ThAnKsGivInG

I like food… a lot. Most people know this about me. Food is one of the things I miss about home (all of you that talk about Chipotle and post pictures of the food you made for dinner on your Facebook status’ kill me…).
This year – Thanksgiving in Thailand is still about food J and thanks to some of the other local missionaries we had all the traditional dishes!!!...

But more than that, I also want it to be marked by thankfulness. The girls in our homes call Thanksgiving “Thanks God Day” since clearly they don’t really care about pilgrims and turkey on the other side of the world. Everyone in this home, myself included, has so much to be thankful for. 

 

A House Full of Amazing Girls

(photo credit to Heather Hurt, Calluna Photography - www.callunaphotograpy.com)

The fact that my passion is my job!

 

A LORD who delights in giving us the desires of our heart

(photo credit to Heather Hurt, Calluna Photography - www.callunaphotograpy.com)

Precious Faces

 

Sunrises in Paradise

(photo credit to Heather Hurt, Calluna Photography - www.callunaphotograpy.com)

Solid Rock - A Jesus Church - a fellowship that is after the heart of God, and has changed mine <3

Lovely, Wonderful Friends

Not to mention REDEEMING LOVE <3, my FAMILY & FRIENDS back home, 

and the other million things I don't have space to post...

Two Homes in Opposite Worlds

Ten months into my time here and I finally truly feel that this is home. Driving a moto on the left side of the street is normal, my Thai language skills are relatively strong and I can hold my own in conversation, I have adjusted to the food and the weather, I don’t think twice about most of the cultural things that were originally so foreign.

As I have been feeling more settled, I have also had more opportunity to develop deeper relationships with the high school girls and some of the Thai staff members. I have loved having conversations with them about life and the Lord and our struggles. I love talking to the girls about what it looks like to wait patiently for a godly husband - To hope and trust that God has a plan for their marriage and never to settle. I love talking to the Thai staff about different things we are learning and going through. The relationships that I have are rooted and strong, and I love being able to share my heart with the people I live with. AND NOW IM SUPPOSED TO GO HOME!?

I have so many mixed emotions about leaving in a month. On one hand, I am SO! excited to spend the holidays with my family and to see my friends, and to be in church community – I have missed that incredibly. And on the other hand – how the heck am I supposed to leave these kids, who are now MY kids, and the staff here who have become my family and friends. This is my home too!

No resolution on this post because that is kinda where I’m at right now… searching, praying, having a home in two worlds…

My BoYz!!!

As of October, we have a new boys home on our property! We have been waiting with eager expectancy for their arrival and within a very short time, I have just as much love for these boys as I do for the girls I have been with all year. Something about boys tugs at my heartstrings…

There are eight young men that now call Remember Nhu their home, and they range in age from 6 to12. Several of them were previously being sponsored by our organization to help pay for their basic needs as we waited to have a physical home they could come to. It is so obvious that they are overjoyed to be here and that they are so thankful to be in this environment. What a blessing to provide for these little guys!!!

(Photo credit on this picture to Heather Hurt, Calluna Photography - www.callunaphotography.com)

When I returned from Phuket/Koh Samui in early November, I was sitting at church and one of the boys (9 years old) walked in, saw me, LIT up, and ran over to give me a hug. He asked to sit by me and told me that he was so excited because he thought I had gone home with the Solid Rock team - melted my heart!!! This little man is so precious! Everyday he comes home and starts his homework without being asked “so that he can play soccer as much as possible after dinner” and consistently tells me that I have pretty fingernails. Hahaha ~ Lil flirt J

I have loved getting to know them individually. We have been playing soccer, digging in the dirt for bugs, and running around etc… – yay boy stuff! “snakes and snails and puppy dog tails… that’s what little boys are made of ” ~ hahaha. I honestly could care less what we do though, I am completely wrapped around their fingers!

In a short time I have had so many memorable experiences with these guys! Between taking them to pro soccer games with some of the other staff members, and fireworks nights (for those of you who know me well, you know that this is one of my favorite things ever), I find myself repeatedly counting my blessings. What a joy to spoil them. It blesses my heart to see how grateful they are - so in awe of what they have been given. It is SO FUN to show them that they are loved, they are cherished, and that they do have a hope for the future. The fact that I get to share in their story is a blessing in itself. 

I’m in love with all of them…  <3

(Photo credit on this picture to Heather Hurt, Calluna Photography - www.callunaphotography.com)

The Best of Both Worlds!

*Note: Check out a picture collage that goes with this post 

@ www.callunaphotography.com!!!

October 24th through November 4th – a team of 18 people from Solid Rock (my church in Oregon) came to Thailand to serve with Remember Nhu on a short-term missions trip. They came to learn the culture, to help work on our new property, and to love on all the kids here. What they didn’t know was that I had been anticipating their arrival for months!
The idea that some of my friends, and a team from my home were going to be HERE was like a dream come true – the best of both worlds!!! The first few days that they were here, I was literally giddy. I couldn’t sleep, and I was reveling…. Being able to have deep conversations (in English!), doing group devotionals and worship time – it was all so refreshing. I think I probably told everyone a billion times how I felt so blessed to have them here.

The longer that they were here, the more encouraged I was to see their heart for this ministry, and these children. In a matter of two weeks, I had a group of people who understood a glimpse of my life, who shared my heart for this place and these people. In a selfish way, I have been so thankful to finally feel known. To have people who have seen what my life looks like first hand, and not who have just heard about it. To have a group of people from my community at home who now care just as much about “my kids” as I do. What joy…

God is definitely moving in this ministry. He is upholding the cause of the poor and the orphan- rescuing His children from injustice, and it is so fun to be a part of the work that He is doing! It amazes me how He calls us each individually to partner with Him in bringing the Kingdom of Heaven into the here and now - so humbling to be a part of this story.

  

(Pics of dancing at a village &  playing 'heads-up seven-up')

Solid Rock has been teaching a series lately on what it looks like to be salt and light to the world based on the verses in Matthew 5:13-16. This is what it looks like… Living on mission together - encouraging one another, and fighting together for a common cause. This season I have had a taste of what that is like and it is addicting. We are made to live that way and I pray that I may continue to do that every day of my life – even as it changes shape and season.

Check out the Team’s Blog (4 posts total) with their thoughts during the trip…
http://www.hearthecry.com/category/cambodia-thailand/