Prayer Requests

Thanks for a safe trip

Thanks for all of the wonderful Christians here in Bangkok who have welcomed me so warmly and helped me through each day as I am learning to do everything the Thai way.

Request to be able to gain an ear for the way the Thai people speak English

Request to be able to get good sleep (which hasn't happened so far).

Request to be able to learn and adapt to the culture

My team

There are many people on the Bangkok team, and I have not met them all yet, but let me tell you some about the ones I have met.

Andy and Katherine Miller are wonderful, dedicated people who really know what they are doing in their work here. I am so glad they are my internship mentors; I know I will learn alot from them. They aren't kindred spirits, but they are good, reasonable people and I know we will get along well and work together well. They are 3 kids.

Aaron is around my age (a little younger I think), I know we will be glad to have the company of another person our age and that we will become good friends notwithstanding his being a Texan (if you know what I mean).

PiYai and PiNong are a young Thai couple who are absolutely precious people; they just radiate goodness.

P'Atinya (who may be my favorite team member) is a middle aged Thai man who is one of those people with a genuine spirit and who has a calming presence.

I am so thankful to God for each of these team mates; they are truly a good group of people to be working with.

First few days

Wow, I'm on such an information overload right now, so, so, so many new things in only a couple of days. In the last 48 hours I have met 2 dozen new people, learned a dozen Thai words and phrases, re-learned how to use a bathroom, how to sit, how to sleep, how to get from place to place, how much money is worth, what is good to eat (and what is just plain too spicy), how to make a joke, how to use my living space. Some more specific things I have learned are: they drive on the other side of the road, people tend to always eat out as it is very good and very cheap and most houses have no kitchen, breaded-fried banana is surprisingly yummy, you can find many American stores such as McDonalds, Toys R Us, and Starbucks here, showers and sinks only have one knob and that knob is cold, doing anything takes forever as Thai people do not believe in organizing anything, people are very friendly.

Everything is so wonderful and difficult all at once. I think the most frustrating thing right now is not being able to even understand people's English because of their heavy Thai accent, though I'm told that my ear will get used to it in time.

I think my favorite thing so far are my two Thai room mates: PiNuNing and PiJon. They are such wonderful, funny, and informative girls. I'm so glad to have them.

I've arrived

I've made it. Travel really was as smooth as possible. I made all of my connections smoothly, and all my bags were there when I got there. So, God has answered all of your safe travel prayers for me.

Departing tomorrow

I have spent a delightful time in York visiting with old friends, and profesors, and generally just enjoying some time off and to myself before everything begins.

I depart tomorrow and I believe the enormity of what is happening has begun to sink in, but only just. My mind is so full of thinking about finishing out the day, doing some repacking, seeing a few more friends, and knowing what a long and tiring trip I have ahead of me that I can't think much beyond that right now.

People keep asking me how I'm feeling about it, and I haven't been very good at answering that question. I think the real answer to the question is realistic: I feel like I have very realistic expectations and ideas about what is to come. I know that arriving in Thailand will be exciting, overwhelming, and difficult. I know that many wonderful, interesting, new, beautiful, difficult, unfamiliar, strange, confusing, and delightful things and experiences await me. I know I will sometimes enjoy things and sometimes get frustrated with things; I know I will love people there fiercely, and at the same time miss others that I have left behind desperately. And I also know that through all these different things and experiences and feelings I will have that God will guide me through a step at a time, and grow me and mold me in amazing ways, and I know that it will be wonderous to get to be there and watch Him work.
I look upon my arrival in Thailand with excited anticipation; I am so ready to do and to learn and to talk. But that is also tempered by knowing that I will not find things wonderful and perfect at every turn, and it is sobering to think what an important task I am about to attempt.

So, that's how I'm feeling (to put it as briefly as possible).

Pray God's traveling mercies upon me the next few days as I venture forth.

"If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." Ps. 139:9-10

In York

God has delivered me safely to my destination once again as today I am in York NE. I drove up all day yesterday beginning at 6:30 am, and driving until 9:00pm. 14 and 1/2 hours is a very long time to be in one's own company, but I managed to mostly keep my mind busy with music and thinking and praying (and I am very surprised and proud of my car for making it).

Prayer

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for my safe travel and for my visa paperwork to come through smoothly! God has answered all our prayers!

Prayer items:

Thanks that my visa has come through.

Thanks that I have made it safely as far as Stephenville TX, and am enjoying being with my brother, sister-in-law, and niece.

Request for a safe journey to York NE tomorrow.