to my friends here during my final two weeks.

Sports Day

2006-07-12T23:44:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we held our annual Summer Sports Day at the CMU campus. About 20 people came for a morning full of ultimate frisbee and kickball. Three of our new guy friends came to join in the fun, which was really encouraging. Everyone had their game faces on and we played hard!

Team #2 is ready for action!

left to right: Nui, Nit, Rocio, P'Gade, Eddie, Chet, Woot

Woot takes a spectacular dive!

O consoles an agony-ridden Tim after he drops a pass.

Tim shows Russ a little creative defense.

I think the pictures say it better than I could- we had a great time!

I've had a rough time in the recent weeks finding a balance in our busy schedule. I want to participate fully and spend time with everyone, but I also know that I need times of solitude, as well as one-on-one time with the girls I have befriended over the past few months. 19 days left! Already I feel like things are happening so fast, and it's hard to believe that 3 weeks from today I will be in America. Prayers are much appreciated during this time- for endurance, patience, wisdom and strength. I thank you in advance!

May God bless you this week, in order that you might be a blessing to others.

Happy Birthday, America!

2006-07-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended a 4th of July party at the US Consulate in Chiang Mai. It was really fun to gather with my fellow countrymen and celebrate with hotdogs, Dr. Pepper, and red white and blue as fas as the eye could see!

We all sang the national anthem and then enjoyed a small fireworks show. It was a nice taste of home!

Speaking of home, I have less than 4 weeks left in Thailand! Please pray for me suring these final days- that God will give me wisdom to decide how I should spend my time.

Goodbye Jeremy

2006-07-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

I have so much admiration and respect for the Thai christians here in Chiang Mai. No matter how many times they have to say goodbye to an intern, they always give a moving show of love and support at their friend's departure. We surprised Jeremy on Wednesday night with a peanut-butter facial, and then each person handed him a rose and told him how much they appreciate his frienship.

Jeremy has been at the Payap church for a year and one month, and his friendships there are strong and deep. Coming to Thailand and befriending so many amazing people teaches you to entrust your friends to God. We may not always be able to share our lives in the same way that we can when we live in the same country, but I can see that Jeremy has learned to bless others in whatever time he is given with them.

After giving Jeremy a chance to wash off the peanut butter, we all headed to a nearby karaoke place to have some fun singing and laughing together.

We had about 20 people crammed into a room meant for 6, and it was so much fun! Thai, English, whatever- we sang every song at the top of our lungs!

Jeremy and Tim treat us to a serenade. I hope the karaoke night was a fun way for Jeremy to hang out with his friends before his departure this past Friday. Jeremy, you are missed already! God bless, my friend.

No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us.

1 John 4:12

Aggies for Christ in Chiang Mai- Part 3

2006-07-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

The Aggies rounded up their time in Chiang Mai with a lot of fellowship and relatioship-building time. On Saturday night we had a pool party at Grace International School, and Kelly, A and Robert enjoyed some durian (the rest of us ran far away- durian is notorious for its smell!)

Once again, baby Nicole is the star of the evening! She passed hands more than a few times, but Jodie seemed especially glad to spend time with her new friend.

What's a pool party without a little music? Bay and Paige entertain their friends.

After dinner the Aggies led a devotional time, and P'Sean spoke to the group about returning home. He reminded us that though your overseas internship may be coming to an end, you are an apprentice of Jesus for your entire life. A good message for the Aggies and for me- I return home in less than a month!

On Sunday morning we travelled to the Sun Sai church for a 5-church worship service. P'Glom from the Somprasong church in Bangkok joined us for the service, and after church the Aggies gave a concert for all those in attendance. Lance explained each of the songs, and P'Glom translated.

On Monday morning, a few of our non-Aggies showed up with some good-natured UT spirit! It can be tough to be a non-Aggie when the AFCO group comes through, and I think dressing in orange helps relieve some of the pressure!

Allison takes a breather as she climbs the over-300 steps to Doi Suthep temple. Monday was a full day of sightseeing- the temple, lunch at Kao Soy, umbrella factory, Mu Ga Tahd dinner, and night bazaar. By Tuesday morning when the Aggies departed for Chiang Rai, they were completely exhausted! But many have said that Chiang Mai was one fo their favorite parts of the trip. I know that our ministry has been blessed by their presence- we have many new friends and contacts, and we will be laughing for months about the crazy Aggie antics. To AFCO- thank you, and remember, the mission continues at home!

Aggies for Christ in Chiang Mai- Part 2

2006-07-01T01:31:00.000-07:00

After two very full days in Chiang Mai, the Aggies bravely headed to the mountains for a one-day english camp at the school in Baw Gaew. Our churches in Chiang Mai have been visiting this school for several years, and the missionaries here helped some of the families in the small town start a church. Our camp was short, but jam-packed with new songs, new friends, and new games to help the students practice their English.

Paige and Kaylie help Noon lead the "baby shark" song.

Julie helps one of the girls learn the motions to "Princess Pat."

Shelley and I show off our matching braids.

ELizabeth with a special friend- the one who put that powder on her face! We play a lot of "powder games" in Thailand, and they are always a hit.

A few of the younger students strike a pose.

Liz and her new friend were inseperable for much of the afternoon.

Ross plays with one of the kids at the school.

The evening following the english camp our group spent the night at the Baw Gaew Church, and we were treated with amazing hospitality. The church youth even held a special "talent show" for us, including some audience particiation games and an insane eating contest. It's always refreshing to spend time with Christians who are working so hard to reach out to their surrounding community. I could see how encouraged the believers were by the presence of so many energetic visitors, and I know the Aggies were blessed as well.

Part 3 coming soon...

Aggies for Christ in Chiang Mai- Part 1

2006-06-28T02:52:00.000-07:00

The Aggies are here! The Aggies are here!

Such was the resounding cry last week in Chiang Mai. The 26-member AFCO group was something our Thai Christians had been looking forward to for months. The week was a special treat for me, because many of my close friends are on the trip, including my darling sister! The Aggies arrived last Tuesday (June 20) and had a nice relaxing evening before we headed straight into the busy schedule with a concert at Payap University on Wednesday morning.

After singing, the Aggies had a chance to meet many of the Payap students and get to know them. We invited the students to join the free English class at the Christian Zone, or just to come by and make some new friends. The Payap students seemed to love talking to so many "farang" (foreigners)- it gave them a chance to practice their English and learn a little bit about life in America.

On Wednesday afternoon I was surprised and delighted to hear that my friend Oil had decided to be baptized! Oil has been a big part of the community at Payap for about 8 months, and she had been studyig the Bible with a few of the girls at the Christian zone. On Wednesday Oil decided that she was ready to give her life fully to God.

P'Gade welcomes Oil into this new stage in her life. We were so excited to be able to share this special event with Oil- please pray for her as she continues to learn and experience the power of God at work in her life.

Wednesday night the Aggies joined with our Thai students, as well as non-Christian "guides," for a crazy skit show! Each group had to come up with a name and a skit for their group, and everyone had a lot of fun using their creative talents. Pictured are Oil, Sam, Amp, Elizabeth, Julie and Woot.

On Thursday morning the Aggies visited the McCain Leprosy hospital. McCain was started by a Christian missionary, and it has served and treated thousands of patients since the 1960s. Today the complex is a home for many elderly patients who are cured of the disease, but who still suffer its debilitating effects. The Aggies held a concert in one of the larger meetings halls, much to the delight of the residents. Rocio expresses the concert songs in sign language, and she always does a beautiful job.

Allison and Shelley stop to talk to a resident at McCain. After the concert the Aggies had time to walk around and visit with many of the elderly residents. A few were invited into the small cottages that dot the complex, and a few went into the larger dormitories for residents who need more medical attention.

Liz formed a quick bond with this beautiful woman, and Liz and I were invited into this resident's home. She spoke no English, but with my rudimentary Thai skills I was able to understand that her hand was hurting and she wanted us to pray for her. I prayed, followed by Liz, and just as Liz was about to say "amen," our friend began praying passionately in Thai. Tears were streaming down her face, and she thanked God for bringing us here to see her. The five minutes I spent with this woman were some of the most touching of my time in Thailand, and I do not even know her name. I pray that God will heal her body, but more importantly, I can tell that he is continuing to heal and nurture her soul.

On Thursday night we had a real treat- a Naughty Cat concert! Naughty Cat is a band made up of members from our church, and they have a great time getting together to play music. The band held a concert at a nearby music store on Thursday night, and we invited many students to join us for the free show. A few new faces were in the crowd, and it gave us a great chance to get to know our new friends. Elizabeth and Ross joined in for a few songs, and they had a blast!

The Aggies definitely added a lot of excitement to the concert! Many of our Thai friends had a wonderful time laughing and hopping around to the music, and the event gave everyone a chance to bond and feel comfortable with one another.

All of that in only two days! Aggies for Christ in Chiang Mai- Part 2 is coming soon, with pictures of our English camp at Baw Gaew. Stay tuned...

Oh the Places You'll Go

2006-06-19T05:23:00.000-07:00

An anecdote…

On Saturday morning I awoke on Raya Island, and that very night I went to sleep in my own bed in Chiang Mai. In between…

I rode a tractor to the dock
Took a speedboat from the island
Switched to another speedboat when the first one broke down
Took a wooden song-tao (open air truck-like vehicle) to a nearby hotel
Met a friend and rode on his motorbike to grab dinner
Took a taxi to the airport
An airplane to Bangkok
Another airplane to Chiang Mai
And finally, a tuk-tuk (motorcycle taxi) from the airport to the Church

The wonders of modern transportation! Thankfully God kept me safe during what was arguably the most interesting travel day of my life.

Raya Island with AFCO

2006-06-19T04:58:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the incredible opportunity to vacation on a beautiful island in the south of Thailand with the AFCO group (Aggies for Christ in the Orient). As much as I love Chiang Mai, lounging on the beach was a nice change! The AFCO group is past the halfway point in their 7-week trip, and I was able to join them on Raya Island, near Phuket, for 4 days of fun in the sun!

Jason, Adam and Sam pose on the beach.

The resort was surrounded by palm trees, and we were careful to watch for dangerous falling coconuts!

The view from my favorite spot on the island- a shaded hill overlooking a coral reef.

My darling sister- I can’t wait to hang out with her in Chiang Mai!

Hooray! Shelley and Paige are having a great time on the trip.

God is truly an artist, amen?

The famous “VBS” team shows us a few of their favorite songs- to learn more about their crazy week, check out “AFCO update #10” at http://aggiesforchrist.org/

Shelley and Allison say goodbye as we board the boats to leave the island. I have returned to Chiang Mai to prepare for the week ahead, and the Aggies will arrive here on Tuesday night. We have a jam-packed week planned, and we hope to include several of the new students we have been meeting through English class and other connections. Stay tuned for stories and pictures of AFCO in Chiang Mai!

Red and Blue Party

2006-06-11T21:16:00.000-07:00

This week was the first “Friday Night Live” of our summer schedule, and we celebrated at Payap with a “Red and Blue Party!” Girls were asked to dress in red, boys in blue. We played a lot of fun games- the best of which is pictured below:

The boys formed a huge human “knot,” and the girls had 10 minutes to try and separate each boy from the group. The girls were a little hesitant at first, but we soon got the hang of it!

Johanna uses all of her strength to pull O away from the pack!

Tim was not going to give up without a fight!

The last two holdouts- P’Robert and Joshua. The sad little flower in Joshua’s hands was in his hair at the beginning of the game, but by the end it was pulverized.

Muay and I take a break from the games to sit and chat.

One of the most fun parts of the evening was the costume contest. Oan and Tim were crowned “Mr. and Mrs. Red and Blue Party 2006!” They were given scepters with a can of Red Bull attached. (Red/blue àRedBull…trust me, it’s funny in Thai!)

About halfway through the evening a big group of new students walked in! The Payap zone has been conducting weekly English classes, and some of their students came to join us for Friday Night Live. We sang a few devotional songs, and our new friends eagerly tried to follow along. The main “method” of outreach here in Chiang Mai is friendship. We seek to create an atmosphere where people are welcome and included, and in our community we seek to model the love of God for the whole world. I am glad that our new friends joined us on Friday, and I pray that we will be a blessing to them in the weeks and months to come.

Long Live the King

2006-06-11T20:53:00.000-07:00

Friday marked the 60th anniversary of the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. Ever since my first trip to this beautiful country, I have admired how much love and respect the Thai people have for their king. On AFCO we learned to sing the King’s song, and anytime we performed it at a school or church, a look of pride and adoration swept over the faces of those listening. King Bhumibol Adulyadej is currently the longest reigning monarch alive in the world. Last week the city of Chiang Mai was dressed to the nines in gold and yellow, the King’s royal colors. A huge celebration took place in Bangkok, and many of my friends are traveling this weekend to see the exhibition in Bangkok honoring the King.
For another perspective on this momentous occasion, visit the blog of my friends and co-workers Russ and Rebecca, at http://www.russandrebecca.blogspot.com/

New Kids on the Block

2006-06-05T06:37:00.000-07:00

We have three new faces in our midst- the ACU summer interns are here! Jenica, Johanna and Tim arrived in Chiang Mai on Thursday morning, and they were ushered straight into our busy summer schedule. Jenica is working with me at Chueng Doi, and Johanna and Tim are joining Jeremy at Payap. This is a picture of all of the summer interns in Chiang Mai.

Back row: Tom, Bay and Noon (O and Joshua not pictured)
Middle row: Eddie, Nui, Wah, Woot
Front row: Jenica, Johanna, Tim

The day after their arrival, we put Johanna and Tim to work filling water balloons at our English camp in Lamphun. What good sports!

Jenica loved her first Sunday morning at the Chueng Doi Church. She told me that she feels so welcome here, and she is amazed at the friendliness of everyone she meets. Paeng, Noon and I are glad to have another girl around! I look forward to getting to work with my new friends for the next two months.

English Camp at Lamphun

2006-06-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

On Friday morning 21 students and staff from the Payap and Chueng Doi churches headed out to Lamphun, a nearby town, to conduct an English camp at a local elementary school. Our group was full of energy, and we had a great time playing and serving together.

The students at the school had very basic English skills, so much of our teaching was accomplished through games. On our first day we played several group games to help the kids loosen up and feel comfortable with our group. These girls were thrilled to win the first game of the day!

Songs are also a great way to teach, and Russ, Jeremy and Wah are especially talented at demonstrating the motions for the kids.

By the second day of camp the kids were so full of life, and they were really able to work as a team in our outside games.

Russ takes one for the team as he dives to the ground.

Bay and I taught one of the stations at the camp- learning the names for pieces of clothing. A fun way to teach these words is simply to put on as many clothes as you can! The kids had a lot of fun at this station, and by the end of the camp many of the students were excitedly practicing the new English words they had learned.

I love the desire of these churches to really get involved in the community. We were able to provide a service to the children at the school, and by treating them with kindness we were able to show them the love of Christ. Our theme verse for the summer is 1 John 3:18~ "Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions." I am excited to love and serve this summer with my fellow Christians in Chiang Mai.

Trading Places

2006-05-29T03:11:00.000-07:00

One of my closest friends here in Chiang Mai left last week- to go to Giddings, Texas! That's right- Nueng (pictured above), Gahn and Wee will be working at Camp Tejas for the next three months while I finish out my time here in Thailand. Life is funny, isn't it?

Nueng left a week ago, and already I miss her fun personality and her silly side. Nueng is a 25-year old graduate student in Biochemisty (yes, that's not a typo, 25!) and she met the director of Camp Tejas last year in the south of Thailand. The camp employs several international counselors every year, so Nueng, Gahn and Wee signed up!

Gahn has been working with the church for the past several months, and we miss him quite a lot. I am so excited that my friends are getting to expereince my culture at the same time I experience theirs! When I return to Texas in August, Haley and I are going to take our Thai friends to Schlitterbahn!

At Haley's airport departure we took a fake "goodbye" picture for Nueng and Gahn as well- they left a few days later from Bangkok. Wee joined Nueng and Gahn a few days ago, and they are all fighting jet lag and getting excited about starting camp. Please pray for my friends as they take this leap into small-town Central Texas!!

English Class

2006-05-29T02:24:00.000-07:00

About a month and a half ago, Haley, Joshua and I started teaching an English class at the church on Saturday mornings. Our students were widely varied- in age and in skill level, so our class was fairly relaxed and we used the time to get to know each other better. Several children attended the class, and we had a lot of fun with them!

Joshua was a math teacher at a Thai middle school for a few years, so he is very experienced when it comes to teaching Thai students. Joshua is currently working at the church as an intern, and in July he will travel to New Zealand to begin a two-year program at the Bible college there.

Haley looks on as Som-O takes her turn at "Pictionary." We always played Pictionary as a warm-up game. It's a good way for our students to relax and get used to speaking while they learn new vocabulary words.

This past Saturday we held our final class at the park close to a nearby waterfall. This week we tried a new game- Catch Phrase! Nit helps P'Ann understand one of the English words.

After games we enjoyed a Thai-style picnic- sticky rice, spicy pork salad, and grilled chicken! This class really allowed us to get to know several new people and welcome them into our church. Hopefully the seeds we planted will flourish and grow.

Goodbye Haley

2006-05-22T04:03:00.000-07:00

In case you don't know her already, I'd like to tell you about Haley Edmiston. Haley just completed her two-year apprenticeship in Chiang Mai. Her time was split between the Payap and Chueng Doi churches, and because she naturally makes friends wherever she goes, Haley has dozens of close friends here in Chiang Mai. I joined Haley at Chueng Doi in January, and for the past four months she has been a mentor, a friend, and a huge pair of shoes to fill! Haley went back to Texas on Friday, and I want to highlight some events during her last week in Thailand.

About a week before her departure, we threw Haley a going-away party at Payap. Haley's friends and family came out to express their love and friendship at a coffeehouse-style concert featuring Haley herself!

The theme of the party was "Haley: Live in Chiang Mai" and we were treated to several songs from our talented friend. Haley and Bay wrote a song together, titled, "You Don't Have To." It's beautiful!

Several people spoke to Haley at her party, and Muay talked about Haley's outgoing and welcoming personality.

My roommate, my mission partner, my big sister, confidant, and shoulder to cry on. I have been blessed to spend this time with Haley.

Haley's last night in Thailand was spent at a combined cell group with Payap and CMU. We met together for songs, games and sharing, and we hung out and enjoyed spending time with each other afterward. It's hard to believe that a few months ago I wouldn't have recognized any of these faces, and now it's like looking at a family picture. God has truly blessed me with this loving body of brothers and sisters.

A hard goodbye indeed- Praew's daughter Nicole. Haley was present for Nicole's birth, and she saw Praew's faith grow and develop, and witnessed her baptism. Aunt Haley is a big part of Nicole's life, and I know dozens of pictures will be exchanged between Thailand and Texas in the months to come.

Dozens of Haley's friends came to see her off at the airport on Friday morning. We sang a few songs and prayed for Haley's long journey, and bid her farewell.

I can't imagine what it will be like for Haley to readjust to life in America after living in Thailand for two years. I do know that she is already missed here. My life is so quiet now, and I miss my roommate. Thankfully, Haley will be living in College Station in the fall, so our goodbye was only temporary. God is doing amazing things in the life of this young woman, and I count myself blessed for having been able to be a part of Haley's life in Thailand. I love you Haley, and I will see you in a few months!

Feels Like Home

2006-05-22T03:39:00.000-07:00

SHELLEY IS HERE!!! As are 25 other college students, part of AFCO 2006- the same trip I took in 2004 that first interested me in Thailand. I was able to meet my sister and my friends at the airport in Bangkok last week, and I joined them for two days as they adjusted to their new surroundings and continued to prepare for their trip. The main mode of preparation? Singing practice!

Elizabeth Russell, about to take Southeast Asia by storm!

The unsung heroes of AFCO- Jason and Sam have some real talent, my friends.

All 26 AFCOers singing at the Somprasong 4 church in Bangkok on Wednesday night. They will be performing at schools and churches throughout their 7-week trip.

My darling Sara- a hug I have truly missed! There's just something about seeing people I know from home that is incredibly comforting. Seeing this new group together reminded me of my AFCO experience, and gave me a chance to reflect on how much I have grown and changed in the past two years. I cannot wait to welcome the Aggies to Chiang Mai on June 20- I want to show off this beautiful city! Please pray for the safety of the AFCO group as they travel throughout Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia in the weeks to come.

All the Children of the World

2006-05-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

Last week I traveled to Mae Sot in western Thailand with many of the Thai interns and American apprentices from Payap and Chueng Doi. Working with Partners, a Christian relief organization (www.partnersworld.org) our group of 15 spent four days at a youth camp, located within a larger refugee camp. We conducted an English camp for the children at the home, many of whom are "problem kids," sent to the children’s camp from other refugee camps in the surrounding area.

These kids were anything but troublesome. Though shy at first, they soon opened up through singing songs and playing games. The children are Karen, an ethnic minority group in eastern Burma. The Burmese army is terrorizing the countryside, and thousands of Karen have fled to Thailand in the last several years.

We started off each day with songs and games, and then we had a craft hour. One of our Thai interns named O was in charge of the crafts- he is our resident artist in the bunch. On the first day of camp we studied creation, at the kids were able to express how they picture the concept "God is love." The paintings were beautiful.

Some of the younger residents at the camp wanted to sneak a peak at these interesting visitors to their home!

We also conducted a "nursery time" for the younger children. P’Gade and several others taught the kids songs and told them stories using puppets.

The kids loved O, so much so that they all wanted to splash him with their water balloons!

On the last day each group of campers presented a song or skit to the group. It was amazing to see how much the kids had opened up since our first day at the camp. They were laughing, singing, dancing and clapping with such joy and ease.

The youth group at the church has won several singing contests in recent years, and I understand why. In loud, clear, powerful voices, the teenagers praised God with all of their heart. I have never heard kids sing like that before, and it is an experience I will not soon forget.

Bu Po and Newton, the darling couple who run the children’s camp. The day we left they celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary. I thank God for such faithful people, so full of love that they have chosen to dedicate their whole lives to the care of these children.

It was hard to say goodbye to our new friends. Many people in our group said that their eyes have been opened to the plight of these children, and it has touched them tremendously. Please pray for these children, for the Karen people, and for the nation of Burma.

More pictures from the week can be seen at http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=9AbuGjli3asrU

Exiled

2006-05-14T20:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I experience things that are too beautiful to be expressed in pictures, and too emotionally painful to be expressed in words. I cannot explain to you what it felt like to walk the muddy paths of this huge refugee camp, feeling more conspicuous and out-of-place than I ever have in my life. I saw children playing in ditches, women making charcoal out of recycled clay, men carrying huge loads of bamboo on their back, and more stray dogs than I could count. The Karen people have been forced out of their country, forcibly removed from their homes. They come to Thailand because they have nowhere else to go, and once they enter this camp, the doors clang shut. No one may leave without permission, and the only permission granted for travel is from one camp to another. They aren’t Thai, they’re no longer Burmese, they are a people without a home. They receive no education from any government, and the only schools available are provided by NGOs. There are more than 20,000 people living in this camp- more people than most Texas farm towns. The surrounding countryside is absolutely beautiful, and I wonder what it might feel like to live freely in such a breathtaking place. My prayer is that the Karen will one day experience that freedom.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:1-3
Visit http://www.partnersworld.org/ for more information in how you can help the Karen people.

Meet my new sister!

2006-05-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

When I first met Amp in the summer of 2004, I was surprised by her friendliness and desire to meet all of the Aggies on our trip. Even though she was relatively new to the Christian Zone, she was ready to join any activity, and she shared her smile with whomever she met.

For a long time, Amp has known about Jesus and has spent much of her time with the Christians at the Payap Zone. Gradually she began to believe, but there were things in her life holding her back from making a commitment to the Lord. But when we went to work with the Karen children last week, something stirred inside Amp, and she decided on Saturday to give her life to Christ and be baptized.

The members of the Payap and Chueng Doi churches gathered at Payap on Sunday afternoon to be with Amp as she committed her life to Christ.

P’Robert baptized Amp, and welcomed her into a new family and a new beginning for her life.

Amp's family prays for and blesses her. Please pray for Amp's new step in her relationship with Jesus.

Brian and Tussany's wedding

2006-05-08T06:28:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the wedding of these two great people, Tussany and Brian. I met Tussany a few months ago here in Chiang Mai, and since that time we have become good friends. Her fiancee Brian arrived from his job in Iraq a week and a half ago, and we went out to take some engagement pictures one Saturday morning. Tussany was part of the "first generation" Christians here in Chiang Mai. She went to the states to attend ACU, and while living in Texas she met Brian, whose family lives in Austin.

Traditional Thai weddings are an all-day affair. In the morning we attended the blessing ceremony, where friends and family can pour water over the hands of the couple and give them a blessing for their marriage. In this picture you can see outfit #1 for the day- matching gold. Brian's mother is giving the blessing in this picture.

After the morning ceremony, and a "costume change," we all filed outside for the wedding parade. A group of dancers led the parade, which included a band of musicians, as well as friends and family carrying gifts for the newlyweds.

When we reached the meeting hall where the wedding was to take place, the ladies of the family greeted the party with shouts and dancing for the groom. It was a loud, crazy, exciting way to welcome the groom!

Brian was then led into the wedding hall, and at several points during his journey two ladies would hold up a chain blocking his path. In order to cross the barrier, he would give them envelopes of money. Brian eventually ran out of money, so the ladies from earlier ran up and gave the money back, only to re-erect their barriers and ask for the money again! Finally, they let him through.

There were many, many parts to the wedding ceremony, but this was the most familiar to me- the giving of rings. There was also jewery exchanged, blessings given, and provisions for the wedding night had to be ceremonially taken to the "bedroom," a small room to the side of the main stage. Notice outfit #2- Tussany looks so beautiful!

To conclude the marriage ceremony, the bride and groom entered this "bedroom," accompanied by both sets of parents! The couple was again blessed by the parents (Brian's father is offering a prayer in this picture). Money was spread out on the bed, and then Brian and Tussany lay down on the bed for a few seconds until the older ladies in the crowd started making "rooster" noises and the couple "woke up." This part of the ceremony was quite different for the Americans in attendance!

Wake up ,and you may kiss your bride!

After a wonderful lunch, everyone took a break for a few hours (I took a nap!) until it was time for the evening ceremony and banquet. We were able to see some beautiful Thai dancing while we enjoyed a huge Thai feast.

The bride and groom (in outfit #3!) each gave a short speech, and Haley translated for Brian. Brian and Tussany's fathers also spoke, and Haley translated for Brian's dad as well. She did a fantastic job!

After such a long day, Brian and Tussany finally got to sit down and eat while we all watched a slideshow of how their lives came together. Many of the engagement pictures I took were in the slideshow, which was quite fun. They were a blast to photograph, so easy-going and full of creativity.

To conclude the evening, everyone went outside to light balloon lanterns and set them free into the sky. These balloons are beautiful, and there were plenty to go around! Tussany's sister and brother-in-law prepare to launch their balloon.

Brian and Tussany lit this one together and sent it floating into the dark evening sky. Absolutely beautiful!

Haley, P'Gade and I stayed until the happy couple left, and then we came back to Chiang Mai on a midnight train. Quite a long day, but it was definitely worth it. I'm glad that we were able to share this special day with our friends, and we wish them the very best in their new marriage.

A new family! Your own son's wedding is quite a crash course in Thai culture! Brian was able to get away from his job for two weeks for this wedding, and hopefully in a few months Tussany's visa will come through and the couple wil be able to move to Texas. They plan to hold an American wedding ceremony in Austin in November.

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4

Family Reunion

2006-04-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

Something incredible took place yesterday morning. After splitting over 100 years ago, the Churches of Christ in the Chiang Mai area met with members of the Christian Church. Chueng Doi hosted this 11-church meeting, and over 220 people attended. Many of these believers have lived in the same city their entire lives, but until yesterday had never met. Unity among churches is so very important, especially in Thailand, where Christians are a small minority.

The 11 churches met together in an elementary school in a nearby suburb of Chiang Mai.

Eddie, one of the Payap interns for the summer, gave the children’s blessing.

P’Young was one of two preachers on Sunday morning- even when I cannot understand what he is preaching about, I absolutely love P’Young’s sermons! He is so passionate when he speaks.

Nicole had a blast at church!

Prim shows us what style is all about.

The blue ladies- Poi, Jennifer and Nueng. It was truly a blessing to see so many brothers and sisters worshipping together. This is a great first step toward greater unity and fellowship among the Thai churches.

The Postcard Project

2006-04-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

This past week was the beginning of the Thai internship at the Chueng Doi and Payap churches. All in all we have 9 interns for the next three months, and the churches help to support each intern so that they can devote all of their time to the internship. With 9 interns a little creativity in fundraising was needed, so yesterday at the 11-church meeting we held a garage sale. I wanted to find a way to help out, so I partnered with a few of my fellow photographers to create postcards to sell. We made 22 different cards and printed 3 of each, and we sold out of all 66 postcards! They were a big success and we plan to sell again in the future- maybe even on walking street!

Nueng and Butter are natural salespeople- I just sat back and marveled at their skills!

One of my postcards- a boy jumping into the moat.

Another of mine- the reflection of store signs in the moat.

This one is Nueng’s- beautiful!

Un took this picture of Gahn and Nueng in the south of Thailand.

This amazing picture features Pern, Nueng’s younger sister.

Asia gets her postcard autographed by Nueng- practically a celebrity!

Fantastic F4

2006-04-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

On Friday night we had another "F4" night at P’Sean and P’Pat’s house. This week’s celebration was extra-special, because P’Sean and Noon both had birthdays last week. P’Pat ordered 40 fish, and we enjoyed a delicious feast!

Gahn and I made these cakes for the two birthday honorees.

Muay and Wee playing with Rin’s new puppy.

P’Sean hosted an incredibly fun "dating game"- Muay was asked to pick between three "mystery guys"- she had such a hard time picking!

P’Sean and his son Ben- they fared quite well in the "couples" game- Ben’s daddy knows him very well!

Group shot of the girls- such a fun group of friends.

Asia and Jennifer- Asia is P’Sean and P’Pat’s daughter, Ben’s older sister. She and I have become good friends, and I am lucky to know such a cool girl.

A Life Changed by God

2006-04-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night we were blessed to be able to spend some time with a young woman named Nithun. She is a friend of our friend Jason, and she came to share her testimony of how God has changed her life. Nithun got involved with drugs and alcohol in her early twenties and would up in prison. She met a group of Christians working in the prison, and slowly their love began to change her, and she came to believe in God. Since her release she has dedicated her life to helping women in similar situations. What a wonderful testament to the power of God's love!

Nithun was so open and generous with her life story- we were all blessed to hear her testimony.

About 20 members of the Chueng Doi and Payap churches came to hear Nithun's story.

Back row: Nit, P'Gade, Gahn, Yam

Front row: Muay, P'Noi, Nithun, Nueng, Bay, Jit

(I made that bulletin board in the background!)

Saturday afternoon we had a lot of fun baking and decorating cupcakes to serve at this special event. It helped me celebrate Easter a few days late- cupcakes instead of eggs!

Relaxing after a fun day- Nueng, Yam, Jennifer, Nit and Jit.

Camp Cha-Am

2006-04-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday a group of us from Chueng Doi headed down to the nationwide Christian camp at Cha-Am beach. The van trip ended up taking about 15 hours- we were quite happy to arrive at camp late Wednesday night!

On Thursday afternoon we played some fun group games, including a group bean-bag race- Haley led our team to victory!

It was such a blessing to be able to sit on the beach and stare at the ocean- there is something about the ocean that makes you feel small, reminds you of your place, and keeps you in awe of our amazing creator.

The two boys on the right were baptized at camp, and the guy in the orange shirt is deaf- you can see him watching the sign language of his friend on the left during this prayer.

On Friday afternoon a group of us went to visit the summer palace of Rama VI- it's right on the coast, and quite beautiful! It is the only teakwood palace in the world.

About 400 Christians from all over Thailand came to the camp, and it was cool to be part of such a big, loving family.

Songkran!

2006-04-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

April 12-16 is a very important week in Thailand. Not only is it the hottest time of the year (we are right in the middle of Thai summer!), but it is also Thai New Year, and that means one thing- Songkran! The traditional celebration involves a water blessing for one's elders, but what everyone looks forward to is the water fights! Basically, the country takes a weeklong break to play with water. Before heading down to camp Cha-Am a few of us loaded up some buckets of water in Tum's truck and went to play!

P"Gade filling up the buckets. We decorated the truck with colored powder paste, a Songkran staple.

Refilling at a gas station- Art, Joshua, Jennifer, Noon, Joi, P'Gade and Tum.

We drove to a few smaller towns outside of Chaing Mai, and when we would meet a little gang of kids on the side of the road, we would slow down and let them throw water on us. It was so much fun!

Later, while at Cha-Am, we were driving behind a truck full of people and I was able to get some pictures from the (dry) safety of the van.

How cool- a nationwide water fight!

This girl got more than she bargained for- that little boy is a good shot!

It was great to be able to celebrate with my friends and experience such a fun aspect of Thai culture.

Graduation Thai-style

2006-04-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

College graduation is a HUGE deal in Thailand. I think the US could definitely benefit by adopting some of the following procedures:

-heads of state (the Prince and Princess of Thailand, no less!) hand out diplomas
-there are a limited number of tickets for each student, so most of the extended family does not attend the actual ceremony (sighs of relief from all aunts and uncles, I'm sure!)
-instead, all extended family members, friends, and acquaintences gather in the sunny summer weather to take dozens and dozens of pictures
-graduates get lots of flowers and presents and cool flower crowns (I'm a sucker for the flower crowns!)
On Friday we braved the crowds to go see our friend Turian- check out all the cool flowers and stuffed animals for sale!

I met Turian in 2004 on AFCO, and it was so cool to get to celebrate her big day!

Gahn and Noon hiding in a tree- no more pictures, please!

Every graduate's dream- a bouquet of MONEY! We should definitely catch on to this trend, America.

Speaking of graduation, I am (hopefully) registering this week for my classes at A&M next semester. I only have 25 hours of school left! Good luck with these last few weeks of school, all of you stuck studying. Summer is coming soon!

Learning to Teach

2006-04-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

Last week several of the church members from Payap and Chueng Doi were treated to an amazing teacher workshop put on by Karen Hegi, mother to Jeremy, an apprentice at the Payap Christian Zone. Jeremy's parents Don and Karen came to visit, and Karen is the children's minister at Sunset Church of Christ in Lubbock. She shared her gits of teaching with us by explaining the "ages and stages" of faith development in children, and letting us participate in some hands-on activities.

Poi practices playing with Play-Doh

Thom takes a momentary return trip to childhood- we learned that having a hands-on activity is a great way to keep children engaged in a Bible lesson.

P'Jan laughs as we play with potted plants- a great way to teach kids the Parable of the Sower. Karen left us with a gift of teaching materials and lesson plans- what a wonderful gift to the children in our church, and to all the children who will be raised in this family.

"Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it." -Proverbs 22:6

Up on the Mountain

2006-04-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon a group of us took a trip up Doi Suthep mountain to visit the Royal Palace and gardens. The weather was beautiful- cool and breezy, a welcome break from the heat down in the city. We had a lot of fun walking around and taking pictures.

Striking a pose! Haley, me, Butter and Jit- Jit is our roommate up on the 4th floor of the church.

It's a little late in the season for many of the flowers, but we found a few pretty ones.

This is Wow- she's visiting from Bangkok for 2 weeks. Wow grew up with Butter and Yam, and it's been a lot of fun hanging out with her this past week. At the top of these stairs was a beautiful water fountain!

Enjoying some fresh orange juice with Butter. It's so cool to live in a city with so many interesting places to visit.

Mom and Dad- part 2

2006-04-02T22:04:00.000-07:00

I'm going a little out of order here (sorry!) but I wanted to share pictures and stories from the rest of my time with my parents. On Monday (March 13) we had lunch at Whole Earth, a fantastic Indian food restaurant. The house behind us in this picture is the restaurant, and guess what- it's where Kelly Davidson grew up! This was Bob and Myrt's house when they lived in Chiang Mai! So cool!

After lunch we headed out to the umbrella factory to look around and get a few gifts for family and friends. My Dad got some elephants painted on his Bible, and then he took a break to recline under this pretty umbrella!

Tuesday afternoon we headed out to a nearby lake with P'Gade to spend the night and relax. This was the same place the team took me when I first arrived in Chiang Mai. My parents loved the boat ride- especially the cool breeze, refreshing after spending time in the hot city.

We spent a few relaxing hours sitting by the waterside and watching the moon rise. We also watched the progression of a small forest fire- see it on the slopes? Apparently small fires like this are common during the dry summer season.

Yes, that is an elephant, and yes, he is painting a picture! On the way back from the lake we stopped at the elephant farm to watch the elephant show. Part of the presentation involved some elephant artwork! This fellow's style is more abstract, but we saw a beautiful tree painting and a group of small flowers. You can even purchase the elephant artwork!

Elephant close encounter! Dad always did look good in hats...

It was so great to spend time with my parents in Thailand! I am truly blessed to have parents that not only let me come live in another country for 6 months, but fly halfway across the world to visit! I hope they had fun ( I know they miss Thai food and are already looking for a good restaurant in Austin!) and now I am looking forward to seeing Shelley (my sister) and the rest of the Aggies when they arrive on May 16!

Asian Excursion Part 2- Malaysia

2006-03-28T19:25:00.000-08:00

After 5 days in Singapore we travelled to Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. On Thursday we were able to do some sightseeing, and we visited the Petronas Twin Towers. They are the second highest buildings in the world, only surpassed by Taipei 101.

I just like this picture. Pretty cool eh?

Our gruop with Su Tang at the towers- she served as our tour guide in KL. Su Tang is the student coordinator for the new TAR College ministry in Kuala Lumpur. The Christian Zone, located close to the TAR College campus, hosts English classes and other student activities. On Wednesday night we were able to help with the English class, and on Thursday we went to campus to meet some students and invite them to the class.

On Thursday night we joined a small "care group" Bible study at the Christian Zone, and the four members of our team each shared our testimony. Rin is not a Christian, but she shared her thankfulness for finding a group of friends who are genuine and who do not take advantage of her. She said that when she has a problem, she knows she can come to the Christian Zone and find people who care about her and who will help her in any way they can. I am thankful that Rin has seen such goodness in the Christians she knows- what a testament to the power of God working in our lives.

After a few short days in KL we headed to Penang, an island city in northern Malaysia. What a beautiful place to finish out our trip! We went to the beach on Saturday afternoon with our hostess Auntie Pat, as well as some of the youth from the church.

After the beach we had the opportunity to run an English class for some of the children in the area near the church. We had a blast teaching them songs, doing a puppet show, and playing games.

"Peace like a River" is always a favorite!

This trip was difficult in many ways, and I am glad to be back home in Chaing Mai. But I have seen the goodness of God at work in the lives of many different people, and it is an experience I would not take back.

Asian Excursion Part 1- Singapore

2006-03-25T05:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Singapore! Friday March 17th our team of four arrived in Singapore (after nearly missing our flight!) and grabbed a taxi to the home of our generous hostess, Auntie Margaret. We came to visit friends, encourage the churches, and take a few days of vacation while school is out in Chiang Mai.The team- Haley, Rin, Jennifer and Bay- at a fabulous restuarant next door to the Somprasong 4 church in Bangkok, hours before departure.
Sunday night we caught a salsa performance at the Esplanade, an amazing performing arts venue in Singapore. It is more commonly known as "the giant durian" because of it's interesting shape. We arrived in the middle of a week-long free music festival- so cool!
On Sunday all 5 Churches of Christ in Singapore met together for an amazing combined worship service. I've grown accustomed to worship services of no more than 40 or 50 people, so to hear so many voices join together in song was incredible. Many of the Thai guys from the Payap zone helped lead the services. Our trip overlapped with a short mission trip of 10 students from Payap- the "Same Same, but Different" group.
Sunday afternoon we joined with the Payap group to play games worship together with many of the Singaporean youth. This photo was part of our "digital scavenger hunt"- make the shape of an animal in the grass using your bodies. Do you like our starfish?
One of the biggest blessings of this trip has been the opportunity to see friends I met in 2004 on AFCO. This is Melinda- she was my roommate at our camp with the Singaporean kids in Malaca. She joined us for some shopping on Tuesday, and it was wonderful to catch up with her. She has been keeping up with me by reading this blog- Hi Melinda!
This strapping young gent is Benedict (Ben), and he graciously acted as our tour guide while we were in Singapore. Ben was the perfect guide for our stress-inclined group- he was patient, generous, and always a gentleman. We spent much of our time together trying to persuade him to come visit us in Chiang Mai. Ben is seeking God, and we pray and trust that his faith will continue to grow.
Our final night in Singapore, we enjoyed some amazing chili crab- a Singaporean specialty! The crabs were huge, and we had a great, messy time. The newlyweds on the back row are headed to China to do mission work, and we were able to celebrate with them in a send-off dinner.

After five days in Singapore we took a bus to Malaysia...more on that leg of the journey in "Asian Excursion Part 2"- coming soon!

Hope

2006-03-20T03:10:00.000-08:00

Lord, don't hold back your tender mercies from me.

My only hope is in your unfailing love and faithfulness.
For troubles surround me--too many to count!

They pile up so high I can't see my way out.

They are more numerous than the hairs on my head.

I have lost all my courage.
Please, LORD, rescue me!

Come quickly, LORD, and help me.

But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness.

May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, "The LORD is great!"

As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord is thinking about me right now.

You are my helper and my savior.

Do not delay, O my God.

Psalm 40:11-13, 16-17

Mom and Dad are here!

2006-03-12T20:55:00.000-08:00

They made it! My mom and dad arrived in Chiang Mai on Saturday morning, and we hit the ground running! We ate lunch with a large group of friends, and we were able to bid farewell to Chris, Tonya and Corban Fikes before they left to go back to the states. We then spent the afternoon seeing a little of the city, and went to dinner at P'Boom's new house. The next morning was church, and after the service we took this picture to send you greetings from Thailand!

Sunday afternoon we visited Doi Suthep temple. The temple is hundreds of years old and is filled with beautiful statues and shrines. It was a very different cultural experience for my parents.

Muay, one of my friends here in Chiang Mai, accompanied us to the temple. She was a great tour guide, explaning many of the customs and rituals going on around us.

Chiang Mai is behind us! It was cool to get such a birds-eye view of the city.
Dad tricked my Mom by pretending to jump off of this ledge- he loves to joke around!

After visiting the temple we went to Walking Street to eat and do some shopping. Mom became quite a pro with the chopsticks, and both of my parents loved Thai noodle soup. We will be having many more adventure over the next few days- more pictures to come soon!

Ren's Birthday in PhaYao

2006-03-12T19:56:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday of this past week I travelled to PhaYao, a city a few hours north of Chiang Mai. Art, Thum, Ren, P'Gade, Haley, Zak and I went to celebrate Ren's birthday. PhaYao is her hometown. When we arrived we ate at a great noodle shop on the shore of this cool lake.

Ren's mother is a schoolteacher, and we went to visit her when we arrived in town. I felt like a celebrity- the kids were so excited to see two farangs (foreigners) at their school. When we asked the kids to take a photo with us, they eagerly obliged.

We went to sit in Ren's mother's classroom, and kids swarmed around the doorway to catch a glimpse of these strange-looking visitors. After a while I had to stop taking pictures because it was causing such a commotion!

We taught the kids to sing "Peace like a River"- they were excited to learn a song in English.

Songs with hand motions are a favorite with these kids!

We camped for the evening on the banks of the river after taking a 3-hour rafting trip. I saw 4 elephants, 3 herds of cattle with big wooden bells around their necks, and one giant water buffalo hanging out in the middle of the river. When we reached our destination we received VIP treatment- a delicious meal was prepared for us and we ate with the sound of bubbling water in the background. It was a great time to relax and celebrate Ren's birthday. Ren, Haley, Bay and I will be leaving for a 10-day trip to Singapore and Malaysia on Friday, so please keep us in your prayers as we travel. We will be visiting the churches there and working with several different ministries. We are excited to begin our new adventure!

Angels in Disguise

2006-03-05T20:07:00.000-08:00

One Sunday each month the Payap and Chueng Doi churches combine for an afternoon of service. Last month we went to the children's home, and this month we visited a retirement home. My communication abilities were pretty limited, so I spent much of the time taking pictures. Just watching these men and women filled me with peace. They are so kind, so eager to share their lives with us. We planned a few activities- a short talent show, a game of charades, and a time for card games and fellowship. It was such a blessing to be in the presence of these gentle souls.

"Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the Lord." Lev. 19:32

Senior Honor Night

2006-03-05T19:20:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday evening, we held a special night of honor and recognition for our seniors. Between the Payap and CMU students, we have 18 seniors! It's definitely a time of transition for the ministry, as many of these students will be leaving town or getting jobs. Rather than see this as a setback, we wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to show the seniors how much we appreciate and love them, and send them off with blessings and a few small gifts.

P'Robert, P'Sean, P'David and P'Young- all in one place at one time! The missionaries spoke to the seniors, giving each of them a blessing for the future.

The seniors were given the opportunity to write themselves a letter. They wrote about where they are in their relationship with God, where they would like to be, and how they want to grow in the coming months. We collected the letters and will send them to each senior 6 months from now.

We had a special time of prayer as we lay hands on the seniors. Each name was called out one by one, and a friend spoke up to pray for each senior. Many of the seniors said that they had rarely felt so loved and appreciated.

We invited everyone from the two churches to come honor the seniors, so there were many guests and many friends present. Chris and Tonya Fikes are visiting for two weeks with their son Corban, and I was so happy that they could share this evening with us. Chris and Tonya were interns for 2 years in Chaing Mai, and everyone is so excited to see them again, and to meet their precious son.

Nicole and her mommy Praew joined us as well, and we took some time to teach Nicole new silly faces to make!

Seniors! They really are a dignified and accomplished group...but they definitely know how to have fun! They are holding their gifts- a journal to record the next phase of their lives, and a card/photo frame with messages from all of their friends.

3rd row (left to right): Chet, Woot, Zak

2nd row: Wah, Amp, Wei, Bun, Gaew

1st row: Ren, Nueng, Noon, Nan, Bowling

More than a glimpse

2006-02-28T05:52:00.000-08:00

For a while now I have wanted to write something substantial, something personal on my blog. I love sharing pictures, and I am a firm believer that a picture is, in fact, worth a thousand words. I know that you who read this blog are busy with your own lives, and that you probably don’t have time to read an hour-by-hour account of my days- nor do I have time to write such an account. So I am happy to share glimpses of my life here, but every now and then, glimpses are not enough. This week I will attempt to share my experiences with you through words.

Thailand is a lot like America. Right now I am sitting in an air-conditioned coffee shop drinking iced mocha out of a trendy plastic mug. The girls at the table across from me are wearing blue jeans and polo shirts. For all intents and purposes, I could be sitting at Sweet Eugene’s in College Station. My friends all have cell phones, and text messages fly from phone to phone on a daily basis. Girls love to shop. Guys love to eat. Everyone loves a good laugh, a friendly smile, a kind word. Love excites, betrayal hurts, and friendship soothes. We are all human, after all.

Thailand is also nothing like America. As I walk in the park early in the morning, Buddhist monks in bright orange robes walk up and down the sidewalk, collecting food for their daily sustenance. Ten feet from the front door of the church, a delicious meal can be enjoyed for 20 baht (50 cents US). University students in matching black and white uniforms whiz along the streets on motorbikes. Corn is most often eaten with ice cream. Korean soap operas are wildly popular. And I can’t understand most of the words flying through the air.

When ministry becomes your life, your full-time job, some interesting changes take place. My time is no longer my own. I suppose it never really was, but it used to be easier to be selfish. While I do take time to be alone and just relax, these times are not without purpose- they serve to renew and re-energize my spirit in order that I might continue to serve. Every conversation I have is a chance to encourage, to teach, to learn, or just to listen. Every truth I learn about my God can be shared with others, in word or in deed. Sometimes when I think about the wealth of opportunities God has given me here, I am overwhelmed. This is an exciting, wonderful time in my life.

This is also a difficult and scary time in my life. I have many questions about my life, my purpose here, my purpose when I leave, my future. God is stretching me, showing me where I am weak, showing me where I need to become weak and let Him be strong. I am learning patience and trust. The learning process has not been without struggle, without pain. But I would not go back if given the chance. I want to change and grow. I want to reflect the goodness of God to the world, and when there are things in me that keep that from happening, I want God to change me. Letting go of my desire for control is a daily struggle, but I believe that God is beginning to show me how faithful He is, how little I have to fear.

I wrote a poem the other day. Now, I am no poet, but sometimes simple words can say much more than long-winded explanations. I want to share part of that poem with you.

pasa thai?
mai chai, mai chai!
I just don’t understand!
am I lazy?
future’s hazy
this isn’t what I planned

but blessings come
and I’m undone
I don’t know what to think
I want to grow
my faith to show
my selfish doubt to shrink

and so I wake
and so I bake
a Thai sun blazing strong
let me be changed
and re-arranged
and show me where I’m wrong

Some people I'd like you to meet...

2006-02-26T20:32:00.000-08:00

I met a woman the other day who has recently retired to Thailand. She complained about the traffic, the pollution, and a few other minor frustrations. She then asked if I like living here, and when I said yes, she asked why. My answer was simple- "I love the people!" We had "F4" on Friday night- Food, fun, and family fellowship- or maybe it's fourth Friday fun and fellowship- no one is really sure! We set up a little "photo shoot" area at P'Sean's house, so I want to share a few of the pictures, and the people, with you.

What a fun picture! This amazing family opens their home every Wednesday night for our weekly fellowship dinner. P'Young (far left) works with P'Sean, another missionary, as a Bible translator. He recently finished an easy-to-read version of Proverbs, and these books were given as wedding favors at the two weddings I photographed. His wife, P'Noi, works at Grace International School, where all of the missionary kids are students. I've already introduced you to Butter and Yam, I believe- these girls are so fun! I love seeing them every week.

The woman on the left with the curly, curly hair is P'Michelle, David's wife and mother of Brianna and Brielle. She is also my mentor, and we meet together once a week. She's an avid game player- this particular game is called Carcassonne, and it's a lot of fun. P'Michelle is so generous with her home and her time- I always feel at home at the Allen house.
Lots of faces to introduce in this photo! I'll go left to right. On the far left is Joshua. He's from the states, and he has been living in Thailand for about 3 years. He used to work in Austin at a tech job, but for some reason he felt drawn to Thailand. He was a schoolteacher for the past two years, and he has recently decided to intern at the church during April with two of our Thai Christians. The woman to his right is MaaDaa (I'm sure I butchered the spelling). She is better known as "Joshua's Thai mom." She works in the cafeteria at Joshua's school, and they have become friends over the past few years. One day she saw Joshue reading the Bible, and she asked if she could read it. He gave her a Thai translation of John, and she read it in a matter of days. Since then she has been coming to church and many other activities. I have even eaten dinner at her house- twice! She's a fantastic cook.

You already know Haley, and next to her is P'Gade. P'Gade works with us at the church, and she has become one of my best friends. She's quite the world traveller- she spent two years in New Zealand attending Bible college. She has such a gift for conversation, and she uses that gift to reach out to everyone she meets. The two blonde angels sitting with her are Brianna and Brielle, David and Michelle's daughters. I have gotten to spend some time with them, and they are energetic, kind girls with huge hearts. It's so fun to have them around.

This breathtaking beauty is Nicole! She and her mommy Praew have been spending a lot of time at the Zone recently, and she always brings a smile to my face. Nicole is a special favorite of her auntie Haley, who was present at her birth. What better way to find free babysitting than to bring your beautiful baby to the church? We all love spending time with Nicole.

My dear friends Muay and Nueng. Both of these girls are in our new girls bible study. We met for the first time on Saturday night, and things went really well. We had a lot of good discussion as we studied Phillippians ch. 1. Muay has been learning about God and growing closer to him over the past few years, and she is excited to study the bible with her friends. Nueng became a Christian last year, and she is preparing to go to Texas in May to work at a Christian summer camp. This week I will be helping her prepare our next lesson- in English!- so she can prepare herself for the summer.

My parents will be here in 12 days! I am busy making preparations for their arrival, and I am so glad that I will get to share this experience with them! Please pray for their safe preparation and travel.

Birthday Fun!

2006-02-20T02:48:00.000-08:00

I'm 21! My birthday was Sunday, and I was able to celebrate at Starbucks with many of my new friends! We enjoyed cake, company and fellowship while gazing at beautiful Chiang Mai from the 3rd floor balcony.

What a view! These umbrellas are scattered around the entrance to Walking Street, a Sunday night must-see in Chaing Mai. Some of the best shopping in the world!

The cake...Haley and I searched online for recipes- this is the "chocolate cavity-maker cake." With fresh strawberries and homemade chocolate sauce! We has just enough left over to treat the Starbucks employees. They even gave a piece to two little boys who were walking by outside. I am glad that the cake was enjoyed by so many people!

Un and Eddie are in the mood for some cake!

This is my dear friend Yam. I eat dinner at her house every Wednesday night. She and her sister Butter are the funniest girls I've ever met, and I love hanging out with them (and helping with their English homework!)

New friends! I met Noom (left) on the very first day that I went to eat lunch on campus at CMU. I asked her to help me order food, and she was so kind and friendly. She invited me to come sit with her friends, which was when I met Ji (right). Since then I have seen them at least once a week at lunch, and Ji even came to the children's home with us last week. I was so glad that they could join us to celebrate my birthday! I am excited about how God will work in these new friendships.

All in all, I had a great birthday. Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday through e-mail, phone calls and messages. It was hard to be away from home, but I am beginning to learn that I can be at home anywhere, because my true home is in the heart of God. One month down, 5 and a half to go...God is so, so good.

Small accomplishments, Big blessings

2006-02-18T01:18:00.000-08:00

This has truly been a week of little truimphs. Every time I achieve a new level of independence, I feel a little bit more at home here. To give you some idea of what I mean, here is a fun little list of some of this week’s joys:

Monday: I got a rot dang (kind of like a taxi) by myself to meet Misty and Rebecca for a massage (and I gave him directions in Thai!)
Tuesday: I was asked to organize worship time for cell group, and I chose a few songs that I know by memory in Thai. I was able to sing along with everyone, even without the Thai phonetics in the songbook.
Thursday: I got to spend time with Turian, one of my friends from AFCO in 2004 and made plans to spend time with her this weekend.
Friday: I DROVE BY MYSELF! I met P'Michelle at Smoothie Blues for breakfast and I drove the beast of a van that we interns are blessed to have. Big step, that. I also was able to, for the first time, completely order a meal in Thai and be understood. Yes!

This has also been an exciting week of ministry growth. Haley and I are planning a bible study with four of the girls here at the zone- three of them are Christians, one is not- but she is very interested in learning more about the bible. We are also looking forward to our Senior Honor Night coming up on March 4th. We want to give a blessing to each senior, as well as give them a chance to share their wisdom with the rest of the church and the students. I'm also looking forward to my birthday party! My birthday is tomorrow, the 19th, and we have invited anyone and everyone to join us for cake at Starbucks. I have invited many of my new friends from campus, and I hope to see them there. Parties are a great place for fellowship and relationship building! Expect some fun birthday pictures soon... and until then, may the Lord bless and keep you all.

If heaven is anything like these kids singing...

2006-02-13T00:14:00.000-08:00

...then I can't wait to go.

Sunday afternoon the combined Payap and CMU students travelled to a nearby town to visit a children's home. The churches have been visiting here every other month for over a year now, and they have formed wonderful relationships with the staff and children. This was my first time to go, and I had an absolute blast. It's hard to put into words how I feel when I get to spend time with such joyful children, so instead of words, I'll let some images speak to you.

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon."

Philippians 4:4

"I Love God!!!"

2006-02-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

Saturday afternoon, Haley and I received a call bearing wonderful news- our friend Bay had decided to give his life to God and be baptized that night at the waterfall! If you'll remember the story of my arrival in Chiang Mai, Bay is the student who played the "counfused tour guide" in that little charade. I have become good friends with him, and seeing his hunger and thirst to know Christ inspires me every day.

By 7:30 a large crowd had gathered at the market near the waterfall. Bay has made many friends among the Christian community here in Chiang Mai- not just at the Chueng Doi church, but at the YWAM ministry (Youth With a Mission) as well. As we began to ascend the hill leading to the waterfall, the darkness enveloped me and I looked up to the sky. It has been pretty smoggy here in Chiang Mai since my arrival, but that night was the clearest I have seen so far, and a sprinkling of shining stars met my gaze I looked toward the heavens. There was a slight chill in the air as about 60 people huddled together at the water's edge.

Bay was to be baptized by his friend Saak, one of the student leaders at the church. The two of them stood in the water and Saak said a few words in Thai, most of which I did not understand. Bay then began to give his confession, also in Thai, and then suddenly he paused, threw his hands up into the air, and screamed "I LOVE GOD!!!"

Now that, I understood.

What a joy it is to have a new brother in the faith! Please keep Bay in your prayers, as he left yesterday to attend 10 days of military training in the south of Thailand.

Praise God, from who all blessings flow

Praise Him all creatures here below

Praise Him above ye heavenly host

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Amen.

Photo Scavenger Hunt

2006-02-12T23:40:00.000-08:00

The university students in Chiang Mai are entering finals season, so we thought that a perfect way to take a break and have some fun would be a photo scavenger hunt! On Friday night the CMU students met up with the Payap students to compete in a photo scavenger hunt at the night bazaar. My group got through the required 10 pictures in a record amount of time- thanks to Haley's energy and enthusism! Here are a few of our finds.

"Take a picture with a police officer"- we found two!

"Take a picture with someone in traditional Thai dress"- nice headpiece, Haley!

"Take a picture behind a roti stand"- mmmmm...roti...

"Take a picture inside a tuk-tuk"- preferred mode of tourist travel in Chiang Mai

"Take a picture inside a phone booth"- self-explanatory

"Take any random/creative picture"- pretty good, huh?

Ultimately there were no winners or losers in this contest- we decided to just enjoy the pictures on Jeremy's computer at Starbucks. Good end to a fun day.

Learning and Growing

2006-02-09T07:47:00.000-08:00

Every day I am blessed with so many new experiences- it’s hard to put them into words! But I want to take this opportunity to share a few of the new things I am learning and experiencing.

Driving
I’ve been driving since I was 15, but over here it’s a whole new ballgame. I practiced driving in a parking lot yesterday, and didn’t do too badly, considering:
1. I’ve never driven standard
2. I’ve never driven standard shifting with my left hand
3. I’ve never driven on the left side of the road
4. I’ve never driven a huge van that doesn’t have power steering
Other than that, it’s just the same! I actually took a spin out on the Superhighway, which was a little scary- especially when motorbikes whiz around you with no regard for lane lines, speed limits, helmets, etc. It’s totally safe, though. I promise J

Thai
My language lessons are going pretty well- I now know 25 of the over 40 consonants, and I am beginning to learn the vowels as well. My teacher showed me the word for “children,” and asked me to find it on the white board we use for Sunday morning services. I found the word, and realized it was on the schedule indicating the time when we have the “children’s blessing.” So cool! It was a pretty small accomplishment, but every little bit counts. Conversation is still pretty limited, but I have learned a few key phrases, my favorite of which is, “mai pben rai.” It’s a wonderful phrase- I suggest incorporating it into your everyday conversations. It means “never mind,” but can also be used as “don’t worry about it,” “no problem,” “who cares,” and so on. It has come in quite handy for me- if I’m totally lost in a conversation, eh, mai pben rai. Cell group lasts an hour too long? Mai pben rai. A good frame of mind to have in Thailand- flexibility is key!

Tomorrow night we will have our first “Friday Night Live” since my arrival. The students from CMU will join up with the Payap students for a photo scavenger hunt! Proposed photo targets are “ugliest dog,” “thickest noodle,” and “best farang (foreigner)”. I love sharing such fun and creative fellowship with my friends here.

This past week has been a little rough, and I am already beginning to see just how far God is going to stretch me while I am here. I wrote a short thought for the AFC (Aggies for Christ) blog, and you can read it here, if you like: http://www.aggiesforchrist.org/blog/

More updates and pictures to come soon! Until then, God bless.

Tum's wedding

2006-02-05T21:20:00.000-08:00

Wedding #2! I really enjoy finding ways to be useful here, and taking pictures is so much fun! I love having something to contribute to the church body, and I look forward to finding more ways to serve. This wedding was a little more difficult to photograph because the interior of the church was pretty dark, but it was a beautiful chapel. Best wishes to Tum and Jeab!

This is Noon, my Thai teacher! She helped with the flowers for the wedding, as did Nueng and Gaan- they stayed up till 5 am finishing all the arrangements! What faithful friends.

This is Haley and I with our good friend Gaan. He works at the church with us- you can hardly tell he was up till 5 am fixing flowers!

All pictures can be seen here: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=9AbuGjli3asqy

First Annual Chueng Doi Church Photo Contest

2006-02-02T20:08:00.000-08:00

Last Monday I spent part of the afternoon participating in a photo contest with six other members of the Chueng Doi Church here in Chiang Mai. We were set loose in a nearby day market (beautifully decorated for Chinese New Year!) and were given one hour to take all the pictures we wanted. We then chose our five best shots, printed them, and submitted them to a panel of judges. I didn't fare too badly- 3rd place in the "things" category for my umbrella picture. I really liked my old lady picture though, and I am a little sad that she did not place higher. Ah, the life of a struggling artist...

Here are my five submissions, and I will let you judge for yourself!

Make new friends, but keep the old...

2006-01-29T19:14:00.000-08:00

What a difference a week makes!

When I spent a week in Chiang Mai in 2004, I had no idea that the relationships I built would be so strong and so lasting. It's such a blessing from God that I can already feel so at home here, in this city and with these wonderful people. When I stayed in Chiang Mai during AFCO I was at the Payap church, and I have been able to renew many of those friendships during this past week. I am so excited to make many new friends at the CMU zone, my home for the next six months, but it has been so refreshing to be able to spend time with the friends I made back in June 2004.

Misty Bennett is here visiting for two weeks. She and her husband Tim were 2-year apprentices in Chiang Mai, and they went back to the states this past summer. Misty surprised everyone- she came to see Little's wedding, and only told a few people about her plans. I got to see her surprise Haley, and it was hilarious! I can see what strong bonds Misty formed with her friends here, and I look forward to developing strong, loving relationships with my new friends as well.

Starbucks is one of our favorite places to hang out in Chiang Mai. We went to the new one on Friday night- it's 3 stories and has a great view of the city! Haley tried her hand at some creative photography- I think she's a natural!

This is my dear friend Ae. She was an intern at Payap when I came in 2004. We hit it off right away, and I have missed her. She lives in Chiang Rai now, but she came down to visit for the weekend. Saturday night at the Payap zone she pulled out this hat- I bought it when I went to ride elephants on AFCO, and I gave it to Ae before I left.

It's kind of hard to read- but I wrote her a message on the inside of the hat, telling her she has to come visit me when I come back- when, not if. Even then, I knew that I would be back. And she came to visit! What an awesome God we serve- Ae's friendship is an amazing blessing, and this hat was a small reminder of how God is always working in our lives.

Little's wedding

2006-01-29T18:42:00.000-08:00

Before I had even been in Chiang Mai for a full week, I got to experience a Thai wedding! Little, the secretary at the Payap congregation (another one of the five Churches of Christ in the Chiang Mai area) was married to A'Tit, a preacher at another one of the churches. Little was so warm and welcoming when I was here on AFCO in 2004, and I was so happy to be able to attend her wedding. P'Rung told Little that I had a nice camera (thanks, Mom and Dad!) and she asked me to take her wedding pictures! So not only did I attend my first Thai wedding yesterday, but I became a first-time wedding photographer as well!

All of the pictures can be seen here.

Sawadee Kha!

2006-01-26T06:33:00.000-08:00

I am finally here! So much has happened in the five short days I have been in Thailand that is seems impossible to recap, but I will do my best. I arrived in Bangkok around noon on Sunday, and I was so happy to see the smiling face of P.Rung, the secretary at the Bangkok church. (P. is a term of respect and friendship in Thailand, spoken before the name of anyone older than oneself). I was able to spend the afternoon and evening at the church, and it felt like coming home! When I was in Thailand in the summer of 2004, our group spent two weeks at the Bangkok church. It was wonderful to see so many friends, and new faces as well. I wish I could have stayed longer, and I look forward to visiting more during the next six months.

Beautiful P.Rung

A young church member looks on as a guitar lesson takes place during the afternoon

On Monday morning I flew to Chiang Mai, and was greeted with a surprise at the airport. A Thai student named Bae came running up to me with a sign that read, "Jennifer." He asked if I was here to work with the church, and I said yes- a little confused, because I was expecting Haley and some of the other missionaries. I began walking with Bae, and he started asking me about a meeting at a hotel. When he saw my confusion, he asked, "Are you Jennifer Cooper?" When I said no, he looked shocked and embarassed, and started walking away, saying "Sorry, sorry...". I was so confused! At the moment I heard peals of laughter, and I looked up at the balcony on the second floor. Haley, P.David, P.Michelle, P.Gaed and P.June were watching and video-taping the whole thing. I had been set up! It was fun to be welcomed in such a lighthearted manner- I look forward to sharing many more laughs with my new friends.

A few short hours after I arrived in Chiang Mai, I was whisked off to a beautiful lakeside getaway for a short retreat with the mission team. I was able to spend several restful hours in conversation with David, Robert, Haley, Jeremy, Russ and Rebecca. I am truly blessed to be working with so many dedicated and selfless servants. It was great to have time to become acquanited with the apprenticeship program here in Chiang Mai. As beautiful as the lake was, however, I was ready to get back to the city and meet everyone!

I have had a lot of fun meeting new friends and becoming acquainted with the beautiful city of Chiang Mai. As my friendships deepen (and my picture-taking increases!) I will post more stories and images. Until then, I will leave you with a photo of Haley and I at the beautiful waterfall just up the road from the church.

More updates later! Thank you for reading, I hope you will continue to do so. God bless!

Surprise!

2006-01-19T10:34:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday night, my best friend Kimie took me to what I thought would be a nice, quiet dinner at Chuys. But when I arrived, I was greeted by twelve of my closest friends, and my entire family! Kimie had been planning this surprise going away party for months, with the help of some sneaky cohorts. I was shocked, and so excited to see so many people I love all in one place. And what better place to celebrate than Chuys?

My friends drove for almost 4 hours round trip to come bid me farewell in style. God has truly blessed me with so many amazing people. I know that I have an incredible support system here at home, and I am thankful for their love.

Kimie also created a book of pictures and messages from my family and friends. She collected notes and letters from about 20 of my closest friends and created a book that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I couldn't even flip through it at the restaurant without crying! I know that I will read it many, many times when I am in Chiang Mai, missing my loved ones at home. I couldn't have asked for a better parting gift.

I was able to spend a few days in College Station this week, taking care of some last-minute details and hanging out with my friends. Now that I'm back in Round Rock, my packing is almost complete! I really thought I could fit everything into one suitcase and one large backpack, but it looks like that might have been too ambitious of me- a small duffel bag might need to join the group. It hasn't quite sunk in that I am leaving tomorrow. I feel confident about the flight and my arrival in Thailand, and from there, I plan to take things one day at a time.

I love to share my experiences with people, and I hope that you will continue reading this blog as I begin this exciting journey. Please feel free to leave comments or send e-mails- my e-mail address is JenCook522@yahoo.com.

The next update you see will be from Thailand!

One Week and Counting!

2006-01-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

I realize that it has been over a month since my last post and I apologize for the lack of updates. To be honest, not a lot has changed since that time. I have been blessed with the gift of time- time to spend with my family and my friends. I had a wonderful Christmas with my family, and a fun and exciting New Years with my closest friends. I just got home from a weeklong trip to Central Texas Children's Home, and suddenly I have one week until I leave. How time flies!

One huge blessing that has come my way is the financial support of the Brentwood Oaks Church of Christ. The 2006 budget has been approved and shared with the congregation, and the church members have graciously given to my effort. This is an answer to prayer, for now I have close to my full amount of funds. I am still praying and hoping for a few more individuals to join with me in my effort. I want to have as many people involved in this journey as possible, for I know that I am not doing this on my own. God has graciously provided me with a network of friends and family, and we are all in this together. I welcome your involvement, and I cherish your love and support.

Last night I spoke to Haley Edmiston on skype, which is a free internet phone. Haley is the intern I will be joining in Chiang Mai- she has been living there since May 2004. It was so wonderful to hear her voice! She was incredibly helpful- she even booked a plane flight for me from Bangkok to Chiang Mai! I will be arriving in Chiang Mai on Monday, Jan. 23 around 11 am, and as this is the interns' day off, Haley wants to take me to lunch. What a great way to kick off my stay! Haley was also very helpful with a lot of my packing questions. I have an empty suitcase sitting in my room, and it is hard to believe that one week from today, it will be filled with everything I will take with me. My excitement is really starting to grow. This will be a very busy week!

Thank you all so much for your prayers during this time. There are so many details to take care of, so many little things that must fall into place. I ask for prayers of patience, trust, and courage, as I begin this final stretch. I also hope that you will continue to read this blog and to be involved in my journey as much as possible. I love to share, and it helps to know that there are people who are interested and who care.

God bless you all,
Jennifer

Personality Profile

2005-12-09T12:26:00.000-08:00

One part of our training for Serve Abroad includes writing a personality profile to send to the mission team in the field. To aid us in writing this profile, Tyler (the other intern, headed to Chile) and I took the "Strengths Finder" survey, which uses a 45-minute questionaire to reveal your top 5 strenths. I mention two of these in my profile- Input and WOO (Winning Others Over). I decided to include my profile on this blog, so if you don't know me very well, of you think you do and want to see if you are right, here is the profile I will be sending to Chiang Mai:

My name is Jennifer Cook. I am 20 years old, a junior at Texas A&M University, English major, Religious Studies minor. I used to have a 4.0, but now it’s more along the lines of a 3.9. I love to learn. My number one strength, according to the “Strengths Finder” survey, is input. I am always gathering information, words, books, phrases, facts, experiences, you name it. I love to travel and I love people. I’m a ferocious picture-taker. I love to record moments of my life in picture and in words. Writing comes easily to me, and I enjoy finding just the right way to say something. One of my greatest joys in life comes from helping people explore new ideas, and I think I might want to become a teacher or a professor. My dream job would be to go to school forever, taking class after class with enthusiastic and dedicated people, discussing literature and art and politics and religion and philosophy and history and anything else people tend to discuss. I struggle with decisions about what I should do with my life. I love school, but I don’t want to become so distanced from the world that I forget what it’s like to daily interact with people who don’t necessarily share my passions and aspirations.
I love children, and I cannot picture my life without them. I worked at Camp of the Hills for two summers, and had some of the hardest and most rewarding experiences of my life. God has given me a passion and a talent for urban ministry, and I plan to find ways to support that ministry for the rest of my life. I also love teenagers, which may sound strange, but they are my favorite age group to work with. The teenage years are such a hard time of identity building and friendship forming, and so many kids are just desperate for someone who will listen to them and be their friend. It gives me great joy to be able to be that friend.
During the summer of 2004, I fell in love with the Thai people I met in Chiang Mai. My daily journal stopped being daily on day 2 of our week in Chiang Mai- I could not tear myself away from the company of the students at the Zone. Another one of my strengths in “WOO- Winning Others Over.” I guess you could call me a people person. My primary goal when I meet a new person is to help him or her feel at ease and comfortable as quickly as possible. I might project a confident front, but on the inside I am often insecure and scared, so I try my hardest to ease those feelings in the people around me. I hate feeling like someone is being left out, and I try especially hard to draw people into conversation and into friendship with others. I’m a matchmaker in a lot of ways- I am always thinking about my friends, matching personalities, and trying to introduce a friend to someone I think they would get along with. I think the driving force behind many of my actions is this desire to make people feel happy and welcome.
I am a planner. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been the one making the phone calls, not the one receiving them. I take leadership in a lot of ways, and it’s a role that I’m comfortable in. I like to have my finger on the pulse of events- I like to be in the know and I like to have a stake in how things turn out. I try to be someone that people can count on, the type of person who is always just a phone call away. I hate saying no, even when I am probably too busy to take on extra responsibilities. I tend to procrastinate, but I work well under pressure, and I will always finish what I have set out to do, if someone is counting on me to do so.
I’m creative, and I love coming up with new ideas. I enjoy planning new events and creating new programs, and I like encouraging people to get involved and creating enthusiasm. Mostly, I love to have fun. I’m a firm believer that people will want to be a part of something that is fun and that is real, and those are my two main goals when interacting with people- I want them to have fun, and I want them to feel like they can be real. There are no strangers, only friends I haven’t met yet.

Encouragement from Isaiah

2005-11-27T22:56:00.000-08:00

This morning during Foree's sermon we read Isaiah 55:8-12, and I found a lot of comfort in these words, especially headed into six months of ministry:

8"I don't think the way you think.
The way you work isn't the way I work."
GOD's Decree.
9"For as the sky soars high above earth,
so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
10Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
and don't go back until they've watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
11So will the words that come out of my mouth
not come back empty--handed.
They'll do the work I sent them to do,
they'll complete the assignment I gave them.
12"So you'll go out in joy,
you'll be led into a whole and complete life.
The mountains and hills will lead the parade,
bursting with song.
All the trees of the forest will join the procession,
exuberant with applause. -The Message (I added the italics)

God is going to accomplish what he wants to accomplish. His words have been sent out into the earth and they will be fruitful, they will produce something. How amazing is it to be a part of this beautiful harvest? God's word and his love are powerful things, and I need not fear that I will be unequal to the task. Instead, I can truly go out in joy, living a whole and complete life, secure in the knowledge that however I choose to love and serve God, he will use me to bless others and to accomplish his will.

No wonder the mountains are bursting with song.

Tickets and Training and Funds, oh my!

2005-11-22T13:06:00.000-08:00

I have a real plane ticket! It came in the mail last week. I will be leaving from Houston on Friday, January 20th and arriving in Bangkok on the 22nd- 22 hours of flight! I get to switch planes in Taipei, Taiwan, so that should be interesting. I hope I don't get lost! My return ticket is for August 1, but I might change the date slightly depending on how things go once I am there.
After Thanksgiving I will be meeting with some of the A&M Church of Christ members to do a financial planning session and a spiritual gifts inventory. Over the Thanksgiving break I will also be working on my personality profile, which will be sent to the missionaries in Chiang Mai to give them an idea of my strengths. I am really interested in personality tests and things like that, so it will be fun to write the profile.
Valerie, the AFC ministry assistant, sent me an e-mail telling me that I have received some money, so that is wonderful news! I realized recently that I have sent letters to people at the busiest time of the year, and the time when money is stretched most tightly, so I am very grateful for everyone who is able to financially contribute to my ministry.
Less than 2 months till my departure! Some days it feels like a dream, and some days it feels very real. Please keep me in your prayers for this time of preparation, as well as my friends and family who will be helping me get ready and supporting me. Have a blessed holiday!

The joy of details

2005-11-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

I have been in contact with STA travel during the last week, and it looks like my tentative departure date is January 20, returning on August 1. I am trying to find an earlier ticket, preferably around the 14th, but for now the 20th is the likely date. Having something tangible, like a plane ticket, makes the journey even more real. This will be a busy month of preparation here in College Station. I have appointments with the Honors office and the English department to discuss the whole re-applicaiton and registration process for next fall. I am also in the process of completing my training- I will be doing a spiritual gifts inventory and a financial responsibility session, as well as meeting with Kelly and Traci more regularly. This semester is starting to wind down, and I am thinking more and more about Thailand. When I look at pictures or read my journal from AFCO, all my feelings of joy and excitement come rushing back, and I cannot wait to begin. At the same time, I am not looking forward to leaving my friends and family. I am confident that God will provide comfort during the transition, as I know that emotional times are ahead. Please keep this process in your prayers, and thank you for being a part of my journey. God bless!

First prayer meeting

2005-11-01T13:17:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of some of my best friends who met with me last Friday for a time of prayer about the Spring.
Pictured are Traci Eicke, Jeff Wischkaemper, Kimie Edstrom, Me, Lisa Davidson, Lisa Wischkaemper and Garrett Bradford.

Preparation through Prayer

2005-11-01T13:11:00.000-08:00

I'm not in Chiang Mai yet, but as my departure draws nearer and as I begin to prepare for my journey, I will post information about my preparation and how things are shaping up for my trip. I sent out 50 letters this weekend to members of the Brentwood Oaks Church of Christ. The congregation members have been incredibly faithful in supporting my mission trips- from my first mission trip to Mexico in high school to providing about 75% of my monetary support for AFCO. I anxiously wait to see how God will use these faithful friends to support me during my six months in Chiang Mai. I plan to send out a few more letters this week to family members and parents of my friends, and in the meantime, I pray and wait patiently for God to work through His people to provide me with the means to make this journey.