Monday, April 28, 2014

Home

Hello All!
I have officially been in America for a little over a month! It seems strange that it has been that long. Time seems to be flying! I have been in my home in Maryland for the last month. It is good to be home! I missed the country side and all the green. I would love it though if it would warm up. I am looking forward to all that spring brings, the flowers, babies, and sunshine.

Easter this year I was able to be with my family. It was so good! We had a great meal! Spent the afternoon and evening playing games and eating food. We even had a Easter basket hunt. (Mom and Dad really like making clues for us!) It was just really good to spend time with family and people who love me.

Time here has been pretty good. There are of course some hard things like missing food and friends. But I really feel at peace being here. I know that this is where God wants me.

During this time I am learning to really rest in the peace of being in Gods will. I am learning to not worry about what I will do in the future or how things will happen. I am amazed to see how God provides for my day to day needs. I love going for walks and freely talking to God. My soul finally feels like it can fly and seek God freely. A resent lesson I learned was that Discontentment is simply saying “God what you have given me is not good enough.” Ouch! The cure to discontentment is simply to give thanks! Thankfulness is a great cure for the heart.

For those of you who read my last update, I would like to tell you just alittle more about Daw. Daw was diagnosed with leukemia when she was just just 2 years old. She had been fighting it for the past 4 years. But this year she finally was able to take a medican that healed her. She is Better! No more treatments! God is soooo good! P'Great (mom) says “Thank you to all who prayed!” She will finally be able to live a normal life!!

As far as my future plans go, I will be moving to Columbus Ohio on may 21st. I am hopeing to work at the same pizza place I was before. I am thinking about taking come college classes about hospitality management also while I am there. I am looking forward to reconnecting with some of my older friends . I am hoping to return to Thailand in August of 2015 God willing. I invite you to continue walking with me as I fallow God's plan for my life!

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Call To Prayer

Hello Friends and Family,

I am writing you to join with me in Prayer for my Thai Host Family. My little Thai sister named Daw has Leukemia. She has had it for the past 3 years. Right now she is being treated, but it is not the best treatment. The Doctors are afraid if they give her the strongest treatment she will go in to shock. The Doctors say that when she is 6 years old she will be able to receive that treatment, but P'Great (her mom) is not sure. Daw is 5 years old right now, but she is still very small for her age and not very strong. This is the first time in P'Great's and her husbands marriage that they had to go into debt. Even though this family has been through so much their generosity never ceases to amaze me. I am always welcome to their home and always leave with a full belly and heart. I invite you to pray for this family. Please know I am not asking for your money, but only for your prayers. Pray That God would provide for this family in unimaginable ways. Pray that little Daw would be healed. May God bless this family for all the ways they have blessed his workers!!!
 

Little Daw!!!

   

The Family

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Blessings Abound!

Hello To All In far off lands!
There is so much to tell and so little time, lets start with my departure time.
(Enough with the rhymes, or at least wish to be rhymes.) ;)

My departure from the land of Thais is on March 20 at 1:30 bright and early in the morning. I will leave from here and fly to South Africa. You may be wondering why would I fly to South Africa??? Well I will tell you!!! I have a dear friend living in South Africa now. She invited me to go see her and her husband when I flew back to the USA. Flying the way of South Africa is out of the way and so I said a little "God that would be awesome if I could do this." kind of prayer and emailed my supervisor. I received a response that as long as I covered the extra cost of the ticket I would be possible. A couple days latter I received an email saying what the normal cost of a ticket was and what it was if I went the Africa rout. It was only $275 more!!! Ok so that was awesome! But I was not sure how I would pay for it. But it just so happened that right around that time some people sent me some extra money for Christmas.... Guys it was enough to cover all but $40 of the trip!!! I was stunned!!! But God had more goodness in store... As I was talking to my friend she said Dani me and the hubby want to treat you while you are here. All you need to pay for is anything you want to buy. stunned silence!! Guys I am still shocked... I am going to Africa for $40. Lets Just Give God a big hand in thankfulness!!! To amazing!! He is showing me the fireworks!!

So I will leave Thailand on the 20th and arrive in South Africa. I will leave South Africa on the 24th and arrive in America on the 25th of March. In America I will stay in Columbus for a week of re-entry and processing. Then I will be going home! I am so excited to see you all!

As far as future plans, They are still in process and I will fill you in when I know for sure.

I am Blessed and Highly Favored!
These last months have begun to get crazy. I feel like now that I am leaving soon I am making so many more new friends!
Some really cool news is that my friend Rabbit has shown a little interest in the bible. I have this comic book bible and she read it and asked me questions about it. Before she showed no interest in anything, and now she is trying to learn a little more for knowledge sake. She was telling me that she does not like the Chinese missionaries because they come and try to force her to say things that she did not want to say. She said that I never tried to force anything on her, but showed her by example. Lets keep her in out prayers for this and also for when I leave. It will be very hard on her. We are best friends, she does not have alot of other friends.
 Please also pray for my room mate. She was pretty sad to here that I was leaving. She was telling me that she has no one else to really be open and share with who try to encourage her as well. It is encouraging to see that I am making some differences here.

The situation here in Thailand seems to have quieted down some. They are still protesting. I know that there was a vote but alot of people did not go. My friend said her mom was paid to vote for a certain person. Her mom took the money and did not vote. The corruption seems like it will not end.

Another prayer was answered!! Last week I was able to go with my friend Emmy to her home in Korat. It is around 4 hours away form Bangkok. She had invited me to go before but I had a class that I could not miss. This time I was able to go!! It was great to go into the deep country and be in nature. Ice cold bucket showers and hot lazy afternoons are always nice. I enjoyed hanging out with her family and her. 

Classes here are going well. Finals are coming up at the end of February. I feel pretty good about most of them. For my hotel course I had to have a custom made suite. I got the suit and found out it was too big. Between the time they had taken my measurements and I received the suit I had lost alot of weight due to sickness. haha Now the suite fits like a bag.   

I also ask for prayer as I am preparing to leave. I am feeling pretty worn out. I ask that you would pray for vision for the future and my remaining time here. It is getting increasingly harder to connect with God I feel like. Pray That I would leave the distractions behind and fallow him!!
Thank you all and God bless!!          
  

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Thailand Protests 2013 explained




Hey you all! Just a little update one the happenings here. I have many friends that are being affected by these protests. Some of my friend's families have sold rice and after a month have not been able to receive any money. On January 13, 2014 there is to be a big protest. I invite you all to pray for Thailand. May god bring peace and resolution to this situation.