Thundering goodbye

Laying in bed, the thunder cracked, the lightening lit up the room. The rain still hadn't fallen. The house shook as the thunder and lightening chimed in together. Images running in my head of lightening striking my house, a fire starting in Phothong, trees splitting in half. No sleep tonight.

It was quite a night as I laid in bed. When the rain final came it fell with such force I was sure there was hail. (as impossible as that is in 82 degree weather) What a way to say goodbye to Sara. Her last night in Thailand.

Goodbye Sara, Thanks for everything. I hope to go out with a bang just as you did.

Thanks to God? What's That

Yut’s son Keem just turned 7 and he’s a great kid. This past week I had a bunch of leftovers, so I invited Yut and her two kids over for dinner. While waiting for Yut, two other neighborhood boys, (Keem’s friends) peeked in and preciously asked if they could come in also. Something in me just couldn’t say no. They keep trying to sneak bites of the food, and I kept gently reminding them they had to wait till Yut came. When Yut arrived we sat down around the food, and the boy immediately starting grabbing food. Keem responded quickly, “Guys, we have to say thank you to God first.” Staring blankly at Keem, they replied, “Thank you to God, What’s that?” Keem looked strangely and said, "We have to pray to God.” I jumped in and explained that we say grace before eating because God created everything and is over everything. He is big and powerful and so we thank God for the food he provided. To this the kids shout, “Thanks God your big.” We asked Keem if he wanted to pray and so he started, “Father God, Thank you for the food,….Wait wait wait, guys you have to close your eyes and fold your hands I’m not continuing until you do . (Not sure how he noticed his friends weren’t shutting their eyes if his eyes were shut, but to this they promptly obeyed) … Okay Thank you, God, for the food uhhh I can’t think anymore uhhh uhhh. …. To this his mom pipes in Amen, followed quickly by an Amen by PahJai (Yut’s 2 year old daughter) . We ate together it was really enjoyable, and I was so proud of Keem who’s just learned about God and how He so quickly wants to share it with his friends. It reminds me so much that children often lead others to the simple truth of God and how important for parents to impart God’ truth into their children’s lives while there are young. I hope and pray that more families will allow God to transform them.

Keem: after drawing a picture of himself, Sara, Christy, his mom Yut, and his little sister PohJai. Above is God showing us the way to cross the footbridge so we don't get hit by a car.

Answered Prayer

On October 18 2008 I wrote this prayer in my Journal---This month God has responded in a bigger way than I could have ever imagined. Both parents have become christians and this little girl will have a hopeful future as God is radically changing this family. ( This is Niew...)

I wrote, " Today I held a 2 month old in the community for a long time while I overheard her Mom talk about wanting to drink alchohol--Her mother is addicted to gambling and likes to drink--ALOT. I first met this baby when she was 3 days old, her mother had left her alone to go gambling. 3 days old. The baby is a sweet girl and as I held her I prayed for her--I prayed she would feel secure and that she would know God's love as she grows up--I prayed she would be the one to bring change to the family as she knew Jesus and shared it with them--I prayed she would break the cycle of addition and abuse in her family. I looked at this tiny precious child wanting to smile at her, hold her and let her know there is someone who can keep her secure. I looked at her and wanted to cry--she has so much to overcome to suceed in life, so much to overcome ans she's only 2 months old. So much.

Can Jesus change her family? Will Jesus care for this child? Is Jesus big enough to hold this wee little one born in to an addicted family with a mother who yells and hits and drinks and tosses dice? If not for Jesus what hope does this precious, beautiful, girl have. All I could do today was hold her, speak truth in her ear and pray that God can and will do more. All I can do is trust that God hears my prayers for this little girl who was made in the image of God and plopped in a broken and hurting world.

Please Jesus protect her, keep her secure, and let her know She is loved by you.

Use me though I am nothing

Hear me though I am small

Love me though I am imperfect. "

God answered 9 months later-------I am big enough. Bigger than Big enough and have the power to change the whole family in ways you can't even imagine.

Prayer really is powerful

God truely is amazing.

Just a little Girl

Bang--She's 11. Too old to be small and to small to be grown up. When I first met her, she was indeed a little girl, but over the past year I have seen her struggle with growing up. Her Cousin was born and she so often is seen parenting this little girl. She tries to play tough and even has taken a teaching role with the other kids. On any given day I see her waver from being "too cool" to hang out with me to begging to come in and play.

A couple of weeks ago I had the kids in watching Chronicles of Narnia. It started out with alot of kids coming in a watching--with, of course, Bang instructing them where to sit and when to be quite. As the movie went on--the younger kids lots interest. As the numbers dwidled. Bang came laying her head in my lap, At more intesnse parts she'd grab my hand and cover her eyes. She layed there for a good 30 minutes. I didn't say anything, didn't want to ruin the moment. I was reminded of just how young she is. It's a rariety she gets to be a kid, a ratiety she doensn't have to mother and train her 8 month old cousin, a rariety she can just be taken care of. Though my foot was falling asleep, I let her lay there--being a little girl.

It was a gentle and sweet reminder that I too need space to be a little girl. Too often I come to Jesus with big problems--seeking questions to huge answers. There's a time to be big and there's a time to just sit in the Lap of Jesus--being a little girl with her heavenly Father. Free to say I'm scared, free to say I need a lap of comfort, free to say "I don't have it all fiqured out--And that's okay"

Blogging thoughts

So I haven't blogged for a while. There's lots to say, and plenty to comment on . Things are going on, so why haven't I blogged in so long. I think there is an element of normalcy going on. At first I blogged a lot because everything was new, strange, funny and completely baffling. In actuality nothing has changed--I still have dead spiders on my pillow, centipedes in my bathroom, moments where I want to scream, and moments where all I can do is stand there baffled at the cultural differences. At the same time everything has changed. I've gotten used to all these once strange differences and they have become normal everyday life. I think, "why would everyone want to hear about normal everyday life"--that's when I realize that it's still not normal for everyone else. The things that break my heart and give me Joy are completely foreign to those I'm used to talking with. The things are foreign because they take place in Thailand, but they are also normal family woes. The things my neighbors deal with sometimes seem heightened, but they are similar to problems in American marriages. So what am I saying---I'm saying Thailand feels more normal and that I love that sense of home. Yet I'm also saying there are some things in this culture and American cultural that I hope I never get used to. I never want to stop crying out to God to fix the things that break His heart.
I'm also saying I'll try blogging some more, to fill you guys in.
Any preferences on what you want to hear about???? It's all normal to me.

Gebari

Blog post:
This week I heard one of my dear Pomona teenagers had been caught in the crossfire of a gang fight. With a shattered hip and a bullet lodged in his liver, he had to undergo surgery. Praise God that the doctor says after therapy he should recover fully. This kid Gebari is someone who has a very special place in my heart. While living near him in Pomona many people saw him as a trouble maker and up to no good, but we saw a genuinely thoughtful and kind teenager who wanted to do good, but sometimes got caught up in bad decisions. We saw a kid who was at a pivotal point in his life where he had to choose either to go with the “bad” crowd or stick it out with the “good” crowd. He was a teenage wrestling and excited about the good news of Jesus. Many times we didn’t have words to tell him --all we could do was love him, encourage the good we saw in him, let him cool down in our house when he was angry with those around him, pray for him and take him to church with us. After coming out of surgery one of his youth works (and my friend) went to visit him—this is what she reported….
“Gebari was eager to pray and hear the bible read. As he was falling asleep, I read him psalm 23. A few minutes after I was through, he said, with his eyes closed, "Can you read it to me again?" I gave him a crystal paper weight that says, "The Lord is my strength," he held it in his hand for a while, and then asked me to put it in a place where he could see it all the time. Gebari was wondering where everyone else was and asked me to bring some kids when I come back.:-) Brian and Megan went to visit him on Sunday evening. He also asked them to pray with him.”
Though I wish Gebari hadn’t been shot, I am so blessed by his willingness to let God be near him while he lies in an ICU hospital bed. I am so proud of this teenager. I am so proud of this teenager who is choosing good when his environment teaches him “Bad” is cool. I’m so encouraged that God can use us even when we don’t have words to say, even when we can’t see it till years later. I’m encouraged that God can use me as I hold on to hope for kids in Phothong --though their lives are so broken. I’m encouraged to see the kids here as precious children of God and not the burdens their parents treat them as. I’m so proud and blessed by Gebari. Please continue to pray for his complete healing and for God’s protection over his spiritual life. Please continue to pray for kids in Phothong to know that they are worthwhile. Pray for me to continue to have hope of God’s transformation of Phothong especially for what I cannot see yet.

Good bye Scott

This week American Idol said good bye to Scott MacIntrye. Though I can't actually watch that show here in Thailand I've been tracking his process. Particularly tracking His progess because we were childhood friends. I went to his Thomas the Tank Engine birthday party, recieved his first "Homemade" CD and listened to it all the time. He might even have been classified as my first school girl crush. It's good to see that he's still making music and trusting God. Best of luck to Scott has he pursues his music.

Marriage

Marriage, it's been on my mind recently.
Maybe because many of my friends in the states are getting married soon or got married within this last year and 1/2.
Maybe it's because I'm surrounded by marriages in Thailand--some falling apart, some speaking highly of encouragment and partnership.
Maybe it's because one of the most common greetings I hear in thailand is "Are you married already or not yet?"
Maybe it's because I'm scared of being lonely.
Maybe it's because the Bible often talks about our relationship with God using marriage terms.
Maybe it's because I'm 25
Regardless of why marriage has been on my mind, I'm learning it's dangerous telling your Thai teacher your thinking about marriage and kids. She just might actually set me up on a blind date with a Christian friend of hers. I'm not sure how I feel about this.

Lessons Learned

So I made the one year mark. It went fast, it went slow. Here's a list of some of lessons learned and a few other new insights. Enjoy.

Lessons Learned:
*Laughing at your mistakes is imperative to survival
*Never ever try to flush a baby rat down the drain---wet rat is worse than scooping it up.
*Never ever cut a large centipede in half in attempts of killing it--it becomes two squirming parts.
* Everything seems better when you eat well and sleep long enough.
* Smiles go along way
* Large spiders that get caught on fans and spin off in a dizzy frenzy are funny-- not scary
* Sometimes verbal sounds express more than words.
* God has made us extremely adaptable--we can handle a lot more than we expected we could.
* Those you're called to minister to sometimes are the most encouraging people in your life. (Sometimes they're the most frustrating also :) )
* Hope is a precious valuable gift. Cherish it when you have it.
* Questions can bring answers, but they also can bring more questions
* It is possible to have conflicting emotions at the same time: (joy-despair, fun-stress, love--frustration, and doing well--not doing well est.)
* It's easier to eat "new" things when you try them before you know what they are. (frog jerky any one? Fish bladder, fried bugs --delicious!)
*Anything can be made to look "cute". And I do mean ANYTHING.
* AND SOOO Much More!!!!!

New things I've discovered this year that I've enjoyed:
Music: ITunes!!!!! Sara Groves, Ginny Owens, Brooke Fraser, Jon foreman, Sara Bareillas, Sufjan Stevens, Marta Gomez , Future of Forestry ect
Food: I love Thai food!-- I love how spicy, sweet, sour, salty it is. I like seafood--who would of know? Shrimp, oysters, squid, octopus, fish-- yummy. Fresh Mint and Fresh Pumpkin--I could eat it every day (I love how fresh produce is here)
Activities: I love karaoke and dancing, reading (when it's not required) is so enjoyable, trying new things (like driving motorcycles, catching fish by hand ect), Hanging out with my Thai friends and neighbors.

Things I've missed this year:
Family and friends. I love you guys. (Praise God for Skype and email)
Berries (any kind, anyway), Peaches, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Cinnamon Gum, Cheap Pasta, Cheese, Non- sugary cereal variety--especially Quaker squares. Nuts--walnuts, almonds, Pecan, and Macadamia
California weather--not too hot, not too cold. :) (Though I have to say I've adapted a lot to Thai weather, and have a lower threshold for cold and a higher threshold for hot. )
American commercials and movies--Thai movies are so weird and their commercials are just strange.

It's been an interesting first year, here’s to next year!!!!

california grapefruit

Yesterday an old team mate showed up to visit and snuck in a California Navel Orange and Ruby Red grapefruit. I don't think I've ever been so excited to see fruit before. I did a dance of excitement and had a smile as long as the plane ride to Thailand. It really was the most beautiful and tasty thing I've had in a year. ( as my Thai friends would say, "Christy OVER"; translation--over the top) That's when I realize I've been here for almost a year and grapefruit can make me so immensly grateful.