My Thailand Adventure

Last days...

2008-12-07T20:24:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe, and even harder to imagine...but Katey and I are down to our very last days in Thailand. In just 8 days we will be boarding a plane to return to Canada....8 days. Thats just 192 hours, 11 520 minutes, or 691 200 seconds...and counting. Where has the time gone at all. It feels like just yesterday that we were working everything out to come; finishing papers, managing finances, booking flights...and now we are nearly finished and on our way back again. Crazy!

We're not done yet though. On Saturday, the 13th, we will be putting off a pretty stellar (if i do say so myself) Christmas play and party. There will be kids coming from all over. Invites have been given to kids from all the schools where we teach in the North, parents, family, friends, teachers, even people from Bangkok will be coming out to join us in all the fun. It's going to be quite the operation and soooo much fun! 23 kilos of chicken wings, 15 kilos of pork, mounds of sticky rice, countless gallons of sweet water, 2 tanks of coconut ice cream....and that's just the food. There will be games and contests, prizes and presents, and one awesome play depcting the Christmas story. The kids have been preparing their parts for weeks, and we have be getting ready with backdrops, curtins, costumes, make-up, paper mache, music, and scripts ever since we got back here in November. It is going to be quite the show.

So as you can read...days are busy and there is a lot to keep us occupied in our last 8 days. I'm sure we'll hardly notice as they slip away one by one. Before we know it we will be back in Bangkok packing up for one last time to hopefully board our flight on schedule and on time to return home (fingers crossed). It is going to be really hard to leave this place and all the wonderful people we have met, as I'm sure you can imagine, but that just gives more incentive to get back here again as quickly as I can manage. It is a bitter-sweet feeling as we are trying to prepare our hearts to leave. I know I will miss life here, and friends here, and ministry here....but I am so looking forward to Christmas at home with friends and family. It will be a welcome change of pace and it will be awesome to get to tell everyone about my experience here and show pictures and tell about funny stories and jokes, and also about everything I have learned over the last 6 months. It will be hard to leave the heat knowing I'll be walking off the plane into snow, but I can't imagine Christams without a white blanket to cover the ground.

Things have been going great since returning from Bangkok and the south. We have finished all the work for our directive course, and let me tell you, that is certainly a weight off! Not only that but now, I am done all of my class work for my undergrad degree....how sweet is last. Just a few final journals and reflection papers for the internship, and I will be finished. Crazy cool!

anyways, that's a bit about what we have left. I probably won't have a chance to update again before we go home, but I will let you all know in a little while how the transition is going and what it's like to be back in North America.
Thanks for all the continued support and prayers!

Jess

Back in Roiet

2008-11-08T03:46:00.000-08:00

Katey and I have been back in Roiet for about 4 days now. It's really good to be back. We had a nice break and got to experience some really awesome things, but it feels good to be back in a bit of a routine. Well, it will feel good. The routine has not yet kicked in as a bunch of our regular English classes were cancelled this week due to sports days at the schools. Next week should seem a bit more familiar.

A few weeks ago my mom sent me a package of a bunch of different Canadian stuff that I could use for prizes and games and the like, and with that she sent along a few frisbees. Well, they were a big hit. The kids didn't even know what a frizbee was, but once we threw it aroud a few times, they seemed to catch on. By the end of the afternoon a new game had emerged where the point was to try and make the other person not catch the frisbee, because then they had to get in the middle of the circle a do some sort of Thai song and dance. It was hilarious. They got Katey a few times too. With only one bloody nose and a few jabs to the stomach, I'd say it was a fairly successful game of "Frisbee" :)

We are beginning to prepare for the end of the year Christmas party that the English center will throw for all the students and kids. We have about 240 Samaritan Purse gift boxes to distribute and we'll be putting of a Christmas Bible story play / musical to which we are writing and composing the script. It's gonna be fun, and interesting! It's defiantely a good thing that we don't mind making complete fool out of ourselves. I anticipate a bit of that going on. Good times!

With not being able to take our computers with us to the South, ever since Katey and I have been back, we've been frantically trying to catch up on school work we missed while we were gone. I think the bulk of it is out of the way, just a few more things to go...but it has been a bit stressful. If you think of it, say a prayer or two for us that we get it all done and don't lose our minds in the process :)

I've been trying to upload a few photos, but I am not finding much success....so I am sorry that there aren't any new pics for you to check out. I will keep trying.

I think that's all the news for now.
Less than 6 weeks to go now. Crazy how fast time has flown by hey!

A month has passed...

2008-10-24T03:25:00.000-07:00

wow, has it really been a month since i last wrote. I apologize. Things are really crazy, and I have completely to keep you all updated on what's going on. I don't have a lot of time now, so a quick update will have to do for now.

Katey and I are now in Southern Thailand helping with some ongoing relief work where the Tusnami hit on December 26, 2004. Crazy to think how much time has past, and how much work there still is to do. It's easy to forget about the disaster now, being so far away from it all, but I have come face to face with the reality of what happened in these last few days. It has been hard to think of all the damage and loss that occured here, and I am ashamed to admit how little thought I gave it at the time of the disaster. It has been really humbling coming here and realizing that these people have not forgotten, and they will never forget. I am really learning a lot in my time here.

We head back to Bangkok on Nov. 4th, for just one day. Then it's back to Roiet to continue teaching until the middle of December. Then, it's crazy to even think, but it'll be time for us to return back to Canada. How time has flown! I still feel like i just got here and am getting into the swing of things, and now it's almost time to leave. It'll definately be abhard thing, but bitter sweet, as i do miss home and will be happy to be back.

Katey's parents cam to visit a couple weeks ago. So we were able to take a few days break with them and enjoy some down time. It was great to see them and great to relax a bit. Before that, Katey and I attended a seminar about the Thai people and culture, and reaching them with the Gospel. It was really really good, long days, and a lot of information, but I defiantely learned a lot.

I also just want to say how thankful I am for all the opportunities I have gotten since coming to Thailand. God has been so good and gracious, and I know that I will come away from this experience a changed person. I have seen more then I even thought I would in my lifetime, and my experiences have been so awesome. I am learning so much. I want to thank all of you too for being a part of this with me and supporting me always!

Hopefully it won't be so long till I write again this time!

2008-09-24T01:10:00.000-07:00

It has been a while sine you all have heard anything from me I know….but let me assure you I have been keeping quite busy.

Course work for my directive class has kicked in full throttle now, so on top of everything else, I have assignments, questions, papers, reading….you know the drill. Not much down time, let me just say that. It certainly feels weird not being back at school around this time of year. Especially now that my class work has started. It’s like I thought everything would magically stop in time until I got back or something, but no…the world keeps on spinning J. It’s weird to think that all my friends are back at school, living in the dorms, eating meals together….and I’m not. Then again, I am in Thailand after all, so no complaints here. It’s just a strange feeling I guess. It’s also weird that that chapter of my life will soon be over. Bethany will soon be a thing of the past for me and I’ll be moving on to other things, new adventures…possibly more school, but a different school. New people, new teachers, new classes, new fears, new challenges….that’s a scary thing really once I start to really think about it…so for now, I won’t. I have plenty to think about without having to consider all the change that is about to head my way. One thing at a time right!

This is our last week in Ban-Non for this session. We will be back again in November for another 6-week session, but for now, the schools here shut down in October, so we will be heading back to Bangkok for a few weeks. It’ll be hard to leave all the kids, but it’s good to know that we’ll be back before we know it. I hate to think what it will be like once we have to leave for good to go home. The older students are getting ready to take entrance exams for universities all over the country, so we’ve been doing our best to help them prepare. This is something that has taken me far out of my comfort zone. It feels like a lot of responsibility to help these students get ready for university. It makes me wish I knew so much more. I’ve been helping this one student, his name is Pure, with music. He wants to go to music school, but doesn’t really know much about reading music. His has an incredible voice, and loves to sing, but it’s the technical side of things that might keep him out of university. You’d think with all my background in music I would be more able to help him, but it’s like I never bothered to remember any of that theory stuff going through choirs and music camp after music camp. Who knew that now I would need to use it all. I feel really helpless at times wishing there was more that I could do to help him. I have managed to figure out some chords (which is a miracle all in itself) to help with some ear-training, so we’ve been doing a bit of that on an electric keyboard that he has. I just wish there was more I could do, more I could teach him…but I guess I can only teach him what I know right…

We are going to be taking part in a missionary training conference in Bangkok for a week from the 6th to the 10th. The church that we are working with here puts one off every year. Missionaries come from around the world to learn about missions to the Thai people. I am really looking forward to it. Dr. Natanchai, the man who started this center in Ban-Non and is the pastor of the church in Bangkok, heads it up and will be teaching us about missionary work in Thailand. It should be an awesome learning experience.

Once the conference is over, I think we will be taking a bit of a break for a few days. Katey’s parents are actually coming to Thailand for a visit, so we are going to take our time off while they are here to spend some time with them. It will be nice to have some down time. I see a beach in our near future!!! YAY.

By this time, our visa’s will be expired again, so we will need to leave the country for a couple of days to get them renewed. There’s talk of going to either Cambodia or Laos for a day or so to get this worked out. I don’t think I wrote about our last visa renewal experience a couple of weeks ago, but let’s just say that we ran into a few "complications", and well…there was a law broken, a hefty fine, and a stamp that says “alleged offender” put in our passports. It was quite the experience. We definitely learned our lesson about visa renewal the hard way, and we are hoping for a much smoother experience this time around. We could only get them renewed for a month this time around, so that’s why we need to leave the country so soon to do it all over again.

One our visa's are renewed, we will have another 6 weeks out here in Ban-Non teaching English and the like, and then we will be done. We leave here on the 14th of December, and our flight back to Canada leaves on the 16th. Time seems to be running very short.
I am loving it here, and leaving is something I am not quite ready to think about.

I guess that's about it for now. i know there haven't been any new pictures for quite a while now....but I am having trouble finding an internet connection that will allow me to upload. Hopefully I can work it out once we get back to Bangkok.

As my friend Pi Fon would say...."Peace out peeps!"

2008-09-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

So we have just finished our first week out of Bangkok. We are now living in the North province of Thailand, in a village called Ban-Non. This means 2 things (well, more than two, but I am going to tell you two of them right now) 1- Thai school is over (bitter sweet I guess you could say) and 2- no more 7 Eleven. I didn’t think it would be possible to live with out the convenience of a 7 Eleven on every corner…but here I am alive and well and can attest to living life well outside the comforts of a hot dog at any time of the night or a coke slushie on those extra hot days. Life in Ban-Non is radically different from life in Bangkok, and I am expecting to encounter culture shock all over again at any point now. Our mornings are spent learning about cultural differences and about who the Thai people are and what makes them tick. Our days are filled with children and English classes, story books and drawing, games and food (who wouldn’t love days filled with games and food….really though). Our nights are spent learning more Thai with our friends here, preparing for the next days classes, and we even manage to sneak in a Friends episode ever now and again. I must say that life is here quite busy, but sooo good. I am truly enjoying every minute of it. OK, well, maybe not every single minute, I could certainly do without some of those minutes in the freezing cold shower every morning, but that’s really a minor detail. I have learned to make the most of every minute that I have to stand under that freezing cold stream J

I am really enjoying teaching English. All the kids out here are so awesome; eager to learn and just a joy to teach. I sometimes feel like I have no idea what I am doing or what I’m talking about, but somehow I always manage to make it through the each lesson. I am really learning to trust fully on God’s strength to get through each day, because there is no way that I would be able to do this on my own. The days are long and hot, and if I were relying on my own strength, I am near certain that I would have given up long ago. God has been very faithful in providing for my every need, whether it’s knowing how to explain an English concept to a bunch of kids that I hardly understand myself, or a simple cool breeze in the middle of the night when my body temperature is rising in the heat (we do not have the luxury of air conditioning in our room out here).

There are tow other volunteers out here with us, Pi Fon (the woman who is actually mostly in charge of the center out here) and Pi Kem, who is volunteering with us for about 6 weeks. It has been awesome getting to know them and spend time talking with them in the morning and nights. We have had some really awesome chats, of encouragement and support, and some other not so serious banter of course. It’s hard to believe that one week has passed already….about 11 to go. I can’t imagine leaving this place, but I also know that it will come a lot sooner than I expect.

I miss life in Bangkok, I miss our friends there and classes we taught, the work we were doing, but I am enjoying very much my time in Ban-Non. Two very different places, two completely different experiences.

2008-08-18T01:33:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

After finishing the first module of Thai language school on Thursday, Katey, Christy (a friend we met at Thai school), and I, took off to the beach for a 2-day mini-vacay. We went to Koh Samed which was about 4 hours from Bangkok with both the bus and ferry ride added in. But it was certainly worth the long treck! The beach was absoultly beautiful, and the break was muchly appreciated. It really felt nice not to have to think about a million different things all at once for a change. Not worrying about where to eat lunch (which is at times more stressful than you could ever imagine), not thinking about learning Thai, or having to pay my teacher money for forgetting vocab, not worring about teaching and getting all the lessons finished in time for the last class (which is next Sunday by the way...the 7 weeks flew by!), and it was a real treat to just even have a few hot showers. The people we met there were all so nice and welcoming, and we even managed to make friends with the servers at the restaurant we frequented. I'm not sure if that had more to do with the fact that we were foreigners, or that we told her how beautiful she was several times. The only complaint I have about my time at the beach is about the somewhat nasty burn I left with (and that was after several applications of SPF 45 sunscreen...I guess I just can't win).

This morning began module of learning Thai. It went well, as the most amount of time was spent reviewing patterns previously learned in module one. But they wern't kidding when they said that in module 2 you learn a lot a lot of vocabulary. I feel like my head is spinning. I can now say (or at least recognize in phonetics and hope to one day memorize) how to cook, boil, fry, dee-fry, steam, bake, BBQ and roast all types of veggies and meats. They'll make a chef out of me yet :D
After scanning through the remaining 18 lessons in my textbook, I am certain it will continue to get harder and more complicated and there are longer and more complex patters to lear and vocab out the ying yang. Unfortunately, Katey and I will only be able to study module 2 for 7 lessons. After that (next Wednesday the 27th) we will be heading off to Roiet to teach English in schools there for 6 weeks. Hopefully we will be able to, with the help of Pi Fon, a Thai friend we will stay with in Roiet, learn the rest of the lessons on our own.

We also recieved out syllabus for our directive today. If all the internship work wasn't enough to keep us busy, it seems as though this directive adds on quite the load. I think it is definately going to take some careful planning and discipline to make sure we stay somewhat on top of all the work that we have to do, along with a serious measure of God's grace!

In chatting with one of my English students last night after class had finished, I fould out tht she works with an organization that recieves foreign teachers to teach English in Thailand. She gave me her email and said to be in touch, and if I ever wanted to return after my schooling was finished, she would work with me. She said how much she would miss me when I leave to go to Roiet, but she is sure I will have a wonderful time there, and that it is very beautiful and peaceful. It is neat to see some of the connections that God brings your way, from places you least expect it. With classes coming to an end at the church, it feels like i have made friends with most of my students (the ones who regularly come to class anyways :)) and I will definately miss seeing them on a regular basis!

I spent some time with my mentor debriefing a bit on some of the experiences we have been having so far, and I must say, it was nice to take a step back and really look at all that's been happening so far. It was good to recognize the ways that God has been providing (even when at the time I sometimes don't realize it) and it is cool to see some of the relationships He has given us with friends and students here.

I said something not so smart last night, and though it may seem logical, I don't think i meant exactly what i said. I said "you know Katey, at first when we got here, it seemed like our time was going really slowly...but it's like the longer we are here, the shoter our time feels!" I immediatly realized what I had said, and we both laughed, but i really do feel like our time is speeding by now. The first few weeks seemed long, but now it's like days go by and I don't even notice. I fear that we will get to the end of the 6 months, and I will have forgotten to remember all that we have experienced and learned. Now that we have a regular routine, days seem to just float by. It feels normal to live here, to be a part of this culture, and to think about having to leave so soon, well let's just say I am not entirely looking forward to the prospect. 6 months seemed like a very long time at first when planning to come here, but now it seems like hardly any time at all.

Anyways, that's about all I can muster for now...
I have a week of studying Thai ahead of me, a visit from Julia, and saying goodbye to Bangkok and our friends here for at least 6 weeks, and then who knows...

Ps. I think I am used to the heat...I neve thought I'd see the day :D

2008-07-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

It’s that time again….who’s ready for a little update….

Whoever is following the calendar will know that one full month (and then some) has passed since my arrival in Thailand. Geepers man, time flys ‘eh! Less than 5 months to go…

I have been reading a book (that I am in fact required to read by my mentor as a part of my internship work…but that I also thankfully am quite enjoying) called “A New Kind of Christian” by Brian D. McLaren. A few days ago, about mid-way through, I hit a part talking about the church and why, in fact, it exists. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the needs and issues of our own church, of our own people, within our own walls, and the rest of the world seems to unknowingly fade away. I know I have certainly fallen victim to this mentality in the past. But the author here, not so gently, reminds us the true reason for the existence of the church, the body of Christ, and it goes way beyond our four stone walls…

He says, “The church exists for the world – to be God’s catalyst so that the world can receive and enter God’s kingdom more and more”.

When I read that line, it just kind of hit me that, well yes…OBV the church exists for others. God chose to spread His message of redemption, salvation, and hope through His very own people. It started with just 12…and look how those 12 served the world. It’s almost unbelievable when you think about it really. But I guess that’s why they call it the “Good News”! And it’s not just something the church does…it is the purpose for our existence. Cool hey! I thought so…

In other news, I caught a bit of a bug the other day and am still in the process of overcoming it…it has been a rough few days, but I can defiantly see the light. I would greatly appreciate your prayers for a speedy recovery!

Let’s see….oh, last weekend Katey and I took a trip to the North-East province of Essan to teach English classes for…well…a day. It was a quick trip, in and out. It took us about 11 and a half hours to travel there by van on Friday evening, putting us in the town of Banon at about 6:30 am on Saturday. Our first class began at 8:30 am, so a quick cat nap was all we could afford. We taught two classes, then had a bit of a nap…I’d say. Haha. The students there were awesome. They were all around the ages of 14 and 15, and they were so much fun! We did a little rendition of “Head and Shoulders” which turned out to be a big hit, and in the second class we even had time for a couple rounds of “Simon Says” after the lesson was finished. The kids gave us Thai nicknames of Star and Moon, as we are a good pair….I forget now who was who. They were very sweet. Not only did I make it through both classes awake and alert….I even felt a bit energized after them. God is good like that! We also met a very sweet girl, about our age, who we will be living with when we go up there in September. She showed us around a bit and I think both Katey and I have taken quite the liking to her if I do say so myself. We are really looking forward to living with her when we go back. Right now she is all alone and is basically responsible for the entire ministry and church plant up there. We are excited to be able to work with her and get to know her better! We left Banon at about 5 pm on Saturday and headed back to Bangkok, where we safely arrived at about 2 am…considerably shorter than the previous van journey (don’t know what happened there). All in all, it was a great introduction to what we will be doing when go to live there full time in a month or so.

A little about Thai language school:
Still very difficult, but also fun at times. Katey and I were rehearsing a hypothetical conversation between a seller and a buyer at the market, bartering for the price of fruit, over lunch today. I think our waitress got quite the kick out of it. And hey, I’m happy to entertain right. lol. It will be fun to actually try out what we are learning in real life. I have a feeling it will be quite different, as I suspect the opposing partner in conversation will likely break from the script we have so fondly memorized and the patterns we have repeated countless times. But as my teacher says (quite often) pit pen khru….mistakes are you teacher. And let me tell you, I am one awesome teacher for myself! Hahaha. It’s always fun when you respond to someone in Thai, they are kind of taken back….it’s when they keep talking (assuming we know more) that I run into trouble. That’s when I smile and nod and start to walk away slowly. Good times. And interestingly enough, my little bit of French background is actually helping me remember some of the Thai. It’s cool how that works too.

Well, I think that about does it for now. It’s back to school tomorrow…we’re more than half done the first module now. Crazy!

2008-07-16T04:28:00.000-07:00

Well, it’s July 16th and so I guess that means we’ve been here for about 22 days. Wow…it’s weird, sometimes I feel like I’ve been here for so long as the days tend to feel long, but then I look at that number and it’s hard to believe a month is almost over.

Katey and I began Thai language school this week. Today we finished day 3 of module 1. Let me tell you, I do not see the need for 21 vowels, something like 37 consonants, and 5 tones. There are endless combinations of words and phrases, and I am attempting to be able to speak Thai in just one month…I must be crazy. I thought the first day was hard, but then we went the second day, and that was harder, and then we went this morning, and it was harder still. It’s almost like the more we practice the vowels and tonal sounds, the more alike they all sound. I really like me teacher though. Even though I have absolutely no There are 3 Japanese students in my class, 3 Korean students, 1 American, and me. Interestingly enough…three of these students are also missionaries. That just goes to show how important knowing the language of the country your are serving in is. SO…even though this feels like one of the most difficult things I have had to do in a long time…I am determined to study and do my best, because otherwise what am I here for. I am here to be a witness for Jesus, and that is going to be pretty difficult if all I know how to say is “Hello” and “Thank you”. I must persevere through 21 vowels, 37 consonants and 5 tonal sounds….phew. Lord have mercy! :)

In other news…Katey and I had our first practice with the worship team at the church here last night. It was really fun! They gave me a tambourine….and let’s just say I rocked it…hahaha. You know us Sally Anns and our tambourines J. We did a few English worship songs, and it was nice to sing in English again. Usually everything in the church service is completely in Thai. There is usually a translator for the sermon and we get to wear sweet headphones….but other than that everything is in Thai. Sometimes the tune of the song is familiar and that makes it easier to try and figure out how the Thai fits into the melody…but it was nice to be able to sing some songs in English, even if it’s just in practice. I think we might practice with them a bit more regularly, it should be good times.

This Thursday and Friday are Buddhist holidays here in Thailand…as I understand it, schools are shut down, and that’s about it….works for me! We will have 4 days to master the Thai we have begun to learn and go back on Monday to wow our teachers….here’s hopin’!
Well, I think that’s about it for now. It looks like we might be heading to the North-East province to teach English around August 27th. And actually, they need teachers for next weekend, so we’ll be going up just for the weekend July 25th. We started teaching English here at the church last week. We have classes Monday and Tuesday nights and I teach all day on Sunday. I was really nervous in the beginning, but the classes can actually be quite fun. I am discovering 1 knew a lot more about English than I thought I did…but I am also discovering a lot that I don’t know either. The students here are very eager to learn, so class tends to go by rather quickly and they are always asking questions. It’s becoming something I enjoy, rather than something I’m afraid of…so this is good progress!

Oh, and it is just as hot as ever… :)

2008-06-30T05:41:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

So this is day 4, or somewhere close to that, of life in the big city of Bangkok. There are endless things I could tell you about my time here so far....so I will only have time to touch on a few briefly here...

First of all, the people. The people here are so nice and welcoming. Even though I am thousands of miles away from home, I don't feel like I am all alone. I have met some really awesome people. I am living in an apartment in the Church here, and there are some many nice people around all the time, eager to hep in any and every way they can. I have been learning a few key Thai phrases and words....but it will be nice to start language school and really begin to learn some of the language. I start school on the 14th of July...and Katey and I will be in different classes, so keep us in your prayers!

We are still adjusting to the time difference here...but it is getting better each day. We wake up about 6am every morning...without an alarm! For those of you who really know me, and my sleeping habits, you will know that this is not only unusual, but is un-heard of :)
The days seem long, but this is a big city, and there is a lot to cover!

We had our first ministry experience this morning, and it was challenging, but very good. This was one of those times I really wished I could speak the language. It is hard to take everything in. There is so much going on all the time everywhere.

I start teaching English this week. This will be interesting. I guess we'll see if they can make a teacher out of me yet! I am a bit nervous, but it will be a good learning experience. So many people are eager to learn English here, they are so happy to be able to have native English speakers to teach!

Have I mentioned the heat yet....all I can say is WOW. I never could have imagined how hot the sun is. You don't get this kind of heat in good ol' Newfoundland. I am constantly sweating....it doesn't matter what you do or wear...Insta-sweat is what I like to call it. The moment I step out from the air-conditioned bedroom, my body is covered in what seems to be a glossy coating from head to toe. But don't be fooled....this is not a lovely pregnant woman's glow...this is sweat, seeping from every pour in my body ( I hope that's the right "pour"). It's quite a treat really :)

That's another thing, Air-conditioning. What a blessing that is. I can't tell you how nice it is to step inside a 7/11 for a few moments during a walk somewhere....to take a second to breathe. and the sky train, such a nice break from the immense hear outside. At first we thought the air-conditioning was broken in our room at the church...I panicked for a few minutes....but the problem was fixed. Thank the Lord! I can not imagine how I would sleep in that heat.
Here I am complaining, when as a Newfie, we long for a nice hot sunny day. Funny how that woks hey!

All in all, so far, this is an awesome experience, that I know will just continue to get better as time goes on and we are feeling more confident and comfortable in our surroundings. Who knew I'd be traipsing around Bangkok with my Sky Train pass and 6.50 Baht Mini-bus fee, dripping with sweat, with about 6 months ahead of me. Cool hey! I think so.

Please pray for patience and understanding amid all the confusion, and a cool breeze once in a while won't be a bad idea either :)

That's it for now...

2008-06-17T18:15:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends!

I know it's been a long time since you've heard from me...but let me tell you, it has certainly been a busy few weeks!

The 15th came and went and I did not end up in Thailand. But the good news is...the date has been confirmed and the tickets purchased and Katey and I will be flying out of Buffalo on the 25th of this month, headed for the long anticipated Thailand!!! How exciting!

Everything has really been coming together in the last week especially, with final funds coming in, and clearance from Global Partners to go. It has been an emotional ride to say the least...making sure everything is order and that we are prepared to leave home and enter the unknown for a whole 6 months...well about 5 and 3/4 now. But praise the Lord that He is working for us and preparing the way. I have been challenged in the last few weeks to keep the faith, but I have also been greatly encouraged by God's provision and His faithfulness to both Katey and me. He certainly has a plan and it has been made clear to me that He will work it out in His time and for His glory. YAY! It feels good to serve such a faithful God hey :)

Right now I am in Ontario at Katey's house spending some time with her family and my mom. We are having lots of fun and I am thankful to have this time to just relax a bit (after the stress has settled a bit) and just enjoy family for a little while before I take off. I know I will miss these times every once in a while when I am away, but I am so looking forward to all that God is going to do and for the opportunities and experiences I will have.

I honestly don't think it has quite hit me yet...the reality that I will be living in a foreign country for a whole 6 months. That's a long time! But I have a feeling it won't be long sinking in once I set foot in the big, massive really, city of Bangkok :D

I want to thank everyone for your prayers and support in this. It has meant the world to me (Thailand in particular..hahaha). But seriously...I can't that you enough for all you've done and all that you mean to me. I have been very blessed with such an awesome support system of friends and family! Please continue to pray for safe travels and a smooth transition one we arrive in Thailand!

I will be in touch again soon (hopefully on a more regular basis now)

2008-05-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hey all!!
So, this is my blog...cool hey! Thanks to Jen Ochej for helping me out of my lack of technological know-how :)

I'm not actually in Thailand yet, but give me about 21 days, and my adventure will begin...YAY! Still in the preparation stages, I've got lots to do. Let's see...a 12-page research paper on Thailand, my post-seminar work, as well as a book report on Survival Kit for Overseas Living. That's not to mention all the things I need to do to get organized to move to Thailand for the next 6 months..I best be getting busy I'd say.

Well, I'm starting to get accustomed to Thai culture as best I can here in Newfoundland, starting with a trip to Taste of Thai downtown tomorrow with Val and Mel for some grub. I'm excited! I have experienced a bit of Thai food before, and I must said I do enjoy it. Should be a laugh :)

Everything seems to be coming together for the trip though. So before you know it, I'll be in a different time zone where the heat is much hotter and the food is...well...Thai :D

That's all for now!
Stay tuned...