The past week has been really busy and I will blame that for the long time in between blogs. January has been busy and fun so far but I can't believe it's already more than half over! A new LST group from Nebraska and Kansas came on Saturday and we were very busy before they got here. We called all of our old students and passed out flyers on campus and cleaned out the classrooms. And then when they finally got here we helped them get settled and had our first informational and sign up time. At first we had only Chinese students from Mark's class but now a lot of our former students have come and we have several new students. This LST group is very relaxed and fun and they want to see and do everything! They are also very good and patient with the readers. It will be a good 6 weeks, I can tell.
Robert is back and we are all very glad. He was gone for over a month in the States being with his father while he was sick. The yearly planning meeting for the church was on Sunday. I love the church meetings where everyone has a say and they discuss everything from changing the light fixtures to Bon's new girlfriend to making Cell group more welcoming for new people. It really feels like family time. Our Thai is improving a lot but it is still hard to sit for 2 hours and actually understand what is going on the whole time. We had some help from Berm with translating the really important parts but my brain can only handle so much and then it shuts down.
Thai class is going well. We have many of our friends from Thai 1 and 2 in our new Thai 3 class and it is great to continue those relationships. Amanda and I now know all of the vowels and all the regular consonants and will learn tone marks tomorrow. To understand why it is taking so long to learn to read and write let me say that there are 44 consonants, 25 vowels, five tones, and no spaces between words. We practice a lot and we are getting better at the easy stuff but it will be a while before we can just pick up a book and read it. Kara isn't taking language lessons but it is fun to see her pick up words from us and we like to teach her new ones. She also has a lot more time to help LST since she is not in class in the mornings like the rest of us. As always, she is an excellent hostess and is always ready to help out.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Amanda's New Year Letter
Dear friends and family,
I hope you all are enjoying the holiday season and had a blessed Christmas surrounded by the warmth of family. I experienced my first Christmas way from home this year, and although my related family did not surround me, I was surrounded by church members here in Thailand. It was comforting and encouraging being around God’s family in Asia and celebrating the birth of our savior with my Thai brothers and sisters in Christ. It was a wonderful Christmas, and I am very much looking forward to spending New Years with my fiancé, Drew Bowen, here in Chiang Mai!
With the New Year just around the corner, I wanted to share with you how God has been working in me and through me during my internship in Thailand this year. After being here for five months, I have seen and experienced God working all around me in deep and meaningful ways. He has taught me so much about foreign missions, working as a team, boldly sharing my faith, patience, and how to be more disciplined in my spiritual walk.
Before coming to Thailand I knew very little about foreign missions or mission work in general. Although I grew up overseas, I did not encounter many missionaries. I went on many service trips throughout high school, but none of them were done in the name of Christ. Since being here I have learned what it means to leave all of your belongings and follow Christ. Living in Thailand is not the overly comfortable lifestyle that I am used it. It has stretched me and taught me to become more simplistic and appreciative of the little joys in life that are often overlooked. I am so thankful for my solitude and reflection time, which I have often here because we do not have a TV. I have learned so much from the missionaries here and still sometimes find it difficult to believe that they have been doing this for over 15 years. Mission work is truly a daily lifestyle devoted to God.
God has blessed me with a wonderful intern team. I am in Thailand with two of my best friends and roommates from college, Hilary and Kara, Mark Foster, a recent graduate from ACU and two Thai interns Bon and James. God teaches us daily the importance of good communication and how to best encourage each other. We all have different gifts and talents, which help us to pick up for one another where others many fall short. Our team does a good job at encouraging each other. We have all been through our times of homesickness and confusion, but God so graciously did not allow them to happen at the same time, so that we could be a strong shoulder for each other when needed. I am so thankful for each of my teammates and what they are doing here in Thailand.
This is one of the few times in my life that I have been somewhere for the soul purpose of Christ. Usually when someone asked me what I do, I respond by saying, “I am a student at… or I am an employee of…” ect. When people ask me why I am in Thailand I am honored to say that I am here through Christ and because of Christ. He is my soul purpose for being here. Many people cannot understand moving to a foreign country to share God with others. Hilary and I are taking a Thai language course at a local University here. Everyone in the class knows we are here doing mission work and that has opened so many opportunities to share our faith with our classmates. That makes me wonder how many doors could have been open in classes I have been in in the past if only I would have boldly proclaimed my faith the way I do here. I am proud to say I am here serving my Lord and Savior and I have learned to be more assertive about what I believe in a loving and open-minded manner.
God has truly taught me that patience is a virtue, and not an easy one at times. I am a planner and organizer. I like to know what I am doing tomorrow and what I am doing next year. Being here is teaching me that in life we cannot always be in control and be in the know. God is in control and God is in the know. The other Interns and myself teach free English classes to members of the community. I have had to learn that we need to prepare for anywhere from 2 to 13 students in a class and that sometimes no one may show up at all and that is okay. I have full faith that God has a plan for each one of our students and it is my prayer that I can be the best example of Christ to them that I can be. Also, together Drew and I have had to learn how to be patient with each other. A long distance engagement is not easy and at times, not fun, but God has taught us how to unconditionally love each other through the good and the bad. Although the distance is not fun, it has been really good for us and has stretched us and we have grown closer to one another.
One of the many things that I enjoy about my internship is the equipping time that we share as a team. Twice a week the interns and Robert Reagan, the missionary we are working with, get together to study God’s word. We have completed an in depth study on the spiritual disciplines. I have learned a great deal about the power of prayer, solitude, service, simplicity, fasting, submission worship and simplicity. It is very refreshing to learn how to better draw closer to God and put these disciplines into practice.
Thailand has been a wonderful experience for me so far. I have learned so much and have ministered to many people. It is hard to believe that this time last year, I was just thinking about coming here and now it is my temporary home. I look forward to see how God uses me to bring people to Him throughout the remainder of my stay.
It is because of you and your endless love and support that I am able to be here and experience God’s love in ways I could have never imagined. I cannot thank you enough for your prayers and financial support. Your efforts have blessed many people in Thailand, Cambodia and have richly blessed me in the year 2010 and will continue blessing in the year 2011. Please continue to pray for my team and I, and that God will work through us powerfully in our last months in Thailand.
In Him,
Amanda
I hope you all are enjoying the holiday season and had a blessed Christmas surrounded by the warmth of family. I experienced my first Christmas way from home this year, and although my related family did not surround me, I was surrounded by church members here in Thailand. It was comforting and encouraging being around God’s family in Asia and celebrating the birth of our savior with my Thai brothers and sisters in Christ. It was a wonderful Christmas, and I am very much looking forward to spending New Years with my fiancé, Drew Bowen, here in Chiang Mai!
With the New Year just around the corner, I wanted to share with you how God has been working in me and through me during my internship in Thailand this year. After being here for five months, I have seen and experienced God working all around me in deep and meaningful ways. He has taught me so much about foreign missions, working as a team, boldly sharing my faith, patience, and how to be more disciplined in my spiritual walk.
Before coming to Thailand I knew very little about foreign missions or mission work in general. Although I grew up overseas, I did not encounter many missionaries. I went on many service trips throughout high school, but none of them were done in the name of Christ. Since being here I have learned what it means to leave all of your belongings and follow Christ. Living in Thailand is not the overly comfortable lifestyle that I am used it. It has stretched me and taught me to become more simplistic and appreciative of the little joys in life that are often overlooked. I am so thankful for my solitude and reflection time, which I have often here because we do not have a TV. I have learned so much from the missionaries here and still sometimes find it difficult to believe that they have been doing this for over 15 years. Mission work is truly a daily lifestyle devoted to God.
God has blessed me with a wonderful intern team. I am in Thailand with two of my best friends and roommates from college, Hilary and Kara, Mark Foster, a recent graduate from ACU and two Thai interns Bon and James. God teaches us daily the importance of good communication and how to best encourage each other. We all have different gifts and talents, which help us to pick up for one another where others many fall short. Our team does a good job at encouraging each other. We have all been through our times of homesickness and confusion, but God so graciously did not allow them to happen at the same time, so that we could be a strong shoulder for each other when needed. I am so thankful for each of my teammates and what they are doing here in Thailand.
This is one of the few times in my life that I have been somewhere for the soul purpose of Christ. Usually when someone asked me what I do, I respond by saying, “I am a student at… or I am an employee of…” ect. When people ask me why I am in Thailand I am honored to say that I am here through Christ and because of Christ. He is my soul purpose for being here. Many people cannot understand moving to a foreign country to share God with others. Hilary and I are taking a Thai language course at a local University here. Everyone in the class knows we are here doing mission work and that has opened so many opportunities to share our faith with our classmates. That makes me wonder how many doors could have been open in classes I have been in in the past if only I would have boldly proclaimed my faith the way I do here. I am proud to say I am here serving my Lord and Savior and I have learned to be more assertive about what I believe in a loving and open-minded manner.
God has truly taught me that patience is a virtue, and not an easy one at times. I am a planner and organizer. I like to know what I am doing tomorrow and what I am doing next year. Being here is teaching me that in life we cannot always be in control and be in the know. God is in control and God is in the know. The other Interns and myself teach free English classes to members of the community. I have had to learn that we need to prepare for anywhere from 2 to 13 students in a class and that sometimes no one may show up at all and that is okay. I have full faith that God has a plan for each one of our students and it is my prayer that I can be the best example of Christ to them that I can be. Also, together Drew and I have had to learn how to be patient with each other. A long distance engagement is not easy and at times, not fun, but God has taught us how to unconditionally love each other through the good and the bad. Although the distance is not fun, it has been really good for us and has stretched us and we have grown closer to one another.
One of the many things that I enjoy about my internship is the equipping time that we share as a team. Twice a week the interns and Robert Reagan, the missionary we are working with, get together to study God’s word. We have completed an in depth study on the spiritual disciplines. I have learned a great deal about the power of prayer, solitude, service, simplicity, fasting, submission worship and simplicity. It is very refreshing to learn how to better draw closer to God and put these disciplines into practice.
Thailand has been a wonderful experience for me so far. I have learned so much and have ministered to many people. It is hard to believe that this time last year, I was just thinking about coming here and now it is my temporary home. I look forward to see how God uses me to bring people to Him throughout the remainder of my stay.
It is because of you and your endless love and support that I am able to be here and experience God’s love in ways I could have never imagined. I cannot thank you enough for your prayers and financial support. Your efforts have blessed many people in Thailand, Cambodia and have richly blessed me in the year 2010 and will continue blessing in the year 2011. Please continue to pray for my team and I, and that God will work through us powerfully in our last months in Thailand.
In Him,
Amanda
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Special Guest Blog from the one and only Drew Bowen!
Howdy! This is Drew Bowen, writing a special guest blog post! Andy and I arrived late Wednesday night, and are just now recovering from jet-lag, but have enjoyed some great times with the girls already.
After waking up fairly sore after 50+ hours of traveling to reach Thailand, our fiances were kind enough to schedule a relaxing first day in Thailand. We went with them to pick up some essentials from Carrefour, which is like a Thai Wal-Mart, then went to get a two-hour massage. It always amazes me that a massage that long and that excellent costs less than $10 here!
There was much giggling from the girls as we came out from the changing rooms. Andy and I are both significantly taller and bigger than their typical clientele, and the pants they gave us were ridiculously tight. The humor continued as Andy's face betrayed that he was surprised by his first Thai massage, making glances to us that said, "What is going on?" The lady massaging me took my words to heart when I asked for a more firm massage, and dug her elbow into me to the point that I am sore two days later. It was an interesting experience to say the least.
Last night, there was a New Year's Eve countdown party at the Reagan's house. Though we missed P'Robert, who's visiting sick family in Texas, it was great to see so many old friends from when I was an intern. We also had several Chinese students who are studying with the current interns come along for the party, and it was fun to interact with them. It seems like the Christian Zone has really become a meaningful place for them while they are so far from their homes. I was very encouraged by the fellowship and fun at the party.
I will be preaching tomorrow, which is exciting. It will be wonderful to see even more old friends, to sing in Thai again, and to share what I have been learning at Abilene Christian. I've already been so blessed to get to spend time with Amanda, and I know that Andy feels the same about Kara. In our own way, we hope to affect the ministry here by encouraging the interns as they form relationships. Hopefully our visit can energize them to finish the last couple of months strong.
Drew
After waking up fairly sore after 50+ hours of traveling to reach Thailand, our fiances were kind enough to schedule a relaxing first day in Thailand. We went with them to pick up some essentials from Carrefour, which is like a Thai Wal-Mart, then went to get a two-hour massage. It always amazes me that a massage that long and that excellent costs less than $10 here!
There was much giggling from the girls as we came out from the changing rooms. Andy and I are both significantly taller and bigger than their typical clientele, and the pants they gave us were ridiculously tight. The humor continued as Andy's face betrayed that he was surprised by his first Thai massage, making glances to us that said, "What is going on?" The lady massaging me took my words to heart when I asked for a more firm massage, and dug her elbow into me to the point that I am sore two days later. It was an interesting experience to say the least.
Last night, there was a New Year's Eve countdown party at the Reagan's house. Though we missed P'Robert, who's visiting sick family in Texas, it was great to see so many old friends from when I was an intern. We also had several Chinese students who are studying with the current interns come along for the party, and it was fun to interact with them. It seems like the Christian Zone has really become a meaningful place for them while they are so far from their homes. I was very encouraged by the fellowship and fun at the party.
I will be preaching tomorrow, which is exciting. It will be wonderful to see even more old friends, to sing in Thai again, and to share what I have been learning at Abilene Christian. I've already been so blessed to get to spend time with Amanda, and I know that Andy feels the same about Kara. In our own way, we hope to affect the ministry here by encouraging the interns as they form relationships. Hopefully our visit can energize them to finish the last couple of months strong.
Drew
Christmas in Thailand
Happy 2011! We have had/ are having a wonderful Christmas holiday! We spent Christmas on the beach at Pattaya. It was difficult to be away from family and friends during this special time, but we were happy to be surrounded by by great friends. We spent Christmas eve with the the church members at their big annual Christmas Eve party. It was a lot of fun. We had great food, fellowship, entertainment, and a gift exchange. All of us interns were a part of the Payap talent show act and it was a hit! We started by singing "Joy to the World" and ended with a well choreographed dance to "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree" by our very own Kara Keith! The night ended with a candle lit worship service. It was wonderful to be there with our Thai brothers and sisters in Christ celebrating the birth of Christ. We ended the night with an intern (and Berm) gift exchange.
Christmas morning we arose early to hit the road for the beach. We drove all day and arrived in Pattaya at around five, just in time for dinner and in time to see the beautiful sunset on the beach. Many times throughout the trip we mentioned to each other how anyone could doubt the existence of God because of all of His beautiful and ornate creation. The beaches and mountains in Thailand are just breath taking.
The next two days were spent on the beach relaxing.
We ended our vacation by traveling to a small Italian village in Thailand. It was very different than any other village we have seen in Thailand. We visited a vineyard and went to a "wild west" themed amusement park. It was blast! We got back to Chiang Mai Wednesday night with just enough time for Kara and I to get ready to go pick up the loves of our lives at the airport. Drew and Andy and here safely and we are thrilled about spending the next week with them. Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Christmas morning we arose early to hit the road for the beach. We drove all day and arrived in Pattaya at around five, just in time for dinner and in time to see the beautiful sunset on the beach. Many times throughout the trip we mentioned to each other how anyone could doubt the existence of God because of all of His beautiful and ornate creation. The beaches and mountains in Thailand are just breath taking.
The next two days were spent on the beach relaxing.
We ended our vacation by traveling to a small Italian village in Thailand. It was very different than any other village we have seen in Thailand. We visited a vineyard and went to a "wild west" themed amusement park. It was blast! We got back to Chiang Mai Wednesday night with just enough time for Kara and I to get ready to go pick up the loves of our lives at the airport. Drew and Andy and here safely and we are thrilled about spending the next week with them. Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Cambodia and Angkor What?
We are back from Cambodia and had a wonderful time while we were there. Going into the trip we did not know exactly what to expect, but we did our best to be tough, flexible and optimistic, thanks to Bob Davidson! After a long 8 hour bus ride we arrived in Bangkok in the middle of the night. We found a small coffee shop connected to a guest house that we waited in for a good 3 hours. We then took a van to the border and had to cross over by walking. It was amazing to immediately see the differences between Thailand and Cambodia. Cambodia is much poorer and the architecture and structural design of the buildings is years behind Thailand; which is not too surprising considering all the political unrest that the county has had in the last century. It was very eye opening to see that kind of poverty. There were many children without clothes, babies without any adults around them, just a cup for people to put money into. We also saw many land mine victims who had lost limbs in accidents. We saw all of this in the first few minutes of crossing the border. Once we arrived to our hotel we were pleasantly surprised by our accommodations. All three of us shared a room and had our own bed. We had a bathroom with an American style toilet and a TV with English channels. Here at the Zone we do not have a TV so we have not watch any in the last 4 and a half months so it was so much fun to watch CSI!
While we were in Cambodia we had the awesome opportunity to teach at two local schools for two days. The groups that we were with from Japan and Singapore did an amazing job at preparing stations for the English days at the schools. Kara was at the spelling station, where the students had to learn to spell vocabulary words from the nativity story. Hilary was at a craft station and I was at the "days of the week" station. In all, there were five groups the students rotated to. The kids had a blast. After they had completed all five stations, we ate Japanese curry together that the group from Japan generously cooked. In the afternoon we put on a carnival for the kids. They had to go the the testing station and answer a question from what they had learned that day. If they answered correctly, they received a game coupon. There were games that ranged from throwing ping pong balls into a box, horseshoes, hit the coconut with a tennis ball to blowing a ping pong ball in a pool of water. The kids had a super fun time, and as they won the games they received prizes. All the prizes were used clothes that had been donated. As the children received their clothes, their eyes lit up wit joy. Many of them won clothes to bring home to their siblings and parents. It was very rewarding to give clothing to these children who either did not have a shirt on the back or desperately needed a new one.
We (the Thailand group) did a special intensive English class for the core group of students that we were working with. These students are being supported by the church in Singapore to go to English school. They traveled with us to the school and were our helpers and translators. We put on a class for them to teach about heath and good habits. We preformed skits about what happens when you make bad choices and what happens when you make good choices. We ended the class, by playing the board game that we have spent months preparing. The class was a success and the kids learned a lot and had fun.
Our favorite day was Friday when we went to the Temples and Angkor Wat. We met a lot of the street children who spend their days selling bracelets and post cards to tourist. After they realized that we we not like their average tourist they stopped trying to sell us their goods, but instead walked with us through the ruins and laughed and played with us. We had a blast with children and it was really hard saying good bye.
We ended the trip with a trip to 60 ROAD! We heard about 60 Road all week from our kids, and knew that they desperately wanted us to take them. So Friday night they each received three dollars and went crazy at 60 Road which is a local carnival. I have to admit it was fun! We road the Ferris wheel and the bumper cars with the kids and had just as much fun as they did. It was a great way to end a great trip.
Throughout our whole experience, our eyes have been opened to the life styles of others. We have seen poverty like we have never seen before, and yet we have seen the joy in a child's eyes from receiving something so small. This trip has changed us and shaped us and really made us think about our own lives. We are so blessed to be born in America and have so many unbelievable opportunities. God is so good and faithful. Keep Cambodia and the children in your prayers, they are God's precious children.
Napping at the bus station in Cambodia
While we were in Cambodia we had the awesome opportunity to teach at two local schools for two days. The groups that we were with from Japan and Singapore did an amazing job at preparing stations for the English days at the schools. Kara was at the spelling station, where the students had to learn to spell vocabulary words from the nativity story. Hilary was at a craft station and I was at the "days of the week" station. In all, there were five groups the students rotated to. The kids had a blast. After they had completed all five stations, we ate Japanese curry together that the group from Japan generously cooked. In the afternoon we put on a carnival for the kids. They had to go the the testing station and answer a question from what they had learned that day. If they answered correctly, they received a game coupon. There were games that ranged from throwing ping pong balls into a box, horseshoes, hit the coconut with a tennis ball to blowing a ping pong ball in a pool of water. The kids had a super fun time, and as they won the games they received prizes. All the prizes were used clothes that had been donated. As the children received their clothes, their eyes lit up wit joy. Many of them won clothes to bring home to their siblings and parents. It was very rewarding to give clothing to these children who either did not have a shirt on the back or desperately needed a new one.
Crafts station at a school
The ping pong station
We (the Thailand group) did a special intensive English class for the core group of students that we were working with. These students are being supported by the church in Singapore to go to English school. They traveled with us to the school and were our helpers and translators. We put on a class for them to teach about heath and good habits. We preformed skits about what happens when you make bad choices and what happens when you make good choices. We ended the class, by playing the board game that we have spent months preparing. The class was a success and the kids learned a lot and had fun.
Intensive English with our sponsored kids
Our favorite day was Friday when we went to the Temples and Angkor Wat. We met a lot of the street children who spend their days selling bracelets and post cards to tourist. After they realized that we we not like their average tourist they stopped trying to sell us their goods, but instead walked with us through the ruins and laughed and played with us. We had a blast with children and it was really hard saying good bye.
Some of our kids at Bayon
Hanging out with our kids
One of the little girls that was selling at Angkor Wat
We ended the trip with a trip to 60 ROAD! We heard about 60 Road all week from our kids, and knew that they desperately wanted us to take them. So Friday night they each received three dollars and went crazy at 60 Road which is a local carnival. I have to admit it was fun! We road the Ferris wheel and the bumper cars with the kids and had just as much fun as they did. It was a great way to end a great trip.
Throughout our whole experience, our eyes have been opened to the life styles of others. We have seen poverty like we have never seen before, and yet we have seen the joy in a child's eyes from receiving something so small. This trip has changed us and shaped us and really made us think about our own lives. We are so blessed to be born in America and have so many unbelievable opportunities. God is so good and faithful. Keep Cambodia and the children in your prayers, they are God's precious children.
Tiny Helper, a precious child of God
Saturday, December 4, 2010
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
For the past two months we have been preparing to go to Cambodia with other groups from Japan and Singapore. While we are there we will work with kids who sell on the street in Angkor Wat and teach English in their schools. Our big project has been making lessons for the older kids about good health and habits. We have made up a game that has gone through many many revisions and now we think it is perfect, or at least close to perfect. This will be my second trip to Cambodia and I am excited to see some of the kids again and to get to have this experience with everyone else. The bus trip is about 15 hours so we will all be a little sore at the end but I know it will be amazing. What is better than a really long bus ride for bonding! We will be gone for about a week and probably won't have internet most of the time so don't expect too much from us in the way of communication.
Amanda and I officially graduated from Thai 2 this week and we are not starting again until January so it is a nice break for a while. Yay for Christmas break! For the last day of class we had a field trip to an elephant camp and hospital. It was fun to do something different with our classmates outside of class and once again the long bus ride was perfect for chatting and catching up. There was a tiny (sort of) baby elephant that was super super cute and I wanted to steal it and bring it home but I hear they are expensive to raise. I love elephants if you didn't know!
This week I also cooked Thai food for cell group! Well really I payed for it and P Wah cooked and she taught me along the way. We made gang kiao wan gai, green curry chicken, and it was really good. I might be able to make it by myself one day, we'll see.
-Hilary
Amanda and I officially graduated from Thai 2 this week and we are not starting again until January so it is a nice break for a while. Yay for Christmas break! For the last day of class we had a field trip to an elephant camp and hospital. It was fun to do something different with our classmates outside of class and once again the long bus ride was perfect for chatting and catching up. There was a tiny (sort of) baby elephant that was super super cute and I wanted to steal it and bring it home but I hear they are expensive to raise. I love elephants if you didn't know!
Eating worms at the market after the elephant camp
Baby Ellie!
On Wednesday Robert and his family invited us to dinner and to come help decorate their house for Christmas. It is great to feel part of a family here. They are always so welcoming and giving and so much fun! It is kind of weird to decorate someone else's tree because everyone definitely has a certain way you like to do it yourself. But with all of our forces combined it was beautiful in the end. There is Christmas in Thailand but it is mainly completely secular and not everyone celebrates. The malls and markets are all decorated and it is beautiful!
Stringing popcorn for the tree
Christmas decorating with the Reagans
This week I also cooked Thai food for cell group! Well really I payed for it and P Wah cooked and she taught me along the way. We made gang kiao wan gai, green curry chicken, and it was really good. I might be able to make it by myself one day, we'll see.
-Hilary
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