Hello friends!! I arrived safe and sound after 23 hours total of travel time! My flights were great and I've adjusted really fast to the time change (14 hours ahead!)
What a unique, bustling, endearing, fun, chaotic, and joy-filled place this is! I'm still in culture shock as I get used to riding on the back of scooters in insane traffic, darting across huge highways, trying new foods, and making my way around the city on Seong Taos (literally, a "two bench" - a truck with two benches in the back that you sit on. So fun!!) One thing thst I got used to pretty quick: THAI MASSAGE! Canada, we've got to get our act together and have this!! I got a full body massage for $12! What a treat.
I have been so blessed by Jon & Bonnie as they have made me feel so very welcome and comfortable here, helped me get a SIM card for my phone, showed me around the city, introduced me to people, ordered me gluten free food (quite the process!! You two speak incredible Thai!), and taught me how to get around.
A couple days ago, Bonnie, Marek (her 1 year old precious son), and I went to explore the city. We rode on the seong Taos, went to Captain Amigos (a cafe that has nothing to do with Mexico but they have DELICIOUS food and drinks), to the mall, and we went to the orphanage and I met the staff and a the kids. They are SO adorable!! We had fun playing together on the playground and they showed me around. They have an incredible facility! Is amazing to see how different teams from around the world have come together to built the homes and support the ministry here. I met P'Ganniga, the head housemother at ALH and we were laughing and joking within minutes. She'll be flying back with me to Canada in August. :) What an incredible woman!
For more info about the ALH orphanage, check out this site: http://vimeo.com/69637450
Last night I stayed at my new Thai friend's home. Her name is P'Oiy and she's full of life, humour, and a deep passion for people to know Jesus. She lives in a traditional Thai home with a tin roof and it was neat to experience authentic Thai life there! We went to the night market together where she tried to feed me deep fried cockroaches, maggots, and grasshoppers! Too bad that have celiac disease and am allergic! ;)
I am now a pro at killing cockroaches and spiders. Any of you who know me well know my phobia of bugs. Be proud friends, be proud!! I've turned over a new leaf! I even had a lizard crawl across my feet in church and didn't freak out....... (Too much!) .
Tonight was one of my favourite nights here so far. I went to the local church that meets in a small room in the old part of the city and it was incredible singing, dancing, and worshiping Jesus together in different languages. The basketball team and the team from California were there too (50+people!) so it was a packed (and sweaty!) place. At the end, one local man became a Christian and I had such overwhelming joy! Everyone prayed for him and we danced and sang. Afterwards, we ate a delicious Thai meal together and I had my first sticky rice with mango dessert. Again, Canada, get your act together! It was DELICIOUS!! What a night.
It's truly amazing to see how passionately these people love and trust God even through the incredible hardships these people live with (poverty, HIV, etc). It's such a testimony of how Jesus has such deep love for all of us and meets us where we are at regardless of circumstance. These people have a tangible and contagious joy that can only be explained by Jesus being in their lives that gives them a hope and a purpose. I have been so blessed by them already!
"OIT": (things found) Only In Thailand that I've experienced so far:
1) Deep fried bugs in the night market
2) Riding on the back of a scooter in rush hour without a helmet
3) Thai massage (heavenly!)
4) the "go with the flow" mentality (its refreshing coming from North America where its the total opposite)
5) Having my picture taken and being pointed at walking through the market because I'm a "farong" (foreigner)
6) SQUATTIE potties! This one will take a bit to get used to ;)
Prayer requests:
*For the man who became a Christian last night-pray that he gets involved in the church community and that he grows to deeply love The Lord
*For continued safety-the place where we are holding a kids camp on Sunday morning is a high drug and gang trafficking area - pray of safety of the kids, for Jon & Bonnie and the others who work there.
*That I would continue to make new friendships here and really embrace Thai culture. Pray that I have an adventurous spirit!
*For Jon and Bonnie's ministry here-they have such a heart for these people to know Jesus. Pray that they would be strengthened, encouraged, and that they would continue to bless these people and have opportunities to share about Jesus.
*For creativity as I plan my English lessons. My first one is Sunday morning at the kids camp!
*For the hearts of the people living here. The spiritual darkness here is incredible -idols are offered food (and red fanta?!) each day and most homes and businesses have "spirit houses" to keep demons out.
*That I would have rest. It's been a very busy week and I haven't slept a lot-I'm running on adrenaline!
Sunday will be another day filled with adventures. I'll update again soon! Thank you for your notes, texts, calls, prayers and love. They are all treasured and much appreciated!!
"The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in Him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise Him." -Psalm 28:7
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