Thank You!

Thank you all for your prayers, love, and support. You are a part of bringing the hope of Jesus to these precious children! We would not be where we are without all of you. Please take one minute to watch this video...to see these beautiful children... and to pray for their futures.

(Click on the button on the far right with two arrows to see video in full screen.)

Refuge

It began with a typical rainy season thunder storm which deceives by starting slowly but then suddenly pouring water from the heavens. After running outside to rescue shoes from drowning, I stood on our porch as the water cascaded down so close yet not touching me. And in that moment I thought, "This is it...this is what it feels like to be secure, perfectly content, and peaceful in the shelter of His wings." Gazing out into the storm that embodied both danger and life realizing that life's storms are quite similar. In life sometimes, I feel very much caught in a raging storm out from under the safety of my porch. All the while not realizing that I have the choice to step from the deluge into the refuge of the Lord. Sometimes, I focus on the wind whipping the trees to and fro and don't notice the light blue in the distance promising sunshine once again. Actual rain brings life to thirsty creatures, growth to miles of rice fields, and for a little while relief from the heat. Spiritual rainstorms also bring life to thirsty souls and grow faith and trust in the Lord.

~Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by. ~ Psalm 57:1

Are We There Yet?

Yesterday we had our first school field trip! We travelled in two song taws (driven by my student's dad a a friend of his) to Mae Rim. Our trip was about 45 minutes away and took us to Queen Sirikit's Botanic Garden. On the trip I had the inevitable conversation with one of my students that went something like this...

Student: "Are we there yet?"
Me: "Almost, about ten more minutes."
Student: Exasperated sigh.
Me: "What's wrong?"
Student: "I just wish we were already there."

I smiled while thinking to myself, how often in life do I say, "I just wish I was already there." There being spiritually mature, professionally skilled, or personally in my ideal life situation. I told my student that I understood but that maybe we could focus on enjoying the trip. So, now I'm reminding myself, "It all goes by so fast. Don't worry about when you will get there just enjoy the many delightful moments along the way." I hope you enjoy these pictures of my six beautiful children and some of our fun moments on this wonderful journey.

(Click on the pictures to see them full size)

More Than a Statistic

There are two students at our school, a brother and sister, who I have known are on a pretty big scholarship. Big deal. Most of the students at our school are on a scholarship of one kind or another. Today I found out why these two are able to come to school paying only a fraction of the actual cost. Their only mode of transportation is also their business. Their dad is a song taw driver. He makes between 300 and 400 baht per day. Which is about $12. However, gas costs about 200 baht per day, meaning that the total income is about $6. A family of four survives off of roughly $180 per month.

(Song taw)

Now transition with me...

It is estimated that the number of prostitutes in Thailand ranges from 800,000 to 2 million.

Rhode Island's population: 1,053,209. There are more prostitutes in Thailand than there are people in the state of Rhode Island.

Approximately 20% of these prostitutes are 18 years old or younger

Thailand is currently called the Disneyland of Pedophiles.

There are up to 600,000 cases of AIDS.

There are 1,300,000 Orphans in Thailand

Sex work has been become "normalized" in Thailand

Thai women believe that prostitution reduces cases of rape.

Back now to my student: my bright, beautiful, friendly little first grade girl. What does her future entail? When do her parents get tired of barely making ends meet and decide they need her to help make a little extra money? At what point does that become a decision a parent, a Buddhist parent with no hope, would make?

And then I think about the over one hundred children I have met face to face, who I've laughed with and talked with who have been rescued from this life of hopelessness and cruelty. Each child with an unimaginable past. One, a girl who at 5 years old was nursing her mom as she died of AIDS. Who after her mom passed away, was passed around her village, with no one taking her in, caring for, or loving her. Another a girl whose father was killed in an opium deal gone wrong, and whose mom now works in Bangkok as a prostitute. A third, a boy with scars on his face from his battered childhood and hidden scars from sexual abuse by foreign men. I then I think of the millions more who will never be rescued, and it breaks my heart.

Odds are stacked against them. Odds are stacked us as we try to fight for their freedom. However, the Lord has put on our hearts the desire to join these precious children in this battle. Our weapon of choice...education. "Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army." Edward Everett. However, the ultimate battle is for their souls and is won only by the power of the love of Christ which we seek to impart as we teach each day.

Please pray that The School of Promise will be a safeguard of liberty, educating children so as to break the cycles of poverty and oppression that hold so many. Pray that The School of Promise would bring hope into the lives of our students as well as their parents through the truths of the gospel. Pray that the girls who attend our school will see their value before God. Pray that the boys at our school would grow into men of God who treat women with respect and lead their families in paths of righteousness. Pray that each child will come to know Christ and walk in a manner worthy of the gospel.

Beauty

"Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth." Psalm 50:2

Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Psalm 96:6

I just wanted to share with you one of my favorite things in Thailand right now. Chiang Mai always has amazing flowers but this tree is my new favorite. They have started to bloom everywhere and they make me quite happy.

This morning we walked a to a restaurant a couple miles from our house for a Western breakfast as a special treat. Our walk took us past rice fields, cows, dozens of terracotta shops, temples, and my favorite kind of tree. So much fun! Thank you Lord for creating beautiful orange trees!

1st Grade

I love teaching first grade. Now, those are words I never thought I would say. When I was a substitute teacher in Texas first grade was the grade that most often caused to me to question my life choices. All of my horror stories were from first grade. But now for the second year I find myself teaching 5, 6, and 7 year olds.


Little children who...

• don't speak/understand English and several who don't really understand Thai yet


• when I say something in an excited voice gasp and act excited even though they have no idea what they should be excited about


• say that they want to color pictures just like I color them


• come running to me for help when their traditional Thai skirts and uniform skirts (which are all about four sizes too big) come unwrapped and are falling off


• weigh about as much as the backpacks they attempt to carry


• struggle under the weight of their chair at the end of the day when they put them on their desks


• make me smile at their childish delight of life


• tap their feet along with the praise music we listen to in the morning


• come running when I say, "Follow directions quickly."


• when they repeat after me match my tone perfectly while not always making distinguishable words


• ask after a short visit with a Thai friend whether she was speaking in Thai or English


• when praying over lunch thank God for the delicious delicious food


• speak from the Lord when I am telling a Bible story that I really want them to understand, and they recognize the story and say it in Thai for those who have never heard the story before.

Basically all this is to say that I am thankful I teach these little ones. I am thankful to be able to love them and to be one of their first teachers. My roommates and I were joking the other day that everyone remembers their fourth grade teacher but no one remembers their first grade teacher. That's okay with me, I just want them to learn without a doubt that they are loved by me and even more by God. I want them to enjoy life without the added burdens the years bring. I want them to be excited by small things. I want them to not be afraid to ask for help. I want them to come to know the Lord, the salvation He gives, and the life He desires them to live. I want them to start out with a strong foundation. May the Lord give Khruu Kae and I the strength and wisdom to teach them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

1st Grade Class Picture 2010

Visakha Bucha Day

Friday here was a school holiday and because we follow the Thai government schedule most of the holidays our school has are Buddhist related. Generally, we have no idea exactly what they mean or why we have a day off. This holiday however, was a little bit different. The holiday is Visakha Bucha Day which is a memorial to Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death. It is one of the most important holidays to the Buddhist people. During this holiday people are supposed to make merit (to try to cancel their bad deeds), give donations, mediate, give food to monks, and abstain from alcohol and immoral behavior.

A long held tradition in Chiang Mai during this holiday is a seven mile hike up to the temple perched on the mountain Doi Suthep. People walk up the mountain to make merit at the temple. Khruu Ooy offered to take us to the base of Doi Suthep so that we could walk up a little ways and observe this cultural experience. She said that they all hold candles as they climb in the night and that it is very pretty. As we got close to the base of the mountain it was packed with cars inching forward, people were covering the sidewalks. We joined the crowd of thousands walking the road. At times people were a bit spread out and other times we were squished into tight spots where we would all cram together to let a motorcycle fit through where there really was no space. Please keep in mind that it is hot season here, which makes being smashed against hundreds of other people a really unpleasant experience. During one of these times a "gutui" or a man who is now a woman commented to us in English "its hot" as he/she began fanning Amy.

Due to the recent political unrest there were many policemen and soldiers at several places along the way. At one point I was unnerved by a large group of young men in black shirts with white bandannas around their heads who were yelling loudly (people in Thailand are not generally loud). Khruu Ooy told us that they were from a nearby university. Apparently it is tradition for all the freshmen men from the several universities around Chiang Mai to dress alike and run and chant up the mountain.

At one point on the trek, at a particular curve in the road, many people were stopping and going up to a spirit house where a monk was chanting. This is the same spot that song taw drivers and any other Buddhist will wai as they drive up the mountain on any normal day. At about that same time there was a Buddha statue that was being transported up the mountain. Everyone who walked by waied the statue and bowed under it.

Really it was a sad thing for us to observe. One of my roommates commented on the fact that it is one thing to know that the huge majority of the people in this city are Buddhists, it is completely different to see those people all together in empty worship of a god who can not save. Please pray for the true "enlightenment" of Thailand. That they would see the light of Jesus and turn to Him.

I've included a video of a little bit of what we saw that night. I'm sorry it is not entirely clear. At the point we took this we had stopped on the side of the road and things were not as crowded as they had been. Here is just a little glimpse of the annual trek up Doi Suthep.