thoughts from a loved one

Vacation with Dani

2009-02-16T15:02:00.000-08:00

STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION- PHOTOS TO COME SHORTLY

The last thing that might be super interesting to share with you all was when Danielle came to visit. We split our time between Northern and Southern Thailand. That means we got to go to cooking school,

backpacking,

rent motorcycles and zip around the hills, see beautiful jungles and flower gardens, and get super cheap Thai massages. Lots of them. Then down south we got to ride motorcycles (again- we really liked that part of vacation ☺), snorkel, read, talk, go for runs and walks on the beach, and be wowed and wooed by our God. One of the sweetest times was when Danielle and I each chose to spend time in quiet with God, just asking him to speak and seeing what he would have to say. He led me through three very strategic passages- Esther, 1-2, Nehemiah 1-5, and 1 Corinthians 6 that reminded me of the God-mandate that he was setting forth regarding how I take care of my body with food and exercise. It was a mercy to have him speak to an area of my life in which I had desired breakthrough for so long, but seemed totally unable to manufacture on my own.

Another fantastic aspect of this vacation was all of the incredible time I had with Danielle. She is truly breathtaking, and it was a delight to get to enjoy her for two whole weeks in one of the most delightful countries in the whole world. We laughed, cried, were quiet sometimes, talked, did our own thing sometimes, and shared a lot of experiences together. She is a fantastic travel companion for whom I am well-suited. Time with her was such a gift.

Since she’s left, I’ve been back to the grind at school, but it really hasn’t felt like that. I’ve had an overwhelming sense of thankfulness for what I get to be a part of. It is an amazing privilege to be a Christ-follower in the lives of these little ones, and to continue to volunteer for Nightlight and hope on behalf of those for whom there seems to be such little hope. You can pray alongside of me for breakthrough in ministry, particularly towards women who

A crown of beauty

2008-11-21T20:39:00.001-08:00

Isn't she beautiful? A woman at rest who has come to know the heart of God- what is really means to be forgiven much, and so she loves much. This is a woman who works for an Nightlight here in Bangkok. She and all the other ladies who work for Nightlight got to go on a retreat to the beach in which they encountered the heart of God in a way that led to what sounded like an amazing time of worship. My friend Annie who runs Nightlight told me about it- it sounded like one of the more beautiful times of enjoying the heart of God that I've ever heard of. This woman and many like her used to have a job that robbed her of her humanity, but that life isn't what defines her anymore. She is the Beloved- a beautiful woman, adopted into the family of God- a princess. Even on the days when I don't feel super thankful for what I get to be a part of here, I know that there IS much to be thankful for. I get to be a part of God's plan for people. That is awesome. I pray that many more would come to know the beauty and lightness of heart of the lady in this picture:

Come and move, Lord Jesus. Set the captives free. Invite them to know and love you. In your name I pray, Jesus. Amen.

Lots of life

2008-11-08T17:32:00.000-08:00

Man- I keep saying I'll do better at keeping up with this blog but never do. It's amazing to me for those of you who still read, even despite my neglect in posting regularly. The other bummer is I didn't take a camera to Uganda, and I haven't received electronic copies of the pictures Rob and Jules yet, so I don't yet have any photographs to share with you. Feel free to look on facebook though- there are pictures posted there. Enough already- I'll quit apologizing and start writing.

A lot of life has happened since I last wrote. I have returned to Bangkok for my third school year of teaching at International Community School, I have completed another course (statistics) in my master's program (professional counseling) and am in process of a new course now (Ethnicity in Counseling- SUPER interesting). Perhaps most interestingly, I got to be with Rob and Jules (my brother and his wife) for almost a month in October. It was fantastic. One of the best months I've ever had. My heart is still reeling a bit from all I saw and experienced with them, and what is was like to have them here. I loved getting to share this beautiful country with them, and the people and places I've come to enjoy so much.

I loved seeing their delight in the amazing aspects of life here like the food- delicious snacks you can buy on the street, amazing fruits and vegetables, and cheap and incredibly flavorful meals. I loved watching Rob teach my students about avalanches- these are kids who many of them have never seen snow- and then letting them play with his avalanche beacons and simulating "rescues" by hiding the beacons in the kids backpacks and allowing them to go look for it. I loved getting to ride public transportation with them and hear them share their thoughts about how quickly you sunburn here and how kind Thai people are. It was a gift to feel more understood by them in the difficult aspects of life here like seeing and being disgusted by some of the exploitive relationships of wealthy foreigners with young beautiful Thai girls. It was just a gift to have them here on so many levels.

Being around them reminded me just how good it feels to get to be around and share life with family. I am still figuring out what to do with that thought regarding next year- if I should stay here and teach for another year or return to the US to do more focused graduate study and get to be near family and my home. Being around family sure feels good.

The climax of our time together was traveling Uganda together on a mission trip with their church. We got to go see where and how God is at work in Kampala and Nansana, Uganda, through an organization called Come Let's Dance. It was breathtaking to see how God is at work and to have my heart captured by and broken for a whole new group of people.

Africa has long in my mind this huge problem that I know is there but I don't really want to do anything about. I realize that I don't really have any sense for how huge the problem is and I feel grossly inadequate to make any significant and lasting change, and so I just don't want to even think about it. It's like the checking account that becomes such a mess that you just want to forget it's there....or the junk drawer/closet/room that you have neglected too long and don't want to deal with. That was Africa to me- this desert that keeps getting water poured into it in the form of finances and manpower, but remains a desert because it's not capable of retaining resources it receives. So I was nervous to go see this mess of a checkbook or closet that is the second-biggest continent, full of beautiful people plagued by malnutrition, HIV, and what I perceived to be inescapable poverty. So my heart was incredibly thankful to see that God IS at work there- that change IS happening- that the Kingdom IS advancing.

I think my favorite thing I got to see was the children's home that was started by Ugandans and is now housing 31 beautiful little people who get to have tastes of what the Kingdom is really like- what the abundant life for which we are intended is really all about. The long-term missionaries planned a dance party for us with the kids. It was absolutely incredible. We showed up at the kids' home and were greeted by hugs and were invited to dance...by the kids! Music was playing and this beautiful little girl with a bright blue dress grabbed my hands and we danced barefoot in the grass- she was my new friend for the evening- little Patricia. Here is a picture of me dancing with her older sister, Sophia.

She fell asleep on me as I held her, which is perhaps one of the most magical things I have ever experienced. She latched onto me, hungry for touch and to be held. It was beautiful, and hauntingly uncomfortable. I just swooped into her life for one night. After we left, she would have to share adult attention with the other 30 kids at the home. It was one of the first moments I can remember that I ached to be a parent- to have a loving, warm and safe home I could invite this little one into. I found out later that Patricia's mom is still alive and that the goal is to reconcile this woman with her children- Patricia had 2 other sisters also at the children's home. It was a beautiful gift to behold, but also heartbreaking...to have malnutrition, poor healthy care, and neglect have a face and a body that grips onto you and doesn't want to let go. Man. Powerful. Beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time.

I also loved hearing amazing stories about empowerment that is happening through micro-lending in one of the slums there in Kampala. Come Let's Dance loans a woman around $70 to start a business that can be sustained in her community- perhaps making samosas or selling charcoal. She pays that money back, and then that capital is loaned to a new woman so the cycle can continue. It is initiated and administered by Ugandans who live in the slums, which is also awesome- to know that resources are going to those who are known by locals to be hard workers and are promising investments. It was awesome to see low-budget, self-sustaining, empowering aid at work. What a gift.

Another super cool part of the trip was a worship night featuring some of the most prominent worship artists in Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya. The evening itself was powerful and I really feel like it gave me a new vision for the delight and joy of God- how he loves to celebrate and dance- to live whole-heartedly. I think I have much to learn from the Ugandans in that regard.

A final thought on Uganda is what a gift it was to see Rob and Jules in that place.

They are champs. They loved and served whole-heartedly. Tears came quickly for all of us that week, which was beautiful. I felt honored to get to experience that beautiful culture with them. It was such a gift to get to meet their community they get to enjoy in Steamboat. I kind of feel grafted into that family. It's beautiful. :) I also got to meet one of the more amazing groups of missionaries I’ve ever met- the folks who work for Come Let’s Dance and love and serve God whole-heartedly and with gumption in that place. It was awesome to watch.

It's been interesting to be back in Bangkok coming off of two sort of spiritual high experiences- a mission trip to a new land and then a month with family. I've felt a bit discouraged about life in Thailand since Rob and Jules left- missing family, feeling like spiritual hunger is not present here in the same way it is in Uganda (which I know isn't true; it's just what feels true sometimes). It's also been a bit of a drag to get back to normal life without family. I struggle to think about whether to stay here another year in light of these questions and struggles. Those of you who are praying folks can pray about that with me if you're so inclined. The good news, though, is that God's kindness is still near and real. His love can fill and complete me as nothing else can, even when loneliness and heartache are the state of affairs. I was reminded of that this morning when I awoke to a beautiful sunrise and spent time in scripture and worship. So yeah. I continue to hope and to press on in this place I know he has called me to for this season- heart checked in and present. Here we go.

From April to July- my oh my. :)

2008-07-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

Good grief- the last time I wrote anything was April. The days tick on and I am now nearing the end of July- almost time to head back to Bangkok for year number three! Crazy! I guess before all of that starts, I'll share a bit of what the last 4 months or so have entailed.

April and May brought the end of another school year. I celebrated the end of the year with good friends and had to say goodbye to a few especially dear ones...namely Jaime, the girl who came over to Thailand with me 2 years ago. It was a time of realizing just how super thankful I am for the family God has entrusted to me in Thailand.

This summer has been a flurry of driving all over Colorado (the best state in the Union :) to connect with dear family and friends. The busyness has been interrupted by sweet and tender moments and conversations with people I love so much, along with dear times I have been able to spend with God.

One of the highlights was going backpacking for 4 days in Never Summer Wilderness with my friend Jenn.

God knocked my socks off with gift after gift, especially designed just for me. I went on a day hike one day with the hopes of seeing fields full of columbines (purple-ish blue flowers) and indian paintbrush (red flowers). I had remembered a particular basin nestled between two huge mountains that was full of such flowers 2 years before, so I set off in hopes of finding the beautiful treasures once again. I found the fields of flowers, but was a bit disappointed to find yellow and white flowers instead of the purple and red ones for which I had hoped. But upon closer examination, I realized that the white and yellow flowers were daisies, which are my favorite flower!

It was a beautiful picture of how God's provisions for me aren't always what I would hope for or quite what I expect, but they are good and beautiful- and uniquely chosen just for me, often in ways more beautiful than I could have ever dreamed of on my own.

I also loved all the time we had just to rest and enjoy the sun setting over the water, and quiet stillness that let my heart rise and allowed me to connect with HIS heart in ways more deep and beautiful than I even knew to hope for. It was a sweet gift.

So yeah- that's a bit of what this summer has been like. I'm excited to return to Thailand for another great year, getting to be a part of his plan for that part of the world. I feel refreshed and ready to go, excited to see what other sweet presents lie in wait for me to discover.

Great Spring break trip

2008-04-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

“Indcredible India” was plastered all over the airport and all the tourism brochures and travel agencies I saw as I entered India. Before I left the airport full of brown faces I wondered what I had gotten into, and I had no idea that I would discover how incredibly complex, confusing, overwhelming, diverse, and beautiful India really is.

I stepped out into air that was much cooler than I had left in Thailand- the dry heat there gives the air a chance to cool down when the sun leaves each night. That was a welcome change to the sticky heat that has become normal in Thailand, especially during hot season right now. We got into a taxi cab that looked like it belonged in the UK and headed into crazy traffic full of honking horns, cows, and people everywhere.

Seiks wearing turbans, Muslims wearing clothes that remind me of men’s pajamas, and women wearing beautiful sauris- bright, confident, vibrant colors garnished with flashy bling detail.

Smells on the street in India are as diverse as the people. Smells of sweet and spicy chai followed by fried bread that reminded of my grandma’s doughnuts were interrupted by the smells of diesel, urine, body odor, and dust. My senses were overwhelmed for much of the week.

I traveled there with Kristi and Catherine, 2 colleagues of mine at the school where I teach.

Kristi had a friend named Sarah who lives in Delhi and served as an incredible hostess to us during our time there. She and her roommate Susie warmly welcomed us into their home and shared with us what they had learned of India and it’s people. I learned a bit about arranged marriages, the caste system, and the different religions that have significant numbers of followers in India. As I listened I learned how thankful I am that I was not born as a female in India. Women are traditionally viewed as property there, owned either by their father or their husband. Certainly not all Indians think this way, but many do. Many women are beaten there, and statisticians suspect that far more are beaten than there are cases that are reported. God certainly has blessed me by being born a female in the US- a country where I am able and even encouraged to get a college education and to advocate for myself. What a gift.

So anyway, we stayed in Delhi for 4 days and got to explore that city a bit and the neighboring city of Agra, home to the Taj Mahal. The drive to the Taj was incredible in itself. Our cab shared the four-lane highway with camels pulling carts loaded with stacks of hay 15 feet high; with cows, goats, numerous rickshaws, bikes, and women walking, carrying huge bundles of unknown stuff on their heads. Wild. Then we got the to Taj and it was just as beautiful and impressive as I would have imagined. We just sat and looked at it for a long time. It is perfectly designed- totally symmetrical, and you can enjoy that from many different vantage points- through different corridors and doorways surrounding the actual structure. It was amazing. I’m so thankful I got to see it.

Then we headed Northeast to Nagaland, a Northeastern State of India that is not very similar at all in culture to the rest of India. The Naga people look more Mongolian or Chinese with beautiful almond-shaped eyes and lighter skin. It is an amazing place with an even more amazing story. The Naga people were head hunters about 150 years ago, then a few missionaries showed up, and through them, God loved a whole group of people into relationship with Him. Nagaland is now considered a Christian state, with approximately 90% of the people claiming to be Christians. Though many of the Nagas are Christian only in name rather than having a personal relationship with Christ, it was truly a gift to see what the God can do through the lives of a few Christ followers who obey his call to offer hope to the lost.

My Naga friend named Asha was an incredible hostess to us during our time there. She showed us around Dimapur, the commercial city in Nagaland, and then she took us to her homotown of Kohima, which reminded me of cities I’ve seen in Nepal- houses nestled high on hills, supported by stilts and stacked on top of each other. I ate naga food- rice amnd different kinds of stewed meats and vegetables- with my hands Naga/Indian style ☺ with Asha’s beautiful family. What a gift.

I also got to meet the women Asha works with and serves in Dimapur. They are women left to work as prostitutes, unable to find any other work in a city that doesn’t have enough jobs of all of its inhabitants. They are beautiful women who are having their dignity restored to them by getting to make greeting cards, aprons, and oven mitts.

There is a doctor and a counselor who come and volunteer their services to these women, and each Friday Asha facilitates a time of fellowship for the women to come and gather. They pray together, worship, and share their hearts and needs with one another. It was amazing for me to get to go and see this group of women whose needs are so great and to know that I am in a position to help them. Certainly working as a teacher on my salary, there are many who have more than I, but I am far wealthier than many of these women could ever hope to be. I was made aware of the responsibility I have to meet these women’s needs as I am able and to offer these opportunities to those around me as well.

Travel in India was pretty interesting. We often used these things called autos- big three-wheeled vehichles that have room for 3 small sized people to sit in the back seat and one driver in the front.

We also took taxis, planes and trains. Our train ride is the backdrop for one of the coolest stories I get to tell about God’s perfect provision for his daughters on this trip.

After standing in line and being cut in front of and edged out of the way for about an hour, I finally got to talk to the Indian woman behind plate glass who shouted at me that it was not possible to get air-conditioned seats, that the only things available were in the general class. Well I’m not about snobbery and normally this would be fine, but every travel book and seasoned traveler we consulted strongly discouraged getting general seating on the train, telling us that chances of theft were quite high and sitting quarters were quite close and could be commandeered by aggressive fellow travelers. Needless to say, my heart sunk as I heard that all we could get were the tickets in the general seating area. She told me to go to the ticketing office of the platform to see about getting a seat on the air conditioned train car that had beds. So there I headed, to meet one of the kindest Indian men I have ever encountered- bright white smile against his beautiful brown skin, kind eyes, and starched white uniform. He said he would do what he could to get us a safer and more desirable seat, and advocate he did. When the train finally arrived, he elbowed his way up to the conductor of the train- the guy with a huge printout of all the passengers. Sure enough, he got us 3 beds on the train, and we took off for our next destination.

I think that was one of the coolest pictures of God's nearness to us- how he saw and cared for our situation and advocated for us. It really was something else.

So I guess that's it. Such a gift to go, such a gift to be back in Thailand. Once again, who the heck gets to live like this??

Happy Easter, indeed.

2008-03-22T05:41:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've last written...and it seems like I'm saying that on just about every post...but it's been a very thick and busy several weeks. It's been good, though- I've enjoyed the Lenten season and feel like God has invited me to press even more deeply into his heart. I've accepted the invitation and it has been good. Really good.

Last weekend I went to my first ever Thai wedding which was a really interesting experience. It was a Thai woman marrying an American man (family friend) and I was the only white female at the wedding. There were several other white guys there with their Thai wives, but that was about it. I felt a bit out of place, but it was an interesting cultural experience, and I hope the best for the couple that got married. Their names are Richard and Nid.

Then this weekend I got to go to a small village near the Burmese border. I actually got to go right up to the border and into the "noman's land" between Thailand and Burma. I was in no danger at all, but I took a picture pretending that I was doing something edgy and cool.

I really went on this trip in order to meet a kid I sponsor through Vision Trust. (Which, by the way, is a fantastic organization. I highly recommend it, especially after seeing their work in action this weekend.) I got to meet 10-year-old Somchat, a Burmese refugee whose dad was partially paralyzed due to a work accident- he was 2 stories up working with electricity, got shocked, and fell to the ground. Somchat's mom left after her husband was paralyzed. So this kid is now living in a children's home where he can get the care that he needs, and I got to go and meet him! I was a little nervous, as this is kind of a weird situation to meet someone who I've only sent a few letters to, whose language I didn't speak, who is obviously different from me in so many ways- age, culture, income, experience, family. I brought him some presents to break the ice- Lego, construction paper, scissors and glue. I found out when I was there that his favorite subject in school is art! How great is that!! He was really good at playing with the Legos- he seems very quick and strong in spatial orientation and putting things together. I felt so thankful and humbled to get to be a part of this kid's life- to get to pray for him and pay for him to go to school and get to hear about God and life and hope, and to open doors of opportunity for him that would otherwise be closed.

Here is us playing with the Legos I brought to him.

The night before I went to meet him, I was listening to a worship song that talked about seeing God's face, and how it is beautiful. And then that night I got to see beautiful Somchat's face- beautiful brown skin, big black eyes, crew cut hair, bright white smile. I remembered the verse that says whatever we do for the least of people we do for Jesus. And I realized that I was getting to behold a reflection of God's beauty in seeing Somchat's face. Incredible. Absolutely incredible.

While I was in the village I also got to meet the local community of believers there and actually attend a very small and simple wedding in the home of one of the local believers. It was beautiful- just two people who were promising their lives to God and one another surrounded by a group of people who cared for them...as well as weirdos like me who were just along for the ride. :) All had fled Burma due to the miserable life they had there. I saw blind and disabled people sitting around this room who were quiet and subdued. I wondered if Burmese are quiet by nature or if things would have been different for them had they not lived in such a fearful and oppressed country for so long. I don't know. All I know is that they were beautiful, beautiful people. They loved each other well, they prayed with reverence and authenticity. They all loved the little children running around the room and smiled warmly when you would look at them. I am privileged to have encountered this group of Christ followers. This trip really felt like one of the coolest Easter presents God could have given to me. I got to meet this amazing group of people who I couldn't understand and who couldn't understand me, but I got to sit in their presence and hear stories from my friends about how God has worked in the people's lives there. I got to see the beautiful face of God in the Burmese people- these ones who have come to know Christ's fellowship of sufferings in a way that I can't even imagine. What a gift. I'm so thankful to have experienced it. What a great way to spend Easter weekend. And tomorrow I'm going to church with dear friends, the little community to which God has entrusted to me here. I'm excited. Happy Easter, indeed.

2008-02-09T17:24:00.000-08:00

So it's been a good month or so of being back in Thailand. I have re-acclimated pretty well- I sure enjoyed the snow and cold in Colorado, but running in a tank top and shorts in January is nice too. :) So I'm thankful to be back. It was good to see my friends again after the break, which was a nice thing to realize- that this really is becoming a place where I'm living well.

In school over the last month, we had a Noah's ark themed field day and a 100th day of school party where we all dressed like we were 100 years in the future. Here are some photos for you: We have an alligator, a tiger and Noah in the first picture, and part of my class dressed in future gear in the second.

I've had a really thick weekend that got me thinking about some pretty big stuff. On Friday night I went to visit the bars and a hotel where lots of women from Uzbekistan prostitute themselves. In the bar where Thai women dance in hopes to get a guy to take them home, the bar was absolutely packed full. Normally it is full of guys who you aren't surprised to see there- guys who might have a tough time getting a date in their home country. Not this time, though. The bar was full of good looking 20 and 30 somethings- guys who I might see in church or working at my school or in an office. I was frustrated to see these guys flocking to see these women who needed their money more than wanted their comapnionship. I thought about how there aren't really strip club equivalents for females. I was puzzled and troubled by this seemily world-wide epidemic of men who are getting their needs met in this way...and how many single females fill our churches. I'm not saying I want to end up with a guy who goes to these bars. What i am saying is that I want these men to be honest about their longing to be a man and to discover the true source of where masculinity can be bestowed- from the Father God who created these men and whose heart breaks as he sees them settle for so much less than what he intended for them.

We then went to the hotel that has a restaurant full of Uzbek women, scantily clad and hopeful to work enough to pay back their pimps and have some money leftover to send home. I approached 2 women and tried talking with them- I found out that thye had arrived only 2 days ago. One started talking on her cell phone and the other asked me to not talk with her. I was totally embarrassed and felt rejected and hurt- like a middle school kid in the cafeteria, hoping to not be turned down and failing miserably. My heart being tender anyway, I looked around at all the middle eastern men who were there looking for a good time and was sickened and repulsed by what I saw. I couldn't hold it together as I felt hot tears surge to the surface. My friend Kadie took me to the bathroom, let me cry, and prayed for me. I went home sad that night and woke up sad the next morning. I wondered if I really needed to keep doing this- clearly my heart is tender and affected by the atrocities I see every time I go. But I was reminded of the fact that just because I stop going doesn't mean this stops happening. And since I don't feel released from what God has asked me to do, I keep going, hopeful for breakthrough and that God would lead me to women who are hungry for more than what they are experiencing in these places.

But the really beautiful thing is what happened the next day. I felt prompted to start reading "These Strange Ashes", an autobiographical book by Elisabeth Elliot describing her time as a missioinary in Ecuador. One verse that was particularly powerful to her is found in Isaiah 50:7- "Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame." I found great comfort in reading the story of someone older and wiser than I who has also lived in a dark place and found comfort not from burying or killing her heart, but in trusting in her God and his heart towards her- being confident of what he has asked her to do and to keep going. Such good words. Needed words.

And then on a more fun and light-hearted note, I got to go on a super-fun bicycle tour of Bangkok.

It was called the jungle tour because they took us to this pretty undeveloped part of the city and we got to ride our bikes around for hours, seeing beautiful plants and hear the sounds of jungle-ish sounding birds. What a gift- to be reminded that heartache and brokenness is part of the world, but beauty and redemption are part of it, too. I want to camp out there- to have my eyes open tot he sweet gifts God wants to bring to me, and to wait for them expectantly.

So those are some of the most recent happenings here in my neighborhood. I hope you all are doing well!

Who the heck gets to live like this?

2008-01-11T21:43:00.000-08:00

Three days I returned from one incredible gift of a vacation. I got to spend 15 days with dear family and friends in my favorite place in the world: Colorado. God gave me eyes to see just how good I have it when I was putting on my ski goggles and then remembered a month before when I was putting on snorkeling goggles, getting ready to behold the treasures of the Andeman Sea. Who the heck gets to live like this, I thought?
My heart is still overflowing with thankfulness as I recount all the sweet gifts I got to enjoy with my family. Sitting around a cozy cabin in Brek and playing Scrabble with my mom and Darlene, seeing my breath and frozen perfect little snow flakes after not having seen such wonders for 2 years, and zipping down the slopes with my whole family are some of the highlights of my first bit of time in the US. Another fun memory is my first time going off of a fun box in the terrain park at Copper Mountain. Good grief…what I will do when prodded by my brother…
After skiing, our family headed to Oak Creek for Christmas in Rob and Jules’ community. It was such a gift to wake up and shout Christmas carols with my sisters and then go to Rob and Jules’ home for present opening. An ordinary event became magical as I got to sit with my family and watch them open presents rather than talk with them on the phone and imagine them opening presents without me. What a gift to be with the fam at Christmastime. Perhaps my favorite part of the day was when Rob took us for a ride in the ski cat- a gargantuan piece of machinery that plowed through huge drifts of snow and over creek beds long lost under feet of snow. I was so proud to see Rob in action, knowing how to drive and fix these machines. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen trees so heavily laden with snow. We went up Buffalo Pass just outside of Steamboat after a huge storm, and it was ridiculous to see more white than green surrounding us. Incredible. One fun part of my time in Oak Creek was getting to see Oscar, Rob and Jules’ adopted outside kitty-cat. He sure is cute. Here’s a picture for you to enjoy.

The rest of my time at home was spent in Monument. I was so blessed to spend time with a few dear hearts who I love so much- God used this time to sort of re-ground me in reality- reminding me of who I am and what my life is about and what is true. A morning of worship in Vanguard Church and conversations with the folks who knew me best were incredible tools God used to just remind me of who I am and what I want my life to be about. It was powerful.
And the climactic ending of my time there was watching my dear friend of 15 years, Noelle Nygren, become Noelle Goodlin. It was a sweet few days of celebrating Noelle and the significance of her life. Truly it is a significant one. My heart was so full of thankfulness as I thought of the years and memories I’ve shared with Noelle. Who the heck gets to have a friend like that, I kept asking myself. I guess someone who God loves so deeply and wants to bless through people like Noelle Goodlin.
So it was a great time at home and now it’s back to the grind in Bangkok. (What?? Once again, who the heck gets to say that??) My head hit the pillow at 4 am on Wednesday, only to get up off the pillow at 6:30 am in order to work at 7. It’s been a thick couple of days, experience post-vacation let-down a little bit and missing folks at home, but the truth remains that there is so much I have to be thankful for. So I’m doing my best to just enjoy and swim around in THAT reality- that God has given me so many presents and there is so much for which to be thankful.
I went on outreach with Nightlight last night and met 3 new women for whom I now have great hope that life will be different. Nareeva, Osonna, and Om are 3 beautiful women having to do to dehumanizing work. I hope on their behalf that 2008 will be a year of radical life change and redemption. Hope and pray with me on behalf of these women. And if you’d like to give to an organization that is working every day on behalf of thousands of women like them, check out Nightlight’s website. It really is a remarkable organization that I’m so humbled to be a part of.

Livin the dream

2007-12-03T05:20:00.000-08:00

I struggle to share what this weekend was like without sounding spoiled. I seriously feel that way...like I have a heavenly Father who just lavishes gifts upon me that I don't deserve. So I share this stuff humbly, not wanting to sound like, "Look at how cool I am and how interesting my life is," but more like, "Man...who is this God who takes such good care of me and graces me with presents more wild and beautiful than I could ever concont on my own?"

So this last weekend I went to Cambodia with my friend Kamyee to run a half-marathon at Angkor, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.

On our taxi ride to the town where the ancient ruins are, we shared the road with lots of bicycles, motorcycles with 3 or 4 passengers, even a few ox carts. We were greeted in Siem Reap with beautiful French architecture and delightful cafes. Outside of our guesthouse was an amputee who was selling pirated (photocopied) books trying to make money off the tourists. That was one of the sickening parts of the weekend that I continue to be puzzled and a little bit sad about...how someone like me gets to enjoy a delightful weekend in this beautiful country and enjoy looking at the rice paddies and palm trees, while others who live in Cambodia have had limbs blown off walking through those same fields that I think are so beautiful. I don't know how to reconcile the unfairness of this- how I got to be born in the USA and earn a degree and have all sorts of choices about the job I wanted to have, and this guy is left to sell books to tourists who make more money in a year than what he might see in his whole life. So that was certainly a toughie to chew on when i was there and it continues to trouble my heart as I think about it.

THankfully, though, that wasn't the only overarching theme of the weekend. I was blown away by God's extravagence and beautify throughout the weekend. We rode our bike through the ruins (acutally, we rode on a road that travels from ruin to ruin- about a 10 mile loop). On our ride we got hissed at by a monkey, we saw elephants giving rides to tourists, and I saw huge trees actually growing over ancient ruins.

I saw beautiful Cambodian children who captured my heart in a way that is different than any other people group has effected me. They are BEAUTIFUL. Big smiles, kind eyes, and seemingly sincere. I loved seeing them. And when we ran the half marathon, they stood along the race route, excitedly giving us high fives and encouraging us with the few English phrases they knew. What a sweet gift to run a race in the cool of the morning, through the jungle (on a paved road) among incredible ancient structures.

Who the heck am I that I get to do this stuff?

I enjoyed great conversation all weekend with my dear friend Kamyee. She is fast becoming one of my favorite people here, and she is a delightful travel companion. we made good decisions together and were both up for adventure. When listing our possible options for getting from the airport to the town where the race was (about a 4 hour trip), I suggested the possibility of renting motorcycles to drive ourselves up there. Kamyee paused and cocked her head, giving thoughtful consideration to my suggestion. I later told her that I loved how she even considered driving a motorcycle for 4 hours in Cambodia. She told me that she loved that I even suggested it. :) So yeah- you get the idea of what a fun-loving, down-for-adventure kind of girl Kamyee is. I sure love her.

So I guess that's it. Thanks to those of you who were praying for us. We were totally safe and had an incredible time. Except for being a little chaffed and soar from the race, I'm in good shape and am ready to push hard through these last 11 school days I have. Hip hip hooray! I'll be in the white and fluffy stuff (if Colorado gets any, that is) before i know it. :)

Who's your favorite tour guide in Southeast Asia?

2007-11-24T08:27:00.000-08:00

I asked my parents this question on our way back from beautiful Railay Beach and of course the uncontensted answer was me. Even though I'm the only tour guide they've ever had in Southeast Asia... :) None the less, we had a great time riding elephants and tuk tuks (large motorized tricycles that zoom and pollute the streets of Bangkok), marveling at orchids and jutting cliffs that shoot up from emerald and azure water. I've been super encouraged by good conversations with my parents and feel very blessed in general to be able to enjoy their company this week. What a gift. Here are some photos to capture some of the sweetest moments of the trip:

In Chiang Mai (the second largest city in Thailand), one of the highlights was getting to ride the elephants. I don't know what was more fun- seeing how much my parents enjoyed riding the elephant, or getting to ride on the neck of an elephant. I'd always wanted to do that but hadn't gotten to on my last 2 elephant riding trips...my guide wasn't as friendly on the other 2 trips, I guess. But I lucked out this time and got to ride on his neck instead of the little cart thingie! They are super rough with prickly hairs, and they lumber side to side and he would always put his trunk back in the hopes of getting another banana. What amazing creatures.

This is Mom, Dad and me in a Tuk Tuk. On this day wee got to see the Grand Palace (kind of like Thailand's White House) as well as my favorite park, Lumpini Park. Dad came up with the great idea of riding a tuk tuk, which really is a great idea...the pollution and noise just got a little old after the frist 20 minutes or so of the ride. Still, it was a totally Thai thing to do- I'm glad Dad suggested it. :)

This was one of the super beautiful caves we got to see at one of the beaches near Krabi. It is world-renowned for it's incredible rock formations and attracts climbers from all over the place who want to climb these amazing rocks near this beautiful water. What a gift to get to see this stuff, huh?

And here is one of the most beautiful women I know in one of the prettiest places I've yet seen. I so enjoyed conversations with mom and dad and getting to share this beautiful place with them.

I should say that another highlight was getting to take them to school with me for a day. Dad gave a killer lesson on tools (we were talking about the tools the pilgrims used, so Dad got to share with them what tools we use today) and Mom helped them make the cute apple turkey/marshmellow craft that most of us probably made in elementary school. It was a super fun day. I love that they got to meet my students and colleagues and see where I work. They took pictures of this day and I'll try and load some onto the blog as soon as she sends me a disk.

As for now, that it all. Happy Loi Kratong to you all- it is the Thai festival of lights and they are playing crazy loud music outside my room right now which is why I'm writing this instead of sleeping. :) But I'm off to bed now. Thanks for reading!

2007-11-13T22:22:00.000-08:00

So we did it! My first international 10K race! Kamyee and I finished along with our friend Kristin. We were sweaty and a little chaffed by the time it was done, but we had a great time. It was a neat (and sort of confusing) experience to do something like this in a place where you can't understand a lot of what is going on. We found out that the women had a different starting line from the men, and we all just sort of blobbed together at the start line- there weren't any waves or anything. We all just counted to 3 and then started running- no gun shots or anything official to get us started, just a runner-led countdown. It was a neat experience- I'm thankful I did it.

Kamyee and I decided to run in a half-marathon in Cambodia in about 3 weeks! I'm feeling a bit under the weather right now, so feel free to pray that I'll be fully recovered and ready to go by December 2. It's at Angkor Wat, one of the 7 wonders of the world- I guess it's this set of ancient ruins that is miles and miles long. We will be running around it, I guess. I'm excited!

In other news, I had a killer birthday. I enjoyed a delightful meal and concert with my friends. God took good care of me- I felt crazy loved and remembered by my friends. Here is a picture of Kristie and me, one of my new dear friends I've made over here.

And the marine corps ball the weekend after my birthday went really well. I got to hear my first ever Asian Elvis Impersonator. :) It was a delightful evening where I felt really elegant and beautiful. The food was incredible, I used like 8 pieces of silverware for dinner, and dancing afterwards was a ton of fun. It was just a great celebration. Here's a picture of Elvis and me.

International night, my new friends, and musings on this year

2007-10-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

So this is a picture of me in my Phylis halloween outfit- a bunch of us decided to dress up as characters from the TV show The Office. It was pretty funny to see everyone dressed up as such kooky characters. I sure am thankful to have friends here who like to be silly and have fun.

One of those friends and I get to do a 10K (about 6 miles) race tomorrow here in Bangkok! I'm so excited! We've been training and are fired up to get to run through one of the prettiest parts of Bangkok- the old part, right by the palace, the river, and lots of beautiful government buildings. This is a picture of Kamyee and me.

She is a delight. She has a husband named Steve and a beautiful little girl named Noelle and has become one of the people I'm most thankful for this year. We run together most Saturday mornings and she comes to Nightlight with me sometimes on Friday nights. God is just so kind to me in giving me folks like Kamyee.

A couple of weeks ago our school had international night. This is where the kids get to dress up in costumes from their home countries and do songs or dances to teach us about their cultures. One of my favories was getting to see my Indian students dance for us. These little guys to my right are 2 super bright and just delightful kids. I'm so thankful to get to be their teacher and to walk with them as they are figuring out how the world works and what believe is true.

One more big upcoming event is my birthday! Hooray!! I'm turning the big 3-0 this year and am feeling pretty good about it. I am confident that I am living in God's absolute best for me here, so that feels good. It would NOT feel good to be turning 30 in Thailand if I were not confident of that, you know? So how kind of God to cement that in my mind- that his abundant life is available to me here and now, and that loving others on behalf of Jesus will ALWAYS be the best and most satisfying thing I can do with my life.

So here's the killer line-up God has prepared for me for this big-deal milestone of my 30th birthday celebration: James Galway, a world-renowned flute player, is playing with the Bangkok Symphony-Orchestera on my birthday! I play the flute, so it seemed like such a cool and personal gift that I would get to go out for an elegant evening with 7 of my girlfriends to listen to beautiful music on my big day. Then this next weekend, I'm going to a ball with a friend of mine named Julio I met salsa dancing. I got a beautiful red dress made in order to go to the marine corps ball. I'm excited! I guess it's a big deal diplomatic sort of affair. More than excitement about the actual dance is the message God is speaking to me through it- that I am beautiful and desirable even as I pass this milestone in life that many believe makes a woman less attractive. But God seems to be screaming to me that this is NOT true- that I am beautiful to him and to others. He sure is kind to me.

I haven't written as much this year in the ol' blog, perhaps because life here is becoming more normal. I still have eyes to see stuff around me as different- things like roosters that hang out by the motorcycle taxi drivers who are waiting for customers...or seeing people sell golf balls on the side of the road...or seeing an elephant on the same road as a prostitue and a missionary and a sunburned tourist. So I still see those things and shake my head at the wonder of being here in this land that seems so strange to me, but I guess I've become more used to seeing this stuff so it doesn't shock me so much anymore.

But I've been doing some thinking about what my time has been like here this year as compared to last year, and this is what I'm coming up with. Last year was about learning to love different people in a broad sense- the IDEA of loving the downtrodden, the privileged, the men I see in strip clubs. This year has been about coming to love them personally. I have befriended a man who has visited the bars as a customer. I was disgusted to find this out initially, but sensed what God was asking me to do was to love him in the middle of his messyness- to not run away and ditch him, leaving him to figure out for himself why he is loney and dissatisfied, but to point him to Jesus and tell him about how he can be loved perfectly by the God who came to earth 2000 years ago and continues to pursue his heart today. I'm learning to love my button-pushing students in whole new beautiful ways- to see them as the complex and intelligent beings that they are and to engage them and treat them with respect accordingly. I'm getting to take flowers to prostitutes on their birthdays. So yeah- those have been some of the biggies I've been learning about recently. I feel like I've graduated from kindergarten in the "school of how to love" and have been promoted to first grade, getting to apply these ideas that I started to learn last year. So those have been some of them major movements in my heart.

For those of you who are praying folks, you can pray with me as I continue to sort out what to do next year. I'm sensing that God is inviting me to stay another year here, which is disappointing in one sense...I was excited to come back to Colorado and engage life and relationship with the folks I love there...but I've got a good thing going on here, too, and unless God invites me to something else vocation-wise, this seems like a good place to stay. So feel free to offer thoughts or counsel to this end- I would love to hear what you have to say. That's all for now- thanks for reading!

white roses for a prostitute

2007-10-06T23:16:00.000-07:00

So I know I just wrote...and I don't even have a photo to put with this post...but this is far too beautiful a story to not tell. I saw God's glory last night in a way that just made me worship today, and so I pass along this story to you. It is kind of a long story with lots of details to pay close attention to, but I truly believe it is a story worth reading and telling. I pray you are blessed in reading it like I am blessed in telling it.

Yesterday (Saturday) my plan was to go to a birthday party in the afernoon for my friend Sophia, go to an opening for an art exhibit, and then finish up the night salsa dancing. Somewhere in there I also wanted to get flowers for this woman I had met the night before on outreach with Nightlight. I will call her Nareeva. Saturday (yesterday) was to be Nareeva's birthday, and I hated the thought of her having to the do the work she does on ANY day, much less on her birthday. So I thought it would be nice to at least take her flowers and a card so she would know that someone nearby cares for her and remembers her on her special day. I was unsure, though, how I would work it out to deliver the flowers by myself- the hotel where the women work and wait for customers isn't really the kind of place I should visit by myself, and I hadn't asked anyone to join me in my journey there...I guess I just figured I would figure it out then or risk going there by myself. That certainly wasn't what I wanted to do, but I really wanted her to get those flowers, so I figured I would take the risk if need be. So this is the setup for one of the more divinely led and beautiful encounters I have had with the Living God in recent times.

I go to the birthday party which was a lot of fun- it felt great to visit with the friends I'm making and to realize that this place really is becoming the place where my heart can fully dwell. Then I go get a pedicure and buy a present for a different friend's wedding shower coming up this week and buy a huge wad of white roses. They are small roses wrapped in newspaper- pretty, but I felt a little badly getting ready to give them to her- wondering if she knew I had bought them on the street for about $1.50. But I put my feelings of cheapness aside and thought about how to spend the rest of my evening. I still had some time to burn, so I went to Starbucks to do some reading and journaling. This British guy in his 40's (guessing on that one) starts talking to me which I'm a little uncomfortable with, but I let it unfold and I ended up having an incredible conversation with him about poverty, prostitution and trafficking in Bangkok, and I ended up getting to tell him about how it makes me so thankful to get to be around the people who Jesus hung around when he was on earth- the prostitutes and all the people everyone else wanted to forget about. So that was cool- I wasn't expecting to get to have a good conversation like that with John the Brit.

I left Starbucks and went outside and try to catch a cab, to no avail. So I decide to take the skytrain to my next destination, my friend Pechula's art gallery where an opening is happening for a new artist. I get off the skytrain and start to walk toward Pechula's gallery, and I acutally bump into her on the street! She tells me that the opening isn't at her gallery; it's at a cultural center. So I go with her to the opening and meet up with my friends Mihoko and Naomi. Mihoko had met Nareeva with me the night before and also knew that today was her birthday, and she offered to come with me to deliver the flowers! I didn't have to go by myself anymore! The artist who work was displayed received tables full of beautiful boquets of flowers, and she was a believer, so she told us to take a boquet of exquisite white roses to Nareeva for her birthday. No dumpy flowers wrapped in newspaper for this lady- God wanted for her to have the best. So after I ate a delightful meal with Mihoko and 2 other friends, she and I walked to the hotel, found Nareeva, and gave her the flowers. The expression on her face...I don't have words. I can only describe it as one who is receiving real love- knowing someone sees you and cares for you and says you are worth something- when the only attention they usually receive from people is those who want something from them. It was the look of life and hope being allowed to flourish inside of her. On Friday she was just a prostitue who is only viewed for what can be taken from her. On Saturday she was the worthy recipient of beautiful white roses- a symbol of purity. She was absolutelly lit up. She couldn't stop smiling or saying thank you. I had written a card to her (in my preschool Russian handwriting) that told her I hoped she believed that Jesus loves her. And then I told her how happy I was to see HER so happy- how I had prayed that when she received the flowers, she would really believe that God loves her. She kissed me on both cheeks (that's the Uzbek way of greeting each other) and I told her we had to go. It was absolutely incredible. And I realized that getting to be a part of loving people and telling them about Jesus is absolutely the best, most thrilling thing I have ever been a part of. Way better than salsa dancing even. I still went dancing later that night, though I could have called it an evening after giving the flowers to Nareeva. I know that life still goes on for her...that tonight she will do the same horrifying work she does every night...but God is after this woman, as he is after all of humanity, I suppose. I pray that she would know know and believe the living God sees and loves her in a way that would draw her into relationship with him. She is Muslim, so please pray for wisdom as I think about how to share Jesus with her in a way that makes sense. Pray, too, that God would give her a dream or vision of Jesus. This is happening to Muslims all over the world, and I want it to happen to her. Please pray for her, that she would choose to receive God's love- to believe that God DOES have a good plan for her life and that she would do her part by inviting God's believing in Jesus. Pray that she would be willing to go home- to leave this lucrative but soul-killing work. And praise God with me for the amazing work he is doing in bringing his love to these women in incredibly personal and powerful ways. What an incredible God we have. I love walking with him and seeing him at work.

That's it. Thanks for reading! I know it was long, but I just had to tell the story. Be encouraged! God is on the move!!

Bug Day 2007 and other recent goings on

2007-10-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

As seen here, bug day was another huge hit this year. My personal favorite was my biggest pistol in class dressed up as a cocroach. Perfect. Another little weasel in a different class dressed up as a mosquito. It was a fun day. We had a bug hunt where we hid bugs all over the cafeteria and let them find them (don't worry- I've never found a real bug in there- just the occasional gecko who actually helps us with the bug population). Kids made ants out of playdough. They got to see real dead bugs and play a dead bug game in PE. I think it had something to do with running around and then falling over and laying like a dead bug. At any rate, it was a fun-filled day and I was tired that night. I had a great time planning and executing it with my fellow first grade teachers. Picutred here is Kristin, another first grade teacher who is becoming a good friend.

In other news, dancing has become a more regular part of my life here this year, which has been such a gift to my heart. I'm taking hula lessons once a week from another fellow teacher who is Hawaiian, and I went salsa dancing and met a guy who is loosely my salsa partner. His name is Julio, he is Colombian-American, and he is a marine who is stationed at the US Embassy here in Bangkok as a guard. He actually invited me to the Marine Corps Ball in early November, which I am so excited about. I'm getting a pretty red dress made and am quite excited to go to an elegant affair and feel super beautiful for an evening. I can't wait!

Ministry-wise, God continues to humble me and make me thankful for what I get to be a part of here. My students continue to ask great questions about who God is and what he is like, and I continue to go out with Nightlight Friday nights in order to share life with women there. It remains a challenge and is tougher to see some nights than others. About 3 weeks ago I was hit with the raw reality of how unpleasent that whole situation really is and I took the next week off in order to kind of recoop and center. I was back in the game this past Friday which was hard, but good. I'm always blessed when I get to go and share life and hope with those who don't have much of that. Another cool thing going on with this is I invited my new friends Kamyee and Mihoko to come on outreach with me, and I think they both may start to minister regularly with Nightlight! Mihoko is Japanese but is fluent in Thai, and it was beautiful to see her connect with the girls in the bars, speaking their heart language. And Kamyee is American with great hopes to learn Thai- hopes that increase each time she has come with me to the bars. God has been breaking her heart for those invovled in prostitution, so I LOVE that be brought her here and crossed my path with hers so she has this opportunity to share love with this group of folks for which she feels burdened. A slightly unrelated but interesting fact is that she also likes running. :) We signed up to do a 10K race here in Bangkok at the end of the month! We're so excited! I'll be sure to post pictures of this event. It's sure to be a drippy and sweaty one.

So I guess that's it. I feel like I'm riding the blessing train right now- just slathered with his affections. I hope all of you are enjoying his abundant promises, too. Thanks for reading!

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

2007-09-05T03:49:00.000-07:00

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!

After a killer summer, I'm back to the grind

2007-08-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

So it was a fantastic summer spent with family and dear friends. I couldn't have planned a more jam packed with incredible experiences summer than what I experienced. God was so kind in letting me enjoy lots of laughs and great conversations over good beef, wine, and mexcian food- 3 of the things I missed the most when I was away. I was in the mountains every week for something or another, I got to visit Rob in the OC (Oak Creek) and watch him build his house,

visit my sistas in Fort Collins and go salsa dancing and drink good beer at the New Belguim Brewing Company, and enjoy the old haunts from my college days. I made Thai food for my girlfriends, enjoyed delightful lunches on the back deck with Mom and Dad, and did the sprint trianthelon with Jules, my new sista.

And to finish it all off, I got to guide a RMR Young Life backpacking trip with Rob. What a gift of a summer.
And now I'm back in good ol' Thailand, trying to find my stride in my new neighborhood. I live on the 8th floor and have a beautiful view- I get to see the sunrise every morning and look down on a huge pool with palm and other beautiful trees all around it. I'm super thankful to live where I do, though I must say I miss all the colorful character of the old neighborhood. I found a new beautiful park which is about a 10 minute cab ride away. It is full of beautifully manicured Asian gardens, bridges, and those trees with the cool hangy-down things. Beautiful. I'll be excited to go running there. :)
School preparations seem to be coming together. Students will come a week from Wednesday, and I think I'll have my act together by then. It will be good to get back to routine and to get to what it is God has for me during this time.
For those of you who are praying folk, feel free to pray that God would make the hearts of my students good and hungry as they're preparing to come back to school. Pray that I would walk intimately with God- that I would be falling more in love with him all the time so that I'll be sharing him with the kids from an in-love perspective rather than a dutiful one. Thanks for standing with me in that way!
There isn't much else to report. I hope you all enjoy the interface of this blog more- I like how I can post pictures right next to the text. As soon as I get some pictures of the new neighborhood, I'll be sure to post those. Until then, take care, and thanks for reading!