Another day on a new island

Yesterday we started the day by picking up the framed photos from the day before at the photo lab. You can see that photo labs here also have a culture of their own. We then took a two hour boat ride (each way) to Phayam Island. The families were all ready to go and waiting for us- so we just set up a little “studio” in the new church and took the family photos there. This village had a lot of new baby’s that were so adorable. The whole village was so excited to watch each other have their photos taken. “Shopping” is our Thai intern, who has been going with us, organizing the families and is a huge help to this project. Since their culture does not express physical affection publicly- whenever Shopping would ask them to sit closer, put their arms around each other or show affection—the audience would all let out a roar of laughter. One of the funniest surprises to me- was when a few parents told us that they wanted their children in the photo but since they were away at school and they had a photo of them - they asked us to include their photo in the photo. Thanks to photo shop, Chris and Katie were even able to arrange those photos for the delivery tomorrow. The last picture is Mike ending the time with them in prayer, reminding them that they were all created special and unique in God’s eyes and praying a blessing on their lives.

Chris and Katie

My cousin’s daughter and husband (Katie and Chris) are spending two weeks here with us. They are professional photographers and have a new interest in taking photos of people who don’t have photos of themselves and giving them to these people as gifts. Their non profit organization is called Recapture. You’ll see more photos of our life here this week at their website. Yesterday we visited Uncle Lek and took pictures of him with his new boat. This is the man that we built a new house for and have spent quite a bit of time with in the past few years. Today we went to Elephant Island and took photos at 29 of the 31 homes there. It was fun to get a few snapshots of Chris and Katie taking their pictures yesterday and today.

More Quotes for Mom's

Our goal is to steadily turn our children away from their earthly parents,

who will let them down,

toward a heavenly Father who will always be there for them

and in whose arms they will always be secure.

Susan Alexander Yates

A delicacy of chips and chocolate milk...

This weekend we got to visit the children at Chiang Mai Blessing Home again. Our friends Brent and Amy Moen were visiting us from California and wanted to get something for the kids that would be a treat. After asking the directors, they suggested some chips and chocolate milk. I was so amazed at how special that simple snack was to them. We were told that they rarely get their own snack like this- so when it came time to pass out the gifts, they ran behind our truck, made a quick line and each one thanked us as they received their snack. The expresssions on some of thier faces, show thier excitement and anticipation to get the snack. It made me once again realize how much we take for granted.

Meet "Ohh" !

From time to time, we get updates from our teams working in all 5 regions of Thailand. Mitch, our director in the south sent us this story of "Ohh". We thought you'd be encouraged and want to pray for her.......

We praise God for “Ohh”, who came to Christ through a project from New Zealand that worked with our campus team in southern Thailand. She is very thirsty to know more about Him. One of our female Thai staff taught her how to share her faith and how to pray for people. Ohh was so excited that she even went home and told her mother about Jesus (something that can often meet stern opposition) & that Jesus could heal her, because her Mum was suffering pain from cancer. Ohh prayed for her mother and the pain went away—to the glory of God! So after that, Ohh’s Mum was more than interested to watch the entire Jesus film on VCD with Ohh. Miracle of miracles, her Mum prayed to receive Christ at the end of the movie and even came along to our student follow up BBQ on Saturday. Then her mother told Ohh’s father and he didn’t say anything negative about being Christian—praise the Lord!

Breakfast in Bangkok

In Bangkok this week, we had a chicken and rice breakfast with one of dear Thai staff that we have worked with now for 15 years. It was at Mike's favorite restaurant near our Bangkok office. Tip was on our team in Chiang Mai and then directed the GCTC that Mike set up several years ago. She had some very exciting news to share with us and it was good for us to hear her share the latest events in her life. After breakfast we had to do some errands in a busy part of town and I’m glad that Mike was driving and not me!!!

This one's for Dan the Pepsi Man!!!!

Breakfast with Tip on the street- (Thai style)

A vendor passed by us with his home made cutting boards.

Bangkok bumpercar traffic

31st Home Built on Elephant Island

Tonight I am in Bangkok while Mike is in the south. He had to make some quick arrangements for some future teams, so it was easier for him to go alone. These pictures are from his last building project two weeks ago. A team from Waterloo and some of our Thai staff were able to build one more home for a widow lady. He’s pretty proud of it, as they built it to be a better quality and it is seen as the nicest home in the village. This was the 31st home our groups have built in this sea village of Mogan people. It was Mike’s first time to see the completed church since we got back, and he is still amazed that this church has been planted on an island in southern Thailand.

Can someone please explain this to me?????

Last week, we had to cross the Thai border and go into Burma to renew our visa. These clocks are in the passageway between the two countries and I've never been able to figure them out. Please help me understand!!!!

The border between countries.

In Burma

"Phin, our loyal, trustworthy, faithful housegirl."

Phin, has been one of the biggest blessings in our lives since moving to Chiang Mai. She has been part of our family and we a part of hers for about 15 years. She has come to our home a few times every week to help Judy with the household chores, which are more demanding in Thailand. She still helps us learn the culture, how to do things the Thai way, and simply makes daily life much easier for us. As she’s been such an asset to our family life, we too have tried to be there for her family. We have helped to put her two children through college, helped rebuild her home when it was destroyed through floods, helped with her responsibilities at family funerals, etc. Her husband died of a heart condition a few years ago, and she cleans at our offices, classrooms and our home to provide for her family. Yesterday, while standing at our kitchen sink, doing dishes, she was telling us how thankful she is for God in her life. Her son has made a turn in his life, is working for CBN and wants to serve God with his live. She told us how our family has been such a blessing in her life by helping her through her difficulties. We expressed to her- that she was even more of a blessing to us, for helping us learn how to live in Chiang Mai and her faithful, trustworthy hard work over the years.

Idol Worship

Psalm 135: 15-18
“The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
made by the hands of men,
They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but they cannot see,
they have ears, but cannot hear,
nor is there breath in their mouths.
Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them."

Happy Anniversary of Life in Southeast Asia!

Today, Feb. 12 is our 29 year anniversary of leaving the USA and moving to Asia. As we reminisced today that first flight -we were reminded how young and innocent we were. Neither of us had ever been on a commercial plane before and I cried all the way from Cedar Rapids to Denver after telling my family good-bye. Three years seemed liked such a long time to not see any of them. But in our youthful spirits, we had hearts that wanted to follow Jesus to the ends of the earth, and it felt like such an exciting adventure. Asia has become home to us in so many ways- and it obviously has been fulfilling – cause we’re still here and enjoying the adventure of following God’s plan for us.

Our current home of - Chiang Mai!

Benjamin Franklin.......
"If you take all your good habits and subtract all your bad habits, the result is your contribution to society."

Developing Chiang Mai City

A few days ago, I was sitting in McDonalds waiting for an appointment. While looking around that particular intersection, I realized how we have watched this city that we call home- turn from a provincial village atmosphere to a developing westernized city. When we moved here from Bangkok 16 years ago, this corner was occupied by small independently owned little shops. Now the four corners each are the residence of McDonalds, Starbucks, Burger King and a La Meridian 5-star hotel that is scheduled to open this month. One thing that we love most is that Chiang Mai is still a unique combination of “east meets west."

CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!

Tomorrow is Chinese New Years. The Thai people of Chinese decent celebrate this holiday, too. There have been fireworks going off all day. This morning while I was walking in our neighborhood for exercise, I came across two of our Chinese neighbors who were performing some rituals to make merit. The older Grandpa who our family has always enjoyed, had a table set up on his front porch with specially cooked dishes and was burning candles and incense to appease the spirits. Both he and another neighbor were burning printed paper that looks like money along with sheets of gold paper to send it on to their ancestors. This was my first time to talk with the younger new neighbor, so it was interesting to hear him explain his beliefs to me. He was very friendly and we hope to get to know him better and share our lives and beliefs with him and his wife.

Startled By An Elephant in the Road!!!

After dinner tonight, we went with Dick and Joy, (Mike’s visiting brother and wife from Iowa) to the night market to help them buy some souvenirs. We were walking on a side street and I was looking down at the street as I walked. When I looked up—all of a sudden there directly in front of me was a big huge humongous elephant. Talk about being startled…. I let out a holler of surprise. His mahout proceeded to tell us that the elephant was pregnant and very hungry- so we should buy some of the sugar cane he was selling- to feed the elephant. Smart marketing, eh? We had compassion on the big mama- and Mike fed him the sugar cane!

The Amazing Cornerstone Church Mission Group from Fullerton, California

The other group that has been here working with us this past week, was from Cornerstone Church in Fullerton, California. Their church has been a part of our sending team for several years. They came over here to do childcare for another group for a week and then came up to Chiang Mai to visit us. They were total servants- because our biggest need unexpectedly after they got here was to help do childcare for our conference. After a week of being with children day in and out then - their second week, they ended up doing the same thing, helping with children again. However, they told me their favorite day was the day they spent on Mae Jo University with our staff and students and having the opportunity to pray for them. They also got to attend one of our weekly meetings with students from all Chiang Mai campuses joining together.

Thanks to Ginny, Bill, Mike, Linda, Al, Larry, Sandy, Bill, Eileen, Cherrie, Howard and Ann for your incredible servants hearts and please come back again!

Prayer walking on campus

The whole group from Cornerstone


Together with our staff team from Mae Jo University


Some of them listening to stories of the orphans at their orphange visit.


Visit to the orphange

Good-bye to the hard-working crew from Waterloo, Iowa!

I just came back from the airport after telling two wonderful groups of friend’s good-bye. The first group was from our home area. Over the past 2 weeks, there have been 26 people from the Waterloo, Iowa area helping with different projects. Mike has been with 7 men this past week in the south building another home/hut for a family victimized after the Tsunami. The remaining group has been running a VBS type program for a group of 160 rambunctious children morning till night. It has been so fun to have them here and show them our city and favorite spots whenever they had breaks from their work.

Our first Thai meal together.

Thai pedicures for the ladies with hand painted flowers for just $6.

Dinner at the German restaurant.

The children's performance the final day for thier parents.

Good-bye at the airport, although 8 had already left!

I miss you already girls!!