Subject: RE: Hi From Thailand
Hi, Dad, I think the State Fair sounds lovely. I imagine the weather is getting cooler now? It was so great to be in MN over the summer. It's easy to forget how beatiful and rich it is up there. Man, that seems forever ago. We're back in Bangkok now after spending a week in Khao Lak. We just have three more full days of sessions, and Friday morning we're visiting the main office before people start to depart. On Saturday morning we Americans (Farong as they so lovingly call us here, much like the connotation of Gringos) will depart. I can't wait to get home. This trip in total is just two days shy of four weeks. Right now it feels like a lifetime.
I heard today that there's a hurricane headed for New Orleans...the worst we've seen in a while?? I'm going to get on MSN after I'm done here to get caught up. Justin and I had a small date night tonight while some fellow-trainees watched the kids at the dorm. It was nice to get out togther and talk over some of the things we've been learning and experiencing. Taking taxis here is a real experience since Justin and I have never been in an environment where we don't speak the language AT ALL. We have a map to get back to our dorm, but Thai's don't read maps. All we can do is say the street name and point to our translator's cell phone number:). Tonight we were close enough to the dorm to just point our way back, but Justin still tried to throw in some Spanish, clinging to the only foreign language he knows :). It was great fun. The driving here is on the left-hand side of the road, the taxis are nice and almost new-looking. They even drive somewhat in the lines (as opposed to South America where you're lucky if the doors really shut tight and the lines mean nothing).
Here's a funny story: Today our housekeeper dried our clothes on the front porch to keep them out of the rain and I had forgotten to take my unmentionables out to wash by hand. I came home to my personals flying in the wind for the whole world to see...it was very funny. I quick snatched them down and ran them inside. Hmmm, any more funny stories from the field? Oh, here's one that's interesting, but not funny. We visited some tsunami areas that FHI works in, and one of the girls in our group ventured across a muddy beach to get some pictures of a damaged house and met a family that still lives there! Those of us in sandals couldn't make it across the muddy beach, so we hiked through the tropical forest of Thailand to get to this house (thankfully the boys were back at the hotel with babysitters or we couldn't have done this). The family told us about a grove of trees that the towns people had asked them to cut down across the river, but the grandfather had refused. That grove of trees is what blocked the tsunami from directly hitting their house and it bought them time to get away. After the tsunami passed, the family returned to their house and saved around a dozen random people from the river. They lost one thatch house in the tsunami, along with their peir and tour-boats they made their living from, but their main house and one of their boats survived. The hotels are trying to get re-opened by November (the high tourist season), so the family is hopeful for the tourism industry to pick up again so they can start making money again. That was an incredible experience.
The next day, in the name of being tourists, our family and some other trainees went on an elephant ride! K, so it wasn't the regulated animal safety experience we have at the circus, so we were a little nervous as we got started, but it turned out to be quite an adventure. The elephant ride lasted an HOUR. We had three elephants with three people per animal and we went on a slow hike through the forest. The boys loved it. Alex and I were on the smallest elephant, and our seat that we shared with a friend only had a 5-inch high back on it, and it's a bench seat with the three of us facing forward side-by-side. We went up and down a really steep hill, so we had to work to stay upright with no back on the bench. It really was an adventure to remember. My friend and I were laughing the whole time, but it was one of those nervous, "is this worth it" laughs :). It was really awesome to watch the trainers work with the elephants. They talked to them like they're the family dog and the elephants responded! They were gentle things. We walked in a train of three elephants, and at one point a friend on the second elephant with Justin and Nathan dropped his camera. The trainer on the third elephant (the oldest one) said something to the animal and he picked up the camera with his trunk and handed it to the trainer!!!! The trainer dusted it off, rode up next to Justin's elephant and handed them the camera unharmed! It was way cool to watch. All our young elephant did was pass gas, schnoze on our feet, and eat when it was supposed to be walking!! :). It was awesome, but I was totally sore from trying to sit upright. The other two bench seats that Justin and the others rode had backs on them, so their ride was less of a work out :). K, I must go to bed. I'm leading our Bible study in the morning. I can't wait to send you the pictures!!
Love,
Gillian
Monday, August 29, 2005
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Email to Dad, Hi From Thailand
Subject: Hi From Thailand
Dad, it's so great to finally connect with you. I haven't taken a whole lot of time for email myself, but Justin, being the enthusiast he is, checks it pretty faithfully. So, yeah, we're in Thailand, can you believe it? Last week was a little crazy getting adjusted and whatnot. Nathan has managed to keep monster bruises on his head as evidence of his boldness...today he took two hits, one on the stairs he was running down to get away from me (he tripped and hit is cheek bone on a potted plant), and the other time was on our tour bus this morning on our way to a session. He was trying to keep up with the big boys and scooted off the seat super fast, missed the step under the seat, and smacked down on the aisle. All this just as the monster bruise across the bridge of his nose cleared up (the boys were playing with the other two children outside at the dorms in Bangkok and Josiah (a 4 year-old) was pushing Nathan in a stroller. They collided with the front gate sending Nathan face-first into it. This was the day before we decided four children 4 and under were too much for our sweet babysitter. The clincher was when we came back to the dorm and found Nathan shut outside by himself, and the babysitter inside bringing Alex and Josiah downstairs...the boys had run upstairs during a game of chase and locked themselves into our room. The babysitter was absolutely frazzled. We parents have been sharing helper duties since then. All this week, though, we've only had to help out a couple of times because they found a second sitter...YAY! The first sitter is WONDERFUL and the kids love her, but they get a little too wild, you know?
So, despite the childcare situation, and some stressful moments in travel, the sessions are going really well. Last week we were in a dorm attached to a Christian school. Our family had our own room, and shared a bathroom with the other family. We had training in a classroom at the school and the boys spent the morning in the school's 2-3 year-old class...THEY LOVE IT!! They have a ball pit and slides, and lots of toys. After lunch we'd go back to the training room before everyone else and put the boys down for a nap on the floor (we'd bring a pillow and blanket for the floor). Then they'd sleep on the floor in the middle of our circle of other trainees for like 2-3 hours every day!! When they woke up we'd take them to the sitter at the dorm and they'd play with Josiah and Asia (age 2) until 5pm when we'd go to dinner. We've been learning a ton about flexibility in parenting.
So our sessions have been great. We have has several great speakers. This week we're in a town called Khao Lak and we're staying in a beach-front resort. I feel sooo pampered. We have a huge room with a humungous balcony overlooking the Andaman Sea. Aside from being told how to handle a Tsunami warning, we feel totally refreshed here :). This resort is on a high hill, so it's still okay, but their bungalows down below are being rebuilt. We can hear the construction all day long mingled with the calming flow of the sea. All reminders of the tsunami from December 26 of last year.
Yesterday we visited some homes of tsunami survivors. We took a picture of a boat that was 2 Kilometers inland in someone's yard. Crazy. There's police boat lying ghostly vacant off the main highway here, it was the boat that was to be guarding the king's grandson, but the grandson's body was found just beyond the boat after the tsunami. It's a lot to take in. Today we visited a place called "The Well" set up by a coalition called We Love Thailand. Food for the Hungry is a participant in this coalition. The Well is a counseling center for tsunami victims and volunteers. We learned a lot about counseling and managing our own traumas on the field. K, I have to go back to session now. Our afternoon break is over. I have to say, though, many times through out this trip I have stood in awe of what God is doing in our lives, and how awesome it is to be seeing the world in such a personal way. I am soooo hopeful that you will be able to visit us in Peru so you can see what our lives have been filled with. I love you, and I can't wait to see you in a few weeks!
Love,
Gillian
Dad, it's so great to finally connect with you. I haven't taken a whole lot of time for email myself, but Justin, being the enthusiast he is, checks it pretty faithfully. So, yeah, we're in Thailand, can you believe it? Last week was a little crazy getting adjusted and whatnot. Nathan has managed to keep monster bruises on his head as evidence of his boldness...today he took two hits, one on the stairs he was running down to get away from me (he tripped and hit is cheek bone on a potted plant), and the other time was on our tour bus this morning on our way to a session. He was trying to keep up with the big boys and scooted off the seat super fast, missed the step under the seat, and smacked down on the aisle. All this just as the monster bruise across the bridge of his nose cleared up (the boys were playing with the other two children outside at the dorms in Bangkok and Josiah (a 4 year-old) was pushing Nathan in a stroller. They collided with the front gate sending Nathan face-first into it. This was the day before we decided four children 4 and under were too much for our sweet babysitter. The clincher was when we came back to the dorm and found Nathan shut outside by himself, and the babysitter inside bringing Alex and Josiah downstairs...the boys had run upstairs during a game of chase and locked themselves into our room. The babysitter was absolutely frazzled. We parents have been sharing helper duties since then. All this week, though, we've only had to help out a couple of times because they found a second sitter...YAY! The first sitter is WONDERFUL and the kids love her, but they get a little too wild, you know?
So, despite the childcare situation, and some stressful moments in travel, the sessions are going really well. Last week we were in a dorm attached to a Christian school. Our family had our own room, and shared a bathroom with the other family. We had training in a classroom at the school and the boys spent the morning in the school's 2-3 year-old class...THEY LOVE IT!! They have a ball pit and slides, and lots of toys. After lunch we'd go back to the training room before everyone else and put the boys down for a nap on the floor (we'd bring a pillow and blanket for the floor). Then they'd sleep on the floor in the middle of our circle of other trainees for like 2-3 hours every day!! When they woke up we'd take them to the sitter at the dorm and they'd play with Josiah and Asia (age 2) until 5pm when we'd go to dinner. We've been learning a ton about flexibility in parenting.
So our sessions have been great. We have has several great speakers. This week we're in a town called Khao Lak and we're staying in a beach-front resort. I feel sooo pampered. We have a huge room with a humungous balcony overlooking the Andaman Sea. Aside from being told how to handle a Tsunami warning, we feel totally refreshed here :). This resort is on a high hill, so it's still okay, but their bungalows down below are being rebuilt. We can hear the construction all day long mingled with the calming flow of the sea. All reminders of the tsunami from December 26 of last year.
Yesterday we visited some homes of tsunami survivors. We took a picture of a boat that was 2 Kilometers inland in someone's yard. Crazy. There's police boat lying ghostly vacant off the main highway here, it was the boat that was to be guarding the king's grandson, but the grandson's body was found just beyond the boat after the tsunami. It's a lot to take in. Today we visited a place called "The Well" set up by a coalition called We Love Thailand. Food for the Hungry is a participant in this coalition. The Well is a counseling center for tsunami victims and volunteers. We learned a lot about counseling and managing our own traumas on the field. K, I have to go back to session now. Our afternoon break is over. I have to say, though, many times through out this trip I have stood in awe of what God is doing in our lives, and how awesome it is to be seeing the world in such a personal way. I am soooo hopeful that you will be able to visit us in Peru so you can see what our lives have been filled with. I love you, and I can't wait to see you in a few weeks!
Love,
Gillian
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Message from the bus
So right now, we are on a bus going from Bangkok, Thailand to Pang Nga, Thailand. We left at 7:30 p.m. and it is a 12 hour bus trip so we will be pulling into our destination well after the sun is up. The purpose of this trip is to show us some of the FHI relief projects that are going on in response to the tsunami. So far the trip has gone well. Nathan and Alex are both out cold. Gillian is reading a novel and I am listening to music on my MP3 player. I suspect we will go to bed in a couple of hours, but who knows. It is at times like this when I wish I had brought my new laptop so I could watch a movie or something. At least I can write an e-mail while on the bus. This trip has had its surreal moments. It is strange to think that I am on the other side of the world from home. For you guys on the East Coast it is only 10 in the morning. And our day is wrapping up.
The boys are doing great. The only thing that has been hard for them is the adjustment to the Thai food. Basically, they won’t eat the food that is prepared in the Thai style. Thankfully, with all meals they serve fresh fruit. So the boys have had fresh pineapple, bananas, watermelon and some really strange fruits that apparently only grow in Asia because I never saw them in South America. They have also eaten more American food like fried chicken strips, boiled eggs, beef stew, and cereal for breakfast for a couple of days. We have had pizza twice, eaten at McDonald’s once, and today we ate at Sizzler – a steak house that they have in the states. Of course the boys got chicken nuggets and French fries and they were very happy. Also, today Gillian and I bought two new backpacks for $13 each. Normally the backpacks would cost around $80 each in the states, but we got a good deal here.
Gillian and I are doing great. We are eating well, and drinking a lot of water. The weather is pretty hot and sticky. Think July in SC, only not as hot – just as sticky, but not as hot.
We are learning a lot about FHI’s ministry and having a biblical worldview. Our instructor for three of the days was Darrow Miller. He is the vice president of FHI. He has a real heart for the poor and some great training that has been growing our perspective of holistic, biblical ministry. God has called us to minister to the physical needs as well as the physical needs. One of the examples that stood out in my mind is about a government agriculture program in Africa that gave farmers resources that essentially tripled their crops and the money the brought in. The report that went back to the US govt. was that the program was a success because more money was made and the crops were successful. From FHI’s perspective the program was a failure. The reason why was that no biblical instruction or changes were made in the community, only money and agricultural instruction. What this resulted in was that 2 months after the crop success the farmers that had all this extra money didn’t have a godly perspective on the new wealth and blew it on alcohol and prostitutes. This is why the program was a failure, simply meeting physical needs, and providing agricultural training still leaves a void that only God can fill. Money by itself is never the solution to poverty. An entire change of mindset and worldview is necessary to empower people to come out of poverty,
Well, I am starting to get tired so I will see if I can get this e-mail sent and head to sleep.
Thank you for your prayers and support,
Justin
The boys are doing great. The only thing that has been hard for them is the adjustment to the Thai food. Basically, they won’t eat the food that is prepared in the Thai style. Thankfully, with all meals they serve fresh fruit. So the boys have had fresh pineapple, bananas, watermelon and some really strange fruits that apparently only grow in Asia because I never saw them in South America. They have also eaten more American food like fried chicken strips, boiled eggs, beef stew, and cereal for breakfast for a couple of days. We have had pizza twice, eaten at McDonald’s once, and today we ate at Sizzler – a steak house that they have in the states. Of course the boys got chicken nuggets and French fries and they were very happy. Also, today Gillian and I bought two new backpacks for $13 each. Normally the backpacks would cost around $80 each in the states, but we got a good deal here.
Gillian and I are doing great. We are eating well, and drinking a lot of water. The weather is pretty hot and sticky. Think July in SC, only not as hot – just as sticky, but not as hot.
We are learning a lot about FHI’s ministry and having a biblical worldview. Our instructor for three of the days was Darrow Miller. He is the vice president of FHI. He has a real heart for the poor and some great training that has been growing our perspective of holistic, biblical ministry. God has called us to minister to the physical needs as well as the physical needs. One of the examples that stood out in my mind is about a government agriculture program in Africa that gave farmers resources that essentially tripled their crops and the money the brought in. The report that went back to the US govt. was that the program was a success because more money was made and the crops were successful. From FHI’s perspective the program was a failure. The reason why was that no biblical instruction or changes were made in the community, only money and agricultural instruction. What this resulted in was that 2 months after the crop success the farmers that had all this extra money didn’t have a godly perspective on the new wealth and blew it on alcohol and prostitutes. This is why the program was a failure, simply meeting physical needs, and providing agricultural training still leaves a void that only God can fill. Money by itself is never the solution to poverty. An entire change of mindset and worldview is necessary to empower people to come out of poverty,
Well, I am starting to get tired so I will see if I can get this e-mail sent and head to sleep.
Thank you for your prayers and support,
Justin
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Getting Ready
We're getting ready to go to Thailand with a 2 and 3 year-old. The trip itinerary includes 3 days in Phoenix, AZ for an employment workshop, then on to Bangkok, Thailand, a short trip to Phuket, and then back to Bangkok. The key word here is "flexibility." With all the travel we have done to and from Minnesota and West Virginia, we are hopeful that our kids will be okay with all this new activity and shifting around. I think this is might be a girl-thing, but my head is constantly thinking up things about the trip. Today's thoughts went to activities for the boys on the planes (we have a couple of really long flights). Regular crayons and markers are a little risky in-flight, so I found Blue's Clue's notebooks with one big wipe-off crayon for each. I also bought some plastic canvas and big plastic sewing needles. Tonight I'll cut the canvas into shapes and tie the needles to them with thin yarn for a fun reusable sewing crafty thing too. Drop a few cars, books, and dinosaurs into the diaper bag and we have home-grown bag o' entertainment. We thought about a portable DVD player, but that's too expensive for just this one trip.
The shopping is now complete aside from last minute things that always pop up. We now each have a complete wardrobe to last a week in HOT and MUGGY weather, and we will have a washing machine available when those clothes reach their limit. When I'm done with this Blog I'm going to grab a piece of paper and start a packing list, so I can stop thinking about it and just keep a running list. I've been escaping into novels and our required Bible study over the last couple of weeks to quiet my thoughts. Our support has been at a plateau since May, so it's hard not to feel the weight of that coupled with getting ready to be overseas with toddlers. The stress has lifted remarkably, though, as I have found quiet time in my morning walks with church friends, books, dates with Justin, playing with the boys, and other things that help me live in the here and now.
The week after we returned from Minnesota was probably the most stressful week we've had yet. We drove 1200 miles on Saturday, July 18, got home at 3am, went to church on Sunday (twice), and went right into Monday with unpacking from the trip and getting things organized for a church-wide yard sale the following Saturday. At the end of that week Justin's parents both came down with heart trouble, yet the sale went on.
Justin's parents are okay and going through more testing, and the sale was a success bringing in about $800 total, but we were exhausted after that marathon week. That's when I began to realize that I was relying on my own strength again, and it is not sufficient for the task at hand. These last couple of weeks Justin and I have been taking it easy getting back in line with where we need to be spiritually to keep running this race. I think we're getting there. As we wrote the newsletter Justin started sharing some things he's been convicted of lately, and as I listened I heard my own heart speaking from his lips. We were in the same place. So God is working on us, as always. He's given us endurance thus far, and remarkable grace for our shortcomings. We'll be out of touch with home life for a short time while we're in Thailand, so my prayer is that my mind can stay where God has placed my body so that I can absorb the training to its fullest and stay safe in a foreign land.
I stand in awe of God and the amazing places He is taking us. I count my blessings daily as I look at my husband, children, and pictures of family and friends, and as I ponder this calling that God has placed on our lives. Little me, Big God, and great things.
In His Hands,
Gillian
The shopping is now complete aside from last minute things that always pop up. We now each have a complete wardrobe to last a week in HOT and MUGGY weather, and we will have a washing machine available when those clothes reach their limit. When I'm done with this Blog I'm going to grab a piece of paper and start a packing list, so I can stop thinking about it and just keep a running list. I've been escaping into novels and our required Bible study over the last couple of weeks to quiet my thoughts. Our support has been at a plateau since May, so it's hard not to feel the weight of that coupled with getting ready to be overseas with toddlers. The stress has lifted remarkably, though, as I have found quiet time in my morning walks with church friends, books, dates with Justin, playing with the boys, and other things that help me live in the here and now.
The week after we returned from Minnesota was probably the most stressful week we've had yet. We drove 1200 miles on Saturday, July 18, got home at 3am, went to church on Sunday (twice), and went right into Monday with unpacking from the trip and getting things organized for a church-wide yard sale the following Saturday. At the end of that week Justin's parents both came down with heart trouble, yet the sale went on.
Justin's parents are okay and going through more testing, and the sale was a success bringing in about $800 total, but we were exhausted after that marathon week. That's when I began to realize that I was relying on my own strength again, and it is not sufficient for the task at hand. These last couple of weeks Justin and I have been taking it easy getting back in line with where we need to be spiritually to keep running this race. I think we're getting there. As we wrote the newsletter Justin started sharing some things he's been convicted of lately, and as I listened I heard my own heart speaking from his lips. We were in the same place. So God is working on us, as always. He's given us endurance thus far, and remarkable grace for our shortcomings. We'll be out of touch with home life for a short time while we're in Thailand, so my prayer is that my mind can stay where God has placed my body so that I can absorb the training to its fullest and stay safe in a foreign land.
I stand in awe of God and the amazing places He is taking us. I count my blessings daily as I look at my husband, children, and pictures of family and friends, and as I ponder this calling that God has placed on our lives. Little me, Big God, and great things.
In His Hands,
Gillian
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)