One Year!!!

One year ago, this week, on a very cool morning in Dallas, TX, our family boarded a plane leaving behind family, friends, and a few earthly possessions. 28 hours later, we stepped off a plane in Bangkok, Thailand, and were welcomed by hot, humid weather and friends. Two tired parents and five exhausted children waited for all of our suitcases/trunks to finally show up at baggage claim. We reached the meeting point in the airport and were greeted by the smiling faces of the Salmon family. They have been a blessing in our lives. They opened their home up to us the first few days and nights we were here. They fed us, took us shopping, and even found a house for us before we arrived. I don't ever remember being as tired as I was that night - or the next, or the next! Tired was an understatement!

As I read back through some of the first blog entries I wrote after we arrived, I couldn't help but cry and thank God for all He has done. He has been with us every step of the way, leading and guiding us, and NOTHING has been a coincidence! He has known since the dawning of time who we were, what we would do, and how He would help us arrive at the place we are today. Mexico was most definitely a training ground, for me, at least. Adjusting to life here would have been much harder had it not been for some of the experiences I had in Mexico. It has actually been a step up in some ways. I can flip a light switch and always the light comes on! I don't have to start a generator to use the appliances. Many more American grocery items are available here than in Mexico, which has been a huge surprise. Of course, some of them you pay dearly for. However, some things like peanut butter are a staple food in our house. :)

Things are much quieter here than they were in Mexico. People don't drive their cars down the street with the music blaring. In public transportation vehicles, people don't usually talk to each other. It's very rare to hear music coming out of a person's home. Needless to say, in our neighborhood, about the only noise you can hear are the birds and our children! Every once in a while, you can hear other children but it is very rare. We don't hear the sounds of gunfire at night like we could in Mexico. The drug war is far from us now, but it still has it's affect on us through the people we dearly love.

God has sheltered us, fed us, provided for us, loved us, and given us so much more than we could have ever imagined. We have a peace knowing that we are exactly where He wants us. Psalm 91:2 says, "I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust." Moving to Thailand was definitely one of those times in my life that was a huge step of faith. I had to trust in God more than ever before. It hasn't been an easy year, but it has been a year of growth in many ways. We came to a place we knew very little about. It was a strange place to us. Now, a year later, it has become home. We are beginning to forget some of those things we missed before because God has filled those voids with other things. We have made many new friends, even this week!

We look forward to our second year in Thailand. There will still be some learning and adjusting and we know there will be more changes but we can look back over the last year and KNOW that God will continue to be with us. Tonight as we had our family devotions, we sang an old song, "I Have Decided To Follow Jesus." This song that I have sung since I was a child means more to me with each passing year. I am so glad that I decided to follow Jesus! Anywhere He leads us, we will follow. We may not understand His reasoning at first, but all we have to do is "trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus." No turning back for us, we're looking ahead and watching for the direction that He points us in as He reveals to us what His will is for our lives. Please continue to pray for us as we continue our journey of following Jesus.

Singapore

Well, we have visited yet another "foreign" place! Because of paperwork for visas, it was necessary for our whole family to go to Singapore. Our flight left Bangkok a little after 9 p.m. last Tuesday night. We arrived in Singapore after midnight. We were so glad that we could book a motel room before arriving because it was around 2 a.m. before we were able to get in bed. Then, we had to get up at 6 a.m. so that we could be at the Thai Embassy in time to stand in line so that we would be assured of getting in on Wednesday. After waiting, with 5 kids, for what seemed like an eternity since we were exhausted, they first told us we had gone to Singapore for no reason. Since we still had a few weeks left on our visa, they said we would have to go back to Thailand and wait for our visas to expire and then exit the country again. Needless to say, we were NOT happy to hear that! We decided to go back to our motel to sleep and think! Randy tried making phone calls back to Thailand but was unable to make a connection. Then we walked down the street to a mall to eat lunch and found a Long John Silver's! It was funny how excited we were to see it but we haven't seen a Long John Silver's since we left the States. Later that afternoon, he said he was going to go back to the Thai Embassy to talk to them again because they had kept our passports to do an "investigation." Fortunately, he was able to talk with someone a little more helpful and re-explained the situation to her. She said we had done the right thing and did the paperwork and told him when to come back and pick up our passports. What a blessing! So, then we were able to enjoy Singapore. On Thursday, we took the children to a water park where we all had a lot of fun. They had a long canal that you could float down in tubes. By the time we did that, the little ones were exhausted and William fell asleep while he was floating! We also got to ride an indoor ferris wheel. On Friday, we did some sightseeing. We went to see the famous Merlion staute. The Merlion has the head of a lion and the body of a fish. It is the symbol of Singapore. The fish body represents the origin of Singapore as a fishing village and the lion head represents the originial name of Singapore which meant "lion city." It measures 28 feet tall and weighs 7o tons! Normally, the Merlion overlooks the Marina Bay and has water shooting out of its mouth. Currently, they have built a motel room around part of the body and the head. During the day, tourists can go in for a quick look and at night 2 people can check-in. This amazing room will only be there through May and every night was booked within an hour of them opening the reservation desk. What an awesome thing to be so up close to this symbolic statue!

After our sightseeing and a quick trip to a history museum, we ate lunch and took a much needed nap! We surprised the kids by taking them to the Night Safari. It is the ONLY night zoo in the world! It was incredible to see animals that we had never seen before. Most of the animals at this zoo (which OPENS at 7:30 p.m.!) are nocturnal animals. Instead of walking the trails, we rode the 45 minute tram with a guide.

This is the fun part of missionary life - being able to visit places and see things that otherwise we would never know about or only see in pictures. What stories our children will have to tell when we go back to the States. God has given us so many opportunities and we thank Him for every one.

"Lord, I Have You"

"There's a roof up above me, I've a good place to sleep, There's food on my table, And shoes on my feet, You gave me Your love, Lord, And a fine family, Thank you, Lord, for your blessings on me." These words have echoed through my head over the last few days. So many things are going on in our world. The signs of the times are everywhere - from the drug wars in Mexico, to the uprisings in the Middle East, to the newest catastrophe of an earthquake, tsunami, and radiation fears in Japan.

Last week, we received heart-wrenching news that two brothers who lived in our children's home were the latest victims of the drug wars in Mexico. We have mourned their deaths and wished we could be back there for the other brother who had to identify them. We loved these boys like all the others, just as if they were ours. We did everything we knew to do to help them live godly lives after they professed Christ as Saviour. Or did we? As with all "children", whether blood or adopted or just growing up in your home, you always look back and wonder what else you could have done. In the end, the decisions they make are up to them as they get older, good or bad. All you can do is pray they will do what is right. So many of them have done well. They have gone to college, gotten married, had children, and have jobs to support their families. We thank God for the opportunity we had to be in each boy's life and we are proud of them. We are thankful also that we are still able to keep to in touch with many of them.

The devastation of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan has been absolutely unfathomable. To see the pictures and videos, it is almost like watching something out of a movie. Unfortunately, it is all for real. Now, more than ever, am I thankful for all I have. I am not waiting in long lines for the necesities of life. I know where my family is and I know they are safe. I haven't lost all. Yet, more saddening than all this, is the hard truth that many of these people also have no hope as they do not know Christ as their Saviour. A missionary friend of mine living there gave these statistics:

"The areas affected by the earthquake and tsunamis of Miyagi, Fukushima, and Ibaraki are some of the most spiritually needy places in Japan. With over 4.9 million people, yet only about 9,000 active Christians (0.15%). Fukushima has the lowest average worship attendance with only 19 per church. There are one city and 44 towns with no church. There are 86 missionaries assigned to these prefectures. One town in Ibaraki has over 46,000 people with no church and several others have over 24,000 people with no churches. Average attendance for all the churches in Japan is the lowest in the Fukushima prefecture. Ibaraki prefecture has the least number of people claiming to have any religious beliefs."

These people clearly need the Gospel, as do many others in the world, but these people have been thrown into our attention because of what they are suffering. Please pray for these people in Japan. It isn't over! There is still a lot of suffering and pain and with the situation of the nuclear reactors, it could get worse. When something isn't exactly going easy or "my way," I remind myself of all that I have to be thankful for and remind myself to say "Thank you, Lord ... I have You" and "thank you, Lord, for your blessings on me."

Love, Love, Love

What a wonderful Valentine's Day we had! We spent the day at the beach!!! Randy's Dad and Mom flew in last week and after a few days of "rest", we went to the beach for some time together. Needless to say, after the snow and ice that went through Oklahoma and Texas not so long ago, Randy's parents were happy to be in some warmer weather!

God has blessed me with a wonderful husband. This year, we will celebrate 14 years of marriage! It doesn't seem like it has been that long. I am so thankful to have a husband who follows the Lord. It is amazing to think back on all the different things God has brought us through. And, even more amazing to see where He has brought us! There are very few dull moments when you are married to a missionary! It is such a blessing to serve the Lord with my best friend. We have experienced some unbelievable things during our marriage. I am so thankful that the Lord put us together. I have enjoyed being Randy's "help meet" and I look forward to spending many more years with him, serving the Lord together.

A Little Miracle

Psalm 139:14 says, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." This verse always comes into my mind every time I see a newborn baby. Last week, this verse held an even deeper meaning as I "met" a new little baby named Alissa. A sweet couple in our church, Wat and Amanda, have been blessed with a little miracle, born three months ahead of schedule. She was born a week ago today (January 19) and she weighed 1 pound and 13 ounces and measured 13 and 1/2 inches long. I stood in awe of God's creation as she lay in her little bed. 10 fingers, 10 toes, everything so perfect and yet so tiny. This innocent little miracle has been placed into our world early for a reason that, for now, only God knows. Wat and Amanda have been given a strength and grace that only God can give. The doctors say that Alissa is growing stronger every day. She is only using her respirator at 30% and they estimate that in 2 weeks, she will no longer need it. Her parents are thrilled because they know that at that point, they will be able to hold their precious little daughter. Please pray for all of them. They need a renewed strength every day. Amanda is now home from the hospital so they are making trips back and forth every day to spend time with Alissa. Please pray for their safety as they travel. Also, Wat is finishing his last semester of college so pray that he can remain focused on his studies. God's power is being witnessed by all who attend to Alissa. Maybe her little life will have an eternal effect on someone else who is watching.

To find out how Alissa is doing, please visit http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/babyalissa. Her parents created this website page through Caring Bridge in order to keep people informed of her progress. Please keep them in your prayers!!!

Busy as Bees!

Our year got off to a quick start! We are all trying to adjust to new schedules with school. The children start their classes at 8 a.m. so that they can get most, if not all, of their school work done by the time Randy and I leave for school. We have a very tight schedule but thankfully we know this is only a temporary situation! Randy and I leave for class on Monday and Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. when the Nanny arrives. If the traffic isn't too bad, we are able to get a quick lunch on the way. When our class is out at 3 p.m., he goes on to another school for several hours while I go home. It is usually about 5:30 p.m. when I arrive home to make sure the children get supper before their Thai class and then have them bathed and in bed by 8:30 p.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Randy leaves in the morning around 8:30 and is in school until the evenings. Depending on his classes, he is usually home around 9:30 p.m. On Fridays, Randy and I have class like on Monday and Wednesday. We both come home from school together on Friday because Randy teaches an English and Bible class that evening at the church where we attend. Saturday we have a free day to spend with the children. We try to get all the school work caught up and do something fun together before Randy has to teach another English and Bible class. On Sunday morning, Randy teaches English and Bible during Sunday School and then we go to the regular morning service together. Sunday afternoon we rest and get ready for the week ahead. I know, this is a very scheduled week but it is for a greater purpose. As our Thai gets better, we will be able to "let up" some on this schedule and have more time at home. We praise the Lord for what He is doing in our lives. Although it may be difficult, it doesn't compare to the "difficult" He went through for us. We are thankful to be able to serve Him in whatever capacity we can. Please pray for us as we go through this time of learning. May the Lord find us faithful. As Paul asked the saints in Ephesus, we also ask that you pray for us, "that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel," Ephesians 6:19

Reflecting

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! The last few weeks have been full of fun, new traditions, and very warm temperatures. As we prepared for the "big day", we took turns taking the children out shopping with us. Surprisingly, in several stores there was English Christmas music playing! Outside the big malls, there were decorations and lights. The children (along with a few of their American friends) had the opportunity at church to do a short narrative of what the decorations on a Christmas tree mean. A few days before Christmas, they were able to "perform" the same narrative inside one of the largest malls in Southeast Asia as well as one of the department stores inside of it. They were so thrilled to have the chance to do this! They did a very good job.

On Christmas Eve, a group of people from the church went out caroling and came by our house to sing Christmas songs. I think the highlight of making it "feel" like Christmas was being able to take the children (Thanks to the help of some very sweet friends!) on the skytrain to one of the malls that was decorated for the holidays. There were many lights and decorations, and an oversized "snow globe" that we were able to get inside of to take a picture!

This year, Christmas Dinner was very different as there were just the 7 of us! We had grilled chicken instead of turkey! After lunch, we took the children to the park so they could ride the bicycles they got for Christmas! What a difference to have 85 degree weather on Christmas Day! And, what a blessing it was to be together as a family. God allowed many new things to happen in our lives this year but I think one of the biggest blessings for me is that none of us are sick with illnesses. For the first time in 9 months, we all have runny noses, coughs, and something similar to the flu, but we are mostly over that now. But, as far as serious problems, we are free of those. To have five children and to be able to say that is truly a blessing! God has watched over us over the last year. As I have been reflecting over all that has happened in the last year, a verse came to mind: Psalm 23:6a - "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." Even during the times when I haven't had the right attitude or haven't been as faithful to God in things as I should have been, God has allowed good things to happen and His mercy has surely been poured out on me! How wonderful to know that He is always there with us, guiding and leading, even if the path is unknown to us. All praise to Him Who knows where the path will lead and what lies ahead. With all the changes the past year brought, and all the blessings God showered on our family, I anxiously await what is in store for us this year. I know there will be "bumps in the road," but I also know that He will continue to show Himself good and faithful.