Tis the Season

We made it to America and are enjoying being smothered with lots of hugs each hour of the day! Baby Hayley is the most adorable little 10 month old around, but a bit unsure of these two strangers who have just invaded her life so far! We're working on some bonding time each day!Not much on our agenda right now, but just to spend time with the family and create some new memories. It's funny the things that kids remember. Summer has asked me at least three times if I will play water balloons with her, because it must be a pretty good memory of doing that our last day together last summer. Due to Collin and Summer's request, we had to make Chic-Fil-A one of our first meals together. Silly Marisa has too much Thai in her!
Christmas before Thanksgiving. The turkey is still in the frig - but the gifts are open. Since we only have two full days all together, we want to squeeze both of the holidays in. We won't get around to the Turkey meal until tomorrow, but since the gifts came wrapped from Thailand and the the kids were so excited, we switched the order and had Christmas tonight.

Summer modeling some of her Thai treasures.

Aunt Jenny got in on a little of the Christmas giving too since she too will not be here for Christmas. Jet lag has been manageable- but sleep sounds real good right now. Sweet dreams to all and to all a good night!

Great is They Faithfulness

Sitting in the Tokyo airport right now en route to America. The next flight is the longest- 14 hours from Tokyo to Chicago. On the last flight, I was reflecting on God's faithfulness in our lives. His faithfulness is my greatest source of strength many times in my life. The words of the hymn kept singing in my head:

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassion's, they fail not;

As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see.

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Here Today- Gone Tomorrow

It's really fun here to watch restaurants, roadside stands, businesses, etc. randomly pop up one day and then when you return later on they aren't there anymore. Jon and Marisa will especially appreciate this new one as it is right next door to the "hong tao" that they lived in here. Fluke's mom, just decided to open up a restaurant in her car park this month, and we had some delicious Khaw Pot Gai there with Juum this week. It was so encouraging to hear from Juum and her excitement about her work in a nearby 'closed' country. I've had just 5 days in between the Continental Singers project leaving Thailand and my trip to the USA to try to get caught up and pack for this next trip. We've had meal appointments every day to catch up with friends.Here we are at with the Thai staff at one of their favorite Japanese Buffets. You get one hour to eat all you want after taking your food choices off the rotating conveyor belt and cooking it in a pot at your table. Yesterday was another favorite of Khao Soy with the Matyas family. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL TODAY! I have so much to be thankful for in my life-- mainly God's amazing goodness to me! It will be a rare treat to get to eat turkey with Lori today here in Thailand and reflect on all we have to be thankful for together. Tonight begins our journey to the USA for Bethany's graduation from HIU! I can hardly imagine what it will be like to hold baby Hayley in my arms again in just about 48 hours!

A Piano, Computer & Sewing Machine

This week it was time to let go of something in my home with alot of sentimental value to me. It has been part of our family ever since the girls started reading. In my aspirations, at least one of the four would become an accomplished piano player. They all took lessons at one age or another from Aunt Judi or Aunt Pam or Miss Jamie and enjoyed playing for a season. I, too, took lessons from Mrs. Aeby all throughout my elementary and middle school years. A piano in our home has been something that seems like it should always be there- "just in case" someone wanted to play. I absolutely love the sound of a piano playing in my home. However, reality is that over the past several years, ever since a computer has entered my world- that piano has been sitting unused. Sitting at my computer now gives me alot more connection to my friends and family so far away. Several years ago when our string piano would not hold a tune , we traded it in for an electric piano. Piano's are very expensive in Thailand and our church has desperately needed one. Each week, they've been carrying in a different shorter keyboard for our Praise & Worship time from someone's home. In honesty, I needed a little money from our piano and it just seemed the right thing to do to share it with a place where their need was greater. When the Continentals performed here their last time, they needed a piano so I decided it was time to pass it on. That afternoon, I enjoyed one last afternoon of playing through my favorites in an old Hymnbook. It was a sweet time for me and I almost changed my mind about getting rid of it.
I did enjoy listening to Jon accompany the Continentals on it Friday and then Koshara at church on Sunday morning. After church, I decided another thing that I had been missing lately was my sewing machine. It's been way too long since I got that out also, possibly due to the amount of time I spend on my computer. It was a very fulfilling afternoon to get out a big stack of overdue mending and watch that pile disappear. Computer's have definitely changed my world. The next project (that is going to take forever), is stacks of photos that I'm still not sure what to do with. Lots of ideas are in my mind, but the time never seems enough to carry out the plan.

Good-bye Continentals!

Last night, the Continentals got to sing for their last time in Thailand. It was at their Farewell Party at our TCCC northern center.Most of the audience was students that they had met during the week, and a few new contacts that came just for the first time. I was even introduced to a girl who had just invited Christ into her life for the first time at a concert the night before. They were also given the opportunity one more time to stand before a Thai crowd to do silly Thai style dance steps and play games.

This red truck is how they got around all week here in Chiang Mai. This morning they took their last "songtao" ride to the airport, we said some very sad good-byes and right now they are somewhere over that huge Pacific Ocean on the way to the USA for their last two concerts. I shared with them at the airport that they were an amazing group... so flexible, adaptable and always trying to engage with the Thai people wherever they went! Their hearts were so obviously in love with Jesus and wanting to be used for His Kingdom each and every day. Thank you so much Continentals Singers for sharing your talents here in Thailand. Cam-- this is one amazing group that you should be very proud of!

Singing to the "Farangs"

Friday, the Continentals spent the day at Grace International School. This is the school that I have taught at and our daughters graduated from. It was started in the year 1999 for missionary kids in southeast Asia but has now grown to over 500 students. They are almost all "farangs", which is the the Thai word for foreigners.
This audience may have appreciated and been encouraged more than others, as these kids don't get groups from their home culture to come sing for them very often. I know the MK's loved having them there. They loved the band and especially Renita, the girl drummer.

After an early morning school chapel concert at 7:30am, they enjoyed their first and only American breakfast at a restaurant and then spent more time around GIS to interact with more of the MK's. They were invited into this middle school choir class to share with the students more about their experiences and love for music.
I wish you could have heard them sharing with the students as they told of what God was teaching them and more of their backgrounds. As they shared about their experiences it made me feel like I wanted to travel with the Continentals Singers "someday when I grow up".

GIS was so kind to them, treated them to lunch and even let them use the computer lab to all get on the Internet at the same time. It felt like they were back in high school computer class again. Most of them sent a quick message home to Dad and Mom and let them know that they were still alive and coming home in just one more day. All of a sudden it seems like the 18 days in Thailand have passed by so quickly and it's almost over.

Chiang Mai University

Thursday night was the Continentals Singers last concert on a university campus here. The classroom/auditorium room was full at Chiang Mai University.

Here's the gang eating their standard meal before each concert. Our TCCC staff have been great about going out to the little food stands and ordering their favorite noodle or rice dishes and bringing it back to them in a styrofoam box.

This team really wanted the audience to get to know the singers better - so had several crazy games before the concert for them to play together.

The Thai students loved playing with the Americans and mixing together with them.
They did a full concert here with testimonies and translators interspersed between songs.

After the concert and evangelistic talk, while the students were filling out their comment cards to let us know if they wanted to get together and talk about Christianity- they had the group come on stage for more crazy games and interviewing.

The Continentals got to draw for the free t-shirt raffles, announce the winners, and pose for pictures with the recipients. Once again, many new students were exposed to the gospel for the first time and we pray that many seeds were planted! Two more concerts are left for Friday and then they return to the USA!

Thai Massage

Life has been extremely busy for the Continentals and myself these last two days here in Thailand- and I apologize for the lag in blogging. There simply hasn't been time for that, and I actually need to get off to their farewell party right now, after a quick stop at my home this afternoon. I'll share pictures from their last few concerts later. Yesterday, before their concert, we surprised them with a stop at another "must do in Thailand" specialty. All 14 of them, (and Mike and I) enjoyed an hour massage together for just $4... only in Thailand. They started out with lots of giggling and not sure about it all, but by the end most everyone was relaxed and totally enjoying it or else asleep.

Sentiments are brewing as their time has come to an end and it is time for the good-byes. I'm pretty sure that they are coming home as tired and yet very changed kids. Don't be surprised if their faces fall into their mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving day with exhaustion when it's time to pray! They have lots of amazing stories to share from their time here.

To Chiang Rai and Back

Mike and I have been separated so much lately and Tuesday night when I picked him at at the airport I found out he had to go to Chiang Rai for the day on Wednesday. Being the good wife that I am :) - I decided to ride along with him just so that we could have some talk time together. So yesterday we spent 6 hours together in a van for a 5 hour meeting in Chiang Rai.
Part of the time there was looking at some land and making plans for a new training center for pastors. While the guys were surveying the property, I enjoyed watching some farmers in a field next door who were harvesting rice.

It was a stark contrast to the green rice that I had blogged about just one month ago in my "Rice is Life" blog!
All along the country side , the whole way up to Chiang Rai, we saw farmers in the fields harvesting the rice by hand. There were some beautiful scenes along the way. Reports from The Continentals was a very fun day of bonding with the elephants yesterday and taking in other Thailand cultural experiences. Today is their last university concert at CMU.

13 down-3 to go

Tonight the concert was at Mae Jo University. It was a group of around 60, and afterwards the students wanted to hang around to talk much longer than usual and there were several non-Christians who really wanted to talk. It seems the smaller the audience, the more intimate the crowd feels and the more they want to talk afterwards.

I know that some of you may feel I'm blogging lately a little too obsessively, but I'm doing it alot for the Continentals Singers families in the USA. They haven't had a chance to use Internet much, and I know very well how parents like any news that they can get about their kids so I've tried to give a daily update.

Tomorrow, is their one and only true day off in Thailand. However, they have a packed full day of cultural experiences. Everyone who comes to Thailand absolutely must go on an elephant trek. (I insist) They'll also see an elephant show, ride an oxcart, ride a bamboo raft on a river, visit an orchid farm, and go to a cultural dinner show in the evening. I know they're going to love it all and I can't wait to hear from them when they get back from it. They have worked so hard- I'm hoping this day off is one to never be forgotten. Only three concerts left in Thailand!

Payap University

Monday morning the Continentals spent the morning with our northern region TCCC staff in a staff meeting/sharing time, and then headed to Payap for a evening concert. They used the afternoon to spend time with our staff and students and walk around both campuses inviting students to the concert.

Spending time on this campus brought back memories of when we first moved to Chiang Mai from Bangkok in 1992. This is the campus that we opened the ministry on, and it has grown and changed so much in the past 17 years since then. It was founded as a Christian University by an American mission, but a very small percent of the students are Christian. They do however, have a beautiful church on campus that we used for the concert venue.

Once again, some of the students came in and out, but after counting, I know there were at least 150 who heard the concert.
Rew, our campus director here gave a clear evangelistic talk after the concert, and then they had some free give aways drawn from the comment cards they received.
Thai students always love to take pictures with their new American friends, so once again we had a photo session after the concert. I pray that our staff and students will be able to get together with new students who showed an interest in Christianity after hearing the message through their songs tonight.

Chiang Mai Christian Fellowship

Today was definitely my favorite concert thus far! The Continentals did an entire English concert at my Thailand church, Chiang Mai Christian Fellowship. Through God's faithfulness, they were amazing! No cultural glitches, just perfect sound, continuous English Praise and Worship, beautiful testimonies of God's grace in people's lives, encouragement from the Word, and air- conditioning. The majority of people in this church are missionaries, who appreciated their ministry in song just as much as I did. It was obvious that God' spirit was ministering to all of us through the praise songs from these talented musicians! After church, they were divided up with different family's in the church to go out for lunch together! I heard some of them were treated to much more than the $1/meal Thai food that they've been enjoying. Hopefully they are all getting an afternoon and evening of rest right now to get energized up for their last week of concerts here in Chiang Mai.

Concert @ Orphanage

Yesterday, the Continental Singers went to the House of Blessing orphanage to do a concert for them. When we arrived, they had been waiting for us and were all sitting together singing at the top of their lungs for who knows how long and it sounded so heavenly to me! Psalm 100:2 "Come before Him with joyful singing" describes these kids so well.

They watched their every move and stayed so interested for the whole concert.

Just for the kids the group brought out some new dance steps to give a little more action to the concert.
Then the orphans did a few performances for us. Their new hand dance by the teenagers was so so good and then the littlest ones sang for us, too. When these kids sing, they put their whole being into each word and it is so sweet to hear their hearts coming out in their voices.
This was Lori's first time to meet Eve and Ice. As soon as I saw them, I welled up with tears as it brought back memories of my dad and his visit with them and the way he fell so in love with these girls. They are always so full of joy and sweetness, that I just can't get enough of them on each visit.
We ended our visit by spending time with the kids, playing games, giving them a few new pieces of sports equipment, and communicating the best they could with them. As always the good-byes were hard and everyone wanted to stuff one of them in their backpack to take home. I love these kids and am so thankful for the fun evening we had for the two groups to share God's love together. I'm not sure who was blessed more-- but I'm pretty sure it was the Americans.