Of Caves, Monks and the Gospel of Jesus Christ

 We did a lot of driving around Trang Province.  Primarily this was for us to see the area..and the people to whom we hope to share the Light of Christ.  As in the last post, we did stumble upon a few places to enjoy the beauty of creation.  In this post, you will see pictures from inside a cave we happened upon, completely by "accident."  I put accident in quotes because I'm a firm believer in the Lord's sovereignty and I believe NOTHING happens by accident.  This cave was beautiful.  The pictures really don't do it justice.  It was tall enough to walk through, mostly.  There were a few spots where we had to stoop over but all in all, it had open rooms and were comfortable for walking.  As you'll quickly notice in the pictures, this cave also is a place of worship for Buddhists.  Every so many feet were idols of Buddha, with incense burning and places for the monk to kneel in prayer, making merit.  There was a bit of a temple like structure outside the cave.  There was one monk living there and tending to the cave...and I did see one Buddhist nun sitting in her little house.  The monk told us he had been tending the cave for 5 years and that he had been in the monkhood 15 years.  The cave was only found about 20 years ago.  You might also notice the light bulbs in the cave strung every so many feet to give light.

 Pictured above is a tree growing in the cave and Wilson filming.

 Here's a picture of the monk who showed us through the cave.  I know this picture looks like he's in jail, but I assure you, it was a doorway and he walking through.  I guess they had the bars on it to protect the cave from intruders or maybe even animals.

 Even though we were on Buddhist grounds, I found it interesting that this spirit house was also on the property.  Spirit worship actually comes from a pre-Buddhist era when Hinduism was the primary religion of Thailand.  The Thais have simply incorporated it all into their belief system.  So, this spirit house is there to appease the spirits of the property so that they'll protect and guard those who live on the property against evil spirits.

And, here's the last large room we visited at the cave.  It opened up into a huge open room...and the monk told us that the cave went on back but, of course, it was pitch black and told us we couldn't go back there. (Not that we wanted to!)
 As we walked through the cave, the monk mentioned how a family from France or a woman from Australia would come and pray (make merit).  As we were finishing up, he stopped at a place and asked us if we wanted to make merit.  I was at the back of the group so didn't hear his question but I did hear NaamFon answer him in Thai saying that we're Christians and can't do that.  He responded by saying Jesus and Buddha were the same...essentially, we're all good people and all paths lead to the same place.  NaamFon took his statement and corrected him by the Word of God and shared that we believe Christ died for our sins and we no longer have to make merit because Christ did it for us.  She was very clear, using Scripture and speaking to his Buddhism but with much respect and a heart of love.  I loved seeing NaamFon sharing the Gospel.  And the monk, still so gracious with us, led us the rest of the way out.  We prayed for that man, and I have continued to pray for him...for his salvation, for he is a man who has devoted his life to the teachings of Buddha.  He obviously is a seeker of truth, and I pray that the Lord would open his eyes to the Truth of Jesus Christ.  I am thankful that He is mighty to save, even in a remote village in Thailand!  I am praying that the words of Scripture and our assurance in Christ alone will speak to him.
As we left, I wondered how many Christians would have stooped and prayed, thinking it was okay to do that?   Would you have kneeled in prayer to an idol while thinking in your heart of your god?  I think it's good to ponder these questions.   Jesus Christ says in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."  Our culture tells us on every front that what's true for you is true for you and what's true for me is true for me and that it's all okay.  But this kind of thinking is full of errors.  If we carry that out logically what will result?  What if I think what is true for me is to pull a gun and shoot the person standing next to me?  Is that okay?  Where are the absolutes?  Many claim that there are no absolutes.  But by making that statement, they are still making an absolute statement.  So, I ask you again, you who read this blog regularly, you who may have stumbled upon me here...would you have bowed your head to an idol?  Would you have thought, "there's nothing wrong here as long as I am thinking of my God"?  Christ demands our FULL devotion.  This is why He asks us to count the cost before we bow in worship to Him. In Luke 9:23-26 Christ says, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever would save his life, will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.  For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

The Team

Our team consisted of nine people. Paul was our fearless leader, as seen above with Frogzilla.  We found this frog (toad?) at a waterfall we stumbled upon.  

 NaamFon, our dear friend and sister in Christ.  I loved having a week with her virtually all to myself! =) She encourages my heart so much and I loved hearing how she's grown in our Lord. It goes without saying, but I miss her terribly!

 Zeb was the only teenager with us.  At fifteen, we all joked that he probably could back the mini-bus up better than any of us!!!  He was a trooper...and he likes Michael Jackson's music!  Can't go wrong with that!

 I don't think this guy needs an introduction, but just in case, this is PJ.  He had a grand time catching lizards and geckos the whole week.  He was pretty sad to say "goodbye" to this guy.

"The other Paul."  Paul E. is the father of Zeb (pictured above) and gave a sense of calm to the group.  A man that is not quickly shaken and takes things in stride!  Paul always has an encouraging word.

 Drew, PJ's new best friend, and my "little brother".  Out-going and eager to learn.

 Nick, aka, Wilson.  Wilson was very difficult to photograph because he would always make a funny face!  He joined us as part of a ministry to encourage missionaries called Barnabas X.  He was excited to see Thailand and learn more of the people to whom we'll be ministering.

 Elizabeth loved these rice crackers and pretty much was sustained by them during any traveling we did!  Everywhere we went, she was a door opener to conversation.  She handled the attention fairly well.

 And, this is one of two pictures I have of myself.  I am the wife of the fearless leader, but don't think I'm fearless!!!  You can see the mini-bus, packed to the hilt behind me.

Lastly, here's our entire group at the Baan Wasanaa Guesthouse in Trang City.  We praise God for each of these who joined us...and each one praying about joining us in Southern Thailand.  Everyone was really easy going and flexible and laid back.  We couldn't have asked for a better group of folks.  =)

Road Trip!

We started early Monday morning for our trip south to Trang.  We loaded all nine people and our things into the 12 passenger "rot tuu" or minibus.  Paul drove the entire 14 hours.  I have to give him a lot of credit, he was jet-lagged but he did it and we made it safely to Baan Wasanaa, the guesthouse where we stayed in Trang City.  Originally, I was supposed to help drive, but once we got there, Paul and I quickly realized that I didn't have my nerves back...so the only driving I did was around the airport when we picked up one of our teammates.  I was happy not to be responsible for the lives of 8 other people on the roads in Thailand!  But, I know it was tiring for Paul.  Below is the infamous (to our family anyway!) three headed elephant.  The kids LOVED driving past this when we lived in Thailand before...and PJ remembered it again this trip.  Here, you can only see two heads and the butt...but you get the picture!

I'll introduce the team in the next post, but this lady pictured with me is my dear, dear friend and sister in Christ, NaamFon.  She is amazing...and loves Jesus and loves sharing His story with everyone around her.  I miss her terribly.  She, Elizabeth and I made up the female component to the team!

Driving south...near Prajuab Khiri Khan.  We all agreed that the roads were much better going south than the roads traveling north! Just south of this point, there was a police check point...and we got stopped.  Anytime you're stopped by the police, it's a bit scary, but especially in another country.  Paul told him where we were going and then they started talking to NaamFon and she assured them we all worked together and were going to Trang.  To our surprise, they didn't ask for a bribe...and we were on our way.  It was amazing to see the goodness of the Lord.  

 Only outside the United States is it okay to take a baby out of a carseat while traveling!  Elizabeth was well loved by our entire team, but especially her Phii NaamFon.  NaamFon gave Elizabeth her Thai name which is "Naam Waan" which is translated sweet water.  =)

Above is pictured Phii Gai.  She runs the guesthouse where we stayed in Trang City.  She was so cute and friendly...and so gracious with our group. One morning as Paul E was making pancakes, she asked NaamFon about the difference between Catholicism and Protestantism...it was awesome hearing NaamFon explain the gospel...and to see Phii Gai's openness to it.  Please pray that this woman would come to know Christ as her Savior!

Reconnections

The joy of returning to Thailand was wrapped up mostly in seeing old friends!  We spent our first Sunday in Ram 2 (our old neighborhood and where New Community Fellowship Church is located).  We worshiped in Thai in the morning service and in English in the evening service.  It was great reconnecting with Thais and Americans alike.  Above PJ and Emmy sharing a pineapple "bun" and below Phii Khay Muuk and me.  Love this lady and was so glad she ate lunch with us at the market.  

After lunch, the kids and I went to the Mills' new place in downtown Bangkok. It's a great place the Lord has provided and I am so excited to see how God will continue to use Tim and Rhianna for His glory through the arts.  The kids enjoyed more playtime and pooltime!  It was as if no time had passed for these kiddos!

Rhianna with their youngest, Julian. We haven't seen him since we left Thailand 3 years ago.  He's a joy of a little boy!

And Asa was also a delight to see again.  I can't wait for Calvin and him to reconnect, I think they'll be good friends!

And to finish the evening, we had English worship at the church.  The next morning we will load into the van and travel 14 hours south to Trang.

Traveling there and our first day

Our journey began Thursday, June 07 at 5am.  Elizabeth and I set out on our trek across the world.  We flew through the Middle East, which was a new experience for me but one that I enjoyed albeit apprehensively at first. After a 14 hour flight, we had a 12 hour layover in Dubai, UAE.  Before leaving I "met" a friend of a friend who lives and works in Dubai with her family and she invited us to their home for the day.  It was a welcome respite to our travels.  Elizabeth enjoyed the children as well as some free roam time on the floor and a quick nap in a crib before we headed back to the airport.  You can find Gloria blogging at Domestic Kingdom where she and other women write about applying the gospel to the mundane. Definitely a kindred spirit!!! I just wish we lived closer.

 We flew Emirates airlines...and I can't say enough good things about this airline.  If you EVER have the opportunity to go with them, I highly recommend it!  One thing that was striking was the amount of children on all my flights with Emirates...and how nobody seemed bothered by little ones crying or fussing.  It was a refreshing change to many American airlines and westerners who seem to despise children, I don't want to sound so negative, but that is the reality.  The cultures of the Middle East and India (areas where most people were from) are heavily family and communal oriented and it shows in the way they love children.  So, Elizabeth did great on all the flights!  I think it helped that I felt comfortable!

Once we arrived in Bangkok on Saturday morning, we met up with the rest of the group.  Everyone got there and we found each other, which in and of itself was a miracle and mercy of our Lord!  We then traveled to our hotel for the next two nights.  PJ enjoyed wandering around outside on the edge of the tall grass looking for any kind of animal he could find, but mostly those of reptilian nature! The place where we stayed served us a delicious breakfast complete with a heart shaped egg...and a sausage! 

home again, home again

I really wanted to blog while we were in Thailand, but as you can imagine, our days were quite full...here's Elizabeth after 1 1/2 days of travel to get home...zonked at Orlando International waiting for the family to pick us up!

We're here!

Sweet friends and family who have been patiently waiting for some news of us...we all arrived safe and sound! There were some close calls of some us missing connecting flights but graciously, we all arrived at the times few were supposed to! Elizabeth did fantastic on all the flights, even the 14 hour flight across the ocean! And, the Lord was so good to give me people all along the way to help me. I am humbled by His good care of us on that trip! We arrived in Bangkok on Saturday morning and traveled Monday about 14 hours south to Trang. We had no problems on the roadways. We did get stopped at a police checkpoint, but once again, God was gracious by only having the policemen ask us questions. I think it helped having our Thai sister, Naamfon with us also and Elizabeth waving and smiling didn't hurt either! Thank you for your continued prayers. Today we begin meeting folks and learning more about them and their way of life. I will try to upload some pictures in the coming days! So thankful and amazed at the goodness and greatness of our God! Crystal

Graduation 2012

 Well, it's done.  The graduation of Paul's seminary studies at Reformed Theological Seminary!  We were so happy to have Grampy and Grammy join us for the ceremony.  Here are some of my better pictures, but Grampy got some really nice ones. We are so very proud of Paul!

Here's a shot I got of Paul after the processional into the sanctuary.

(Central Pennsylvania friends, the fellow standing next to Paul is Stewart Folmar and is from Grassflat!!  Such a small world!  It was fun chatting with his family who know the Central PA area well...and even know Pinchatouly!)

Reptile-land Lizards and Amphibians Zoo

If you're looking for a reptile and amphibian zoo to visit, look no further.  The Henry kids are welcoming patrons to their newly opened Repitle-land Lizards and Amphibians Zoo!The welcome sign to the Zoo!

Love this added advertisement...

More enclosures

Queen Butterfly

Deer skull, box turtle shell and bird skull found on various expeditions.

Black Racer Snake skin...found on a hiking trail.

Enclosures with lizards inside.  The lizards that are listed are NOT what is inside...we're pretending they're more exotic than the anoles found here in Florida!

The book table (what's left of it).

 A Gopher Frog found on a Florida hiking trail.

 My zoo keepers!  It's a zoo here, most days!

 PJ with a female Eastern Fence Lizard found on a Florida hiking trail.

Adele holding (petting!) a crab shell found last year at the beach.  Not a lizard or amphibian, but hey, you never know what you're going to find at a zoo!

Around the corner

Graduation is just three days away!  Paul will graduate Friday evening.  The ceremony will take place at RC Sproul's church, St. Andrews in Sanford, FL. RTS is also hosting a banquet for the graduates on Thursday in which Paul and I will attend.  He has completed his last final and is breathing easy!

We are so thankful to those of you who have carried us in prayer these past three years...and many of you who have prayed regularly for us for years.  It is a joy to serve with you and to see how faithful our Father has been to us.  Of course, this is just one chapter in our journey.  We still need your prayers as we embark on this new season of life.

Please be in prayer for our upcoming trip to Thailand. We will be leading a Vision Trip. We leave June 7 and return June 19th. Pray for our safety as we travel about in Thailand and pray for clarity for those praying about joining us for a longer-term of service in Southern Thailand.  We are excited to see what our Lord has for us and them in the coming weeks!

Again, thank you for your labors!

daily inspiration: week 7

            An afternoon tea party complete with cherry shortbread cookies...yum, yum!

               Two happy boys who plan to sleep out under the stars in a makeshift tent.

     I often tell my kids that they can't choose their family...thankfully, these two are good buddies!

Less than two weeks...

until Paul graduates from Reformed Theological Seminary!!! Yay!  He has two major papers to finish and two finals...and then he's done.  whew.  breath.  Yeah, we're stoked!

And, a month from now we'll be in Thailand.  Did I mention how our Lord has graciously provided ALL our funding?! He never ceases to amaze us! Thank you to all who continue to pray for us...we feel your prayers and are so very thankful for your important ministry.

This post is short and sweet!

The Lord's Day

O Day of Rest and Gladness, O day of joy and light, O balm of care and sadness, most beautiful, most bright, on you the high and lowly, through ages joined in tune, sing "Holy, holy, holy" to the great God triune.

So very thankful for the Lord's Day yesterday.  My soul was nourished by the Word.  So very grateful.

feels like the world is caving in

not a good day here in sunny Florida.  I think I've cried at least every 20 minutes!  ha!  There are so many emotions running through this body today...and the lack of sleep last night isn't helping, I am sure.  (weak smile).  I've asked every one of my children to forgive me today, for harsh words spoken and for too many over-reactions to innocent playing.  I wish I could just crawl off to a hole in the ground somewhere so I don't do any more damage than I've already done.  I am reminded of a song by Sarah Groves about a tornado...and that's me today...I'm leaving destruction everywhere I go, I see it, I repent, confess and yet I do it all over again.  So very discouraging. Oh for grace to trust Him more.  So glad tomorrow is the Lord's Day!  Please pray with me that today gets better...that I would trust Him more...and not allow my emotions to run rampant, and not use my lack of sleep as an excuse to not love well.  Thank you for your prayers.

Have I ever mentioned how I hate packing?

I abhor packing.  If it's an overnight trip, I abhor it. If it's a weekend trip, I abhor it. if it's a week long trip, I really abhor it. If it's moving from one place to another?  Well, that just about puts me over the edge.  And, if it's moving across the world...well, you've probably guessed it, I do lose it.  Despite my abhorrence of packing, it is a part of my life.  It is more a part of my life than I would ever love to admit, but it is there.  Growing up in the same house for 18 years, NEVER having to move didn't prepare me very well for my adult life where I move about every 1 1/2 years on average! arrrgghhhh...it drives me crazy.  And, it would be a whole lot easier if I didn't have four children all in different stages in life and will continually be so.  This makes knowing what to purge and what to keep an even harder feat.
So, I am pausing at this moment of the day, to center myself and to ask forgiveness of my Lord for the impatience and harshness I've had with every one of my family members as I purge and gear up for a big Yard Sale the end of June.  It's just so hard to get rid of things.  It's not that I am particularly attached to things, it's more that I feel like I am hurting the person who gave whatever it is I want to get rid of.  I know that the person usually spent money on the gift and put thought into picking out the right gift and, for me that makes it all the harder!  I know this is a good problem to have, but it is so hard.   I am sure I am not the only one who suffers from this...whatever "this" is!
Just to update you all on what's going on with us and why we're packing....Paul's sister, God love her, is also packing and moving to Canada in July.  Her sweet husband got a job there and so they are moving their family.  As a result, they have offered us their home to live in until we leave for our second term in Thailand.  As you can imagine, this is a huge blessing to our family and I hope to theirs as well.  Their home is in a Jacksonville, FL suburb.  So, we are planning to move "north" (hahaha!) in mid July and occupy their home for them.  We are so thankful, once again, for God's provision and that we will be closer to family as the time draws near for us to leave.  Paul's parents and one of his siblings live nearby and his other sister isn't too far away either.
We would certainly love for you to be praying for us.  Paul is finishing up his coursework at RTS and will be graduating May 25th!  This is great and wonderful and we're so glad, but at this point, he is not much help with purging and packing. So, your prayers are appreciated for that as well.  Also, we are leaving for a Vision Trip June 7 to Thailand!  Elizabeth and I are traveling alone while Paul and PJ are traveling with our friend Drew. We will meet up with the other members of the team in Bangkok and go to Southern Thailand from there.  We would ask for your prayers concerning all the details of this trip. We praise God for providing the funding for this important trip and look forward to see how He will work through it. Please pray for those are exploring and praying about working with us in Southern Thailand.
For today, though, I could use your prayers for me as I purge and pack in the coming weeks...that I would remember that even in this I am to glorify my Lord.

daily inspiration: week 6

 tadpole found on the Peace River a couple months ago has grown into this beautiful frog.

Daddy was in need of some decompression from his studies, so a wrestling match ensued.

This girl loves balloons!  Who needs toys?!