9: father's day ii

Thank you, Anonymous, for your comment on my post yesterday. (You rescued everyone from a series of disastrous haikus!) I need a little time to mull your question over... so, the answer is: coming soon.

Today was Father's Day in Thailand. For more information, you can read my post from last year [click here] for details on the traditions and history of the day. It's crazy that I'm getting to experience holidays twice! Below are a couple pictures from an evening excursion to the park with some church friends... which included com-roi (floating lanterns), candlelight singing, and fireworks!

[Rama IX Park]

[1 kg of baby oranges for less than a dolla'!]

[And! The orange peels made perfect wax-guards]

[photo credit: julia biasi]

[L-R: Me, Tseka, Julia, Steph // photo credit: julia biasi]

[Lighting candles and singing/humming the King's anthem // photo credit: julia biasi]

[Beautiful fireworks]

[When people were done with their candles they just stuck them to rocks, surfaces or in the dirt. Still burning. It was beautiful, albeit dangerous]

[Lighting the lanterns! // photo credit: julia biasi]

[photo credit: julia biasi]

[L-R: Me, Erica, Tseka, Steph // photo credit: julia biasi]

[White lights everywhere!]

[Our "Father's Day at the Park" group! // photo credit: julia biasi]

[For more photos from tonight, see Steph's post by clicking here]

And... a quick matter of prayer!

A few weeks ago, post-runs, I started experiencing acute pain in my left foot. I finally was able to go to the Orthopedic center today and have an X-ray and CT scan done on it. The doctor thinks it's either a stress fracture (which, is my opinion) or a benign bone tumor. I go in again tomorrow to find out the results from the CT scan. (Shout-out to my awesome parents who woke up when they got my text at the doctor's and helped give me good counsel!) I'm thankful that I am in a country where I can get good medical care-- but it was a hard/emotional morning. Making medical decisions alone is not easy, especially when every decision comes with a price tag attached to it. However, I am glad that I'll soon know what is wrong. Please pray my appointment in the morning goes well and that I can start taking steps (pun intended!) to help my foot mend.

Also, if you can pray specifically that God would steady my heart and help me to find balance in the midst of all the craziness of wrapping things up-- farewell events, unexpected medical appointments, teaching, ministry commitments etc-- I would greatly appreciate it. I want to finish well and as a real person (as opposed to some frantic sleep-deprived basket-case).

Thank you so much! :)

21: thanksgiving

Almost five years ago, Spotswood hired a new college pastor. As I was one of the lone college students, he wanted to meet with me to talk about Spotswood's college ministry (which was pretty non-existent at the time) and the possibility of serving as a student leader to help reach out to the UMW campus. 

At the time, I was involved in a couple para-church Christian clubs on campus. Through our talks, this pastor (who we all now know and love... Pastor Doug), explained to me the importance of being invested in the Body. He asked me to pray about being fully committed to serving in and through the Church, instead of trying to split my time and waffle between commitments to different groups. At first, though reasonably presented, his request sounded odd. Being in many Christian clubs was very much a part of the college Christian culture I was in. However, as I prayed about it and talked it out with my mentors, they affirmed the decision I felt God was leading me towards, which was this:

That someday (quite soon), I would be graduating. My relationships with those clubs and groups was short-term at best. But, my relationship with the Church is eternal. As a believer, I am a part of the Body. I can either start owning that, and be an active member, or not. It wasn't just about my time or about choosing to be on leadership. For me, it came down to this decision: Am I going to love the Church? I chose yes.

Since that decision, God has given me a huge heart for His Bride. As my view of the Church changed, so did the way I viewed and did ministry and missions. Being a part of a local Body of believers became non-negotiable. Finding ways to use my gifts in the Church became a joyful challenge. Fast forward to 2012. My first month in Thailand, Claire and I were asking the pastor of LifePoint, David, about joining the Church. Why? 

As I was reminded again today in my NT reading, we are a part of one Body. There is both a responsibility and joy that accompanies connectedness. In the past five years, there have been many times when I've been able to witness the diversity of God at work within the Body of Christ. And it is beautiful. We're a messy broken people, but we are also dearly loved. It has been my greatest joy to serve the Lord, not on my own, but through the partnership and Body of Christ. I am so thankful that God saw fit to place us and grow us in the context of a Body.

1 Corinthians 12:14-20, 23-27

Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 

...But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Today marked my second Thanksgiving* in Thailand (we figured we're already 12 hours ahead, why not 5 days?). Throughout the whole evening I couldn't decide if I wanted to laugh or cry. It was an it's-so-perfect-it-hurts kind of nights. There we were, 16 Americans, doing what we love best: baking, playing games, watching Christmas movies, eating turkey..., as family. I'll always be a part of the universal Church, but it is also a singular blessing to have been able to spend the last year and a half involved with LifePoint (my local church). I am looking forward to the day when all my spiritual family will be able to join and feast together at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! What a happy, happy eternity that will be.

And speaking of feasting, here are some pictures of our tasty food... to get you motivated to start thawing that turkey and stocking up on stuffing! (And because no "Thanksgiving Post" would be complete without gratuitous pictures of food.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

---

* For more details on our Thanksgiving, check out Steph's blog! [click here]

27: racing along

Today feels like it's stretched forever... but that may be because it started bright and early at 2:00am this morning! That's right, this morning was my second Standard Chartered Half Marathon. It was, to the date, my one year mark from my first Half Marathon-- which I did in order to help the Kelley Family Adoption. That was actually the reason I started running. As many of you who've known me for a while know... I never ran in America. Unless it was in a pick up game of soccer or frisbee. But running for a reason, to help support this lovely family, was totally worth it! And, God has blessed and taught me so much through running. [Shameless plug: if you're ever looking to be a part of someone's adoption story, you should check out their blog.]

[before]

[over halfway!] 

[finished]

After the race, it was a quick trip home, a much needed shower and an hour nap before church. Tonight we had small group and finished up our 3-part discussion of Jonah. Almost every week God brings new people to our little group, and tonight was no exception! I love that people are comfortable inviting their friends. I was feeling pretty tired before group... but God gave me the energy I needed and made discussion go smoothly. Praise Him!

[L-R: Me, Aom, Jum, Alli and Dol]

After small group, us girls went for a picnic at Peace Park to see the Loi Krathong festivities (& we kidnapped Steph for the occasion). We had a delicious dinner, compliments of Jum, had fun with some sparklers and enjoyed community time. 

[I love picnics!]

[Jum & I -- photocredit: Steph]

[Love me some fire!]

Thank you for your daily prayers-- God is giving me favor in relationships and opportunities to share about Him. He is also giving me strength and stamina. He is showing me how accomplish my tasks without neglecting Him. And He is doing much more than those things as well! Thank you for not giving up praying in this homestretch. Not to bring it back to a racing metaphor... but... I want to sprint my way home to America. Exhausted, perhaps, but exhausted for the glory of God!

[month ten]

I feel like as soon as I bought my ticket back to America, time has been whizzing past! So, here I am, with only one "month update" left before I return state-side. Can we just take a minute and let the fact that I've been here ten months sink in??

Okay, so here are 4 highlights from the last month (I didn't always remember to take pictures, so I'm borrowing some from my friends... thanks friends!)

1. Beach: Koh Samet
A 2.5 hour van ride out of the city, and we arrived at this lovely island. It was full of character, Songkran festivities, and not so many tourists. Plus, we travelled everywhere by truck. Trucks, trees and the sea. It does my heart good.

[A few of my lovely sisters in Christ // L-R: Claire, Erica, Diane, Aom, Chelsea, Me, Monica // Photo Credit: Erica Pope]

[While riding in the back of these didn't provide much protection against the children with hoses spraying us, it was totally worth getting wet! And as most of the roads were dirt/mud, they were the perfect transportation choice.]

[We went to a fire show... and met one of the fire-breathers! He let me hold his fire-torch for the picture. I love fire... // Photo Credit: Erica Pope]

[Photo Credit: Claire Cecil]

[Photo Credit: Erica Pope]

[The waves on this beach were very placid, perfect for our canoeing excursion! // Photo Credit: Claire Cecil]

[Boat trip home after a lovely 2-day trip! // Photo Credit: Erica Pope]

2. Songkran

If you're not sure what Songkran is... check it out by clicking here! If you don't want to read all that, here's the short version: It's the Thai celebration of the new year, spanning 5 days where people throw water (or powder) on you and sometimes... there are bubbles. I wish I could make it sound more spiritual than a giant water fight with hundreds of your fellow Thailandians... but that was pretty much all it was. It was, hands down, my favorite Thai holiday. What a blast!

Part I: CentralWorld

[Photo Credit: Erica Pope]

Part II: Water Park!

[Claire and I joined some of our LifePoint family for a day trip to a near by roof-top waterpark! Complete with slides and a lazy river. Only $3. One of the perks of living in a big city.]

3. Family Dinner Night
We have a new and awesome family (the Hoods) who have come to the Guesthouse as Guesthouse managers. They are Australian, so fun, and have three adorable sons. Their first act as Guesthouse manager was to rename the Guesthouse from "Guesthouse" (because really, we aren't "guests"... we live here) to "Community House". If you know me, you know how important community is, so, needless to say, I'm excited about the change! We had our monthly family dinner night this month which included a full house (The 5 Hoods, Lorena, Betty, Luke, Patrick, Claire and I... plus a guest appearance from Bakery!). There was mexican pie, deep dish chicago-style pizza, baked beans, nutella stuffed cookies, brownies... so much food. But more than the food (and the food was definitely a highlight!) it was a wonderful chance to get to connect with this family and hear their heart for the Lord and ministry and how God brought them to Thailand and to our Community House!

[The pizza was super cheesy!]

4. Relationships
I remember Doug telling me once that you don't always choose who you invest in, they choose you. That has been something that I've thought about a lot since being here. Building friendships isn't always easy. The language barrier can be hard. Sometimes we have different interests. But my thought has been that, if God puts a person in my life, I want to be faithful to cultivate that relationship as much as I can. That has meant a lot of surface level investment with a lot of people I only see once or twice. But, sometimes they stick around. God has continued to bring some of the same people back into my life... Air, Kaew and Mam to name a few. I am so thankful for their friendships and for the conversations God opens up for us to have. Like Doug also says, "Quantity time breeds quality time." Sometimes I'm just spending time with them, seeing movies or hanging out. Other times, we have great conversations. Regardless, I hope that through our conversations and life-on-life contact they can see the difference that Christ makes in my life!

[Air and I // Photo Credit: Claire Cecil]

Thanks so much for your 10 months+ of support and prayers! You all are awesome! Praise God for your faithfulness to help further the Great Commission in Thailand.

easter.

I feel like I'm never going to fall asleep tonight because I am so full of energy and joy at being able to be a part of the plan and work of God. I truly think there is no greater fulfillment than being where God has called you to be and doing His work.

It doesn't always feel like this (see post from a few weeks ago). Some days I'm discouraged. Sometimes I wonder if I'm making the right decisions or if I'm doing the "right thing." But then there are days and weekends like this one... when I remember without any doubt exactly why God has me here.

Where to start with Easter? Church this morning... wow. I'm not sure how to capture the power of having so many nationalities (Thai, American, Chinese, Japanese, Burmese) in so many places spiritually (orphaned and adopted, dead and alive, under the law and under grace) all in the same place on an Easter morning, hearing the same message. This morning was a beautiful reminder that our God is not American. He is the God of all nations! 

David (our Pastor) was faithful, as He is every week, in boldly preaching the Gospel. He taught on 7 proofs of the Resurrection and ended with reiterating the Gospel. I want to share one of the things he said at the end that really struck me. He was talking about what we can give God that He has not already given us. Our life... He gave us that. Our time... He gave us that. Our money... He gave us that. Our hearts... but He gave us those, too. The only thing we can give to God that we did not receive from Him is our sin. Wow. Let that sink in a moment. That's the only thing that we have that we earned for ourselves. And that's the one thing God asks for in exchange for His righteousness, perfection, and forgiveness. For us to hand over the filthy rags of our self-made, hard-earned sin. The message of the cross and tomb, truly is Good News for all who hear!

There were so many other wonderful parts to today that I am having trouble organizing due to my enthusiasm. (I've considered just substituting words and sentences with long strings of exclamation points, but I'm not sure how well that would really communicate what I'm trying to share, haha.) But other highlights include: my friend from Thai class coming to church this Sunday! The High-School Missions Team from LifePoint: Symrna arriving in Bangkok and attending service. Our after-church scavenger hunt / "city orientation" for the team. So fun! (We split the HS team into groups with Thais and farangs and gave them a sampling of different places to go and foods to try. What a blast to get to know both the new team as well as some of our visitors better.) One of my new friends here, Chelsea, summed today up well:

"The Gospel fell upon ears who had never heard it. We worshiped beautifully. The message of truth was shared, food and fellowship followed, as did a scavenger hunt all around Bangkok. Laughing the day away with some of my dearest friends here. Overflowing with thankfulness for the life I've found in Him!"

[A few of the many who went on the "city orientation"! Chelsea, Monica, Jack, Nisa, Hailley and Kathy]

I hope that you and your families had a wonderful Easter celebrating Jesus! From Bangkok to wherever you are living and serving, He is RISEN!

good friday.

I think that all of last week's stress and fullness was necessary to help me readjust my focus and put my reliance back on God. Why? So that I would be ready for the appointments He made for me this week.

My heart is so full as I write this post. God has been doing incredible things in Bangkok. I have been overwhelmed and in awe of how He keeps bringing certain people back into my life... and giving me open doors to share the Gospel!

Tonight our theme at Friday Night Life (FNL) was Easter. Every part of the evening pointed first to the cross and then to the empty grave. I was able to share with my group about the significance of Christ's death and resurrection. Without Jesus' death, we would be responsible to pay the punishment for all of our sin, all of our bad. The discouraging part is that despite living a life exhausted for that purpose, we are assured that our efforts will always fall short... but God made a way for another option. An option that leads to life, and hope, and freedom. And He offers it freely to all who will ask.

It was so exciting to see how many people came to FNL. Not because numbers matter, but because it meant that more of my friends had opportunities to hear about the most life-changing news... that Jesus loves them and not only desires to have a relationship with them, but made a way to!

Today was also special because when I first came to Thailand in 2011 with Spotswood, I really connected with four people specifically. Of those four, three were at FNL tonight (Champ, Ting and Song)! It was absolutely incredible to get to see and catch up with them... and to have all of us back in the same place where my journey originally started.

From Aug 2011...

[Song is 2nd from the left in the back row]

[Claire and I with Ting]

[Dylan and I with Champ]

From March 2013...

[Claire and I with Ting, Champ, Song and some new friends we've made from this year!]

[Luke, Song, Teem and I after Friday Night Life]

[John Lapos, IMB missionary, BSC liaison, and our
go-to-for-everything man]