Fall is in the air!

And, since fall is in the air, we like to build campfires and enjoy the cool, crisp nights that are coming our way in northeast Florida!
There's Teddy, the most lovable and sweet dog you'll ever meet. He, too, loves eating s'mores by the campfire and running around fancy free. We are going to miss this guy when we move, and I think he might miss us too!


You never know what you might find up in the trees around here. Tonight, I found Calvin with a marshmallow fighting off the bad guys.

From morning 'til night, these four boys are running around the property like a gang. One will often hear words like "shadow knights" or "light sabers" or "Robin Hood". Often, at least one or all are barefoot and they usually all have some sort of weapon, usually a stick that easily transforms into whatever play they are working on at the time. Our boys are going to be lost without their cousins to play with when we move this weekend. I thank God for the many hours they've had to learn and grow and pretend together...I know there will be many more!

"Cheese!!!" These two little beauties are either getting along spledidly or trying to boss the other...it's their lot in life because both have two older brothers and so have had to learn to be experts at getting their own way! This, of course, can cause a fair amount of conflict when neither one wants to back down, but again, they're learning together how to be friends. Both refer to their brothers as, "the brothers" and Erin affectionately calls all her cousins, "the cousins".

Behind them, you will see the fire glowing and giving off it's comforting heat. It's been a blessing to be here, to have these months to share together with family. I am sure many fond memories are being made, how wonderful to be a kid!

cousins, friends, nature

I think these three words just about wrap up our life as of late. Last week Paul's sister was down in St. Augustine at the beach so we went down one day to see them. We had a great time. Vinnie (their 3 year old) and Adele (our almost 3 year old) had a blast together while Calvin and Lincoln (6 weeks apart in age) also had a fun time playing in the ocean and sand. This brings to mind a story...A few weeks ago (Labor Day weekend, actually) our family went to the beach. Now you have to understand that pretty much wherever we go there's at least one cousin we will see. So, we walk down to the beach and set up our chairs and stuff and Adele immediately spies another family next to us and says to me, "Mommy, come, let's go meet my cousins!!!" So, she thinks we're related to everyone..I guess that's what happens when you have 17 first cousins in all. (we're not even going to count 2nd cousins!!!)

PJ has been practicing on his cast net throwing skills and just like Daddy, he takes this stuff seriously. He has caught several tadpoles and some small bait fish. Paul took him shrimping a few weeks back and he got onto it then. We're preparing him for Thailand. I have visions of him and Calvin on some Thai boat working as boat boys...using their English and Thai skills to bring tourists and Thais together on excursions. (I know, my goals are a bit lofty, but hey, I can dream, can't I?!) PJ is often found outside chasing butterflies and other bugs. He thoroughly enjoys Grammy and Grampy's place...and he's a little sad about leaving. It's a great place for a young boy to explore creation...and his 2 boy cousins have made it a lot of fun too!

Calvin, Adele and I made a butterfly house last week one day. You can almost see it there in the background between them. I wrote "welcome butterflies" on it they drew flowers and butterflies on the sides. I don't think any of our winged friends made it their home but it was fun all the same. (I know that it looks like Calvin is half wai-ing (Thai greeting) but I think he was doing a karate chop....)
And, lastly, but not least, we had friends over the other day. It rained for 2 days (with a few breaks) but as a result we had some mega mud puddles and these guys had so much fun running through them. You can see Aaron (19 months) had the most fun. Baths and a change of clothes were needed before they piled in the car to go home!!! We had a great
time with our friends even if it was a little messy!

Still missing our second home

(picture at left is Mot and Tang, to learn more about them keep reading!!! Isn't Tang beautiful???!)

It's been nearly 1 1/2 years since we departed the Land of Smiles. That is hard to believe. We're nearly to our half way mark (hopefully!) of getting back there. Thailand is a daily thought and daily in our prayers. My prayers now not only include those to whom our team in BKK is ministering to but also includes those people that we have not yet known or met, those people who, Lord willing, God is preparing their hearts to hear the Word. And, the desire to return burns in all of us, especially Paul and me, but the kids have it too, I think. I know they're young, but they get it that millions in Thailand are dying without knowing the Savior...what faith children have! Calvin woke up one morning a few weeks ago and the first thing out of his mouth was, "Mommy, I'm gonna miss my cousins and friends here when we go back to Thailand." I answered and said, "Yes, I know, I will too." And I was about to remind him why we are going back when he continued and said, "but, the Thai people don't know Jesus and we have to go tell them about Him." YES! I was thrilled to hear this from his lips. That burning to tell the nations the good news that their sins are forgiven in Christ and they can be free in Him!

There has been much to think about lately. We are getting ready to move back down to Orlando for which we are both excited and thankful to God for making a way for us. We are so thankful to many of you who have been praying with us. We've been reading lots and praying lots and seeing so much in our own lives that need Christ's transforming power to change us. We are so thankful for Paul's parents who have graciously invited us into their lives for another season and have kindly endured temper tantrums and bad manners at the supper table. Without them I am sure we'd be living out of our van, sleeping in RTS's parking lot! God is good to provide, though.

I can't wait to get back to Thailand. I am now on FaceBook, I finally gave up and gave in. The great thing about this is I get to see how all my Thai friends are doing and chat with them and correspond with them. It's been great, as everyone said it would be. I still have struggles with whether I should continue on with FB but for now I am on and enjoy keeping up with everyone on the other side of the world.

This has been a hodge podge of thoughts. I've tried to keep them on Thailand.

If you remember, please pray for Mot and Tang who are getting married NEXT Saturday![Pictured above] Mot and Tang have been working with our team for 3 or 4 years now and have a heart for the LORD and the lost. They fell in love while working together within our team in BKK. Pray for the Spirit of the LORD to be upon those ministering in His name and that many would hear the Gospel as well as receive it! Pray for Mot and Tang as they adjust to being married that God would protect them from the enemy and keep them strong in Himself.

All I have to say is...

ROCK ON GIRL!

Journeying

There came a time about 3 years ago when I realized my life, no, our life wasn't always going to be the same. Since that time, I am learning more and more how much life truly is a journey. A journey of one season of life to another. A very wise-beyond-her-years friend of mine named Rhianna tried to warn me of this before they returned to America for a short furlough. She tried to make me see that the time we had then was so special, only once in a lifetime kinda stuff. Our two little gems, Emmy and PJ, who were best friends would probably never again have the same amount of time together to be best friends as they had then. And, to be honest, neither would we. Since then, I've seen this lived and re-lived. I am starting to get it. I am starting to understand the journey...that moves from one person or place to another. And, how there is only One person who has promised to be there always and never to leave us.
While we were in Pennsylvania I had a wonderful visit with a wonderful woman of God. I've known her for my entire life, pretty much, at least since I was two years old. This woman is one of my mom's bestest friends in the whole wide world and by default has become very dear to me as well. She loved me as her own, she was there the day I received Jesus Christ as my Lord, she encouraged me through all my growing up years to follow after Christ, she prayed with and for me and she continues to this day. The same love she showered on me was immediately poured out on each of my children on the day of our visit. And, our conversation turned to this idea of life being a journey. Her journey has led her into some hard places. And yet, she rejoices in her Redeemer.
Our journey has led us to some hard places and no doubt, if we continue to follow the Lord, we will be led to harder places yet. I am trying to enjoy the moments. The everyday with the people God has woven into that day for this season. I am trying not to pretend that things will always be this way or that way and I am really trying to remember that life is just a vapor, that things can change in the blink of an eye. That a loved one could be gone forever and life would forever be changed, having to live with the hollow in the heart that such a loss would leave. I guess what I am trying to say is that I am trying NOT to take people for granted. I am trying not to take places for granted...for they, too, change (though they are definitely not as important as people). And this thanksgiving, this gratitude gives way to joy and contentment with wherever God places me.
I hope that this lesson of life will remain with me, that it will grow and become part of our lifestyle. That we would be a blessing wherever God leads us.

Gearing Up

To the left is a picture of the kids and me at Seneca Lake in NY. I made them pose Thai style (doing something silly).

We're back in FL and after spending a couple hours on Wednesday organizing and getting things put away with my fabulous sister-in-law, Nancy, I felt much more ready to organize and figure out scheduling and such for homeschooling.

There is much I'd like to do this year and I start each year with high expectations...which I am trying hard NOT to hold myself to. (I know that sounds bad but when I do I end up being a bad, bad mommy and then no one is happy and no one is happily learning!

So, here it goes...the list of "subjects" we are going to try hard to cover in the next 180 days (starting Monday). I just want to say that when I get to the hard days I'm just pleased to get through reading, writing and math!

*Scripture Memory and catechism

*Math U See Beta Book

*Writing with Ease

*LOGOS grammar

*Reading, reading, reading books of all kinds!

*The Story of the World (Midieval Times)

*Apologia Astronomy

*Thai language study

*Art

*Music

Yes, I am adding Thai language study this year. I am really excited about it and I think PJ is open to it as well. Last year when we returned he wanted nothing to do with speaking Thai. Over the course of the year, however, he has grown to enjoy learning more Thai words and things we speak. I think part of the reason he didn't want to speak is because he didn't want to stand out from all the other Americans, who obviously don't speak Thai! Often when a TCK (third culture kid) comes back to their "home" culture they feel like they don't fit and so do or don't do things that will make them stand out even more. Speaking Thai would definitely fit into that category!

Paul will be teaching PJ Astronomy this year. I am excited for them about the time they will have together doing that.

I still have to figure out how it's all going to work. I think often it's a day by day routine rather than schedule that is helpful. I was recently reminded to spend time early with my smaller ones and then begin schooling PJ. That way everyone's emotional tanks are full and hopefully once "school" starts they will be happily playing or doing "school" work too!

Calvin, as you may recall, is four. I am not pushing anything on him as far as school goes. We will continue to work on letters and writing and counting and numbers, but I am not going to force him into it, even though he is willing. I learned from PJ that it would have been best not to rush the whole schooling thing...they'll get it eventually, but MY eagerness (and expectations) got in the way. Those are hard lessons learned...and ones I pray I won't repeat with Calvin and Adele.

SO, that's where we're at. You can pray for me as we begin this year. We do have a few things to finish up from "last" year...a few math lessons and some history. God is good and He is faithful, praise Him for that! =)

Playing in the creek

Catching crawldads (crayfish) and fish while splashing and playing. We spent the day yesterday enjoying the beauty of God's creation. Every time I come home I am struck by the beauty that I overlooked as a kid growing up here. I really think Pennsylvania is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The kids thoroughly enjoyed playing and splashing. Daddy let each of them reel in a fish...which brought giggles and delight and proud exclamations of, "Look Mamma, look at MY fish!"

The Handbags are Here!

Hi all,
I have a few handbags, hand-made from Thailand (See Napada link on the sidebar for more info). I am currently in Pennsylvania so if interested let me know and I will bring them with me when I come to visit you! The prices range from $6-$25. All proceeds go to Napada Handicrafts ministry.

siblings...sometimes you catch them loving each other!

A VERY rare moment between these two! Grammy took us to the fort in St. Augustine last weekend...it was great but Calvin wasn't too sure of the docents dressed up as soldiers.

Crabb'in on the inter-coastal

Paul and PJ introduced our family to a new past

time...well, I think it will become a new past-time! We were at the beach over the weekend with Paul's parents and we all loaded up in our cars and drove to a nearby park with a boat dock and pursued our adventure. A few weeks back Paul had taken the boys fishing with him at this dock and they met a family that was crabbing. The little boy, Robin, educated my boys (especially PJ) with the ins and outs of it all. So, when we went the other evening, PJ was full of information for me. I learned that the way to tell a male from a female Blue Crab was by looking at it's underside. If there is a rocket shape then it's a male, if there's a pumpkin shape then it's a female. Simple enough. Before going, Paul looked up any state regulations on crabbing and learned that if there are eggs in the female's sacks, then we had to let her go. The males are always fair game. So, we set out on our adventure. All you need to crab is some fishing line, some sinkers and some fish (we used mullet), a big net and a bucket to put the crabs in once caught.

Here you can see PJ dropping the line into the water. The fish is attached to the line. You wait a while and very slowly pull the line up...if there's a crab on the fish, you get your net ready and let him drop in it. You gotta be fast and you gotta be clever!

Can you see the blue crab?

Grampy, PJ and Calvin inspect to see if they got one.

A rare family photo in which everyone is looking at the camera! Isn't the inter-coastal beautiful?

We were hoping to boil the crabs and devour them but we waited too long and had to offer them up to the gulls. We haven't had much "luck" (for lack of a better term) in eating the crabs we find. Hopefully, third time's a charm!

Napada Handicrafts

Napada Thailand from MTW~Thailand on Vimeo.

Napada Handicrafts is a ministry of the church planted by MTW Thailand. If you are interested in buying bags to support this ministry, let me know, we are going to have some sent our way very soon!

We spent the week in Orlando last week. Paul was taking a pastoral counseling class (which he thoroughly enjoyed) and the kids and I enjoyed our friends. We had a full week of visiting and haning out. Sorry, no pictures...I forgot our camera. =) Our little church that we attend is moving in two Sundays to RTS's fellowship hall. They currently meet at a middle school cafeteria and have done so for six or seven years. Everyone is super excited and we are traveling down to worship with them over the 4th of July. We are also looking forward to being with them on this special day.
It's been hot here...and nearly everyday there have been rainshowers or threats of rainshowers in the afternoon. I am homeschooing through the summer and it works out well since it's very hot here in the afternoons...although I don't homeschool during the hot part of the day. I guess I should to get used to it for our return to Thailand (and go outside to do it too!).
I've been reading the Thai blogs (to the right) and others linked from those from the right, and I find myself missing it a lot. I long to return, I wish we could go back tomorrow (well, maybe next week!).
We are going to see Catherine this week sometime. We're looking forward to that. She works with our team in Thailand.
This coming year I am going to introduce Thai language study into our weekly school schedule. I think PJ is ready for it and I need to keep it fresh. =) I speak Thai to them as it is, but having a consistent program of study will hopefully be very beneficial to learning new vocab and such. I would like to begin Latin with him but I will probably wait a year or two to do that. What a privilege to homeschool.
That's all for now, folks...

life in these parts...

It's been awhile. For those of you who have been around and know the story you know why there's been quiet on the blogging front. For the rest of you, let me fill you in!
About 6 weeks ago we smelled mold in the house we were renting. We informed the landlord and shortly after we discovered the culprit...water in the cupboards that had leaked from the dishwasher. We had no idea and we still have no idea how long the leak was going on. So, the entire kitchen was gutted and even dry wall was ripped out. In the meantime, we found out that our support account is not in good shape. So, we asked the landlord if they would agree to terminate our lease. They declined. And, this coupled with the mold issues in the home we were forced to moving out and terminating the lease, with hopes that the landlord and property manager will not "come after" us. We found out upon talking with a lawyer that the mold addendum that we signed in the lease was a sure sign that there was mold in the home before we moved in and they never disclosed that information to us. SO, it seems their mistake got us out of our lease...though it's not the way we wanted it to go. One VERY important lesson learned...DO NOT SIGN A LEASE WITHOUT A LAWYER LOOKING AT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, we are moved in with Paul's parents, waiting on God to provide for our needs. This summer Paul is raising support and he is also taking a class next week at RTS. We would appreciate your prayers for our family during this time. We are thankful that we had somewhere to go, and a place that is quite familiar to our children. They are doing okay...having cousins closeby helps, but we have definitely seen the transition affect Adele the most. I am beginning to learn that she does not do so well with changes in her little life, but her adjustment is getting better.

Paul and I want to thank all of you who prayerfully support us and who have continued to give financially as well. We are humbled by God's grace and mercy in our lives. He has surely grown us in the past several weeks and has brought us closer to Himself as we face these trials. For that, we are thankful.

I took off the post that was on here entitled "East meets West" because the way the world is so small now. I would hate for what was written in my post to cause someone not to believe in Christ's name. I simply wanted people to pray. So, if you got to read it, please pray for us and if you didn't, email me and I will email you the post, personally. I was torn before publishing it whether I should do it or not and now after a couple hours, feel that this is one story that's best left to one to one communication.
Thank you for your understanding and thank you for your faithful prayers...
crystal

PJ practicing with his new home-made bow and arrow Daddy made him this morning before heading off to study! He "accidentally" shot it and quickly knew how to make it work. It's kept him occupied most of the day!

And don't let this little girl fool you...I can just see her now in some hole-in-the-wall restaurant trying to break some world record eating the world's largest burger or something! I don't put it past her...well, she can say she got her start in Mom's kitchen!!!

It's getting hot down here in Florida. Hot, muggy and humid. Thank goodness the car needed washed to cool us all off!!!

Simba enjoys relaxing in the shade of our tomato plants. They are getting big, and the fruit is growing on them!

PJ snuggled up on the couch reading a book about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

photo shoot

One day last week...

goings on around here

A trip to the zoo...that had a splash pad! Very fun and very COOL!

A family we have grown to love and with whom we enjoy spending time.

The loss of another top tooth...and a lizardy friend, Jack.

flashback induces fear

Hi all,
I took a bike ride today (albeit it was short) but on my way home I came upon a larger sized dog (almost looked like a chocolate lab) who was just sniffing around along the sidewalk (I was on the street). As I approached I noticed my heart began to beat faster and I slowed down (I was going down hill) and I realized that my fear of dogs (from Thailand bike riding days) is still strong! I began to tell myself, "It will be fine, this dog is owned by someone, it's not a stray" and "surely this dog is used to neighborhood children riding their bikes?!" And, as I passed by, making sure NOT to make eye contact, all my fears were unfounded and the dog didn't even pay me any attention! Just thought I'd share...there are still some deep cultural adjustments that might take a while to be rid of!
If you would like to read more about "soi" (street) dogs in Thailand, please see this link from our archives...

two-faced

I had a reality check today. Someone I know, someone who, I believe, is not a believer in Jesus and therefore someone who I must show Christ's love to, no matter what, is, as my husband said, two-faced. What an interesting idiom, no? I remember in high school how the height of name calling would be to call someone two-faced...oh those words would get blood boiling, that is for sure. (And, yes, I even went to public school). Why is telling the truth so hard for some? And, if I am honest, why is it sometimes hard for me? Like today, the incident that happened was really nothing...no reason for anyone to get upset about anything, but for some reason person X didn't want person Y contacting them so person Z contacted person Y to tell them that person X didn't want anyone to contact them...AND, person X originally told person Y to please contact them. You can see the confusion and you can see how two-faced person X looks...(telling two different stories to two different people). Alas, I cannot go on fretting...you may have guessed it, I am person Y...and feel so badly that I contacted someone who didn't want to be contacted by me...but the reality is, what more do I expect from someone who doesn't know the life giving love of Christ? Is this not the world in which we live? This sort of behavior should not take me by surprise and yet I found myself feeling badly about it and wondering why so and so would "lie" as it seems, at least to me. Here is where the rubber meets the road. Here is where I can take what RL Pratt said last weekend and say, I will love my neighbor, because I love God and I want my neighbor to know His love, here's where I say, "this isn't fun anymore." And here is where God says, "I never promised fun." Yep, one more notch on the growth plate...and I'll keep on loving, both persons X and Z and pray for their salvation.

Missions Conference

We had the wonderful privilege of being with our home church for their annual missions conference last weekend. It has been several months since we've visited Pinewood PCA in north Florida and so the fellowship was sweet. We also had the tremendous privilege of hearing RL Pratt speak on loving God and loving our neighbor, based on Deuteronomy and Matthew passages. It was an incredible weekend of encouragement and challenging teaching. And, we also got to share what God is doing in Thailand, which is always fun for us and hopefully encouraging for those who are listening. We had to switch off for a couple of the meetings to look after Adele who came down with a bronchitis infection. We also had Paul's neice watch her for a couple events. Paul and I together were able to speak at a small group Sunday night. We both came away agreeing that we loved the intimacy of small groups and the interaction was encouraging. So, if we're ever at your church and you want us to visit small groups, we're up for it!!! =)

Below are some notes of the first night of the conference. I hope you will be challenged as we have been.
Friday night Dr. Pratt spoke on Matthew 22:34-40 "And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. this is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depedn all the Law and the Prophets."
...some thoughts, his, not mine!
~When something you're involved in isn't fun anymore, we ask "Why are we doing this?"
~Loving the world today isn't easy.
~we think: "These people are nothing but trouble...they're threatening everything I hold dear, etc"
~When it gets difficult that's when we start to question "why are we doing this?"
~Why should we love them? When it's easy, we don't think about it.
Why? The answer...
The Mission of the Church...
It was a high priority to Jesus that we love our neighbors as our ourselves.
~He (Jesus) told them that they're whole religion hangs on this (loving the world)
A love of God brings a shift in our lives. My life belongs to God, not my own. How much are we to be controlled by it? with all our heart, soul, mind and strength- the inner person to emphasize how deply we are to adopt the agenda of our God to our lives. NOTHING should be precious to us. The MOST precious driving loyalty I should have is the agenda of my KING. If it's the King's agenda then we're to love it with all we've got. The top priority for a follower of Jesus is that they have loyalty to the King.

But, Jesus didn't stop talking after the first commandment because he saw the two commandments so closely related He couldn't NOT say it. This IS IMPORTANT...He knew they could Love God and hate people. The second commandment is not a long finish but right next to the first, a photo finish (in racing terms). "way up on the agenda of God is the human race."

Pratt went on to say that we (as mostly Presbyterians at the conference) don't care. God gets moved to the center and we don't care about people. If we exalt God by depreciating people we're wrong because God's agenda doesn't include this thinking- He wants us to have love for our neighbor. You CANNOT love God unless you're loving your neighbor. If you don't care about the world around you then we don't care about God's glory. Often we tend to think that if people have importance and value that it detracts from God's importance but this isn't true. People ARE the most important creature made.
The greatest affirmation of God's importance of people is the incarnation of Jesus!!!!
Some questions for reflection...
Are people this important to me? Do I value people that much? Jesus didn't come to this earth for worthless pieces of trash. He cared- now we must care. Our whole religion hangs on it.

My favorite day of the year!

I know I am late on posting about Easter, things leading up to Easter and all the other things that go along with such a wonderful and joyous day, but my philosophy in life (as many of you know) is better late than never. =) So, here are some pictures working backwards in time...so the first pics are from Sunday afternoon and then we move to the morning when the kids received their baskets and goodies.

The first picture is of the kids lined up in front of the door to commence the Easter Egg Hunt. Paul filled too many eggs with candy and even some with coins and a few with dollars...can you believe it?! So, we invited our pastor, his wife and family over to enjoy the bounty. They live two streets down from us, in the same neighborhood! I can't say enough what a blessing it is to have a godly woman just around the corner to talk with and be encouraged by (the Pastor's wife, of course). She also homeschools and also joins us for our monthly (or so) homeschool field trips with a local homeschool fellowship we are involved with. Anyway, back to Easter....the kids had SO much fun searching for eggs, and Paul did a good job of hiding them, especially for the younger of our children.

Calvin finding some eggs near a tree.

Adele pulling TWO from a pipe (with Mommy's help, of course!)

Just a quick snapshot of PJ in the midst of all the fun.

And, here we've jumped to Easter morning. Adele is opening her gift from Paul and I. We decided to get the kids Bibles for Easter. We felt like PJ was ready and Calvin and Adele were given pocket New Testaments. They LOVED having a Bible to take to church...and all three of them were found "reading" them during the sermon...and the younger two also used their Bibles as hymnals! =) It's really wonderful to see them participating in worship, no matter how small it might be. Perhaps one of my most favorite times of worship (this is very man centered, so forgive me!)... is when we sing the doxology and I hear all three of my children singing! It's a tremendous blessing to me...of course, it probably has a lot to do with the fact that they are woshipping God but also showing some musical interest.

And these next two pics are of Paul and the kids just before leaving for church. We got the boys some new church clothes and they looked so sharp and nice. So, I had to take some pictures! Well, and I know the grandparents want to see them too!

Anyone notice the friend on PJ's finger? Yep, he's still catching lizards, and he's getting quite good at it too. He has trained Simba to bring them the lizards he (Simba) catches to him and then he puts them in their "cage."

PJ with his new NIV Adventure Bible.

Calvin with his pocket Bible. I might add to this post that this Bible also was transformed into an airplane during worship...so it has its good points and its bad points!!! =)

All in all, Easter was wonderful. We did miss our families but God has been good to give us family here in our church. We thank God for this provision. We wanted to have some neighbors here to eat with us, but they already had plans. God knows and He is working all things out for His glory. We hope your Easter was blessed and joyful.

living lately

In case you're wondering why the lack of pictures, well, the short answer is our computer has been in the possession of Dell Computer Company. We received it back a little over a week ago, I think and I've been busy since then. They had our computer for about 4 weeks, I think...long story, but thankfully, we have it back and it's fixed! Yeah!



I'll catch you up on the happenings around here. In February we traveled to Tallahassee to visit a supoprting church. Paul's sister and family live out there, so we stayed with them for the weekend and enjoyed some time with them as well. Adele and their daughter Vinnie are about two months apart. They have a good time together. PJ and their son Ben also have a good time together pretending to be super heroes. Paul traveled out to North GA a week or so ago to visit another of our supporting churches. He had a great time connecting with those in the congregation as well as with the other missionaries there for the missions conference. I missed him here and had no one to call upon to come and stay with us (as was my usual protocol when he left on a trip in Thailand...there were always a single girl or two to come and keep us company!) PJ lost his first top tooth and now his smile is forever changed. I can't believe my baby is turning into a boy. Time sure flies. The morning the tooth came out the boys were in the living room playing as usual. They were wrestling around and having fun and then all of a sudden, I hear PJ say very calmly, "thanks, Calvin. You helped me out!" I hear Calvin say, very worriedly, "sorry, PJ. It was an accident." And again, PJ reassured him that Calvin helped him. Next thing I know they're running into the kitchen to me and PJ announces that Calvin punched him in the mouth and knocked out his top tooth! He was elated!
As seen in the pictures, we are working on indoctrinating the boys and Adele into American sports such as baseball. Both boys are doing well with hitting the ball. They like to hit them hard!

We've also been enjoying the birds that are coming into the yard to eat from the birdfeeder. We went camping last week one night and saw several osprey and even a Bald Eagle! It was incredible. As we canoed, we saw some swallowtailed kites and a red shouldered hawk. Sorry, no pictures of the camping trip. Suffice it to say that it rained, again, but it was much warmer and only rained during the night. We had beautiful weather and Paul's nephew Josh was with us, which was great fun!

have a look at this

I must admit on this blog that until I lived in Thailand did I really have any interest in politics. When we arrived in Thailand all was well with the world. Thaksin was the premiere and everyone seemed happy. A few months after our being there, however, rallys and protests began against him. And, just over a year after we arrived he was ousted in a bloodless, military coup while Thaksin was in NYC speaking to the UN. Since September 2006, we saw several governments take over and different groups rallying against another. And so, in the midst of all that, I found myself reading all the news and trying to get a good grip on what was going on. I think one very fascinating point of Thai politics is how religion plays a role, a very important role for all Thais.
As I have watched footage from the BBC I noticed how the people are covered in amulets hanging from their necks and I thought to myself this must be to ward off evil spirits and to protect themselves from harm. Then I stumbled across this article, also from the BBC, which confirmed my thoughts. I encourage you to read it. It gives a little bit of insight into religion and politics in Thailand.
If you ask me, I do not take sides. I am not Thai. I do not understand everything there is to understand about Thailand and her politics. What I do believe is that God is in control of even these protests. None of this takes Him by surprise and I firmly believe that all of this is His working out a sovereign plan that includes bringing many Thai people to Himself. The red shirt protest continues to go on, even today, though reportedly numbers have fallen to 4o,ooo. So far, it has been a peaceful protest. We can thank God for this and if you will, please continue praying for God to break down these strongholds.

Pray for the land of smiles, see below

Dear friends,
It's been a while, it's true but for tonight, would you please join us in praying for Thailand? The nation finds itself, once again, in opposition. Please read, watch and listen to the following links.
Thank you!
BBC World
Bangkok Post