Good grief...it's been a MONTH already!

Man alive- I can't believe it's been a month since I've written anything...and it's been over that since I got here. Crazy. On some days I'm well aware of how long I've been here, but on other days, I have to wonder where the time goes.
I'm into my third full week of school and the year is off to a good start. I have 16 kids- 8 are Thai and the others come from the US, Korea, Brazil, Malaysia, and Inda. We are having a pretty good time together- each day gets easier as I remember how to pace myself through the day and as they learn the routines that come with being a first grader in my class. I'm excited to have the oppotunity to talk about spiritual things. And I love how even on the days when I may not be super excited to be in Thailand or even to be at my job, I always get fired up when I get to talk with them about Jesus. So that's an encouragement to me- that I'm not conjuring up anything, but Jesus has actually captured my heart in such a way that I just love to talk about him- especially with open-minded six-year-olds who are trying to put together what is real and how the world works.
I thought I would share some pictures with you from a trip just took with my friends Jaime, Catherine and Kristi.


Some trip highlights were foot scrubs and massages- Jaime and I sampled the scrubs before they rubbed it all over our skin.



We went on bike rides around the countryside (see the picture at the top), and we sat and ate delicious Thai food and read and talked for hours on end. Not a bad way to spend a weekend. I felt super rested and thankful at the end of our time there. What a treat.
In other news, my friends Amy and James are getting married on September 22 here in Bangkok! Hip hip hooray! They were the 2 I traveled to Vietnam with last Thanksgiving break and they've looked out for us over the last year and have kind of taken me under their wing. Another upcoming wedding is for my best friend Noelle! They are getting married on January 5, so I'll be in Colorado and able to attend. I'm fired up- it's always such a gift to see quality people ending up together.
I guess that's it. I hope to get these pictures added soon, so check back within the next day or so. Until then, keep heart, and thanks for reading!