weekend.

This weekend was filled with "tourist-shenanigans" with our fellow teachers and BSC staffers. The BSC talks a lot about how we are a family... and this weekend felt like our unofficial initiation. It was fun to get to spend brief snippits of time last week with some of the folks we work (and live!) with... but this weekend was a nice break. It was time that we were able to step away from the building and spend some quality time with some really awesome people!

I'm going to let the pictures tell the story.

The Teak Palace

 An airport-themed mall: "Terminal 21"... each level of the mall represented a different country.

[L-R: Dani, Khun Noo, Noy, Luke, Claire]

Dinner at the "Halo Pig" (that's what I call it, not it's official name) and dessert at Swenson's

 Adventures to Soi (Street) 10

Preparing and enjoying our first "family dinner" meal. Spaghetti with home-made meat sauce, home-made garlic bread (even the bread was home-made, yum!) & from-scratch cookies... delicious.

[L-R: Dylan, Susie, Lorena, Claire]

tutoring.

Every day in Thailand is a little different. Right now, we are between terms. Term 3 ended the week we arrived, and Term 4 does not begin until July 2nd. In the interim, Claire and I have been given one-on-one tutoring assignments. While instructing one-on-one for 1.5-2 hours per session can be a little tiring, it remains one of the bright spots of my day. I currently have six tutees, and I individually tutor each of them once/twice a week.

Mam: I tutor her on Mondays and Tuesdays. She is so sweet and thoughtful. We talk a lot outside of class and she has offered to take Claire and I around Bangkok! She works as police officer, and is trying to get a job with the Immigration department at the airport. She needs to be proficient enough in English to pass the exam for this position-- this is where I come in! We have been working together to practice scenarios and vocabulary that she might encounter at her job. I get to role-play the angry/sad "farang" (Thai word for the foreigners), and she has to walk me through filing a fake report. It is a lot of fun, for me at least! And I am getting to teach her some conflict management tips also... I-messages, diffusing situations, collaborative and positive phrases, etc.

Dr. Thom: I tutor him on Wednesdays and Fridays. He is the quintessential Thai: hospitable, friendly, generous. From our first lesson, he has exerted extra effort to help me acclimate to Thai life. He gave a me a great lesson on the titles that Thais use to address people, and also made a map for me with all the places I should go to eat and where the young Thais hang out. He's in his 20's also, so his advice on what he thinks Claire and I would enjoy is very relevant. He also marked which places are safe to go alone/not alone and what time of day to visit them. He is quite thorough! Yesterday was our last lesson together and I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with him; I pray that some seeds were planted and that I'll have the opportunity to teach him more in the future and continue sharing Truth with him.

May: I tutor her on Wednesdays and Fridays also. She is in high school, and very involved in ballet. She is planning to go abroad to further develop her talent, which is one of the reasons she is committed to improving her English. I've only tutored her twice, but she (like all Thais) is very respectful and eager to learn.

Mint: I am tutoring Mint every Thursday. She is my age and is incredibly proficient at English... most of the Thai's have trouble with their L's, V's, Th's, and R's, but her pronunciation is wonderful. She signed up for tutoring because she is in a Business class that has regular oral exams. And while her English is great, she doesn't have the scope of vocabulary that she needs to excel. I tutored her for the first time this week and we had so much fun. She has a great sense of humor and we role-played various mock "entrepreneurial" ventures that she had to generate for her oral assessment.

Fourth: I mentioned her in a previous post, but she is one of my Thursday tutees. She is going to be studying in America for a year, and we're brushing up on American socializing (Little things like... tipping in restaurants and how to use a knife), culture and history. She is a student at a very prestigious and highly selective high school in Bangkok. From what I understand, you have to "test into" the high schools, and schools only accept students with certain scores. (Can you say, "cream of the crop?")

Aeh: She will be my new Wednesday and Friday tutee starting next week!

As always, the purpose of tutoring is not exclusively to teach English, although, that is an important part of it! But rather, to build relationships and bridges to Christ. I've been able to share what I believe with a few of them and had partial conversations with others. I hope that as we get to know each other, they will become more comfortable opening up in more serious and spiritual dialogues. One of the things that I am increasingly convinced of is that-- no amount of being persuasive or clever or smart is going to win the Thai people to the Lord. It is only the the power of God which can soften their hearts. Yes, I need to be faithful to share-- but I also need to be faithful to pray, pray, pray! Because that is what will make a difference when I speak. The Holy Spirit is the only person who can make the Gospel make sense to their hearts.

Pastor Doug often quotes someone who said, "I heard the gospel, I heard the gospel, then praise God! One day I heard the gospel." The only difference between the first two and the last one is the Holy Spirit. Please pray that God soften hearts to His Word. That they not only recognize their need, but also see and accept Him as the solution for their need.

songtaew.

In most cases, a picture is worth a thousand words... but mine here do not do the "songtaew" justice. Imagine old trucks with roofs on top and benches in the back racing up and down one long stretch of road. Only 7 Baht. This is the songtaew. To get to The Well we took this special low-cost truck-taxi, walked, and rode the BTS, everything short of a tuk-tuk! While it was nice to be in a truck again, it was not a typical truck-experience! Here are a few pictures from our ride: 

Claire putting on a brave face for the camera!

You can stand, or you can sit on these lovely benches. Your choice!

The view out of the truck.

The cab of the truck... notice that the driver is seated below the bed of the truck!

But, we all survived, and made it both to and from The Well safely. Luke, one of the teachers at the BSC, was our guide. His family lives in Thailand, and his dad runs The Well. He's going to be giving us some more information about The Well in the near future... but from what I gathered from our time there, they have a worship service and sermon (what we participated in) twice a week, and they also provide skills and training for the women in order to help them support themselves so that they can get out of the bars (ie: prostitution). They have a whole jewelry and clothing line that they are working to develop and brand in hopes of providing a livelihood for these women. They also do outreach in the bars. Some of the  women go to the bars to engage women and share with them about The Well. While everyone is welcome to come to the worship services, only the women who commit to working to get out of the bars are able to get financial assistance. It seems like a neat organization, and I am glad that we were invited to be a part of it this morning. I'm also looking forward to finding out more, and finding out if/how other people can be involved with it!

[week one]

Yesterday marked our "one week" anniversary in Bangkok. The first week was important to start developing relationships, recover from jet-lag, and orientate ourselves to the city. While we still don't know where everything is, we can go to Victory Monument to get smoothies or noodles, we know where the closest shopping and grocery stores are, and we can navigate the BTS (/Skytrain). Dylan, one of the other missionaries, even showed me how to get to "Soi Ha" a local street market that sells affordable fruits and vegetables, as well as the nearest Starbucks (for Claire... and Doug when the team comes!).

[left to right: Aom, Claire, me, Noo, and Kung]

[Buying fresh fruit smoothies at Victory Monument... only 15 Baht!]

Today, however, is the beginning of week two. And I think week two will prove to be a lot more interesting than week one-- if this morning was any indication! Today, I crossed the street alone for the first time. I took the BTS solo for the first time. And I got lost for the first time. In all fairness, I knew exactly where I was... it's just that no one else could find me. (Mom & Grandma, don't worry! I found my way home :) )

Today, I also had my "hit the wall moment" as Doug calls it. I've felt exhausted all day and, for the first time since I've been here, I really felt frustrated by my inability to do things for myself. Moving to another country feels like regressing back into my childhood. I'm not independent anymore. I need other people all the time to help me figure out where to go and what to buy. Some of the foods are also so foreign that I have to ask how it is to be eaten. Do I eat the skin? Not eat the skin? Is that thing on my plate that came with my meal edible? Is all of it edible? etc. It is exhausting. And today, I felt it. So, I took some time to nap... okay, I took two times to nap, and tonight I'm going to bed early also.

It is no coincidence that Claire and I decided a few days ago to begin a book study on Sifted-- which we selected per Josh and Tasha Via's recommendation (well, not to us personally, but they recommended it on twitter!). So between my naps today (stop judging!) I read the introduction and chapter 1 and it was such an encouragement. Wayne Cordeiro describes sifting as:

A process that forms new character, tearing away old perspectives and putting fresh truth in its place. Former habits are discarded and wrong tendencies are abandoned... it produces clarity about who we are and what we do, giving definition to the work of ministry that produces long-term results and fruitfulness... Scripture tells us that the challenges we face in life happen for a reason, and the process of sifting refines us, revealing our weaknesses, exposing our self-dependence and inviting us to greater faith in God and greater dependence on his promises.

While getting lost hardly qualifies as "sifting", I do think that this next year of my life will involve sifting. Being away from the familiar and being unable to rely on my own "know-how" is an interesting place to be... but I think it is a good place. In Thailand, I only have God (and His Church) to rely on. (I'm not sure why I even want to say "only God" when that is obviously more than enough.) This experience is showing and revealing to me how much I depend/rely on other things. Because when those "things" aren't there... it is glaringly obvious. This area is something you can be praying for me about (and Claire, also).

For the many of you who are faithfully praying for me, thank you. It is such an encouragement to know that there is an army of my brothers and sisters lifting up Claire and me. There is so much more I want to share with you all, but I promised myself to get plenty of sleep tonight! (We are getting up bright and early in the morning to visit "The Well"-- a ministry for women who are brought out of the bars in Thailand.) So until later...

this is thailand.

Sometimes the only proper response to situations is, "This is Thailand." While the Thai people are incredibly friendly and generous and work hard to make us feel at home, there are still occasional reminders that this is Thailand... here are a couple of those moments:

- When you have to clarify which months you are referring to when you say "winter" (a foreign season to the Thais... and an inverse season to the Aussies)

- When the price of a small package of sliced cheese is more than a whole meal at Chipotle. (Cheese is an expensive commodity in Thailand... So no cheese for Liz!)

- When you plug in your alarm clock, and it gets fried. (Forgot to check the voltage. Whoops.)

- When you go back to the car and you've been blocked in by another car... and the solution is to push it out of the way. (People leave their cars in neutral for that purpose)

- When you go to a nice restaurant and no one tips.

- When there are signs posted throughout the market to beware of pick-pockets.

- When corn and beans are dessert... and popular flavors of ice-cream and yogurt.

vlog: Rambutan

A brief tutorial/editorial on one of Thailand's most exotic fruits... Rambutan!

Brought to you by: Claire & Liz

(we are taking v-log requests-- send them our way!)

[day one]

Today was a long day. Good. Full. Helpful. Long. It started off as a relaxing morning. Claire and I had breakfast in my room and then I was able to skype with my mom and sister (yay!). After getting ready for the day, having my quiet time and knocking out a little more of Empty Promises, we met with some of the BSC staff.

John, Lorena (a 91-year-old woman who has been teaching at the BSC for... years), and Khun Noo briefed us on teaching at the BSC and our schedules until our "official teaching semester" begins July 2. Matt is the BSC-English coordinator. He also met with us to discuss the classroom, introduce us to more of the staff and show us our desks. He graduated from VT and lived in Madison (Laura-Michal: shout-out to your hometown!) so he was very familiar with Fredericksburg. It was nice to meet someone who is familiar with our area.

Lorena has been having some trouble with her vision, so Claire and I are going to be helping her finish out the semester with the students she tutors and with one of her classes. Because this was unexpected, we started taking over with her students today! Please be praying for Lorena, that the doctors can figure out what exactly is going on with her eyes.

I taught my first class this evening-- there were only four students, but they were a lot of fun. I am curious how long I can blame jet-lag on my scatterbrained-ness, though. I'm hoping at least a couple more days... The Thai people are very gracious though, which I appreciate! After class, Claire and I had dinner with Dylan, one of the other young teachers at the BSC. He invited us to go with him to visit some refugees, but because of a tutoring appointment, we were not able to go this time.

We tutored a 15-year-old girl named "Fourth" tonight. (She is the fourth person in her family, so her parents gave her that nickname!) She will be an exchange student somewhere in America this fall. I will be tutoring her until she leaves in August. She was so sweet and a lot of fun! We showed her how to use a knife to eat (they don't have knives in Thailand) and also explained currency/tipping/pricing of American meals.

Claire and I also ran into Archan Thongchai, Archan Ponsak and the missionary couple (Jack and Gladys Martin) who the building we're staying in was named after! Everyone is so excited to have us here for a year... and to have the short term team come in August (56 days! But who's counting?). Archan Ponsak was especially excited to hear about the construction-crew Jake will be heading up to paint/repair his home. Jack Martin even offered to donate some paint brushes to the cause :)

So, that is the short of it! I'm trying to stay up a little later tonight to help regulate my schedule-- so blogging is keeping me up until bedtime :) Claire has to leave at 8am in the morning to go to Ampa Wa with New Vision Church to teach English-- but since I'll be teaching and tutoring at the BSC, I will get to sleep in a little longer. Yay! Thank you for all your prayers-- please continue to pray that Christ is glorified through our time here and that He leads us to develop strong relationships with the Thai people.

Happy Thursday!

the journey begins.

Assorted ramblings and thoughts from our trek to Thailand...

The Beginning

Monday afternoon (D-Day!) started off with Claire and I in a bit of a panic.

When I tried to check my bags with Virgin Atlantic, they informed me that the weight specs that I had packed according to were incorrect. This resulted in my dad and I re-packing all my bags… twice. We went back in line, only to be told that we were only allowed one checked bag. I explained that because we were going to Thailand from America were each allowed an extra checked bag. They asked to see our passports and then informed us we didn’t have a ticket! 

That’s exactly what you don’t want to hear 3 hours before your flight!

However, God was good- as always- and we were able to sort things out with the airline (we did have a ticket—it was just being elusive). At this point, we were not seated together, but at least we had seats!

Dulles to Heathrow (Virgin Atlantic)

After grabbing a bite to eat on our way to the gate (thanks Doug & Rebecca!) we found our gate, and were issued new boarding passes in adjoining seats. We boarded the plane and saw (to our excitement and surprise) that our new seats were in the exit row!! To non-fliers, this means that we got an additional 6+ inches of free legroom. Normally you have to pay extra for those premium spots, but we got them free! Yay God! The first leg of the flight was awesome. I could completely stretch my legs out and prop them up against the wall in front of us—and we had the aisle/middle seat, so it was easy to get in/out.  What a huge blessing! Virgin Atlantic was really great on the flight as well. We were served hot chocolate and had a “as real as can be expected” breakfast. We both were even able to squeeze a nap in. And, we both scored free sleeping masks, a pair of socks and travel toothpaste/brush! Love free gifts. Thanks, Virginia Atlantic.

Heathrow

Claire is having a blast with all the English shops (shoppes?) and has been buying treats and postcards of the Queen. She perked up as soon as she saw the WHSmith, Pret a Mange and Boots. I don’t know what they are, but evidently they’re a big deal to the British. And Claire. I think she’s having flashbacks to when she studied abroad in Bath. But it is good because she’s wide awake right now… I’m counting on her to get us to the gate/plane. I think I might be in a walking coma by then...

Heathrow to Singapore (Singapore Air)

Warning. If flying on Singapore Air, you should know that the pump next to the restroom sink with colored liquid inside is not soap for handwashing. It’s mouthwash. My hands are so minty.Claire and I had an empty seat next to us on this leg. That is flying gold. Claire was able to stretch out in the aisle, and I was able to spread out in the empty seat. Both of us had successful napping endeavors—which was much needed.

Claire took good care of me on the plane ride. She woke me up for meal-time, which she renamed: “hamster feeding,” because it reminded her of when people open the cage for feeding time and dump food inside. Only we’re the rodents. But, it was surprisingly decent! I had “minced lamb shepherd’s pie” for lunch/dinner(?) and then an omelet for breakfast with “finger muffins”. Which, were muffins in the shape of… fingers. Yum. 

Singapore to Bangkok (Singapore Air)

Claire kept waking me up for more "hamster feedings". The flight was under 3 hours, so it went by quickly. We're both ready to get to our new homes and unpack and sleep (for real). 

Bangkok

We met up with John and Ruth Lapos at the airport (BKK), picked up our bags, got our money exchanged and then proceeded to drive back to the BSC. Claire and I dropped off our things, and John took our phones to the mall (MBK) to get new sim cards for them. Ruth took us grocery shopping. I picked up some Rambutan, water bottles, toilet paper and laundry soap. Ruth also showed us where the post office is and where the IMB office is where we will be going to pick up our mail. We stopped on the way out and got a meal-- 45 Baht ($1.50) for Basil Chicken & Rice. It was delicious. And I am exhausted. If I can stay awake until 7pm tonight I know that would help, but it's not looking too promising!

Thank you for all your prayers for our flight. It really was the best-possible scenario on every leg of the trip. We're both so happy to be here at last! Until later--


Liz

closure.

I love need closure. I know that life isn't always neat and tidy, and things don't get wrapped up with little bows... but for as much as they can be, I like them to be. There is something comforting in it. So, as things continue to wrap up for me state-side and I say my farewells (for now!), I wanted to post my last "until I'm out of the country" blog post and catch everyone up on where I am and what is coming in the next few days. 

On finances...

God has been so gracious to provide financially for Claire and I to be able to go to Thailand. He has used our places of work, our families, friends, and church to radically bless us and send us covered in prayer and financially. We estimated that we would need $500/mo to live on in Thailand-- and that goal has been met! Praise God!

The parents and staff at FCS surprised me on the last chapel by presenting me
with a check for Thailand and praying over me. I have absolutely loved getting
to spend the past two years serving alongside such an incredible staff,  and with
such awesome parents and children. 

On communication...

Some of the students in the K class at FCS made me laptops so that I could email them while I was in Thailand... (see the picture below) So adorable! However, to aid these paper laptops-- I was recently able to purchase a laptop for my journey.

Also, my co-workers at Catalyst all chipped in to buy me an iPhone to use internationally while I am overseas! Technology really makes 12 time zones seem a lot closer. 

On packing...
Anyone in a 10 foot radius of me this week has probably heard me talking about pitching and packing. Despite how the family-basement currently looks, this is progress:

I did not expect that sorting through every childhood treasure would take quite so long, but 24 years of stuff adds up. I'm paring it down to a spare closet in the basement and my bookshelves (which have been sorted!) I am going to miss all my books in Thailand...

But the good packing news is that Old Navy is currently selling appropriate "Thai teaching attire", and I was able to complete my wardrobe for my year there. I love one-stop shopping! I now have shoes (from a previous venture), clothes, and am ready to pack my bags. Once I uncover them from this mess I've made!

On leaving...
Claire and I will be departing Dulles at 6:40pm on Monday. June 11th. Tonight and tomorrow are "family days", Sunday is "church family day" and Monday is doubling as "AGHH. I Still Need ___ From Wal*Mart And Forgot To Get It Day" and "Departure-Day". We'll have a layover in Heathrow (London) and in Singapore. Depending on how internet works there, I will try to do a mini-post at the airport. Here is our route:

[click to enlarge]

I am so excited for the opportunity God has given me to take His Name to the nations. I am excited to see not just what He does in my life, but what He does in your life as a partner with me in this.

And as always, the comment box below is always open for your thoughts, <3, and requests!

I love my church.

Yesterday our church, Spotswood Baptist, prayed for and commissioned Claire and I for our year in Thailand. It was such a bittersweet service-- I've never been a part of a church that has had such a profound spiritual impact on my life like Spotswood. I have grown; I have failed, and I have been loved through both. Pastor Doug always talks about how church should be the launching pad to propel us into the world... and I feel very launched.

Claire and I had lunch after the commissioning with part of the short-term team who will be coming to Bankok, Thailand in August. There are 12 of them: Laura, Sam, Abby, Laura-Michal, Stephanie, Vern, Zac, Zach,  Ryan and Jake (plus Pastor Doug and Pastor Drew). The team coming in August is phenomenal. They have such a heart for God-- I am so excited to see what God does through them and in them during their time in Thailand.

Please be praying for them also:

- That God will prepare their hearts for the ministry and people they will meet in Thailand, as well as the hearts of the people they will meet  

-  That God would provide all the financial support that they need

- That God would be glorified in their obedience and that the church would be encouraged

Thank you for your prayers and support. I have been overwhelmed by it. God is so gracious, and you have been so faithful to pray and to give. Thank you.

2 weeks.

Today marks the 2 week point until our departure to Thailand for a year! June 11th has seemed so distant for so long, and now it is right around the corner... I need to pack and weigh my bags, move out of my apartment, sort through and consolidate the things that won't be going to Thailand, wrap things up at work... But everything that must be done has been completed! We have our visas, our tickets and paperwork completed (praise God!). So, rain or shine, June 11th we'll at IAD departing to BKK via Heathrow and Singapore. Thank you so much for your prayers and for partnering with me on this journey!

[Copied from John and Ruth Lapos' Newsletter Update]

e-day [part iv]

It's time for some good news!

This is my final installment of the "e-day" series because... we have our visas! After some consternation and much prayer, our visas arrived in the mail today.

Thank you for praying. I'm happy to say that in 21 days, we will be boarding the plane with all of our necessary paperwork. Praise God!

How many lives would your sin cost?

I am currently reading From Buddha to Jesus in preparation for Thailand. (Did you just click that link? Good. Now add it to your Amazon cart!) The author, Steve Cioccolanti, was born in Thailand, and born again in Thailand. He has a unique perspective on what it means to be a Thai Buddhist, and how believers can fruitfully engage discussions with Buddhists in Thailand.

The chapter I read earlier this week was on reincarnation, and how reincarnation is actually "one of the best teachings found outside the Bible." Isn't that a shocking assertion? Karma (synonymous with "sin" or "death") is so weighty that it cannot be paid in one life.  Cioccolanti states that the "fact that you are born, according to Buddha, is proof that you are a sinner" (135). The practical problems that Buddhists run into, though, is that "every time you are born, you sin some more, so you're adding sins to your account. You're in constant deficit... You can try to do good deeds and 'make merit' all your life just to service your karma, but you will never quite win this catch up game. You are trapped inside an endless cycle of sin and suffering" (136).

Cioccolanti then relates this idea of "one life" not being enough to pay for the price of one's karma with the parable that Jesus told in Matthew 18:23-35.

In reading this parable, most of us would surmise that we are the man who owed the 10,000 talents. Our application of the story might end with the lesson that we should forgive others of their debts. That, unfortunately, misses one of the greater lessons of this parable, which is, that we have a terrible debt.

Cioccolanti states that if we were to owe God 1 talent for a single sin, we would owe God 6,000 days (164+ years) of labor's wages (1 talent=60 minas, 1 minas=100 denarii, 1 denarii=day's wages for a day's labor). However, in the parable the man is not guilty of owing 1 talent... but rather 10,000 talents. That is 60 million denarii. That is equal to working a full day of labor 7 days a week, from the day you're born until 100 years old... for 1,644 lifetimes. (And in working 7 days a week, you would violate God's 4th Commandment, thus trying to "pay off" sin by sinning more, and incurring an ever-increasing debt. See how this cycle works?) This truly is a debt we cannot pay, not for ourselves, and certainly not for anyone else.

"What is Jesus saying to us? Exactly what Buddha was teaching. It is impossible for you to rid yourself of sin by your own good works. All you can do is fall at the Master's feet and say, 'Lord, have mercy on me, because I have not enough to pay and am going straight to Hell'" (144).

So where does Jesus come in? How did Jesus' death make "payment" for us? How could he ransom, not just me, but all of mankind from so great a debt?

This is where it gets exciting. Cioccolanti uses an example from business to flesh it out. He poses this question,

How come the CEO makes $200,000 a year while the salesman works just as hard and only makes $40,000 a year? Different positions. The CEO has a higher rank...Because of his position, his time is worth a lot more... And so God said, 'I am going to send the Lord of Heaven Himself.' Hebrews 7:26 says that Jesus is 'Higher than the heavens.' You understand, of course, that the Owner of Heaven is worth far more than Heaven itself. So Heaven and earth did not have enough to pay. But the Lord of Heaven and Earth came down to earth and said, 'With my time, with my life, I will pay for all your sins... In fact, I'll overpay' (147).

Wow.

Jesus could pay for all sin for all mankind at once, because of His great worth.

Pastor Doug has been talking recently about how at the crucifixion, God turned His back on Jesus- and because of that, we don't need to have any fear that He will turn away from us. We have been accepted and forgiven because of Christ's finished work on the Cross. That is cause for worship!

So, how many lives would my sin cost? More than I could ever hope to pay... No amount of "being good," even if that was possible, would make up for my grievous sins against God. So, praise God that He "did not treat me as my sins deserved" (Ps. 103:10) but instead made a way through Jesus Christ for me, an enemy of God (Col 1:21), to be brought near to God and be adopted in his family (Rom 8:14-16).

How NOT to Get a Visa*

1. Get into lively discussions on the way to DC. There's no recipe more proven than a discussion on relationships to assist you in missing all your turns (or at least the important ones).

2. Arrive after 10am (and forget your quarters!). After 10am, all the parking garages increase their prices exponentially... and there probably won't be any street meter-parking left.

3. If you happen to get there before 10, be sure to park front-end-first in the street parking slots. Even if you're only there for a couple minutes, you will receive a ticket. Street parking is back-in only.

4. Have a third-party do your background check. If it's not done by the State Police, the Embassy won't be interested in your app.

5. Leave your cash at home. They only take cash or money orders... so no cash, no visa.

6. Come during their lunch break-- anytime between 12:00-2:30 works.

7. If you aren't successful with #1-#6, and the Embassy does issue you a visa, you have one last hope! Don't look at your visa when you pick it up. Don't check for signatures, don't check to make sure all the fields were filled out correctly, if you're lucky, they may have left some things blank-- making your visa invalid.

But, if you decide that you DO want a visa... just follow the inverse of the above steps, and also take note of the following:

- DO bring your own prepaid flat-rate mailing envelope for the Embassy to mail you back your visa (otherwise, you get gouged by paying $20 for theirs)

- DO make sure you have all the correct information and paperwork, so you only have to make one trip! 

- DO have the contact # of someone in the country you are visiting in case you run into trouble and need advice 

- DO take a picture (or write down) where you parked if you choose to brave a parking garage

Anyone else have advice on the Do's and Don'ts of Visa acquisition? Leave them in the comment section below.


___________
* This information is tried and true and has been fully disclosed for the purpose of assisting any aspiring travelers, missionaries, or expatriates attempting to acquire their Thai work visas in DC.

Tie-land

I spoke with the K class in September about my short-term trip to Thailand when they were learning the letter "T", but on Wednesday I shared with both chapels about my upcoming long-term departure to Thailand. The K class decided to write me little notes, complete with pictures. It was so sweet... and I wanted to share a couple of their pictures for your enjoyment also!

The airplane to Thailand

I guess this is where they think I'll be living while I'm there? 

I am taking my class to visit the local gators...

...& I'm not sure about this one 

Maybe the most accurate of all the pictures!

"TIE"-land... (note the ties and the crosses at the top of the ties!)

Following my Father

My dear friend and co-worker, Tamra, asked me to guest post about Thailand on her blog. Click here to read my post.

Financial Update

I want to share with you how God has shown Himself (yet again!) to be Jehovah Jireh in my life-- He has already provided $3,500 for my year in Thailand... that is incredible! A year in Thailand is about $6,000 and airfare home is approx $1,000-1,500. So the total cost is: $7,000-7,500. That means that there is less than $4,000 left to raise!

Through monthly sponsorships, $1,080 has already been pledged... leaving only $240/month left to be raised in monthly sponsorships. (That's 8 people committing to sponsor me for $30/month, or 4 people giving $60/month, or a combination of monthly and one-time donations.)

And. Above and beyond that, $800 has also been given to help cover my pre-trip needs (visa, airfare, laptop, etc.).  Praise God!

To each of you who has given sacrificially to help be a part of sending me to Thailand, thank you so much. It is a blessing and a responsibility to have you supporting me. My prayer is that God uses me as a worthy investment of your resources, and that I am a useful and faithful vessel for Him. Thank you for supporting me, for praying, and for following along on this journey.

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." -Eph 3:20-21

Strollers and Backpacks and Dishes, oh my!

For the past week my parents have been working tirelessly to aid Claire and I in collecting, sorting and pricing items for the Thailand Fundraising Yard Sale which culminated this morning on the Lisco's driveway. After having made multiple trips the day before, the next round of packing started promptly at 4:00 am this morning. (Shout-out to my mom and dad... who are awesome: The whole basement was covered in "to-sell" items that all found their way to the yard sale by 6:00 am. All those military moves paid off in yard sale set-up efficiency!)

Arriving at the sale-site at 6:00am, my mom, the Pezzutos, Mavrick, Krystle, Samantha and fellow Thailand sojourners, Zac and Abby proceeded to assist in sorting and staging load after load of "to sell" items. There were a ton of families and individuals who donated to the sale... and the final result was incredible!

The Lisco's driveway... transformed into a shopping alley!

Families, strollers, and yard sale sharks came ready to bargain, wheel and deal! It felt like Thailand all over again... "Five dollars?? How about I give you three." "Deal!" It was also great to have the opportunity to explain why we are going, and how their purchases were supporting us. "I can eat 6 more meals in Thailand because you bought those $7 speakers! Thank you!" A lot of people even made donations to support our team. It was such a great (albeit exhausting) morning. We left with our skin a little sun-burnt, our backs a little sore, but with $606 raised! Praise God! This money will go to support Claire and my trip to Thailand and also help support a couple members of the Short-Term August team from Spotswood!

A huge thank you to everyone who gave us their stuff to sell, their time to set-up/tear-down, their donations and their driveway! This yard sale was a bigger undertaking than I ever anticipated... and there is no way it could have been pulled off by my effort alone. Thank you for partnering with the Claire and I... and the Thailand Team.

Abby, my sister, and future sojourner to Thailand, manning the  front tables!

Favorite Quote of the Day:
There was a flock (yes, a flock) of kids who were browsing our wares for over 30 minutes. They found the "free stuff" box*, and also made a few purchases. As soon as they would discover or acquire another toy (or piece of a toy...) they would start shouting, "Just because it's broken, doesn't mean you can't use it!" Over and over and over again. They were cracking us up, especially when they came back to re-shop three more times! We gave them some "loyalty buyer" incentives for all their support :)

Favorite "oops!" of the Day:
...When my mom sold my sister's pair of sunglasses by mistake. Yard sales should come with a warning: Unattended belongings will be sold.

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* The "free stuff" box was perhaps the most entertaining box at the yard sale... a magnetic dartboard with no darts, half of a model of the USS Enterprise, some Highlights and American Girl magazines, a headband with unusual ribbons coming out of it, etc. The kids loved it. And couldn't get over that everything in the box was theirs for the taking... and take it they did! It was empty before the end of the day.

e-day [part iii]

Thank you so much for your prayers regarding our visas! This post is the third installment of the "e-day three-day adventure." Claire and I drove to the Thai Embassy yesterday (trip #2) to acquire our non-immigrant type B visas... with great success! As soon as we walked in the Embassy, we were warmly greeted (such a different tone than last time) and were immediately assisted. They even offered to expedite the process for us, as Claire needed her passport back by this Friday for her trip to Mexico.

It was so simple. We handed them our paperwork; they looked over it; we left. They told us we could come back in 24 hours to pick it up. So, Claire took an extended "lunch break" from work today and traveled (trip #3) to the Embassy to pick up our visas. There was a little mix-up, which, to steal Tamra's phrase, may result "blog fodder" for a future post tentatively titled: "How NOT to Get a Visa"...

But, despite some of the mishaps and mis-communication along the way, there have been so many moments of God's hand working. He is still in control. He is a good Father... who not only calls His children out of places to new places, but also is there with them throughout every step. At the end of this month, I will have a lot more to praise God for because I am more acutely aware of all the little things and big things He has worked out.

Thank you for your faithfulness to pray for Claire and me-- I am excited for the progress (little by little!) that we are making to wrap up things here in America, and prepare for Thailand. T-38 days until departure!

Matt 7:9-11

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

Willingness v. Will

“That delight—in God—is the thing that brings desire in the heart to do good, and desire is beneath everything. If there is no desire to do God’s will, then the doing of God’s will is just outward conformity, and God doesn’t appreciate it at all.

Now desire is more than just willingness. I once worked for the Foreign Missions Fellowship, which is a group of collegiate kids who are considering going to the mission field. You know, every time I would talk to some Christians in college, their big cry about the mission field was, ‘Well you know, I’m willing to go. I’m quite willing to go to the mission field. Very willing to go. Willing. But I need a call from God (or some such thing) because I don’t feel as if I’m sent to the mission field.’ Well, I’m telling you that passive willingness is not desire. I was willing to go to the mission field a long time before I willed to go to the mission field. And it is the desire of the will that God wants.

Desire is the putting of my will into God’s concern. It’s not a passive, sitting back in your easy chair, folding your arms sort of thing, which says, ‘Well, I’m willing, if God would only give me a good swift kick and send me.’ That’s willingness all right. But God doesn’t want willingness, He wants will! He wants your will put behind those desires.”

-Jim Elliot: A Christian Martyr Speaks to You, pg. 25

I recently read this quote and it resonated strongly with my own life. Since I was in 3rd grade I have been saying I want to "do" missions. Or, at least, that I am willing to do them. Granted, missions may look different in 3rd grade than it does for me at 24, but I think that Jim Elliot nailed it. God doesn't want our willingness, He wants will.

For me, missions started small.  It started back at square one, with Pastor Doug asking me what it looked like to "love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and mind... and love my neighbor as myself." At 20, I wasn't satisfied with my canned answer to that question. At 24, I'm still working it out. I had to re-learn what the Gospel means* and its practical implications in my life. I went from there to loving my family, my classmates, trying to share the Truth of Jesus Christ in those relationships, and letting Him affect certain relationships in my life. After that, it was being a part of GotLife, doing local missions projects and slowly, slowly, being pushed outside of myself and further into the world.

Once I started to grasp what it meant practically to be saved, it started to change everything. Being saved wasn't just a future event (ie: I am saved from Hell) but also something that daily could (and did!) make a difference in my life. I have already been accepted. I have already been forgiven. I have already been adopted. I have already been made righteous. As Michael Kelley says, it's "already, but not yet." I already have these things... but they are not yet fully realized and manifested in my life. But they are there. And they should begin to impact my life and my attitude and behavior.

When we are delighting in God, and desiring what He desires, then that naturally will push us towards missional living. We aren't "going out" because of obligation, but because time with Him is aligning our will with His will. And His will, is for the nations to know Him and worship Him.

Praise the LORD, all you nations;

extol Him, all you peoples."

-Ps. 117:1

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* I highly recommend the book What is the Gospel? which tackles this in a very solid and succinct way. It's one of the books I have referenced most concerning the Gospel... aside from the Bible. :)

E-Day [part ii]

[From the Thai Ministry of Education]

Just a quick update on our "Embassy visit" situation (for those of you who have asked!). When Claire and I went to the Embassy last week they told us we needed two more items: a letter from the Thai Ministry of Education (which John Lapos promptly provided us with) and another background check. The Embassy said the background check could take 4-8 weeks, and the Virginia State Police said 2-4 weeks. We were hoping for two weeks... But great news!

Our background checks were both in our respective mailboxes yesterday afternoon. That's less than one week. Praise God! I know that many of you have been praying specifically about this, thank you. We are trying to schedule another trip to D.C. next week to take care of getting our visa. So, expect a [part iii] sometime next week!

Thailand Benefit Dinner

Wow. I don't know where to begin... Tonight was incredible. So many people poured so much time and energy into making this evening happen. It was beautiful, and I was completely humbled and blown away! Weeks ago, when Pastor Doug mentioned we were going to have an "Italian Benefit Dinner" my first thought was that it would be mass-produced boxed spaghetti and Ragu sauce. Maybe some re-heated meatballs if we were feeling crazy.

What I did not imagine was hand-made pasta, rolled and punched into over 1,200 raviolis, from-scratch sauce, hand-assembled salads and authentic dipping sauce (and dozens of different home-made cakes). Here is the man behind the event... meet Ralph Mattera. He and his wife, Gradye were my Sunday School teachers my senior year of high school. They have such a huge heart for the Lord... you only have to meet them once to know that. He and his team invested hours and hours... and hours and hours preparing and prepping for this evening. What a testimony to his love of the Lord and his love of missions.

Ralph Mattera adding some parmesan to the ravioli. 

My mom (& dessert)! She helped prepare and serve at the dinner.

There were about 360 people who walked through the Fellowship Hall of Spotswood this evening and enjoyed a truly authentic Italian meal, complete with scenery from Italy projected on the wall and an Italian soundtrack. Tonight alone, God raised over $2,200 for our trip to Thailand! That is two months of living in Thailand (each!) or our plane ticket home! So many people gave generously to help support us... I feel truly honored and humbled that God has allowed us to do this, and has placed us in a church with such a heart for missions.

A snapshot from the evening.

This evening could not have happened without the awesome volunteers who came to help-- our college group, friends, relatives and small group showed up in style to help bus tables, wash dishes, engage guests and serve joyfully. God has blessed Claire and I with some incredible friendships. Friends who love the Lord and desire to serve Him and His people. (They've been so faithful to help with so many of our fundraisers, and not just this one, but others such as the Natalie Grant concert this past March!) But here are a few of the folks who stepped up to help this evening:

Tonight was also a neat opportunity for Claire and I to connect with people and have the chance to talk with them about what God is doing in our lives through our church! I am so excited we had this time to show some of our "eternal family" the impact that our God and His church has had on us... and also hear the God-stories of our brothers and sisters.

And, last but not least! We had a special guest this evening... Supot! Supot is our Thai tutor. He came over from Thailand a month or so ago, and has been meeting with us weekly to help us practice our Thai before we leave. Claire blogged about our most recent "Thai tutoring" lesson on her blog (click here to read it!).

Supot and I... posing for a pre-dinner picture!

For everyone who came, supported us, and gave: Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. I am excited for the day you are able to see the impact your life made in Thailand because of the investment you've made in our lives. You have truly loved us not just with "words or speech, but with actions and in truth" (1 John 3:18).
For everyone who served: From Jenn doing all the "paper"-preparation, Jared and publicity, Lauren coordinating volunteers, Candice taking all these awesome pictures, the Matteras overseeing and preparing the food, Bob coordinating the dinner, Doug picking up all the loose ends, planning, and making tonight seamless, to the servers, the hosts and hostesses, and the cheese-sprinklers... (the list goes on and on!) Thank you. 

Support Letters

I have a confession.

I hate writing support letters. There is something incredibly uncomfortable (and awkward) about asking people for money. Am I excited about people knowing what is going on in my life? Absolutely! Do I need people to support me financially and in prayer intentionally over the next year? Yes. So, why is it so hard?

If you've ever tried writing one, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's this balancing act of giving enough information to relay vision, without being so verbose you lose your audience. It's being persuasive, but not pressuring. It's being excited, but remaining clear and focused. It's hard.

I want my friends and family to support me because they are excited about what God is doing in my life, and what He will do in Thailand over the next year through Claire and me. We are an extension of Spotswood (and the global Church) in Thailand. We don't just want to be "sent", we want to be partnered with. We don't just "want your money"-- We want you to be a part of this.

God has already been at work providing in unexpected ways. I have been so humbled by middle school students, friends, adults, co-workers and church-family who have approached me and generously given their money and time towards Thailand. God is a more-than-capable provider.

So, this is me, stepping out on a limb-- and doing something uncomfortable (one of many things, I am sure). I've written, stuffed and stamped my support letters, and the first batch is going out this week!

If you are reading this and would like to receive a support letter... please just comment in the box below (or email me) and I'll make sure you get one.

Thank you for your prayers and your support!

<3, Liz

E-day! [part i]

Today was the big day! E-day. Embassy-day. After days (well, hours at least) of careful preparation, Claire and I each had a neat folder of copious paperwork to present to the Thai Embassy. We had our passports, bonus passport pictures, visa application, letter of recommendation from the BSC, bonus letter from Thongchai about the BSC,  transcripts, a background check done through our church, teaching certification, teaching recommendation letter from our TESOL tutor, TESOL certification, resume, bank statement and cash payment.

After a smooth trip to D.C. (which, in itself is a miracle!) we eventually found ourselves at the Thai embassy. There may have been some detours along the way, but we hit the 9-1:00pm window. Happy as organized little clams, we waited our turn and presented the receptionist with our compilation of paperwork. She was not nearly as proud of it as we were. She hadn't heard of the BSC and wanted a copy of the BSC's registration from the Ministry of Education... And a different background check. After we got home I went on the website referenced to get more information on the Ministry of Education. This is the front page:

[click picture to enlarge]

Needless to say, my Thai tutoring is going no where near this well, so I just closed my browser and we passed the question onto John Lapos-- our awesome POC in Thailand. (But seriously... please look at this picture. What in the world. Graphic designer friends: please apply to work for Thailand)

While we were hoping to get our work visa today, there was so much good that came out of this trip. For starters, my long-lost wallet (a month and a half and counting...) was found! Claire's car had swallowed it in one of our previous adventures, and there it was waiting for me, wedged between the console and passenger's seat. Yay!

Also, the pile of things we had to compile has inspired me to make some kind of "Going to Thailand" spreadsheet for future sojourners. There is a lot to keep track of and multiple time-lines to be aware of. I think that having some kind of master-list would be helpful for people wanting to do this in the future. It's my new project!

 And lastly, it's my Spring Break this week-- and every break needs to be celebrated with some sort of trip. It was nice to not have to work, and to talk about Thailand with, perhaps, one of the only people who isn't bored by my verbose ramblings on the topic. :) 

For those of you who prayed for us, and for today, thank you! I know that God has a plan that is bigger than ours, and that He is always working out circumstances in our lives to maximize His glory. My prayer is that He would continue to give us patience and joy as we persevere in what He has called us to do.

As the Thai would say, "Mai pen rai" (no worries)-- God is still in control!

Stay tuned for the "E-day [part ii]" post in the next 2-4 weeks.

PS: Today marks our "2 mo." mark before D-Day: Departure Day.

TESOL: check!

Check it out. That's a lot of exclamation points! I'm just waiting for Tutor David to grade a couple more assignments and email me my certificate. Today is a happy day. So glad to have this box checked and behind me!

[x] TESOL certification