Monday, September 30, 2013

siam reap.

If you've only ever been to Angkor Wat, you have yet to see Cambodia. Despite bringing in enough money to support the entire country, it's been privatized in a 99 year contract. The result? The money is there, but not going where it's needed. However, politics aside, it is absolutely beautiful. I think the stark contrast between it's clean, green, manicured landscapes and the rest of Cambodia (Poipet in particular) makes this pocket oasis seem all the more unbelievable.

So, if you're interested in seeing over a hundred pictures of old buildings, us climbing old things, us with old rocks, old trees and old wats, feel free to check out Stephanie & my Facebook photo albums-- otherwise, here are a couple of my favorites :)

(Viewing Tip: You can always click on the pictures if you're on my blog to enlarge them!)

[Angkor Wat- over 1,000 years old and one of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World]




[The Banyon] 
[At Ta Prohm] 
[Ta Prohm was where they filmed part of "Tomb Raider"!] 
[Leaving Cambodia... lookin' like tourists!]
God was so gracious to provide us (through the generosity of our Church family) the extra funds needed for this visa run. It was a necessary trip, but God also used it to open our eyes to so many things... Steph and I are still struggling to fully process and articulate everything that happened while we were there, but it really was a God-orchestrated time. For all of you who partner with us in prayer and financially, thank you! Your support encourages, challenges and spurs us on in our faith and ministry. 

Friday, September 27, 2013

cambodia.

Cambodia. A region once covered by guerrilla warfare and landmines. A country still scarred from communism, corruption and mass genocide.

Poipet. The “armpit” of Southeast Asia. Poverty. Street dogs. Trash. One paved road down the whole town. Villages isolated by the perpetual flooding of their dirt roads. Children hocking postcards and talismans in wicker baskets. Men and women pulling carts piled with produce. Red mud spattering on the backs of calves and backpacks, cars, and bikes.

Here, in this town of faded clothes, floppy hats and second-hand wares, there resides a boulevard of casinos. Not casinos like in the movies, with plastered smiles and daring betters and women in stilettos sipping martinis. These are drab places, filled with room upon room of slot machines and tables occupied by empty-eyed people, glazed and numbed. Sitting, staring, heartlessly pushing chips back and forth. The house always wins. There are no sofas for lounging. No comfort, no place to sit but in front of the screens, the tables, the dealers. Piles of chips collect at tables. Each chip a token gambling away
    broken relationships, fights, feelings of inadequacy,
insecurity, fear, unmet expectations,
    pain, past wrongs, bitterness, unforgiveness, conflict,
poverty, suffering, abuse,
    lost jobs and lost investments, lost and broken people. 
They come to escape. For relief. For hope that maybe, just maybe, if they can attain enough money, they can finally gain peace. It is all empty; it is all meaningless.

And yet.

In the midst of the poverty, corruption, dust and destruction of this town, there is hope. There is light. 11 churches planted in 10 years. 700 children who attended an annual Christian camp. Sports ministries cropping up to help bring options and opportunities to those trapped in the cycle. Free clinics started up by the church. Training. Discipleship. Couples who love the Lord and are committed to meeting physical needs as well as spiritual needs. There is work being done. And the Lord has blessed that work with fruit. There is darkness, but there is also hope.


While we were in Cambodia we were singularly blessed to be able to meet some of these families. Families who have set aside comfort, safety and fear of rodents to engage the lost in this region. Some of them survived the killing fields only to meet the Lord and return to the place where over 30 members of their family were slaughtered. That is the power of the Gospel. [click here to read one of these men's, Soeuth’s, testimony]

I wish that I had a camera running during my stay with them, because I know you all would be blown away by the story God has woven through their lives and experiences. While I can't share everything, I do want to share one of the things Syna, Soeuth’s wife, said.
[Paraphrased from Syna:] The corruption you see here is from the top down. Almost every night you can see police in their 60’s showing up at karaoke bars, in uniform, with young girls of 14 on their arms. There is no shame. No conscience. You cannot fix the system. The people are corrupt and the system is broken. But, that isn’t an excuse to ignore the one person you can help. You can still invest and love one person. And that person can invest and love someone else. And it can’t be fixed from the top down, so we start from the bottom and are faithful. 

Praise God for people who are willing to serve both at the top, when it is possible, but also at the bottom, when it’s not. Wherever you are, whatever influence you have or don’t have… start serving there.

[For more details on the specific things we did during our day with these missionaries, see Steph's blog. She did a great job summarizing and photo-documenting our day and some of the ministries we were able to see!]

Thursday, September 26, 2013

guest post!

While I (Liz) process and compile all my thoughts and experiences from our recent visa run to Cambodia, I’d like to share with you a beautiful guest post from my dear friends, Alli & Sandy! If you have been following my blog, you know that they came three weeks ago to spend 9 days with me in Thailand. Instead of me reporting everything we did, I thought it’d be neat for you all to hear about their time here through their eyes. So, without further ado, here you go:


There are so many troubles and trials that come in the mission field, however, none may be quite as challenging as temporarily relinquishing control of one’s blog.  This is precisely what our friend Liz has done.  For nine days we were not only given an adventurous vacation in Thailand, but we also received a short glimpse into the life of a missionary serving in the heart of Asia.


We, Sandy and Allison, have been long time high school friends of Liz, so when she invited us for a visit, we jumped at the chance.  Our adventure began in Bangkok, where we were introduced to Liz’s apartment, unloaded bags of goodies sent over with us, donned our tourist attire and set out to the famous Wat Arun (an elaborate temple)  and Baiyoke Tower (the tallest building in Thailand).  We were fascinated with how foreign and exotic everything seemed.

[Wat Arun]




[Baiyoke Tower]




The excitement of a culture so different than our own was overwhelming and exciting; however, the newness of it all started to turn into familiarity as Liz introduced us to each ministry she and other members of her church were involved in.  A visit to her church, LifePoint, and time with her fellow servant Stephanie at the BSC allowed us to not only see these missionaries at work, but also allowed us to meet the people that God put in this specific mission field.

[Zaida, a wonderful woman who works with the Karen refugees in Mae Sot, Thailand]


[Liz's small group and friends on our trip to Asiatique]






A midweek three day jaunt to Chang Mai in the North of Thailand put us back in tourist mode, but also allowed for some much needed relaxing and quality time with our friend.  Catching up and refreshing our friendships seemed to be just the encouragement we all needed.  However, playing with elephants, zip lining, seeing a waterfall, and shopping didn’t hurt either.

[At the Elephant Nature Park]






[Flight of the Gibbon: Ziplining!]








Back in Bangkok, our trip took a more serious turn as we began our day with a prayer walk through the red light district to the Rahab ministry. This particular ministry reaches out to women involved in Bangkok’s infamously seedy nightlife. Here we got to spend the afternoon helping Liz teach an English class and visit with the women.  We were surprised by the lack of effort exerted to hide or mask the dark sin that lurked there; everything was out in the open.  It was when this blatant defiance against the Lord was put so plainly in our faces that we understood the urgent importance of international missions.



The different missionaries we met, whether at the BSC who teach with Liz or who were all working together at LifePoint church, all represent different church congregations, but are all from Christ’s church and all need our continued support and prayer.  It does not take much to encourage them; even a new pack of properly fitting underwear will make a little boy’s day whose parents are in the mission field.  We’d never seen a kid light up over new underwear before!


As exciting and adventurous as this vacation was for us, we left with not only a renewed insight into the life of missions but also into the importance of blessing our missionaries.

We’d like to extend a big thank you to Rahab Ministries and LifePoint church for their welcoming hospitality.  And a huge thank you goes out to Liz and Stephanie for planning this adventure, hosting us, and giving us one of the best adventures of our lives.

You all are in our prayers and thoughts, and may God continue to bless your daily sacrifices and continued devotion to His calling on your lives.  The church loves you, is supporting you in prayer, and has not forgotten you.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

talent show.

Every other Friday evening we have a program at LifePoint called "Unite: BKK". It is a fun outreach event that is meant to facilitate relationship building between us and those in the community. This last Friday, we had a Talent Show... and (wow!) there are some talented folks in our mix. From singing, dancing, dub step, science experiments, cooking, magic and memory tricks to Steph and my "talent" (looking ridiculous on the fly!)... It was a memorable night :)

This month has been chock full of non-traditional blog posts, and today's is no exception. Here's our improv sketch titled: "Helping Hands: Making the Ultimate Sandwich". Enjoy!


Credits
Voice and body... Liz
Hands and arms... Steph

Friday, September 20, 2013

baking scones.

The challenge of baking in Bangkok makes culinary victories all the more sweet! Some of you follow me on Instagram and/or Twitter and see my weekly projects at Cafe Boly. This week, I decided instead of just posting pictures of my latest projects, I would share my recipe. Listen, if I can make these in a toaster oven in a closet-turned-kitchen, you can definitely make them!! Be sure to let me know how yours turn out :) And while you eat them... Don't forget to pray for all of us over here in rainy Bangkok!


Recipe: Triple Cinnamon Scones

Dry ingredients:
2 c. flour
2 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
Other ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter- cut into chunks and chilled
1/2 c. cinnamon chips
3/4 c. buttermilk- to make it yourself: mix 1 c. milk with 1 T. vinegar and let sit a few minutes. Then measure out 3/4 c.
1 egg- separated
Glaze:
1/4 c. powdered sugar (more if needed)
1/2 t. cinnamon
1-3 t. milk
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Mix together the dry ingredients, then add the chilled butter chunks. You will need either a pastry cutter (or you can try it Thai-style: with two forks!) to work the butter into the dry ingredients. The smaller the pieces, the more cakey your scones will be. The larger the pieces, the more flakey they'll be.
- Whisk the yolk of the egg with the buttermilk.
- Slowly add the buttermilk/egg mixture in with your dry ingredients until wet and tacky (you probably won't use all of it!)
- Stir in the cinnamon chips.
- Turn out the dough on a floured surface- knead approximately 8 times until the dough no longer sticks to your hands and countertop.
- Line a baking tray with wax paper.
- Form a circular disc on the wax paper using the dough. It should be about 1-1.5 inches thick.
- Using a knife, cut the dough into 1/6ths (or 1/8ths depending on how big you'd like them!).
- Brush with egg white.
- Bake for 18-25 minutes.



Once they have cooled, mix the powdered sugar, cinnamon and milk to taste & consistency. Drizzle over finished scones... and enjoy!


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

1-10.

(Idea for this post was shamelessly borrowed from Jen McCaman!)

One. 
The number of times I'll leave the country this month. Steph and I will be taking a trip through a travel agency to Cambodia for her visa run for 4 days (with a couple from the BSC). We leave this Sunday and will be back on Thursday!

Two. 
The opportunities I've had this week to share the Gospel with Thais. Once in my Sunday night small group, and once with two of the students I tutor.

Three.
The times I'll bake this week. Small group. Aom's birthday. Cafe ministry.

Four.
The number of classes I teach every Saturday.
And, the number of students I tutor this term.

Five. 
How many minutes it takes me to run one lap around Peace Park.

Six.
The number of water bottles I try to drink every day.

Seven.
The minimum number of Thai meals I eat in a given week.

Eight.
The number of Kindle books I've bought since returning to Thailand.

Nine.
The families on staff at LifePoint:BKK that I'm blessed to be able to serve alongside.

Ten. 
The kilometers I will run in the Central Retail 10K Race on September 29th.
And, the number of books I've read since returning to Thailand.

Friday, September 13, 2013

thank you.

I've been thinking for weeks on how to properly thank everyone at Spotswood who gave delicious treats to Steph & me, and our wonderful Family here... I've tossed around the idea of a haiku (who doesn't love a haiku?), a song (actually, no one wants to hear me sing), and handwritten notes (except I'd be back in America before they would all be finished!). And so, I fall back once again to my typical mode of mass communication with my friends and family state-side... my blog.


Here's the bottom line. You all blessed us beyond thanks and beyond words can capture. Getting to see everyone's faces as they received their gifts... and their reactions when they asked, "How much do we owe you?" and we told them, "It's free. A gift from our church." was priceless. You gave big. And you gave deep. And we are so thankful.

I can't capture it all, but I do want to thank you.

Thank you...
- for giving generously to meet specific needs (& cravings!)
- for buying seemingly silly things, like cinnamon chips, that are now being used in baked goods whose profits support ministries that work to end human trafficking
- and for buying awkward items (I promise the boy's underwear and toe-fungus pens were not for Steph and I!)
- for giving joyfully- not begrudgingly or out of a sense of obligation
- for giving us yet another reason to praise our Father
- and not just for giving... but also for praying for us and the work being done here
- for remembering us, even though we're half a world away
- for taking the time to love not just those of us you know, but those you've never met
- for enabling us to be a blessing to others
For those of you wanting an update on Alli & Sandy's visit, I'm pleased to announce they will be doing a guest post (!!) on their time here. Stay tuned...